Christmas is Julian's favorite holiday.

The festivity transforms their home into a different scene, the Christmas tree shimmering with golden lights, and a stack of neatly wrapped presents underneath. And even with just the three of them celebrating, they'd usually have enough food to feed a village. Which is exactly what they strive to do every year to live up to what the season is about—giving.

Thus, after the evening mass, the Montez-Sanchez family drops by the administration office, arms laden with containers filled with their homemade feast, to contribute to the feeding program.

As they drive home, Julian gazes at his screen, debating whether to text Joaquin. It doesn't take too long before he succumbs to his inner yearning and his fingers type.

The response comes within a few seconds.

Joaquin might be downplaying it, but Julian knows having his father around is everything he's ever wanted. For years, he celebrated all the occasions with Julian and his mother, and he'd act content, sharing their meals and laughing along. Still, Julian could tell that a part of him was elsewhere. He was waiting. Hoping for something Julian and Lina couldn't give, no matter how much they tried.

It dawns upon Julian suddenly—didn't Joaquin say he had a brother?

When the next message comes through, however, Julian's attention is diverted, his heart skipping a beat and warmth spreading within him.

"Ma," Julian calls from the backseat. "Do we have plans for New Year's?"

Lina glances over her shoulder. "We're going to your Tito Randy's family rest house in Bulacan."

"When are we leaving?"

"The 30th."

Catching Randy's eyes in the rearview mirror, Julian tries to keep his face neutral as he sends another text.

He deflates at the answer.

It shouldn't be as disappointing. He'd missed Joaquin for many years before they got reconnected, and yet, he now misses him more. A week feels like a lifetime, and every cell in his body wants to be around him.

How dramatic, Julian scolds himself. There's no way he can admit these thoughts to Joaquin. He had looked up some dating tips. Watched YouTube videos. Clinginess is a surefire way to scare Joaquin off.

He types a calculated response.

The night ticks by quietly, and by 9 PM, they've wrapped up their first movie.

Lina stretches his arms, stifling a yawn. "I'll take a nap for a bit. Need to be awake by midnight."

"I'll go with you," says Randy, trailing behind his wife out of the room.

"Alright, see you in a bit," Julian mutters, already scrolling through the movie selection. He selects another romantic comedy and curls up against the sofa, cradling his cup of jasmine tea, the perfect company for his solo movie session.

Halfway through the film, his phone rings. Surprised at the caller ID, he presses the 'pause' button and sits properly.

"Joaquin...?"

"Can you come outside for a bit?" he asks. "I've got something for you."

Julian springs from the couch, chest pounding, as he darts to the Christmas tree. He excitedly shuffles through the pile of wrapped gifts.

"Julian?"

"Hold on! Just... just give me a sec!" he huffs. "Where is that thing?"

As soon as he spots the small Santa-decorated paper bag, he seizes it and bolts to the door, slipping on shoes mid-run. Outside, Joaquin is leaning against his car, waving a hand.

"Seriously? You should've told me you were coming!" Julian says, his smile radiant. "Mama would've loved to see you."

"I barely managed to sneak out. Can't stay," Joaquin clarifies, handing him a present. "Merry Christmas." Then he opens the car door and retrieves two more paper bags from the passenger seat. "And these are for Tita Lina and Tito Randy. Couldn't leave them out."

"You just gave me a present," Julian says, accepting all three gifts and reddening in delight.

"I did. But the set wasn't complete without this."

"Thank you. I think Mama has something for you, too. But I was in so much of a hurry..."

"Don't worry about it."

Heart swelling, Julian delivers his own gift. "Well, here's mine. Merry Christmas, Joaquin."

"Oh? You got me something, too?"

"Obviously! I can afford things now."

Joaquin smirks, brushing a knuckle gently against Julian's cheek. "Well, for what it's worth, I liked your drawings."

"Yeah? Even the ones I swore were trash?"

"They weren't trash," Joaquin contradicts sternly. He keeps them safely on his nightstand, with the opened and unopened letters.

"Want to unwrap them?" Joaquin asks, trying to get a sense of what's inside the bag.

Julian nods exuberantly as he peels the tape off his present with ease. "You didn't bother securing it too well, huh?"

"Yeah. I know you care about the gift wrapper." Joaquin peeks inside the bag, his eyebrows lifting. "You got me sparring gloves?"

Julian blows air out of his cheeks, flipping through the pages of the new sketchpad. "I didn't know what to get you, so... This is what I came up with. Not like I'm ever going to watch you get beaten up."

He snickers, trying on the gloves and flexing his arm, the veins in his arms protruding. "You think I'm getting myself beaten up?"

"No?" Julian shrugs and looks away. "I just can't see you get hurt."

Joaquin scoffs, suppressing a cheeky grin that threatens to reveal his amusement. "I don't do competitive. It's just for self-defense, and you know, exercise. You could come with me if you're interested."

He waves it off dismissively. "No way. Why would I want to punch people? Or get all sweaty and skin-to-skin with someone?"

"Fair enough," Joaquin mutters, returning the gloves to the gift bag. "It's not that bad... Being sweaty and skin-to-skin."

Julian gapes at him, his face turning bright red. "That's—! I can't believe you just made it sound dirty!"

