SYNOPSIS - your entire life has been measured by christmases, specifically– those spent with the lee household. every christmas, it was the same, and your feelings for the boy you grew up with during those christmases stayed the same too. however, as time passed, a few things changed and matters of the heart become a little more complex. could it be possible that there was more to look forward to this christmas than just your favorite hot cocoa?
PAIRING - lee heeseung x fem reader
GENRE - romance, slow burn, fluff, an attempt at crack, light angst, brother’s best friend trope-ish, “she fell first, he fell harder” trope
WARNINGS - profanity, minor references to sex and inappropriate topics, heeseung being very much conrad-coded
THIS STORY IS LOOSELY BASED OFF THE SERIES: THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY
christmas at the lee household was something you looked forward to each and every year. so much so that your entire life was measured by christmases.
you spent christmases with your mom, older brother, yeonjun and the lees, conveniently because your moms were best friends. mrs lee had a son– heeseung, who you basically spent your entire childhood with besides your brother.
while heeseung and yeonjun had a close relationship from the start, you and heeseung, didn’t always hit it off. at one point, he was hiding your christmas edition barbie dolls because he was embarassed to be seen with them! (you didn’t blame him though– he was two years older than you so he didn’t get the hype)
but eventually, both of you grew out of the silly trivial things that pulled you apart as young kids and you found yourself enjoying his company just as much as he did yours.
he’s seen you through all your phases and vice versa. he was there when you were wearing pink everyday, your emo era and even through your braces and dungarees phase (which was literally last year) and to be completely frank, somewhere along the lines: you fell for him.
oh, and as if news didn’t travel fast enough: the whole house knew! and it has become a tradition for everyone to tease the hell out of you when he’s around. no worries though, he made it painfully clear that he saw you just as his little sister (yikes)
every year it was the same: it always started off with a family dinner, followed by cocoa by the fire place with some fun games to accompany— which repeated until christmas day itself, which, you thought, when the fun really began.
“are you seriously not going to bring any sexy outfits? seriously?”, giselle raised an eyebrow from your bed– supposedly helping you pack.
you shot a confused look at her, “babes i’m going to celebrate christmas with my family not a honeymoon at bora-bora”
giselle rolled her eyes, “if you WANT heeseung to finally look at you, then—”, she dangles a red, slinky, dress towards you, notioning you to add it to your luggage.
“tis’ the season you get laid babes”, giselle winks.
your cheeks flush pink, “giselle!”, you smack her leg.
“HEY, I’M JUST TRYING TO HELP”, giselle yelped in defense.
giselle gets up from bed and drags you to your standing mirror— “you’ve changed a lot since last year, and you HAVE to embrace it babes! i promise, he’s going to regret ever sister-zoning you!”, she hugs your shoulders.
part of you knows she has a point, but realistically, how much could you have changed? giselle was probably just being nice.
“y/n are you ready? we have to go soon!”, your mom called from the bottom of the stairs.
you gave giselle one final hug and you intertwined your hands with her in a secret handshake.
“promise you’ll tell me whatever happens between you and heeseung?”, she prompts.
“duh, you have my word”, you wink before lugging your bags down the stairs.
the drive to the lee family house was long and with your brother driving, of course you two were arguing over the bluetooth connection. yeonjun had presented the lame excuse of “needing it for gps”, when really: you knew he wanted to blast anime music that you had no understanding of.
“come on jun, just let your sister play her music–”, your mother notioned to yeonjun, who pouted at the mirror and sighed.
“fine”, he pouted yet again, earning a scoff from your mother.
you rejoiced, finally!, you thought.
you put your christmas playlist on shuffle and stared out of the window, the familiar neighborhood coming into vision amidst the blanketing snow.
your heart swelled at the sight of the people putting up lights, garlands and decorations alike: christmas is here again, you fondly thought.
as you drove through the icy roads, with last christmas by wham! playing in the background, you felt as though you were in a scene from a christmas movie.
when you arrived at the drive way of the lee family house, you were hit with the nostalgic scent of rosemary. mrs lee must be baking her famous potato casserole again, you thought– eliciting a grumble from your stomach.
