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It still boggled Khun’s mind as to how this became a tradition. When he woke up, his family hassled him out of the apartment to bring back holiday coffees and bagels from the nearby coffee shop that never seemed to close during the holidays.
Khun hated going out during the holidays, and it was less about the crowds and more that he felt terrible that others who were working couldn’t be with their families. While Khun was a self-proclaimed asshole, he wouldn’t wish holiday work hours on anyone who would rather spend time with their friends and family; good coffee and bagels are damned.
Yet, he walked down the icy streets to get to the nearby shop. He bundled himself as well as he could with a long black trench coat, and a thin scarf wrapped three times around his neck. His ears, unfortunately, would have to brave the cold, as he refused to wear a hat. He looked ridiculous in them, and they always messed up his hair no matter how careful he was in putting it on. The last thing he wanted to do was spend another three hours in the bathroom trying to fix it. His ears could suffer a slight chill.
No matter how many times he walked these same streets during Christmas, there was always an eeriness to it. The silent surroundings spoke of the absence of people and cars. The gray clouds blocked the sun, giving everything a washed hue of bleak and dreary. Even the wind was as still as the silence. The only thing the city lacked was snow. There was plenty of ice and rain, but the weather never seemed to suit snow. Even if the weather called for it, it would merely turn into freezing rain before it could land as a speck of ice.
Getting to the shop was the easy part. No one was at the counter, and there were no lines to be fought. Not that it would matter. The coffee house rarely saw a customer that wasn’t a bit out there. The artwork on the walls was full of abstract paintings, vivid landscapes, and portraits of some of the customers that the artist liked. Khun had a theory that it deterred some of the more valued customers away, while others would joke that it was because they knew Khun frequented the place, even without the Christmas tradition.
It had the most decent wifi, and it was a nice place to work. While a bit too bright for the eye, the white cushioned chairs were comfortable. The tables were all unique diamonds, hexagons, octagons, and other geometrical shapes scattered around the cafe.
The tile was fucking hideous, though. Who thought black and white checkerboard tile was the way to go? It made Khun want to die every time he saw it. This place was a cafe, not a grade D diner.
Khun opened his mouth to say hello to the usual barista that usually worked the Christmas shift when his mouth dropped a little further out of surprise. Instead of the regular barista, a new one was behind the counter, looking fine as hell. Well, as fine, one could be wearing a black shirt and slacks uniform. The light blue apron that he wore clashed terribly with his complexion, but his gold eyes that looked upon Khun stole what little breath he had. He had the smallest of ponytails at the base of his neck, and he smiled with a hint of loneliness.
“Good morning! Welcome to CoffeeArt. How may I serve you today?” Oh, even his voice was smooth—Wrapping Khun’s heart in a blanket of warmth.
Khun stomped it down fast. One) the guy probably had a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Two) he had a reputation, and that reputation wasn’t to fall for someone just because they looked hot. Hot people were assholes to the extreme. Khun would know; he was one of them.
“Working the Christmas shift?” Khun asked as he approached, wincing at his sentence. The barista -Bam was the name on the tag- was working the Christmas shift, and he wouldn’t be here if he weren’t.
“Uh, yeah. Isu normally works today, but his girlfriend wanted to bring him to meet her parents, so they’re off.” Bam said, shifting a little from side to side. “He told me that there’s usually a person that comes in on Christmas, but I shouldn’t have too much trouble because hardly anyone ever shows up. He even gave me the wifi password in case I got too bored.”
“Got to give Isu credit for warning you about me and my insane amount of orders,” Khun sighed, reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet. “Ah…I need to order.”
“How many do I need to worry about?” Bam asked as he reached for the stack of cups beside him.
“Luckily for you, just four. My family decided to let me off easy this year. Isu once had to fill an order for thirteen, and I owed him big.”
Bam winced but said nothing as he took down four cups. He grabbed a pen from his apron and used his teeth to take the cap off. “Ready,” he said, his voice muffled behind the cap.
“I need two peppermint lattes, one of them with two pumps of raspberry. I also need a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. And a plain hot coffee.”
“Just a hot coffee? No cream? Sugar?” Bam asked, blinking at him.
Oh god, was he someone with a bad sweet tooth? “Nope,” Khun said, popping the p to showcase his seriousness.
“Wow, you’re brave.”
“I get that a lot.” It was a constant annoyance.
“Well,” Bam trailed off, looking at the sink behind him. “I would have thought that the city water would turn you off on that.”
Oh.
Oh.
“I’ve lived here for too long,” Khun said as understanding flooded. “I’m guessing you’re not from here.”
“I guess that would give it away, huh?” Bam asked, grinning as he set the cups to the side. “Yeah, I moved here a couple of months ago.”
