Christmas Eve smelled like tangerines and instant ramen.

You were sitting on the school rooftop because Su-ho had said, 'Trust me,' which was usually a bad sign. The city below was loud even in winter, but up here it felt quieter---just the wind and the faint sound of music drifting from somewhere far away.

“You’re late,” You said, rubbing your hands together.

Su-ho appeared from the stairwell with a plastic bag dangling from his fingers, snow dusting his hair.

“Wow,” He grinned, slightly out of breath. “Merry Christmas to you too.”

He dropped down beside you, legs stretched out, bumping your knee on purpose. From the bag, he pulled out two canned coffees and two fish-shaped pastries from a street stall, insisting the red-bean one was better and that you were wrong for disagreeing. He ate half of yours anyway.

“Hyung,” You said flatly.

He flashed that easy smile---the one that made it impossible to stay mad. “It’s Christmas. Sharing.”

“This is your plan?” You asked.

“Hey,” He said defensively, handing you the canned coffee as well, “this took effort.”

You laughed, and he watched you like he’d won something.

For a while, you just sat there. Su-ho talked about nothing and everything---how he hated carols, how everyone suddenly pretended to be nice in December, how he once tried to fight a mall Santa when he was a kid because the beard was fake. You didn’t know what was true and what was exaggerated, but with Su-ho, it didn’t really matter.

At some point, snow started falling. Real snow. The kind that stuck.

He noticed before you did.

“Oh,” He muttered, standing up. “No way, like dramas” He scoffed, clicking his tongue to feign annoyance.

Before you could react, he scooped a handful of snow and gently pressed it against your cheek.

“AHN SU-HO!”

You retaliated immediately, and soon it turned into a quiet, breathless snow fight, laughter echoing across the rooftop. Su-ho slipped, nearly falling, and you grabbed his sleeve to steady him. For a second, neither of you let go.

The laughter faded.

He cleared his throat, awkward for once. “You cold?”

“A little.”

Without hesitation, he took off his scarf and wrapped it around you, fingers clumsy but careful. He didn’t meet your eyes.

“I’m bad at this stuff,” He admitted quietly. “But… I wanted today to be good.”

You looked at him---really looked at him---and saw the effort behind the bravado, the softness he hid behind jokes and fists.

“I mean,” He added, forcing the usual grin, like the silence had stretched too long and succedeed at embarrassing him, “If it isn’t clear, I’m freezing for you.”

“You did a good job,” You said.

Su-ho froze, then smiled---small, genuine, warm.

“Good,” He said. “Didn't I told you to trust me?”

Snow kept falling. The city kept moving. But on that rooftop, wrapped in his scarf and his presence, Christmas felt real.

And for once, Su-ho didn’t rush to leave. He stayed there, looking at you like you were the only firm thing into his messy life, the only gentle thing into a sea of fights and revenges.

Like your presence was enough to soothe him. And honestly? Maybe it was.

"They're turning the tree lights' on in a bit" You proposed quietly. "Should we go watch?"

His face did something complicated---like he was trying to balance between ‘absolutely not’ and ‘but she asked.’

He scowled, but it lacked any real heat.

A beat. Then his grip on your jacket tightened just a fraction as you met his eyes, waiting for a response.

“…That tree is over-decorated,” He sighed dramatically. “I guess I can suffer through it for like… five minutes." He added right after.

He moved to wrap his hand aroud yours, the action feeling more protective than just a way not to lose you in the future flow of people.

"Let's go." The corner of his lips twitched upwards as he felt your hand hold back. Delicate, maybe, but still present.