23 Days of NCT

Christmas Trees - Ten

"It's a... very nice tree," you nodded, you nudged Ten to respond also.

"Huh? I mean, yeah, it's great," he responds automatically, looking up from his phone.

"Right?! It's so darling," your mother coos while she looks around the tree.

You and Ten agreed to go with your mother to, surprise, go Christmas tree shopping. Honestly you and Ten already had one at home that you decorated together, you only came with your mother because she was so insistent that you both joined her. But you knew there was some hidden intention behind it, it's one thing to ask you to join her, it's another for her to ask that you bring Ten along too, and you both theorized about it the night before and now have a running bet for what it could be your mother wanted from the both of you. He bet that it was so she could gloat to her book club friends and you bet that it was anything other than that, with that said, what's on the line was who was doing dishes for the next month.

"You guys should get a tree too!" Your mother says.

"Oh, we're okay, we have a small one for the apartment, mom," you answered her.

"That plastic one your father gave you, you should get a real one! It'll brighten up the mood, you know?" She insists. "You know your father proposed to me while we were decorating our tree! That's why this place is so special to us, you know?"

You nudged Ten harshly when a laugh nearly escaped his lips.

"The dishes are waiting for you at home, Chittaphon," you said under your breath while you glared at him. He swallowed down his laughter and cleared his throat, rolling your eyes at the obvious victorious smirk on your face.

"Is that so, mom?" You walked up next to her and started to absently play with the tree's branches.

"Mmhmm, we were dating for two years! How long have you and Ten been dating again?"

"Three years," Ten answers, joining you and your mother.

"Wow, that's a long time," your mother presses.

The marriage conversation isn't a new one to you and Ten, in fact, your mother tends to like to push you both towards it more than she should. But you and Ten were comfortable with how things are right now, it's not that you didn't want to get married, it was more like you bother weren't ready for it yet. To be fair, you wouldn't really mind how things are right now, you like it just as it is.

"I mean... to be fair, mom, Ten is an idol, it's hard for them to get married, let alone be in a relationship, I mean, look at him right now, he's covered head to toe," you gestured towards your boyfriend absently. "No offense, love, you still look handsome," you teased, pinching his cheek sweetly before walking off with your mother.

"Ah, that's true, being an idol isn't easy, isn't it, Ten?" Your mom asks. Ten mouthed to you a silent 'thank you,' and you nodded subtly so that your mother wouldn't suspect anything.

Ten was genuinely thinking similarly to you. Although he's not against marriage, it just wasn't a good time. Truth be told you both spoke about it separately a while back, it's just too dangerous to even mention it given his status as an idol, and after seeing the initial backlash from Jongdae's announcement, you both agreed to keep the relationship under wraps for good, or at least until the "stigma" around dating is finally removed and he could treat you out to a proper date.

"We'll take this tree, sir!" You called out to the owner.

"I'll be right there!" He answered, grabbing the axe from the shed and walking over.

"This feels like a horror movie," Ten whispers to you.

"Shush," you laughed.

"I'm throwing you in front if he starts swinging."

"I'm brining you down with me."

"Good luck, like you could drag me down," he pokes your cheek.

"Please, love, those arms are only strong enough to hold Louis and Leon together," you squeezed his arm while the owner chopped the tree down for your mom.

"Louis is heavy," Ten rationalized.

"He's not heavy! He's just a bit fluffy is all," you defended the cat.

Ten laughed but his voice jumped a little when the tree fell and the owner hauled it over his shoulder easily, walking off to get it ready for transport. He looked over to you, who was trying hard not to completely gawk at the sheer and unexpected strength of who you both thought was only a lanky owner, and nothing against you, he was equally surprised. But the sudden talk of idols got him thinking, how different would you two be if he never became an idol? If he was still training under SM with no hopes of debut. Where would the two of you be now? It was miracle enough that he got Christmas off, but it would be the first time he spent it with you.

"Ten! We're going to leave you if you continue spacing out like that," you called out to him, already by the exit.

"I'll be there!"

Maybe he was overthinking things, he's been prone to doing that lately. He already knew it, but this Christmas was going to be a little more special.