No wonder Isu was able to get Christmas off. Khun gave the muffin display case a laser-eyed stare for a moment before coming to and letting his brain run his mouth. “So you’re not doing anything tonight?”
“To-tonight? No. Well, I may watch some Christmas movies, but that’s pretty much it.” Bam said as he prepared the coffee and went to the espresso machine. “What about you? What are you doing tonight?”
“Inviting you to dinner with my family.”
Oh, for fuck’s sake, why did he say that? Why did he open his mouth to say that? Even Bam was startled, nearly losing his grip on whatever he was doing to tamp the ground beans. “A-are you sure about that? It's kind of you to offer, but it’s okay.” Bam said, quickly turning around, his cheeks a bright pink and flustered. “I’m used to being alone during this time of year.”
Okay, yeah, no. That steeled Khun’s resolve and his momentary lapse of thought. “Now you’re not.” Khun replied, “I’m going to give you my address and what time to come by. You don’t need to do anything fancy okay? Just be you.”
“Just be me,” Bam echoed as though he had never heard these words before. “Wh-while I appreciate this, I don’t even know your name.”
Khun blinked, looking up at him, “I thought Isu mentioned me.”
“Not by name.”
That damned freckled son of a bitch was going to get strangled one of these days, and it would be a mystery as to why. Khun pinched his nose for a moment as he tried to keep his annoyance at bay. “My name is Khun Aguero Agnis.”
“I’m Grace Bam. Or Bam. Bam’s good.” Bam tripped over his name as one would trip over a jump rope. “It’s nice to meet you….”
“Khun is fine.”
“Khun.” Bam smiled warmly. “I guess I will be seeing you tonight then as a plan for Christmas.”
“Good,” Khun said, swallowing thickly.
He could already hear the chaos happening a mile away.
X
“You are so lucky, Aguero,” Maria grumbled in the kitchen, her red apron vibrant against her winter black velvet dress. She pushed Hatchuling away with her elbow before he could add any more pepper to the dish that she was making. “That I was planning to make this and that we would have enough for leftovers.”
“I’m just surprised that A.A. made a friend that isn’t from work and isn’t a dick.” Hatchuling said, kneeling over the counter as Aguero “accidentally” kicked him in the back of the knee for that. Unlike Maria and Khun, he looked as though he hadn’t changed out of his Christmas pajamas. He wore a white dotted shirt on a green background, his pants a vibrant red which all clashed terribly with the blue of his hair.
“You’re lucky that I was still willing to follow family tradition and get you guys breakfast and your coffees. If you can even call them that.”
Maria glared over her shoulder playfully. “Excuse me.”
“Maria dearest, I love you, but you cannot call whatever that thing you ordered a ‘coffee.’ You might as well have told Bam give you canister of sugar and a bit of milk,” Khun said leaning back against the island counter. He was careful not to mess up the organized mess behind him. His trenchcoat was back in the closet by the doorway, and he had his white sleeves rolled up to his elbows. It floored him to always see his kitchen in shambles when Maria made dinner for Christmas. It always looked as though someone threw a tornado in the small space.
Maria covered the island counter with flour, sugar, spices, pans, lids, and Tupperware. By Maria’s cooking area, the countertops were covered in flour, knives, bowls, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and many other essentials. The scent of whatever it was that she was making was enough to make Khun’s stomach grumble a little, even if it was technically still raw food.
He couldn’t even look over Maria’s shoulder to see the recipe book that Aguero oddly had. He wasn’t even aware that he had one hidden. “Hey, when you’re done with that recipe book, Maria-”
“I know, I know, put it back where I found it.”
“I was going to ask if you could leave it out. I want to put it somewhere new.”
“Oh, you mean in a place where you’ll find it?” Maria asked teasingly, making Aguero stick his tongue out at her before quietly bringing the cup of coffee back up to his lips. “Sure thing, Brother Dear.”
“Never again.”
“Are we just gonna ignore the fact that A.A. just called this mysterious barista by a name?” Hatchuling asked as he cleared a space for himself on the counter and jumped on it. Maria scowled, grabbing the nearest spoon and threateningly holding it up at him. The message was loud and clear as Hatchuling immediately jumped down like a cat that got into trouble.
Khun wasn’t going to have this conversation, not with a brother who had hacking skills. “Where’s Ran?”
“Hanging out with Anak and Endorsi for a bit. Well, Anak.” Hachuling corrected himself, “Endorsi sort of-”
“Invited herself with them as a chaperone, and I’m no doubt going to be hearing about this later tonight,” Khun said, already mentally cursing Endorsi out. Just because the Princess couldn’t catch a damn clue about her crush didn’t mean that she should be going off and ruining other people’s relationships.
“If you two are only going to chat in my kitchen, then leave!” Maria snapped at them. “You’re in my way, both of you!”
