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"you got me a ladder for my birthday?"
"a step-ladder. but surprise."
jisoo stared at jeonghan in disbelief as the boy lazed on his couch, cackling mischievously.
"i thought you'd need one, seeing how you don't seem to be hitting your growth spurt. maybe you don't have one— hey!"
"say that again and i'll bonk you twice," jisoo threatened, holding a cardboard tube in his hand.
"you're so small, jisoo, how am i supposed to be threatened by you?" jeonghan giggled, patting the boy's head.
"i'm not that short. i'm 158 centimetres."
"short," jeonghan giggled, in all his 170-centimetre glory.
"i'm only fifteen. i'll grow," jisoo huffed.
"when? everyone's grown but you."
"it doesn't matter. i'm small and i'm cute and that's better than banging into doorframes and not being able to fit into bumper cars."
"why don't you open your gift, shua? i can't hear you from up here. maybe that ladder would help."
jeonghan giggled as jisoo began unwrapping the ladder, basking in the boy's look of disbelief, confusion, and then finally exasperation.
"what the fuck."
"surprise again."
jisoo pulled out a small box, dwarfing in comparison to the monstrosity that was the step-ladder jeonghan had promised. he stared at his boyfriend, who wore the ultimate look of triumph on his face.
"why did you think that was a good idea?" jisoo smacked jeonghan's arm.
"because i love you," jeonghan tilted his head.
jisoo peeked inside the box. he saw the very same cd player he'd been meaning to buy, and he jumped onto jeonghan, cuddling into his neck.
"how'd you know i wanted this?"
"you've been eyeing it every time we go down to the store, baby. so i thought i'd get it for you," jeonghan ruffled jisoo's hair.
"you're the best," jisoo breathed.
"even after the ladder stunt? you must love me a lot then."
"don't boost your ego too much, that was still annoying." jisoo pushed jeonghan away. "do you see how much paper you wasted? all for a minute's worth of laughs—"
"and it was hilarious, joshuji. admit it," jeonghan went back for more hugs, this time nuzzling the top of his head.
"hilarious to you, maybe. doesn't change the fact you called me short."
"which you are. but it's cute, see how you fit in my arms?" jeonghan giggled. "who else could i be hugging like this?"
"you shouldn't be hugging anyone else like this," jisoo joked.
"possessive. i like it. i'll get you handcuffs for valentine's day. then you can chain me up to your bed and—"
"rid you of those disgusting demons in your head telling you to pull such stunts. never again," jisoo warned.
"alright, baby, never again," jeonghan pecked jisoo's forehead.
⁂ ⁂
"you did it again."
"what?" jeonghan had a smug smile on his face as jisoo rolled around the humongous ball in his room.
"unless you got me a giant ball of yarn, which would be more suitable for junhui, not me, i can't see this seriously being your present."
"what if i did? you have been into crocheting these days," jeonghan snickered, propping himself up on jisoo's bed.
"for the last time, i'm not making you a blanket."
"got it, my short bean. why don't you sit on that?" jeonghan gestured at the ball. "you'd look adorable perched up there."
"i'm taller than you now."
"i have an idea, why don't i get you bunny ears from the costume shop downstairs too? then you'll can run around in your hamster ball and squeak for me."
jisoo looked horrified at the suggestion. "i wouldn't want to enable your furry fantasies, jeonghan. besides, i'm too big to fit in that now. i'm bigger than you."
"you'll always be smaller than me, joshuji, in more ways than one." jeonghan grinned. "height is the least important of those factors."
"what do you mean— jeonghan!" jisoo scolded, abandoning rolling the ball around for a second to tackle jeonghan down on his bed.
jeonghan winked at him before snaking his arms around jisoo's waist.
"as much as i'd love to, shua, i'm not in the mood yet. maybe your present would help set the scene."
jisoo frowned, flicking his boyfriend's forehead. "you're disgusting, jeonghan."
"just try. maybe i'll be so repulsed i won't even think about it for the next five years."
"i'd be 22 in five years. what the hell," jisoo shuddered, thinking about just how old they were getting.
"you're turning 17 today, and you're busy thinking about five years from now?," jeonghan pushed jisoo off his body. "relax a bit, baby. you'll still be all small and adorable then."
as if to prove his point, jisoo stood up, towering over jeonghan. "i'm not small."
"i'm sure you're not," jeonghan winked. "so hurry up and serenade me."
"what?"
"open your gift, asshole."
"way to go for being a nice boyfriend, han," jisoo rolled his eyes, leaping at the ball in an attempt to deflate it.
"so cute," jeonghan mumbled to himself.
"hand me scissors," jisoo held his hand out.
"nope. pop it yourself," jeonghan laughed.
jisoo bit back a string of curse words he really shouldn't be letting out on his birthday.
he kicked the ball repeatedly, eventually poking a hole big enough to rip through.
jeonghan watched, amused, as jisoo crawled into the ball and grabbed his gift. an audible squeak emerged from inside the ball.