“y/n, come help me unload our bags”, she taps your shoulder from the backseat, to which you quickly unfastened your seat belt to assist your mom.
at this point, yeonjun had long disappeared into the warm embrace of the cabin while you helped your mother unload the bags.
“soojin?”, you heard a familiar voice call out.
it was mrs lee– she stood on her door step, arms wide open to give your mother a welcome hug.
your mother smiles back before coming into her embrace– the sight was warming your heart more than any fire could.
mrs lee’s eyes stray to you for a moment and she almost screeches.
“y/n! my dear you have grown so much! she’s gorgeous soojin!”, mrs lee praised.
she went towards you and placed her warm hand on your cheek, “you’re in bloom, my snowflake”
mrs lee had a way of saying things that almost made you believe her.
she then notices the bags on the driveway, left unattended, to which she gasped, “let me get the boys for this”
she goes up to the door to beckon the boys out, and as you stood, frozen on the driveway in anticipation, you saw him, struggling to get his gloves on.
he had his usual polo sweater on, but this time he was taller, his hair was longer and it fell a little over his eyes– which had always been your favorite feature of his.
as you stood frozen on the driveway, your eyes met with his as he walked towards you. you felt your heart beat a million times a minute.
there he was, the boy you’ve longed for your entire life.
you stood there, across from him, as he took the sight of you in.
“what happened to your glasses?”, he asked.
“i don’t wear them anymore”, you explained.
he went around you to get your bags, lifting them easily compared to you and your mom’s efforts combined.
“i liked your glasses”, he leaned over slightly causing you to stiffen up, “but welcome back, y/n”, he pinches your nose– another familiar tradition.
he lugs your bag into the house and right as he reached the doorstep, he looked back at you, hands motioning you to come in.
“come in, you’ll freeze out there”, he says. you run towards the door at his invitation, closing the door right behind you when the both of you enter.
“so, how was everyone’s year?”, mrs lee asks, wine glass in hand.
“it was great mrs lee— i got into our university’s dance team!”, yeonjun bragged earning exaggerated and sarcastic applauses from heeseung, to which yeonjun responded by tossing a potato in his direction.
your mother shot yeonjun an icy glare as a reminder to behave, and he cleared his throat in realization.
“oh yeah and mrs lee, your son is a HIT at campus, he’s being hit on by girls left and right, it’s sickening!”, yeonjun remarked.
you were somewhat in a state of disappointment yet you weren’t surprised.
you had to admit, you always found lee heeseung handsome— but somehow, this christmas, your heart catapulted more than it usually did.
heeseung fiddled with the potatoes on his plate using his fork, clearly uncomfortable of the topic that arose.
“i guess— it’s because he looks so much like me”, mrs lee commented with a wink, earning a chuckle from heeseung– who was clearly unsure how to react.
you pursed your lips, avoiding eye contact with the boy across you.
“how about you, my snowflake?”, mrs lee asks– all eyes darting towards you.
“uhm..”, you thought about what had happened this year that was remotely interesting to share.
off the top of your head, you shared: “i got my braces off”, you smiled flashing your pearly whites, eliciting laughs from mrs lee and heeseung.
“no shit, dumbass”, yeonjun remarked, earning a kick under the table from your mom.
“yeonjun, be nice”, to which he pouted to, “come on moomm, you always defend y/n”, he flashes his morbid puppy eyes at her, only to earn a distasteful roll of the eyes from your mom.
“my snowflake has grown so beautifully”, mrs lee remarked, causing you to blush.
“thanks mrs lee”, you smiled at the nickname she has always given you.
you didn’t even notice the eyes that lingered on you a little longer than they should– from the boy across from you.
as usual, cocoa by the fireplace followed suit after dinner— and you were so excited to finally taste the best hot cocoa you have ever had in your life again.
as you topped your cocoa with a pile of marshmallows in the kitchen, you couldn’t help but overhear the boys chatting with each other.
“is that girl from school still texting you?”, yeonjun asked.
“uh i guess, there are a few of them”, heeseung replies, doubtfully.