“Sorry.” The boys said, immediately inching their way to the living room. Unlike the messy kitchen, the living room was spotless. It would be hard to tell that they had just gotten done with gift-giving after Khun brought back coffees and breakfast bagels. The white, light blue and silver ornaments still had a Christmas feel and flair. The fluffy white tree skirt Maria made for it last year was still pristine as ever, which was a miracle in itself considering that Khun had stored it in the bathroom’s cabinet under the sink that sprung a leak last year too.
The carpet left something to be desired, however. Khun still needed to argue with the landlord about replacing it since it was ugly and out of fashion.
Hatchuling dramatically grabbed a black and white plaid throw from the back end of the chaise couch and flung himself on it, cradling his coffee in his hands. “So, tell me the story about how you met your boyfriend and what kind of guy he is.”
“Okay, first of all, fuck you; secondly, he’s not my boyfriend, he’s just a….” What would one call an accidental invitation turned real? Friends was a little strange. “He’s someone I felt sorry for.” Oh, that sounded awful. Khun found himself at the end of the couch and crossed his ankles as he sunk back.
Hatchuling even winced. “Oh dude, don’t say that to his face. You’re going to break his heart. You know, that organ that most people have.”
“My coffee is scalding, and I have good aim,” Khun warned, holding the coffee cup in question before taking a sip of it. Just in case he had to toss it on Hatchuling, and he would instead savor his drink. The couch was also expensive, but Khun had enough money tucked away that if he needed to spend it on a cleaning service, he definitely would.
It’d be a small price to pay anyway.
“Well, I can’t wait to meet whoever he is. If he has my cute little brother wrapped around his finger already, he must be a good egg.” Hatchuling said, sipping on the drink. “Let’s watch something dumb enough that when Ran comes back, he’ll want to run away screaming.”
“You’re on.”
X
There was a gentle tapping on the door just as the clock turned 7:30. Hatchuling immediately paused the movie, and the Khun siblings looked at each other, trying to figure out who it could be. They didn’t usually get guests. Khun threw the fuzzy blanket off his lap and padded towards the door. He looked through the peephole, and guilt flooded that he completely forgot about the impromptu invitation. He opened the door to Bam standing awkwardly in a well-worn three-piece suit with a bottle of pretty high-end champagne. His red tie was tight to his neck. It made Khun feel underdressed, and he was generally found in slacks and a button-down white shirt with a tie himself.
“Bam!” Khun moved out of the doorway so that he could shuffle in. “You didn’t have to bring us that.”
“Ooh, is that from our dad’s liquor company?” Hatchuling asked, suddenly appearing behind Bam. Bam, to his credit, barely jumped as he turned to face Hatchuling. Hatchuling snatched the bottle from Bam’s hands, looking at the label intently. “This must have cost you your first newborn.”
“That would be a shame, considering I don’t have one.” Bam replied as he toed off his shoes to place them to the side, “But it did cost me three paychecks.”
“Ouch,” Hatchuling said unsympathetically as he wandered towards the kitchen. “Hey, Maria! A.A’s new fling brought us the good stuff!”
Khun’s cheeks flame., “He’s not a FLING!”
Bam’s cheeks weren't fairing any better. “I didn’t know what to bring you for a gift.” He muttered, looking down at his feet. “And I didn’t want to impose too much.”
“We’re not as much of a liquor snob as my father is,” Khun replied, reaching out on instinct to grab Bam’s shoulder. He hated how downcast the barista looked. “You did well, though. Thank you. Are you sure that you had enough to buy it?”
“Oh, it’s fine! I was mostly joking about the paychecks, and I’m not struggling too hard.” Bam said, modestly. “It smells delicious in here.”
“Maria’s been in the kitchen since we opened presents.” Khun grinned. “Let me introduce you to everyone, so you know who's here.” He gently pushed Bam further into the living room. “The one that’s a blanket burrito on the ground is Ran.” Ran indeed was covered in more blankets than necessary, and they were wrapped up to his head and down. The only thing seen was his face, staring lasers at Bam.
“Hello,” Bam said, timidly waving.
Ran merely nodded his greeting before looking away.
“He’ll warm up to you,” Khun promised, praying that it wouldn’t be the usual way on how Ran made friends. He gently pulled Bam away from the living room and into the kitchen, where it finally looked more like a laid-out buffet than the tornado that it previously did.
Maria and Hatchuling were taking down the more decorative wine glasses that Khun forgot that he had. Maria spun around as she heard footsteps and beamed, “Oh, is this our guest of honor tonight?!”
“This is Bam. Bam, that’s Maria, and the one that took your bottle was Hatchuling.”
“Yo,” Hatchuling said without turning around, “Hey, where do you keep the corkscrew?”
“I don’t think I have one,” Khun replied, trying to think of the last time he would even need one.
