#junhao drabble

“It doesn’t even feel like you’re doing it right,” Junhui mumbles, fighting the urge to pout.

“I actually studied art, so I know what I’m doing, jerk,” Minghao spits back.

Junhui rolls his eyes and giggles when Minghao slaps his arm in retaliation. “I wanna be a pretty kitty and you’re probably making me ugly.”

Minghao only grins, the brush in his hand never wavering in its strokes. “You could never be ugly, Jun-ge.”

“My pretty face is why you love me so much, don’t ruin it.”

“I don’t love you for your face,” Minghao mutters, frowning as he picks up another brush and dips it into the black tube of face paint. “Now stop talking, I’m about to put your whiskers on.”

Junhui keeps still, only smiling once Minghao focuses on his nose instead of his cheeks. Minghao has his bottom lip caught between his teeth as he concentrates, eyebrows furrowed together. It’s only safe to move when Minghao’s expression clears and he starts putting his supplies away, but Junhui waits for his all-clear anyway.

“We’re all done now. You’re the prettiest kitty on this side of the planet,” Minghao says, smiling when Junhui immediately jumps up and cheers.

Minghao’s laughing when Junhui leans down and kisses him, a messy and awkward kind of kiss due to Minghao’s open mouth and Junhui’s painted face. They make it work somehow because they’ve always made it work.

Junhui doesn’t need to look in the mirror to know that Minghao did a good job since Minghao always does an amazing job anyway, but he looks into one nearby just so that he can turn right around and watch the way Minghao flushes at his praise.

His boyfriend is so pretty.

“Hey, get up.”

Minghao groans, rolling onto the other side of the bed to bury his head underneath Junhui’s pillows. “No.”

“Please,” Junhui whines, tugging on the sheets that Minghao will die before letting go of.

“Why?” Minghao slurs, irritated but not by much since it is Junhui and as annoying as his boyfriend is half the time, Minghao could never be truly incensed with him even if he tried. “Go ‘way.”

Junhui laughs at him and jumps on top of him, giggling while Minghao curses and tries to push him off. It really is no use though because soon Junhui is spooning him and nuzzling his face into Minghao’s nape. Minghao sighs and decides to accept his fate of another early morning spent in bed with Junhui.

But just as Minghao has gotten comfortable again, Junhui rolls off the bed and picks Minghao up bridal-style. “Gah!”

Another delighted laugh greets Minghao’s ears and he groans mercilessly but allows Junhui to carry him to his metaphorical death. Junhui drops him unceremoniously on the couch a few moments later and Minghao glares up at him, pushing himself up into a sitting position as Junhui moves towards their Christmas tree.

Only when Junhui has tossed a present into his lap does he remember what day it is.

“Why do you always wake me up so early on Christmas? Can’t you ever let me sleep in?” Minghao mumbles, rubbing at his eyes while Junhui picks up one of his own presents and shakes it, trying to figure out what it may be.

“Nope,” Junhui replies almost immediately, smirking over at Minghao as his fingers begin to edge along the tape and wrapping paper. “I need someone to tell me how cute I am when I open presents. It’s a Christmas tradition and you will not be the reason it’s broken.”

Minghao scoffs and watches how Junhui tears into his first present: a set of headphones he had been whining about all through November. His face lights up with joy and he throws himself at Minghao, taking care not to crush the gift Minghao has in his lap. Minghao endures the many thank you’s and kisses that Junhui peppers across his face, not missing the fact that Junhui is saving his mouth for last.

Their lips meet with a gentle press and despite Minghao’s morning breath, he lets out a content sigh that only makes Junhui’s smile grow.

They pull away shortly afterward and Minghao sighs again, pressing his face into Junhui’s throat to murmur, “Cute.”

“So, you’re the new guy, huh?”

Junhui blinks, sharing a glance with his son Hansol before meeting the gaze of the elf standing in front of him. “I guess?”

“I’m Minghao, Senior Head Elf. You’ll need to get into costume soon and look over all the paperwork. I can’t believe you managed to kill the old guy when we’re in the busiest part of the season,” Minghao says with a roll of his eyes as he shoves a stack of papers into Junhui’s arms.

“I’m Junhui and I didn’t kill anybody. Could you not accuse me of murder in front of my son, please?” Junhui grunts, the paperwork in his arms heavier than they appear.

Hansol grins behind him and takes the hand Minghao holds out to him. “Don’t worry, Dad. You’re Santa now so you get to give me all the best presents!”

Minghao grins despite himself and starts walking off, motioning for Junhui to follow after them. “Not how it works, kid, but I like the way you think. Maybe you should have been the new Guy in Red instead.”

Junhui sputters behind them, flushing when Minghao spares him a disapproving glance over his shoulder. “My son is way too young to be Santa.”

“I’m only four hundred and thirty-three years old, I don’t think being eight is too young,” Minghao says and laughs when Junhui trips, papers sent flying.

“Four hundred and thirty-three!”

Hansol laughs at his father, too. “At least he’s cute, Dad. You two will work well.”

“Sollie!” Junhui sputters again, face flaming when Minghao gives him a considering look as he picks himself up and sets to collecting all the pieces of paper again.

“Your Dad isn’t too bad himself, but I’m definitely cuter,” Minghao murmurs after a long moment has passed.

Junhui does his best to ignore the snort Hansol makes and whispers under his breath, “Most definitely.”

He is pretty sure that he was quiet enough for neither of the two to hear him, but when he looks back up again, Minghao’s ears have gone red and Hansol is smiling between them. Junhui sighs and keeps grabbing the papers he dropped, already hating his new job.

He didn’t sign up for any of this, but after Santa Claus fell off his roof and he had to wrangle the reindeer into submission long enough to get here to the North Pole, he pretty much decided he was going to be in this for the long run. At least Minghao is pretty and Hansol seems to be enjoying himself immensely.