“bro– don’t tell me you’re still hung up over wonyoung– come on man, that was monthsss agooo”, yeonjun drawled, earning a half-hearted sigh from heeseung.
oh, he’s had a girl friend before this, you thought– the familiar dreadful feeling arising in your tummy.
“i guess, but i don’t know– i feel like i still like her”, heeseung says, very much in the same doubtful tone he started with.
you don’t know why you were all sad about what you heard, it’s not like he was your boyfriend after all– but you couldn’t deny that it stung a little to witness the boy you like missing someone that wasn’t you.
you stayed up all night thinking about the conversation between heeseung and your brother – the name in the conversation repeating itself in your head like a mantra.
wonyoung, she sounds beautiful – you thought as you brushed your teeth.
after washing up, you sleepily make your way down to the kitchen, where everybody was. heeseung was with your mom, solving a crossword puzzle while yeonjun helped mrs lee with the pancakes for breakfast.
when mrs lee noticed your presence, she set her spatula down and rushed in to give you a hug.
“good morning sweetie, did you sleep good?”, she asks only for you to lie: “slept great, mrs lee”
you took a seat at the bar table, eyes wandering for the oat milk carton. before you could even stand up to look for it, heeseung comes up from right behind you and places a tall glass of oat milk right beside you.
“i know you hate cold milk”, he says with a smile– before walking over to yeonjun, who was trying his best to salvage his pancakes.
your heart fluttered at heeseung’s gesture, this was one of the many reasons you had fallen for him.
FLASHBACK
“which flavor should we get heeseung?”, a young yeonjun asks with a mischievous grin on his face.
the whole family was spending the day at the market– and although the boys were warned far earlier to stay away from the candy cart, yeonjun and heeseung had been saving up to splurge on candy the whole year! and with a little bit of will power, they managed to slip away from their moms– who at the time, were distracted by the attractive holiday candles for sale.
“i want peppermint and licorice!”, yeonjun exclaims, grabbing a fistful of each candy he wanted.
unlike yeonjun, heeseung was carefully contemplating his choices— but, before all, he reached in for the pink berry blast candy, which shocked yeonjun to say the least.
“ewwwwwww, you’re choosing pink candy?”, yeonjun gags earning an annoyed eye roll from heeseung.
“it’s for y/n, not me”, heeseung explains before continuing to carefully select his own choice of candy.
when they returned to their mothers, who were, to no shock, still at the candle stand– you stood idly by, noticing how the boys managed to slip away and come back unnoticed.
you weren’t one to snitch though, fortunately.
as you sucked on your thumb, waiting for your mom to finish indulging in the various holiday scented candles, heeseung taps your shoulder.
“i know you like this candy”, he hands the bright-pink candy over to you, a smile plastered in his face.
you were too young to understand what was happening right then and there but even little you, didn’t fail to blush at the kind gesture that was presented to you.
END OF FLASHBACK
the day moved rather slowly— the weather in the neighborhood switched between being gloomy and snowy, which made it hard to plan activities around.
you were laying in your room, folding your laundry, when you heard a knock on your door.
“hey loser”, it was yeonjun.
you rolled your eyes– “no, i am NOT going to fold your stupid underwear again”, you say almost predictably.
“what– no, i just wanted to say– heeseung and i are heading to a party tonight, and you have to keep it shut to mrs lee and mom, got it?”, yeonjun commands.
“what the hell, you guys are sneaking out?”, you ask.
“duhhh, do you think we stay in EVERYTIME for cocoa and game night? obviously heeseung and i are cooler than that”, he explains earning a gasp from your end.
“you’ve BEEN sneaking out this WHOLE time?”, you were exasperated to say the least.
“jealous, loser?”, he teases with a wink, causing your face to contort to a distasteful look.
“whatever it is, we’ll be back midnight, see ya loser!”, he storms out confidently.
what he doesn’t know is, you found out which party he was going to (the only party in town, which giselle took the very kind initiative of finding out) and there is no way in hell, you would miss the opportunity to rebel for once.
when yeonjun and heeseung arrived, the sight they saw was nothing extraordinary.
there were drinks, people making out, and music blaring from every corner.