“Nonsense, I think I saw one in the second drawer, far back,” Maria replied, turning back to Bam with a bright smile. “Oh! You look so handsome! That tie certainly brings out the color of your hair, and you look stunning.”
“Thank you,” Bam said, shy. “You look-“
“Like a complete mess,” Maria said, which wasn’t too far from the mark. The dress survived, but the apron was going into the wash the first thing tomorrow. “Don’t worry, you can say it. Hatchuling’s been saying worse.”
“Lies and slander,” Hatchuling defended as he rummaged through the drawer. “She’s been nothing but dear and-“
“My looks aren’t my personality, Hatch,” Maria argued, turning back to him.
“They might as well be. It’s the only thing you got going for you.” Hatchuling slammed the drawer shut, holding the corkscrew and going back to the bottle.
Maria’s cheeks puffed, and Khun knew he had to intervene before someone decided that the flour or the sugar would be excellent weapons. “Where did you guys find the wine glasses? I wasn’t aware that I had any.”
“Dearest Aguero,” Maria lamented, looking at him helplessly. “It was in your top cabinet above the fridge and where most of your expensive dishes and glassware is.”
“Ah.”
“I took the liberty to wash them, and we’re going to use them for dinner tonight, as I had a feeling you wanted to impress a certain someone,” Maria continued, smiling. “They’re about finished in the dishwasher, and then we can start eating. The pies are still cooking in the oven.”
“So it was apple pie that I was smelling when I first came in,” Bam perked up. “It smells delicious.”
Maria beamed, “Aguero certainly hit the jackpot with you. Go sit down in the living room, and I’ll have Hatchuling bring out the champagne, hm?”
“Putting me to work? I worked hard for this apartment, don’t start acting high and mighty now,” Hatchuling said, without much heat as he worked to get the bottle open, his tongue poking out in concentration.
“Well, considering that my looks are my personality now, I must be a little bit of a bitch.” Maria retorted, “You heard me, Hatchuling, pour the glasses and serv-“
“If he doesn’t want to serve, I can bring the glasses out,” Bam interjected, and Khun looked up at the ceiling, thanking God for the smallest of mercies.
“That’s so sweet of you! Much sweeter than Hatch.”
“Ouch!” Hatchuling gave his sister a small look. “Rude.”
“Banned from the kitchen!” Maria snapped, turning to Hatchuling. “Let Bam take over.”
“Alright, alright,” Hatchuling grumbled as he set the bottle down. “The damn thing doesn’t want to open for me anyway.” He turned to Khun. “I’m going to take the movie out and see if Ran wants to play a game.”
“Go for it,” Khun said, barely paying attention. Bam strode over to the counter and pulled the cork out with a firm tug. The champagne bubbled joyously as he poured into the glasses. “You don’t have to do these things, Bam….”
“I want to,” Bam replied without turning around, “It’s the least I can do.”
Khun’s heart tumbled a little in his chest.
“A.A rarely invites people to our humble abode,” Maria said as she found the serving spoons and began to set the dishes up. The dishwasher beeped, and she quickly went over to it and opened it up. “Okay! Let me get these all dried, and we’ll be eating soon. I’m sorry, Bam, but my brothers are the least civilized people in the world. We don’t have room for a dining table, so we eat in the living room.”
“Oh, that’s what I do; it’s fine. Dining rooms are kinda uh overrated anyway.” Bam said, picking up a glass and handing it to Khun. “I wasn’t expecting anything fancy.”
“Uh-huh, your clothes tell a whole other story.” Khun gestured at the suit with his wine glass.
Bam’s cheeks flushed bright crimson, nearly glowing in the kitchen’s orange hue. “I uh…this is….” He groaned, “I told Wangnan that I was invited to your house, and I mentioned your name, and he freaked out on me. He said that if I wanted to make a good impression, I should dress to the nines and that you guys would probably be all fancy-like.”
Hatchuling burst into laughter in the living room, practically screaming. “Oh my god!” He gasped.
Khun bit his cheek, trying to keep himself from laughing too. “He knows the Khun Empire then, too bad that you got stuck with the social outcasts of the family.”
Maria scowled at her brothers, “Oh, you guys are so awful.” She turned to Bam, a dish in one hand and a rag in another. “Ignore them. I think it leaves a wonderful impression. Though I do agree you didn’t have to try too hard for us.” She turned to her brother, “I blame you fully, dear Aguero.”
“Me?!” Khun spluttered; he had just been taking a drink when Maria rounded on him. “Why?! I didn’t tell him to dress like this.”
“You could have been nice and told him there’s no dress code.”
“I don’t have his phone number, and it never crossed my mind.”
Bam softly laughed, catching their attention. He stopped as fast as he started, looking down at his feet. “Uh, sorry.” He said, though the smile never left his face. “It’s nice to hear how close you all are.”