"jeonghan, you—"
"so you're okay with the bunny cosplay after all," jeonghan grinned.
jisoo leapt onto jeonghan and kissed him sloppily, then peppering small kisses on his cheeks. "you always get me the best presents."
"anything for my lover," jeonghan beamed. "if it makes you happy, i'm happy."
"shut up," jisoo leaned in for another kiss.
"i really need to get you those handcuffs. you're getting a little too bold these days," jeonghan teased.
"why don't i start by serenading you?"
"so you like it? i wasn't sure about the colour, but i know you like red, so—"
jisoo cuddled the ukulele jeonghan had gotten him. "i adore it. even more so that it came from my boyfriend."
"so you'll really serenade me?"
jisoo began tuning the instrument after giving jeonghan yet another kiss. "you deserve it, my love."
"though i would've loved a giant ball of yarn too."
⁂ ⁂
"let me guess, clothes."
"no."
"a bag."
"nope."
"a laptop."
"that's not even in my budget."
"then what?" jisoo stared at the reindeer in front of him.
granted, it was a tiny reindeer, so it couldn't have been a big present. joshua half-wished it was that robotic reindeer he'd seen at the store the other day, just so he could keep it up as decoration in his room. he absolutely wouldn't admit his newfound obsession with deer to jeonghan though. who knows what his lover would come up with then?
"how about this. i tell you what one of the gifts are. guess the rest," jeonghan said.
"you got me more than one?" jisoo asked, puzzled.
five years since they'd began dating, and jeonghan was still the same. every single year, he'd wrapped jisoo's birthday present in some absurd shape, and had him guess.
at first, jisoo found it annoying and a waste of time and precious wrapping paper, but he'd grown used to it now. it was like their tradition, their special thing. jisoo looked forward to what new thing jeonghan would bring out every year.
"of course. now that you're an adult i thought i should upgrade my gifting patterns."
"i'm nineteen. stop making it seem like i'm old."
"i'm literally older than you."
"by two months!"
"still older, joshuji!"
"shut up and tell me what's in here."
"handcuffs, as promised," jeonghan grinned. "go wild, baby."
"don't tell me you got... other bedroom stuff," jisoo gasped.
jeonghan hummed intentionally, neither denying or confirming.
"keep it in," jisoo muttered, not exactly outright discarding the possibility.
"i'm being serious. handcuffs is one of your gifts. guess the other one."
"is it inappropriate?"
"for a birthday gift? yes. do i think you'll like it? absolutely," jeonghan replied.
jisoo shuddered. jeonghan laughed, urging him to open the present.
jisoo carefully approached the deer. huh, it did feel much harder than jeonghan's other wrapping paper crafts.
jisoo was always persuading jeonghan to make clay pieces with him, or participate in one of his crafting hobbies. seeing how his boyfriend was so good at putting together legos — or in this case, wrapping paper — jeonghan had no argument to not join him.
"what did you reinforce this with, concrete?"
"perhaps i got you a wall for your birthday," jeonghan joked.
"how lovely. i'll put it between us the next time you piss me off."
"you never truly get mad at me. not that i'm asking you to. i would never invite that," jeonghan quickly corrected himself, giving jisoo a backhug.
jisoo continued peeling the paper off his present, puzzled by the way it was somehow still holding shape. had jeonghan found a reindeer shaped box as well?
to say that jisoo was shocked over his present would be an understatement.
"like it?" jeonghan whispered, still nuzzling into the crook of jisoo's neck.
"you're... unbelievable."
"i caught you looking at it all those times we went christmas shopping," jeonghan explained. "was a little unconventional, but i know my observation skills have never failed me in the past."
jisoo was speechless, staring at said robotic reindeer right in front of him.
"i decided to actually wrap it as it looked, to mislead you. sometimes my genius surprises even myself."
jisoo couldn't reply. he was still processing it all.
"you... did actually want it, right?" jeonghan asked.
"i did..." jisoo trailed off, placing a hand on the deer's metal frame. "you got me the reindeer?"
"happy birthday."
part of why jisoo looked forward to his birthday was the presents. specifically jeonghan's. he always knew exactly what jisoo wanted at the moment. it was slightly creepy, thinking about how jeonghan just knew, but at the same time he wouldn't have it any other way.
"look, i wasn't lying about the cuffs," jeonghan pointed at the silver metal hanging off one of the deer's antlers.
"you're insane, jeonghan. so crazy—" jisoo kissed his boyfriend's hand. "—i love you."
"i love you too," jeonghan chuckled. "what do you plan to do with the deer?"
"put it in my room. terrorise the family when they come over for new year's," jisoo's eyes glinted.
"with all your other deer merchandise?"
"merchandise?" jisoo frowned. "not merchandise! merely christmas decorations."
"right. because that huge stuffed deer in your closet that clearly serves as a placeholder for my cuddles belongs on the tree."
jisoo sputtered. it was absolutely pointless hiding anything from jeonghan. he always knew.