“heyyy boys!”, the host, jake sim, greeted– giving each of them a dap in the process.
“great to have you back here this year”, jake roughly places his hand on yeonjun’s shoulder– simultaneously handing him a shot of tequila.
“i feeel aliveeee”, yeonjun exclaims after downing the tequila that was handed to him.
jake notions heeseung to take a sip, but he refuses.
“i don’t drink tequila”, he confesses– to which jake nods in understanding with an “ah ok”.
before heeseung could even decide what to do, yeonjun was off on the dance floor, girls surrounding him as if he were a magnet.
heeseung laughs at the sight before moving himself to one of the lounges, grabbibg a can of beer to pop open and enjoy.
unexpectedly, he sees a familiar face wrapped around someone.
wonyoung?
“girl, why are you dressing like a saint– how is heeseung gonna notice you when you’re wearing a literal nun-fit”, giselle remarked when she saw your quote-unquote “overly covering” outfit.
you were rummaging your bag at this point, before you found a rather intriguing piece of clothing– which you definitely never owned.
“is this yours?”, you dangle the red, slinky, dress towards the camera.
“YES! THANK GOD YOU FOUND IT”, giselle cheers in victory.
“yes bitch wear that– hello, there’s a reason i packed it in”, giselle commands, to which you hesitantly oblige.
after you slipped into the dress, giselle’s eyes almost pop out of her skull.
“OH MY GOD Y/N? YOU LOOK STUNNING?? I AM DEAD”, she jokingly motions– earning a shy giggle from your end.
the dress was indeed beautiful, you were just unsure if it looked good on you– it seemed way different than what you would usually reach for.
“if you’re even SECOND-THINKING right now i will smack you from my phone”, giselle suddenly says, as if reading your mind.
“please y/n you look stunning, like santa’s mistress but innocent and hot at the same time– damn, i suck at explaining but you look HOT”, she comments, giggling at parts, almost fangirling.
“now put on that red lipstick you bought and bam, femme fatale who?”, she winks at you with her suggestion.
you apply the red lipstick as instructed and when giselle saw your final look, she almost fainted.
she gave you her final best wishes and told you to put on your best heels– which in true y/n fashion – you forgot.
so, you just slip on your converses and carefully sneak out of the house, careful not to wake your moms.
now you just have to hope, yeonjun is too drunk to notice you were ever there.
when you arrived at the driveway, everyone had their eyes on you.
you felt a little insecure, walking in your dress and parka, into this completely new environment. before you could even make a step further, a guy stops you in your tracks.
“hi beautiful, welcome to my party”, he had a smug look on his face and you just smiled back and thanked him in response.
“have i seen you before? you look new”, he asked– technically you’ve gone to this neighborhood your whole life, it was just your first party.
“yeah, it’s my first party—”, before you could even say anything else— the guy yells: “WE HAVE A NEW PARTY COMER EVERYONE!”
heeseung had his eyes on wonyoung, who was enjoying herself with her new boy accessory.
he wanted to approach her, liquid confidence in hand.
but before he could even take a step towards her, he hears jake’s voice echo to the living room he was in.
“WE HAVE A NEW PARTY COMER EVERYONE!”
from there on, a good majority of the crowd’s eyes diverted to the door– where jake was escorting the new guest, arms linked.
heeseung couldn’t believe his eyes. you were absolutely gorgeous.
crowds cheered and whistled at your entrance, and heeseung stepped closer to where you were walking.
it can’t be her, can it? , he doubted himself.
he confirmed it was you when he saw your stained converses, what is she doing here?
you stood at the kitchen, unsure of what to do. there were so many people, yet you couldn’t find the courage to get along with any of them.
“i love your dress”, you heard a voice from beside you.
you turned to the direction of the voice, to see an angel-like girl next to you.
“oh my god, that means a lot coming from you”, you say with a smile.
“what’s your name, pretty?”, she asks with a smile, before taking a sip from her cup.
“y/n— choi y/n, nice to meet you..”, you prompt for her name in return.
“wonyoung, jang wonyoung”, she smiles.
wonyoung?, you thought– could it be that wonyoung?
before you could ponder a moment longer, the guy who greeted you returned.