“Ew.” Maria and Khun said together simultaneously, making Hatchuling bark out another laugh.
“Wh-what?! What did I do?” Bam asked, picking his head up in alarm.
“Us? Close? Please.” Khun scoffed, “I’d throw her into traffic if I could.”
“He has a cute face, but he’s an awful liar.” Maria nodded solemnly, “He wouldn’t be missed.”
“I’d toss them out on the streets if they weren’t cute with their puppy-eyes,” Hatchuling replied. “Though maybe not A.A, he’s too cute.”
“You’re all annoying,” Ran spoke, his voice a little muffled from the blankets. “A.A just bothers me.”
Khun looked over at Bam, smiling at the interactions, his eyes bright. Khun’s heart tumbled again as he thought about how lonely he looked and sounded just this morning. Yet he was okay with all of this, the teasing and the poking fun.
Khun looked at the glass before taking another sip. Bam wandered to the living room to bring Hatchuling and Ran their glasses.
“He seems to be a nice person,” Maria said quietly, her smile gentle. “He’s bringing out a good side of you.”
“What good side?”
“The side that has a smile that reaches his eyes,” Maria said, putting another plate to the pile of the dried dishes. “That side.”
Khun shook his head, “I’m going to see what game Hatchuling’s playing on the T.V. This is too sappy for me.”
“Dinner’s going to be ready in just a few seconds, Aguero!”
“Okay, so I’ll just turn around and come back.”
“Ugh.”
X
After dinner and some drinks, it was nearing a quarter after ten. It surprisingly went off without a hitch. Hatchuling managed to bully Bam into playing a few rounds of Smash with him and Ran, and they were pleasantly surprised that Bam could hold his own. He nearly got Hatchuling a few times, but unfortunately, Hatchuling was playing his main character and had just finished a tournament at a game store a week ago. Bam had also helped Maria cut the pies and hand them out, despite her protesting that she was the hostess and that Bam didn’t need to be so sweet. It warmed Khun’s heart to see Bam nestle in his family as though this wasn’t the first party he was invited to. Of course, once it began to get late, Bam didn’t want to stay any longer than necessary, and it was Khun’s brilliant idea to walk him not just to the door but also to his apartment, playing the part of a concerned friend. They only had two drinks, but Bam didn’t seem to mind and, in fact, agreed wholeheartedly to the idea. Maria and Hatchuling wouldn’t let him live it down, but Khun didn’t care.
“Your family is a lot of fun,” Bam said, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they walked down the darkened street. The streetlights hid within the dense fog of the city, basking the roads in a misty blanket rather than a snowy one. Bam’s breath could be seen as he exhaled, the gentle white puffs curling and playing with the fog before dispersing quickly. “I wasn’t expecting it.”
He didn’t know why, but it was nice to spend time with Bam. Even through dinner, Khun hadn’t felt so relaxed and at peace as he did. “What were you expecting?” Recalling the suit and this Wangnan’s explanation of Khun’s family, Khun couldn’t help but poke fun, “Uptight aristocrats with the ruffles and the stiff posture always calling people ‘sir’ and ‘madam’?”
“Oh, stop it,” Bam said, elbowing playfully at Khun’s ribs. Khun chuckled. “I thought that they might not like me or that I was imposing on something that was…you know…family.”
Khun’s gaze softened, and he playfully bumped his shoulder into Bam’s, trying to get him to lighten up. “Good surprise that my family is nowhere as strict as that, huh?”
“Very!” Bam beamed. “Thank you for inviting me and letting me be a part of it.”
They reached a tall building that had a screen door and a buzzer. This was it. Khun opened his mouth, formalities of pleasant nights, and see you maybes on the tip of his tongue when Bam turned around, determined yet sheepish. “Um…it’s cold outside.”
Khun blinked slowly. “Yes,” he drew the word out maybe a bit longer than he should. “It’s freezing out. Chilly.”
“Chilly,” Bam agreed, earnest. “So…will you come inside? I have a fake fireplace, and I have a coffee pot.”
Khun raised an eyebrow, a leisurely smirk playing on his face. “Oh?” He hummed, “You have a coffee pot; it must be exquisite.”
“I-I meant that I have a coffee pot,” Bam stuttered, his cheeks beginning to redden. “Like I can make coffee to warm you up because you’re chilly. Cold!”
Khun barked out a laugh, “Bam, you can just say you want me inside your apartment.”
Bam buried his head into his hands. “You’re awful,” he groaned. “I wasn’t trying to sound like a creep.”
“You sounded more than a creep.”
Bam groaned again.
“But I would love to see this coffee pot that brews me coffee,” Khun couldn’t help but tease, making Bam groan louder in response. “If you’ll let me in, that is.” He pointedly looked at the door. Bam quickly grabbed his key, turned around, and unlocked the screen door with a few fumbling movements, and pressed the code for the door to open.
