When I Can Tell You

Epilogue

Halloween had passed and love-birds went as Niki Minaj and Drake to make their first public declaration of their relationship. That was also the same night that the Drake Byungjoo transformed into a tomato due to Hansol officially asking him to be his boyfriend through changing a bit of the lyrics to a Niki Minaj song as he danced and sang in front of everyone. Thanksgiving had passed too, and it was yet another holiday B-Joo and Xero's mother had to work. However, Hansol's family had been so kind and invited their family over to have a large Thanksgiving lunch rather than dinner so their mother could attend before she had to leave at 3:30.

It was now Christmas Eve. The boys oemma had to leave for work, and the sun had gone down with the start of white flurries drifting through the air. Hansol had told his oemma and appa about Byungjoo's family history, and they were nothing short of understanding and accepting of the boys and their hard working mother. So for the special holiday that people cherished as a time to spend with family, Hansol and his parents had invited the boys to stay with them. They insisted on having their mother, using the key they gave her, also come to their home when she got off work so they would all be together.

Xero and Byungjoo had placed all their gifts in a bag for Christmas morning along with packing another bag full of their stuff to sleep over. "Got everything, hyung?" Xero asked as he pulled over a Christmas sweater printed with a large reindeer over his head.

"Ne." Byungjoo already adorned his bright red Christmas sweater with a design of patterned snow flakes that he paired with blue jeans and red sneakers.

"You are wearing those?" Xero raised an eyebrow looking down at the dark-washed jeans on his brother.

"Yeah why?"

"I'm literally wearing the exact same pair of jeans." Byungjoo merely shrugged as he sprayed a sprits of cologne on his wrists. "Dude... you better change, you don't want to be matching your brother in front of your boyfriend," Xero tried to push a button that was sure to work.

"I'm not changing," B-Joo stated and his brother dropped what he had in his hands and stared at him with a bitch-face intensity.

"I will punch your ass in the face."

Byungjoo merely reached into their dresser drawer and pulled out Xero's pair of khakis and threw them perfectly at his face. "Jeans match my sweater better."

"You're a dick, Joo-ssi," Xero laughed as he unbuttoned his jeans to change into the khakis that had just collided with his face.

B-Joo smiled at his younger brother in triumph before slinging the bag of presents over his shoulder. "Come one, Xero-ssi! Get our over night bag and lets go, ass-butt!"

"Ass-butt?" Xero scoffed. "Really?"

"You say that is if 'i will punch your ass in the face' makes sense."

"When does anything we ever say make sense?" Xero laughed as he finished lacing his boots and slung the bag over his shoulder. "Come on, Joo! Get your shit together and let's go, ass-butt!" The blonde boy teased with a cocky smile.

Byungjoo simply shook his head with a laugh at his younger brother, and the two boy's bundled up in winter accessories and walked out into the frosted air that nipped at their exposed skin.

"Joo!" Hansol exclaimed as he opened the door to see his red-nosed boyfriend along side the tall blonde. He gave Byungjoo a chaste kiss on the lips before hugging the both of them and wishing them a Happy Christmas. "Come in! You all must be freezing! We have hot-chocolate." The two boys followed Hansol into the house they had grown to be so familiar with, and stripped of their outerwear. "Aww you guys are wearing the sweaters my mom made you!"

"Of course, baby," B-Joo smiled. "It was really thoughtful of her, and we quite love them actually."

Hansol smiled at the pet name he would never get used to before responding, "I'm glad, you can put your presents under the tree with ours, and Xero-ssi you can have my room. Byungjoo if it's okay with you, I had planned on setting up an air mattress by the fireplace for us?"

A smile stretched across the purple-haired boy's face that easily reached his eyes. "That sounds perfect."

Xero's nightmares that occurred when sleeping alone faded like his brother's secrets and pain, and Byungjoo's peaceful night's of sleep grew like his happiness. Although he rarely slept alone, B-Joo was finally able to sleep without Xero and not be disturbed by the dream that had haunted him for so long. Part of it was because of Xero's fading dreams, another because Hansol's family had been so open and welcoming to the two boys even after learning about their history, and another part was because of Hansol. Hansol made Byungjoo so incredibly happy, and he brought life, a feeling of safety, comfort, and so much love to the other boy that his burdens and heavy heart vanished with shame of his family's past.

"You talked to Lori right?" Xero heard Mrs. Kim ask her husband as he helped fill glasses of water and cider for their dinner.

"Of course, and she said she would be happy to. She told me Soji has never had a Christmas Eve off, and I couldn't believe it. She is really a tremendous woman." Xero smiled at the way Mr. Kim spoke of his mother, but he felt a pang in his heart knowing she couldn't be with them on such a holiday.

Mr. And Mrs. Kim, with the help of Byungjoo, prepared everything necessary for the dinner as Hansol and Xero set the table and plated the finished foods. Just as they were about to sit down, a knock came at the door.

Mrs. Kim rushed to open it, and immediately embraced the woman who had knocked. "Soji-ah! I'm so happy you made it!" she exclaimed.

"Umma?" Byungjoo asked as his eyes shot to the door at the sound of his oemma's name. When Mrs. Kim stepped aside, Joo and Xero had a clear veiw of their mother smiling at them. "Oemma! I thought you... what about... how?" B-Joo stuttered as he rushed over to fling his arms around her neck with Xero smashed in the embrace as well.

"One of my co-workers, Lori, told me she would take my shift. We haven't really talked much before considering we never have the same shift, but she showed up at 5:00 and said she would do it. I... I was so overwhelmed... I am so thankful to be with you all." The three eventually made their way to the table, and Xero nodded to Mr. Kim in thanks, now knowing what he had talked to Lori about.

They all sat and ate the delicious dinner while sharing funny stories and laughing with one another, cherishing every moment. Through the frosted window decorated with garland and a singular glowing candle, outsiders would not see two families both made of three, but rather one family of 6 connected by the two boys who had fallen desparately in love, Byungjoo and Hansol. And those two boys, although neither one perfect, melded together to create their own perfection, and their love never died.

*Author's Note: this was written by the "LeeMin 'Min'" half of this account:)