“i’m so honored to have the most beautiful girls in town at my party—”, he slurs, earning a scoff from wonyoung.
“grow up jake, i have a boyfriend”, wonyoung rolls her eyes– did they get back together?, you thought
“i didn’t want you anyway.. it’s her i want”, he slurs, smirking at you.
you gulp, unsure what to say or do.
“don’t let him get to your head y/n, he’s just pussy deprived”, wonyoung said.
jake slips his arm around your waist, finishing the last drop of his drink. at this point, you were more than uncomfortable.
“what the hell?”, you hear an agitated voice say.
you look back to see heeseung, infuriated.
heeseung marches up to the both of you and right as you expect him to drag wonyoung away, he drags you away instead.
“heeseung, let go!”, you command. heeseung was fuming.
“what the hell are you even doing with jake? are you trying to fuck yourself over?”, he was angry.
this was the angriest you’ve ever seem him, which brewed similar feelings in you.
“why do you care, heeseung? i want to have fun too!”, you retaliate– attempting to walk away from heeseung to enjoy the party.
he pulls you by your wrist, “no you aren’t, i’m calling a cab– we’re going home”
he drags you with him into the sea on the dance floor, fishing yeonjun out of it, his grip still firm on your wrist.
when he successfully got yeonjun off the dance floor, he was wasted.
after successfully calling a cab, he drags yeonjun in and asks you to sit in the back while he sat at the passenger seat. the whole car-ride was silent. heeseung must’ve been really mad.
you admit you felt bad for ruining their night but: why was he so mad?
seeing you and his ex at the party wasn’t exactly what he expected.
however, what blew him up was seeing jake wrap his arms around you, sickeningly intertwined like lovers. when he saw what ensued, he lost all his cool.
he could barely register that his ex, whom he tried to approach the whole night, was right there.
the next morning comes quickly, and as he laid in his bed, he kept asking himself: why he was as mad as he was seeing you with jake?
it was confusing, he still liked wonyoung– he was certain of it– but even after seeing wonyoung and her new boyfriend smooch around for minutes on end, he barely lifted a finger.
however, when he saw you standing there, a little too close to jake, he lost every ounce of cool in his body and gained a new confidence that he never thought he could have.
you’re not crazy heeseung, it’s different because she’s like your little sister— it’s natural you reacted the way you did: his subconscious self tried to justify his thoughts, with the very same excuse its been using for years.
just like that one time you came to support him during his first talent show at university, and how you proudly cheered for him. his heart fluttered at that but his psyche silenced his heart with that very excuse: “it’s normal for her to support you– she’s like your little sister”
or that one time he felt butterflies in his stomach when you helped patch up an injury on his leg with your barbie first aid kit, before proceeding to make him a cup of hot cocoa– when his heart fluttered yet again, but his subconscious self convinced him: “siblings care for each other, this is nothing”
or even that time he saw you for the first time in a year, and when he saw you standing there, so beautifully in your dress at the party. again, “she’s just like your little sister”
he didn’t understand what was happening to him– could it be denial? maybe, but whatever it was, he wasn’t ready to face it.
at that point, it was a few days until christmas. the house was busy, with cleaners and workers running left and right–hanging decorations and dusting off ornaments.
you decided to help as well, helping the workers hang stockings and garlands around the house.
heeseung stood by the door frame, watching you help the workers decorate the house– a smile unintentionally creeping up on his face.
he observed how your hair was neatly tied back with a ribbon, and how your reindeer knit sweater, which he knew you got from his mom, ran a little too big for you.
you were laughing along with the workers, at a slanted ornament you hung.
a tap on his shoulder snaps him out of his haze, “yo, mom and mrs lee needs us to go to the grocery store to pick up a turkey for the christmas eve dinner so let’s go”, yeonjun announces– dragging heeseung away from the scene.
you barely even noticed his presence, too busy trying to fix the decorations you accidentally ruined.
on the car ride to grocery store, heeseung clears his throat to speak.
“wonyoung’s got a new boyfriend”, he speaks up, eyes on the road.
yeonjun’s eyes widen, “what? SERIOUSLY? i thought she only brought that guy at the party to make you jealous–”, yeonjun says.