It wasn’t the most elegant of apartment hallways or doors, for that matter. Khun followed Bam to the ends of the apartment and into the elevator. When they reached Bam’s floor on the fourth story, Bam guided him to a door that quickly unlocked.
Khun prepared himself to see a sad state. However, Khun peered into a room that wasn’t too shabby at all. A decent-looking couch nestled in front of the TV hooked on the wall. Bam went to the coffee table and picked up a remote, turning on the fake fireplace that crackled to life with dancing flames and heat. The apartment wasn’t as bright as Khun’s. It was more orange in hue, catching on to the reds of the woods and reflected yellow in the walls.
Bam toed off his shoes, and Khun did the same, putting them side by side with each other. It was a little domestic how it looked, and Khun found it was an idea he didn’t mind. He wandered the living room, noting how many pictures decorated the walls as Bam went into the kitchen, which happened to be the brightest room in the apartment thus far. The photos were all different. Some had a man in a fighter’s uniform along with someone that looked like a younger Bam wearing a black belt inside a dojo. Some were groups of a man with blonde hair, a woman with pink eyes, a child on Bam’s shoulders, a woman with glasses held by a burly man with hearts in his eyes, a man with silver hair, and a ring on his ear. All of them gave an aura and a presence of family, of friends.
These were the people that Bam must have left behind in another city or another country. Khun realized that he never had a chance to question Bam personally about himself. His siblings had taken his time with laughter and games, no one daring to get too personal since it was only supposed to be an off-shoot. An off-shoot that Khun was doubting would be.
The scent of brewing coffee wafted over Khun as he approached the four-foot tree that stood guard by the balcony’s sliding door. The color of the ornaments had no rhyme or reason to it. He saw karate uniforms, hearts, koi, glitter-covered silver balls, tear-shaped crystals, and golden stars. The gold tinsel was horrifying to see hanging on the tree, and it was so tacky and awful, Khun wanted to take it off.
It was nice to see that presents were underneath, though. It bothered Khun that Bam had yet to open his gifts, and almost everyone else would have already dug into their presents, eager to see what they received that morning. Then again, Khun looked at the kitchen where Bam was, a little guilty. He probably went from his workplace straight to his closet and didn’t have a chance to think about it.
He backed away from the tree and sat down on the couch, finding himself swallowed by the ugly burgundy and terrible fabric. Khun must have yelped because Bam appeared at the kitchen’s mouth, his lips dancing in deciding to laugh or frown. “I should have warned you about Betsy.”
“Betsy?!” Khun spluttered, “You name your furniture?”
“To be fair, that was Wangnan’s couch,” Bam said, gesturing a surrender. “I just inherited it because Wangnan got a new couch, and I didn’t mind it. That cushion is, um, broken, and I normally sit in it because I can handle Betsy’s temper.”
“You personified it.” Khun couldn’t believe this man.
Bam’s cheeks turned red. “I live alone. Sue me.”
Okay, that was more than fair. If Khun lived alone, he would be halfway to insane too. Bam disappeared back into the kitchen as Khun wrestled himself out of “Betsy’s” grasp and onto the firmer side of it. Bam came back with two mugs that made Khun’s eyes widen in disbelief.
If culture shock could happen in someone’s apartment, that was precisely what was happening here. Every time Khun turned around, it was as though Bam took the rules of a typical household and threw them right out the window. Case in point, the mugs that he was carrying. They weren’t normal mugs. One was a fox with a carved blue scarf with white surrounding the eyes, looking smug. The other looked to be a brown owl with an orange painted beak. Khun had no room to talk. Bam probably experienced the same feelings that Khun was feeling from being out of place during the dinner. If Bam could endure it, Khun could reach out and take the damn mug.
“Pretty cute, aren’t they?” Bam asked, taking the seat that nearly swallowed Khun. “Miseng gave them to me as a goodbye present. She loves finding these weird things and giving them to people. She once found me a clear umbrella with little yellow duckies, and the handle was even in the shape of a duck and a beak. I get teased a lot for letting her spoil me like this, but Wangnan will die if he parts from his pickle pillow.”
Khun’s expression softened, “You like kids, Bam?”
“I think that they’re adorable,” Bam admitted, “and it’s nice that they like me back. I used to teach at my Master’s dojo, and I taught the younger students because I was so good with them. I used to get lots of handmade crafts or bric-a-bracs. I couldn’t take them here with me because the move would’ve destroyed them, but I remember them fondly.” He blew on his coffee and sipped.