Joaquin laughs, and it's so genuine and unusual that Julian can't help but join in, even if the joke is at his expense. He knows he's just teasing, but for a second, his mind lingers on the idea of them doing those things.

But they're taking it slow. And that's okay. The best things take time.

"Thanks for the sketchbook," Julian says softly. "You sure know what to get for me."

"Next year, it'll be different."

"Next year."

"Next year."

It feels like a promise—one they both look forward to.

Joaquin peeks at his watch, his shoulders sagging. It'd be nice to spend Christmas Eve with Julian. But his father's only available this time of the year. He can't afford to miss it.

"I gotta go, Julian," he says, his voice low. "I'll see you in class?"

Julian tilts his head, a small frown forming. "Do we have another class together?"

"We don't have to have a class together," Joaquin states, giving him a wink. "I'll find you."

******

Julian arrives early for the first day of the second term.

Though not as grand as the other lecture hall, the similar tiered seating lends the room a unique and intimate structure. But the interior design is the last thing on Julian's mind—his attention is grabbed by an unexpected sight.

As he takes his seat, his eyes widen in disbelief as he observes Joaquin effortlessly chatting with Dr. Reyes pre-class.

Indeed, Joaquin has his methods.

The professor had once taught him in a different course title, and it seems like acing that class has earned him a free pass into this one. Adding a sprinkle of flowery words, Joaquin's access is granted without question. And why not? What's wrong with letting an eager student deepen his knowledge about East Asian History?

Moments later, Joaquin moves up the stairs, his gaze flicking to Julian as he nears. Without a second thought, he slides into the seat beside him.

"Hey," he greets, smiling.

"Are you kidding me? You... You're not enrolled here, are you?"

"No," Joaquin says, reclining comfortably against the chair and pushing his glasses back to a more comfortable position on his nose bridge. "But I told you I'd find you."

Julian narrows his eyes, lowering his voice, "You do realize this class is an hour and a half... at eight in the morning, right?"

"I'm aware," Joaquin murmurs, his hand traveling beneath the desk to take Julian's. "But this makes it worth it."

Julian loses the fight against the widest grin that spreads across his face, his cheeks aching with the effort to suppress it. Their fingers entwine, and he gives Joaquin a light squeeze before letting his forehead drop onto the table, unable to hide his delight.

This is bad. Really bad. How is he supposed to focus in class when all he can think about is kissing Joaquin senseless?

Luckily, the class ends thirty minutes early, and the club room just five minutes away feels like a godsend. Julian scurries briskly out of the hall. Baffled, Joaquin picks up his pace and catches up in long strides, missing a few former classmates who have said 'hi' to him.

"Julian, slow down," Joaquin calls out. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's okay," he replies quickly.

Julian unlocks the club door nervously. A swift sweep of the room reassures him it's empty, and relief surges through him.

"Julian—" The rest of his sentence is cut short by an urgent kiss, his back pressing on the door, the impact forcing it to shut. Julian's hand clumsily lingers on the knob, the click sound detonating the landmine in Joaquin's body. He cups Julian's jaw, deepening the kiss.

Joaquin pushes forward, leading Julian to tumble onto the couch. He scoots backward as Joaquin follows, his arms enclosing him and their lips never breaking contact.

Joaquin moves away from his lips to the corners of his mouth, to his jaw, and then peppers his neck with soft kisses. Aroused but alert, Joaquin sucks on his skin just enough to elicit a moan. No traces left.

Breathless, Julian whispers, "This... This is not very head of exec of you."

Joaquin chuckles softly. "Whose fault is that, hmm...?" He leans in for another kiss, only for Julian to turn his face sideways.

"What is it?"

"I, um, I think we should go somewhere private. I'm scared someone might walk in on us."

"You led me here, and you're getting cold feet?"

Julian flushes, heat flooding his chest. "That's exactly why I said somewhere private..."

Joaquin smirks, one eyebrow raised.  "And now you're asking me to go to... where? To your dorm?"

Julian gives him a gentle shove, focusing on the pinboard. "Forget it."

"I'm just teasing," Joaquin retorts, resting his chin on Julian's shoulder, who still refuses to look at him. "But we have to step back a bit. Being somewhere absolutely private could be... dangerous."

Julian's knees draw together. He can feel Joaquin breathing on his neck, and it's not helping him calm down. "I'm sorry, then...?"

"Don't apologize. You've always been the energetic one between the two of us."

"Shut up."

Joaquin withdraws, affectionately ruffling Julian's hair. "I want to do this right."

"Uh-huh, sure. Aren't you used to dating around all those other girls? Like Alex?"

"You listen to him?" He sneers, then expels a weary sigh. "Look, you tell me I'm different. I can say the same thing about you. I'm more than down to do a lot of things, but not like this. Not in a cramped room on a sofa that's falling apart."

Julian half-smiles, conceding the argument. "Fine."

"Good."

Joaquin stands up to unlock the door, hiding a wave of unease that has sprung from the back of his mind.

They've gotten away from fooling around a bit today, but they need to be more cautious moving forward. He's trying not to worry about it, but he doesn't have a clue how to handle the potential consequences yet.

What he's sure of is that he's happy with Julian. And that's more than enough.

For now.

******

A/N: Here's a sprinkle of fluff...

If you guys have any random questions (facts or cultural etc), please feel free to always drop them. I'd be happy to answer anything that confuses you! xx