“what? no–”, heeseung tries to explain only to be cut off by yeonjun again.
“i think so though! heard you had a new girl during the party– red dress and all! i heard everyone thought she was a hot take– too bad i was too drunk to notice her because we all know, she would’ve come home with me”, yeonjun smirks causing heeseung to cringe.
this guy would regret saying that if he knew it was his sister, he thought.
but hey, since yeonjun already ingrained that scenario in his head– heeseung might as well play along with it. plus, he could use some advice.
“yeah, i had a new girl but i don’t think i can like her”, he confesses.
“awww man, why not? you’re hot, kind of–”, yeonjun giggles, heeseung snorting in response.
“well, being with her is complicated– she’s beautiful, but i’m afraid i would hurt her”, heeseung admits, earning a scoff from yeonjun.
“you say that as if you didn’t date the dean of our university’s daughter but okay– come on heeseung, stop over thinking for once, if you like her, then make your move! don’t let your mind cock block”, yeonjun advises, hitting heeseung with a playful punch.
“alright then”, heeseung says, really hoping yeonjun won’t regret what he said.
“now let’s get this dang turkey”
the night of the christmas eve dinner came quicker than you expected.
the house was filling up with friends and family members, and it was finally beginning to look a lot like christmas.
you went down the stairs, dressed and ready to greet all the faces you hadn’t seen in a year.
you were surprised to see some of the faces from the party too– one of them being, wonyoung, which you assumed was invited by heeseung.
you waved at her, and the other people that were around.
“nice to see you again bub”, she greets, with a hug.
you’re not surprised why heeseung would date someone like her– she was so warm and kind.
when the dinner began, the adults were sat at the dining room, while the kids were sprawled out in the living room.
“i’m sooo bored”, jake complains after the dinner, earning an eye roll from yeonjun.
“you’re always bored when you’re not drunk, jake”, he retaliates.
wonyoung sat across from heeseung, which seemed strange for a couple.
“do you guys want to play spin the bottle?”, jake smirks.
everyone cheered in unison, approving his idea.
yeonjun grabs a bottle from the kitchen, and everyone forms a circle on the floor.
the first few spins were uneventful, the kisses being short pecks rather than long, deep, kisses– which earned boos from everyone.
however, when the bottle landed on heeseung and wonyoung, the air tensed up.
heeseung sat still, wonyoung the same.
“are we getting a kiss or no– OUCH”, jake groaned, when yeonjun kicked his foot– intentionally.
the air was so thick with tension– you began shifting in your seat uncomfortably.
“fine, let’s change the course— heeseung do you like anyone?”, wonyoung suddenly asks and his eyes widen.
his eyes land on yours before he could say anything.
however, right as he was about to answer, your mom called out to you.
“y/n can you please get something from aunt mijoo’s car”
when everyone left, it was late in the night.
you had trouble falling asleep, so you headed to the kitchen to make some hot cocoa.
you were shocked to see heeseung, still in his sweater, staring out the window.
“heeseung– oh my god you scared me”, you gasped.
he looked at you, his body slightly slumped.
“are you hungry?”, he asks, observing your actions.
“nope– i just need some cocoa to help me sleep”, you reply, earning a chuckle from the boy.
“you’re the first person i know who uses sugar to fall asleep”, he walks up to you and pats your head.
at that point, it was nearing midnight.
you opened the cupboard, searching for the cocoa powder.
great, you thought, it’s waayy on the top shelf
you sighed in defeat, your head hung low.
heeseung notices this, and he easily reaches for the cocoa.
“need some help?”, he offers the cocoa powder in his hand, a smirk plastered on his face.
you roll your eyes, “thanks, i guess”
he giggles, leaning back on the kitchen island– watching your every move.
you whip up your concoction, preparing an extra mug for heeseung– as he stood by, watching you.
“wonyoung is so pretty”, you suddenly say– causing him to choke on some air.
“suddenly?”, he remarked.
“she is though, i understand why you froze around her”, you giggled, eyes focused on the hot cocoa you were making.
heeseung was speechless, he wasn’t sure where exactly you were going with this.