Khun nodded, understanding as he too brought the coffee to his lips and blew against the rim. The fireplace gently pulled them back into a manner of relaxation. “Your home feels like a home, and it’s warm in more than just a fireplace,” Khun said, closing his eyes as he leaned back, fearless about Betsy and her tendency to swallow unsuspecting people into its cushiony grasp.
“Oh,” Bam’s voice came out strangled, causing Khun to snap his eyes open to look at him. “That’s very sweet of you, I’m glad. I tried my hardest, and I don’t know what homes are supposed to feel like, but for you to say that, it must mean I hit the mark somehow.”
Khun would have poked at that beehive with a stick and no protective gear if it were any other day. As for right now, it was Christmas night, and sad stories didn’t have a place here. Not now. “I should say I’m sorry, though,” Khun decided on, making Bam turn to him in alarm. “I didn’t let you open any of your presents. Were you cutting it close?”
“Oh, that? Oh, that!” Bam suddenly placed his mug on the coffee table as he got to his feet. Khun watched him go to the tree, amused and curious as to what he was doing. Bam rummaged through the presents before coming out with a lumpy sparkly blue one. He came back, throwing it onto Khun’s lap. “Open it!”
“A present?” Khun blinked a few times. “Bam, when did you have time to get me anything?”
“Well…I didn’t buy that,” Bam said sheepishly, “The origin story doesn’t matter. Just know that I made it, and I thought of you while making it.”
Bam handmade something? He thought of him and made him something? Khun looked down at the gift. “I didn’t get you anything.”
“You gave me a lot more than you realize,” Bam said quietly.
“The champagne was enough,” Khun protested.
“That was for all of us to enjoy. This is just for you. I was going to bring it to the cafe and give it to you as thanks.” Bam rolled his eyes, “Please?? Open it?? I want to see your expression when you do!”
Khun couldn’t deny him this. He reached over and placed his coffee mug down. Now with both of his hands free, he began to tear at the paper, being extra gentle in case the contents within were fragile. Much to his surprise, a lapis blue scarf sat in his lap. The stitching looked like a machine made it, but Bam just said it was handmade. The stitching felt fine, looked small and even.
“That’s a stockinette stitch. I thought that if the yarn were closer together, it’d keep you warm, and you seemed to be the type that would like subtle stitches rather than something loud,” Bam explained. “I had a lot of time to kill at the coffee shop, and I had more time here when I finished closing up shop.”
“Do you just carry your knitting needles everywhere you go?” Khun teased, his fingers dancing across the soft fabric. Whatever yarn he used, it had been a good choice.
“No, but Hockney owed me a bit of a favor, and Elaine was my last customer after you,” Bam said, bowing his head. “He got me the yarn since he knew what color I wanted, and Elaine bought the rest. I paid them back, of course, and they didn’t mind helping me out. I was just lucky that they had the stuff and that the shop wasn’t closed yet.”
“Wow.” Khun whistled, “Thank you, Bam. That’s kind of you. I do love the color you picked out.”
“It reminded me of your eyes.” Bam beamed. “At least, in the light of the coffeeshop. They were much brighter in your apartment so that I might’ve gotten the shade wrong-”
“Bam, I love it.” Khun interrupted him firmly. “Don’t knock yourself short now.”
Bam bowed his head, cheeks flushing pink. “Alright.” He reached back over the coffee table and picked up his coffee mug. “I’m glad you like it.”
Khun carefully folded the scarf and set it to the side before putting the wrapping paper on the coffee table to be dealt with later. “You should open a gift too.” He said, nodding over to the tree. “It is Christmas still, and I would hate for you to miss out on a day of festivities because of my invitation.”
Bam blinked at him a few times as though he hadn’t thought of it. As though it barely crossed his mind that he could open his presents now that he was home. Well, as home as he was. Khun would have to remind Bam that it was okay to take the suit off and get comfortable. Khun was the one that was about to leave, and Bam was more than welcome to get back into his skin. Hell, it was weird to see a suited man drink from an owl cup. (Though who was he kidding? He was drinking from a fox mug, and while not as fancily dressed, he was still in more of a casual business get-up than anything. It probably looked weird on him too).
Bam turned his body to look at the stack while Khun nursed on his mug. Finally, he stood up and went over to the tree, bending down and staring at the packages. His eyes were bright and dancing in the orange glow of the living room’s terrible lighting. Khun’s heart flipped a few times as Bam returned with a small present and sat down. “You sure?”
“I already unwrapped all my gifts,” Khun said, gesturing to the scarf that he recently received. “Go on. Unless it’s private, and you’d rather I leave?”