"what? you thought i wouldn't learn of your new obsession? i'll get you deer ears and that costume for new year's, just wait. then i can ride you in a manner that'll be appropriate for your parents to witness."
jisoo coughed. "you're going to make me hate deer."
"forget the deer. what about the cuffs, baby? what are you doing with them?"
"we both know what we're doing with them."
"ah. so you want to practice for new year's."
jeonghan's eyes mirrored jisoo's, lustful twinkles in both their eyes.
⁂ ⁂
"my birthday isn't until three days, love."
jeonghan waved his hand. "and? i want to be the first one to give you your gift."
jisoo stared at the long tube in jeonghan's hand. "you got me a pole? how lovely. I won't be dancing around for you, though."
"thought it'd go along with all your christmas decor," jeonghan gestured around jisoo's room.
"that is not christmas decor. i just like deer. and the colours red and green."
"by that logic, you should have a shrine dedicated to me. since you like me too."
"wrong. i love you."
"same thing," jeonghan swung the pole.
"in what world is liking and loving someone the same thing?"
"when you've been with someone as long as i have with you, any form of affection just reminds you of your lover," jeonghan said.
jisoo blushed. even after so long, he still got flustered at jeonghan's sudden declarations of love. it was a usual thing for jeonghan to randomly announce he loved jisoo when they were younger, but as they aged, they understood that they didn't need to say it anymore. they just knew.
"so, the present. what's in it?"
"oh. uhm— i was thinking, since it's almost your 25th birthday—"
"you didn't actually get me more christmas decorations, did you?"
jeonghan giving jisoo christmas decorations for his 25th birthday just made sense. why, he didn't know. it just did.
"do you want them? i saw a bundle of candy canes on sale." jeonghan visibly exhaled, as if he dreaded the idea of talking about jisoo's present.
"no thank you, i've had enough peppermint to keep my breath fresh until my 50th birthday."
"anyways, here you go, shua. happy early birthday."
jisoo grabbed the pole. it sure didn't feel like metal, so he could cross off the idea that jeonghan had stolen a street sign for him.
he carefully began unwrapping it. jeonghan looked a bit jittery behind him, which was unusual. he would normally be giving him one of his infamous grins.
"you okay, han? i'm not going to break whatever's in here," jisoo promised.
"no, just, take your time," jeonghan mumbled.
this was definitely not like jeonghan. he'd be rushing jisoo on other days.
"is there something wrong?"
"no! just open it," jeonghan pushed jisoo back to the present.
"okay. unless you tell me what's going on, i'm not opening it."
"what? nothing's going on! everything's fine," jeonghan attempted a smile, only for it to falter when jisoo returned it with a concerned expression.
"it's just— open it, shua. i've practically ruined it anyways."
"huh?"
jisoo turned back to the pole. peeling the paper off, it became apparent that there was a literal cardboard roll inside.
"no, i didn't gift you the wrapping paper roll," jeonghan grabbed jisoo's shoulders. "look inside it."
"you're acting way too paranoid. of course you wouldn't," jisoo said.
he peered inside the roll, seeing a tiny box nestled in its center. shaking the roll, the box fell onto his bed, along with a paper note.
jisoo turned back to look at jeonghan. his lover looked terrified.
"what's wrong—"
"the note," jeonghan managed to say, his voice breaking.
jisoo picked up the slip of paper, and practically fainted into jeonghan's arms when he read it.
"i-is that a yes? or—" jeonghan clutched his boyfriend, now extremely panicked.
jisoo steadied himself, still light-headed, then crushed jeonghan in a hug so tight the older boy was physically unable to breathe.
"joshuji? i—"
"asshole, of course i'd marry you."
jeonghan let out the largest sigh of relief, collapsing into jisoo's arms. the two sobbed into each other, jeonghan rubbing circles into jisoo's back.
"yes, jeonghan, yes. god—" jisoo sniffled, pecking jeonghan's lips.
"here," jeonghan reached out for the small box, pulling out a gold band.
jisoo's heart melted. jeonghan had remembered his aversion to gemstones. of course he did.
"you like it?"
"i love it. but i love you more."
"i'm so glad it went okay, i was so scared—"
"that i'd say no? to you?"
"well, okay, that fear was unfounded, but in my defense, i probably would've broken down before i managed to get the words out of my mouth. i didn't want to ruin our special moment, so this was the next best thing i could think of."
jisoo pressed his forehead against jeonghan's. "you never stop surprising me."
"one day, i'll teach you how to make a ladder out of wrapping paper so you can trick our children into it too."
jisoo laughed. "we were children too, then."
"say, you didn't actually mind the absurd wrapping, did you?
"absolutely not. i found it weird at first but i wouldn't have it any other way. besides, how else would have you proposed in such a memorable way?"
"i'd find a way, joshuji. i always do."
and he wasn't exaggerating. jeonghan always did find a way. he wouldn't have it any other way with anyone else.