“i mean i wouldn’t expect less from the lee heeseung’s girlfriend”, you bitterly applauded, which causes the boy to choke on his spit.
“girlfriend? where’d you hear that?”, he asks confusedly.
“she’s your girlfriend.. right?”, you tilt your head, twice as confused as he was.
“uh– first off, sure i guess she’s pretty but when i froze– that wasn’t the reason, second– she’s not my girlfriend, well, not anymore at least”, he explains.
when you heard this, you somehow felt a sense of relief – relief at the fact that wonyoung and heeseung weren’t together.
“what!”, you let out, sounding a little too happy. you cleared your throat and ask him again: “heeseung, why did you get mad at me during.. the party?”, you hesitated a little towards the end, flashbacks of heeseung’s anger replaying in your head like a broken tape.
“well..”
oh shit, he thought. he hasn’t quite figured out the reason himself– so, he’ll stick to his brain’s text book answer.
“because, you’re like my little sister, y/n”, he lies– he knows that, of all reasons, was not the one.
there it was, the very thing you dreaded to hear.
“oh..”, was the only thing you could respond with.
good thing your hot cocoa was ready! you poured two servings, one for him and one for yourself.
you took out all the toppings, and proceeded to add marshmallows to your hearts content.
“did you want some?”, you asked heeseung– but he shook his head no.
“but i’d like some whipped cream please”, he asks, extending his mug of cocoa to you.
you nod, prepping the can of whipped cream for him, skillfully giving him a swirl before you got a mischievous idea.
you took some whip cream on your finger, stood on your tippy toes, and smeared it on his face, “your wish is my command”, you smirk.
he gasps, taking some cream to do the same with you.
“hey! i just removed my make up!”, you shielded yourself from his attack.
“you started it!”, he exclaimed– chasing you around the kitchen, determined to get some cream in your hair too.
before you knew it, the clock bells rang as it hit 12 am, it was finally christmas.
the both of you stood face-to-face, looking at each other’s cream smeared faces for a moment.
“merry christmas, heeseung”, you greet, earning a giggle from him.
“merry christmas, y/n”
when you left the kitchen, hot cocoa in hand, heeseung’s heart beat raced more than he ever thought it could.
he had been trying so hard to deny it, but now he thinks he can finally accept it: you were more than just a little sister to him.
the wholesome scene in the kitchen replayed itself in your head until the next morning.
you even texted giselle at the crack of dawn to tell her what happened– to which she could only fangirl in response.
everyone was gathered at the living room, sat around in their pajamas.
“merry christmas everyone”, you say– kind of sleepy.
you joined your mom and mrs lee on the couch, giving them a big hug.
“don’t forget, later we have secret santa with everyone coming so, perk up kids!”, mrs lee reminded before she left to go to the kitchen with your mom, to which all of you responded with an enthusiastic smile.
“did you guys manage to get anything for secret santa?”, yeonjun asks you and heeseung.
you and heeseung nod in approval, “yeah, why? did you get anything?”, heeseung asks yeonjun.
“uh yeah– totally, i – yeah fuck it, i forgot”, he finally admits.
“it’s okay i can get a bag of cheetos, i don’t know– what do girls even like”, he sighed in frustration.
you laughed at his defeat, causing him to shoot a glare your direction.
“shut up, loser”
heeseung giggles beside you, causing you to shoot a glare at him. “ok, i’m sorry”
guests poured into the house, one by one, soon enough— all the kids and adults were sprawled out in the living room, getting ready to play secret santa.
unlike the night before, the circle of people who attended that afternoon was a more intimate group of people.
“ok, heeseung, it’s your turn– who are you secret santa for this year?”, mrs lee prompted.
heeseung smiles a little, shyly picking up the small red bag beside him, standing up to head to his designated person.
without you realizing, he made his way towards you.