“No! Stay, please.” Bam looked at him with big round puppy eyes, and Khun nodded, hoping it would assure him. “I’ll just unwrap this one for now, and…I know it’s getting late, and I don’t want to hold you hostage-”
It struck Khun that Bam was lonely. The lonely barista in the cafe hadn’t just magically disappeared because of a good dinner with random strangers. He was sitting right across from Khun with a tiny present in his hands and a pile more under the tree. How boring was it to unwrap something when alone and with no one to share the joy with? Khun’s stomach twisted unsettling as he shook his head, “I’m no rush, Bam. I’m not even tired. I’ll sit with you while you unwrap your gifts, how about that? Maybe afterward, if you’re not tired and you don’t have work tomorrow, we can watch a Christmas movie too.”
“You sure?”
“Cross my heart. If I do wind up passed out on your couch, I’m sure Betsy will take care of me.”
Bam stuck his tongue out at him, but the loneliness evaporated a little from his expression. It made Khun’s heart do something funny in his chest, and his stomach continued to twist itself as though it was trying to wring itself out.
Much later in the evening, the coffee table was barely recognizable with all of the wrapping paper it was trying to hold, along with an emptied large bowl that once had buttered popcorn and just as empty soda cans. Bam and Khun had put the new gifts away in numerous new places, and Bam finally decided to make himself more at home. He was now in a pair of dark black sweats with cat slipper socks on and a black long-sleeved turtle neck. His ponytail finally was taken out, leaving his hair to freely brush against the tops of his shoulders, framing his face to look more handsome than Khun could dare believe.
The cheesy Hallmark movie that Bam had picked out ended with a sappy Christmas love song to tie it in a neat little bow. The credits rolled in the darkened room, and Khun blinked his eyes tiredly as he reached into his pocket to see what time it was. Not much to his surprise; it was nearing two in the morning. While not the latest he ever stayed up, he was drained from all of the social work he had to put in today. From meeting Bam to dinner to this, Khun knew that the moment he got home, he would be dead to the world and then some for the next day or two.
Bam stretched, exhaustion also apparent on his face. “Thank you for hanging out with me,” Bam said, his voice tinted with sleepiness and joy. “This was a better Christmas than I could’ve hoped for.”
“I’m glad,” Khun murmured, as though if he spoke any louder, he would wake Bam up from his fatigue. “I should get going, and it’s late.”
“Hmm. Let me walk you to the door.” Bam said, stretching as he rolled onto his feet. Khun took his time extracting himself from “Betsy’s” grasp and stretched. They shuffled over to their shoes, and Khun slowly put his on while Bam watched him with his arms folded, an expression on his face that Khun had never seen before and wasn’t sure what to name it.
“Thank you again for having me,” Khun said, smiling softly. “Have a good night, Bam.”
“Before you go, one last request?” Bam asked, looking brave.
Khun mulled it over. “As long as I leave out the door.” He decided. The last few requests made him stay. While some had been his suggestion, it was all the same.
Bam grinned, soft and bright, “May I have your phone number? I’d like to hang out with you again in a different way.”
“Different how?” Khun asked, already reaching for his phone. The answer didn’t matter, and hanging with Bam wasn’t going to be any sort of trouble.
“The dating kind?” Bam looked hopeful as he took Khun’s phone.
Khun mulled it around, “How about I plan the first date, and we see if that’s something that we want to do and it’s not…a brain spoke, and the mouth moved type of a thing.”
“So practical,” Bam teased but didn’t seem bothered with the request. “Okay. You plan, we’ll go from there, and what if we decide we are a match?”
“Then I suppose I will have to brave Betsy a lot more often than I would if we were just friends.”
Bam’s eyes sparkled, “Sounds like someone likes my couch.”
“Someone hates your couch,” Khun replied as Bam handed his phone back to him. “I’ll text you.”
“I’ll be waiting most likely after I wake up. I never stay up this late.” Bam yawned, the sleepiness coming back. “Goodnight, Khun.”
“Goodnight, Bam.”
Bam opened the door to his apartment, and Khun stepped outside. While the lights of the apartment hall were as dim as the lights in Bam’s apartment, it still felt as though Khun had stepped out into a different world. Bam’s apartment had been cozy, warm, and filled with laughter. Now he was going back out into the cold. The silence of the night was beginning to tickle in the back of Khun’s mind. Reality crashed into the fantastical bubble that they had wrapped themselves in.
“Goodnight,” Bam repeated, the door still open.
“Goodnight.” Khun smiled and decided to be the one to make a move. He turned his feet to start walking down the hall.
Bam watched him until he reached the elevator and gave him one last wave as he boarded it.
Khun knew that Bam would watch out his window just to make sure that Khun was safely on his way. It made his heart giddy that Bam was interested in him romantically, and it made him grin like a mad man at the idea that Bam cared about his well-being enough to keep his eyes on him until he couldn’t anymore. Unable to help himself, and maybe possessed by the same impulsive manner that overtook him at the cafe, he sent Bam the first text.
Merry Christmas, Bam. Sleep well. I look forward to talking about our date.