“merry christmas, y/n”, he greets again, in his gentle voice, to which you shyly accept the red bag whispering a shy “thank you”– all eyes were on you at the time, observing the chemistry.
to be frank, everyone in that room knew how you felt about heeseung, and how much you wanted him to be your secret santa, time and time again.
this time you got what you wanted, and as you caressed the small red bag in your hands, your cheeks warmed up– heeseung’s gentle voice repeating itself in your head.
the day passed quickly and you didn’t get a chance to open the gift yet.
it was only when you had gone back up to your room that you had the chance. you undid the ribbon delicately, as if the bag itself was more precious than what it contained.
you took out the tissue paper that protected the small velvet box which sat in the centre of the bag. you caressed the velvet box with your fingers, your stomach brimming with butterflies and anticipation.
when you open the box, you gasp in surprise and adoration.
it was a necklace, but not just a random charm necklace.
it was a snowflake, each crevice covered in crystals, which sparkled brightly under the moon light which shone through your bedroom window.
you took a moment to read the card it came with, which left you smiling wider than you thought you could:
i saw this necklace at the store a few days ago and it made think of you– because you’re our little snowflake:) i hope you like it.
merry christmas, y/n
you admired the necklace in your hands, a smile creeping up on your face once again. it was beautiful, just like him.
you picked up your phone, typing up a quick text message.
you: thanks for the gift, heeseung. i love it c:
heeseung: no problem, i’m just glad you like it :)
heeseung: hey, it’s snowing out, wanna go build a snowman? ;)
you giggle at his sudden invitation. you put on the necklace, wrap yourself in your warm scarves and puffer jacket before heading downstairs.
you quietly snuck out through the back door of the kitchen, eyes looking left and right for heeseung.
your search didn’t last long when you felt a snowball hit your back.when you turn to the back, you see heeseung hiding behind a bush, gloves messy from the snow ball.
you scoff, rolling up a snow ball and hitting him in return– just like you used to do when you were younger.
“hey! ouch! stop!”, he squirmed, the cold impacting him more than he thought. you laughed at his defenselessness.
again, you stood across him, face to face– admiring his face, just like you did when you first arrived.
the snow was falling from the sky, gently trickling your jackets and hair.
his eyes locked with yours, and you swore time stopped.
“i think there’s something you should know..”, he took a step closer to you, anticipation brewing in your stomach as you looked up at him.
“hmm?”
“i’m sorry i got mad at you during jake’s party and brushed it off as me being protective because “you’re like my sister”–”, he apologized.
“truth is.. that wasn’t even close to the real reason–”, he begun, your eyes glued intently on him.
“thing is.. i never understood why or how i felt about you— and, my subconscious mind would consistently tell me it was because you were just my little sister”, he looked down briefly before meeting your eyes again.
“but, when i found myself missing you, thinking about you and your silly laugh when i crack my terrible jokes– and when i found myself infuriated at the idea that another guy could make you laugh like that, i knew that you were more than what i tried so hard to convince myself you were..”, he took your hands in his, eyes still locked on yours.
“how could i have been so blind to the one person who’s always been there for me.. from the time you patched up my little injury with your precious barbie band aids or even the time you stood front row during my first talent show— it has always been you”, he grips your hand tighter.
“so i was hoping i could be the one for you too..”, he nervously says.
“what do you mean heeseung?”, you ask suddenly, pulling your hands away from his.
at this point he was expecting his heart to be shattered– until you cut off his train of thought.
“you have always been the one for me”, you say suddenly– flashing him with the smile he loved so much.
before he could say anything further, you leapt up onto him, the warmth of your lips embracing his.
he smiled into the kiss, “i love you, my little snowflake”
you giggled, “i love you too”, you say briefly before he engulfs your lips in his again, twirling you in his embrace.
you have always loved christmas, but now, he’s given you a million reasons to love it more.
[ hera’s note ] – hello loves! merry (ADVANCED) christmas! 🎄 here’s an advanced heeseung christmas piece that i wrote while listening to taylor swift and sabrina carpenter’s new christmas EP HAHAHA i hope you all enjoyed this piece 🤍 please let me know what you thought about this one-shot and reblog it if you enjoyed it! i wanted to upload this early because i may be offline for a few days to celebrate this festive season :) anyways, i hope everyone will have a wonderful christmas, hera loves you! <3
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