Christmas was supposed to be a time of joy. A season of good will, peace on earth to all men, a time of unity and happiness. It was the one time of year when families came together, animosity was forgiven and heartfelt gifts and tender kisses were exchanged between lovers. It was a time of pure love and contentment. So why was it that Daoming Si felt anything less than joyful? His face was dark as night as he gazed about, signature scowl firmly in place and a tumbler of scotch clutched tightly between his fingers. He was in an incredibly sour mood. He was loitering in the corner away from the rest of F4, relatively secluded and unmeithered, but even so, he was acutely annoyed and it was palpable. He didn't know why he kept letting Xi Men talk him into coming to these shindigs - his friend never hesitated to throw a party, he loved playing the host, and he had decided that he wanted to hold a Christmas party this year. He had invited scores of people, and he hadn't accepted no for an answer; even Lei was missing out on his sleep to attend, although he looked as annoyed as Ah Si felt. The tall young man swirled his glass introspectively, watching the ice clink against the sides as he stewed in his irritability. The Daoming heir didn't know why he listened to Xi Men at all actually; after all, it was his idiotic idea to spend the upcoming New Year's break in Canada and it had been his idea to invite her along. Dong Shancai. The love of his life. The bane of his existence. The reason for his terrible mood. He didn't want her to go in the slightest. He had absolutely no desire to see her. At least that was what he was stubbornly telling himself anyway.
Ah Si took a deep, cleansing breath as he contemplated his current bitterness towards Shancai. The air in Xi Men's spacious home smelled like peppermint candy canes, the light was soft and diffuse due to the twinkling lights that harkened to snowflakes, and tasteful wreaths and garlands were strung artfully from the ceiling, all cultivating an air of festive tranquility. There was even a huge, glittering Christmas tree in the middle of the room, resplendent and lavishly decorated, ringed by boxes wrapped in white and silver. However, not even copious amounts of booze and succulent Christmas food were enough to wrench Ah Si out of his fury; all he could think about was the Tiny One, and it was driving him insane. He sometimes wished he could just forget about her, erase all memories of her infuriatingly beautiful face so he could just go back to living in peace. Albeit lonely peace... His life had been so easy before she literally kicked her way into his heart; it had been simpler when he had the demeanour of stone, when he hadn't cared what tiny, bad tempered little women thought of him. The Daoming heir was still incensed about their disastrous zoo date, and if he was completely honest, his heart was cracking - he hadn't seen her for days and he longed for her deeply, even though he insisted he didn't. He didn't. He didn't miss her beguiling eyes, he didn't miss they way her nose scrunched up when she laughed, and he certainly didn't miss the sharp tongue and deadly wit that made his heart sing. He didn't miss her. He didn't!
He scowled to himself, tugging in his bow tie and letting out what had to be the one thousandth consecutive sigh in the last ten minutes. He couldn't even convince himself of his lies. Despite his opulent surroundings, despite the Christmas cheer in the air, Daoming Si was completely and utterly bereft. Things had been going so well between him and Shancai, why was it that they clashed like cats and dogs over the smallest things? Ah Si swallowed the lump in his throat as he recalled how hard she had trained for the cooking competition, determined to clear her debts and prove her worth. Like she wasn't worth everything in the world already. Ah Si shook his head wrathfully as the thought crept unbidden into his mind - he was mad at her, he didn't want to commend her right now! He wanted to rage and kick and scream about the unfairness of their convoluted relationship. Why couldn't they just get along? He could still vividly feel the silkiness of her hair when he had smoothed it behind her ear, he could recount with perfect clarity the serenity of her sleeping face when he had tucked her into his guest room; why was it she was only relaxed around him when she was unconscious? He wasn't blind; he saw how tense she was with him, how she was always poised for a fight that he didn't care to instigate but somehow never failed to finish - was this retribution for the torment he had caused her in the early days? Was it possible that they would never be able to move past the immaturity, the hateful words and frosty silences?
He had tried so hard to redeem himself, to prove to her that there was no limit to his devotion, but Shancai was blind to all this - she was determined to see him as a monster, and he was at his wits end. She didn't realise how deeply he cared for her, how he died a little inside each and every time she doubted him - although her words in the zoo had been fairly innocuous, run of the mill for his sharp edged Shancai, they had cut him deeper than they ever had before. Daoming Si...why? Her questions were still haunting him, niggling him incessantly, and he fervently wished he had answered her queries differently instead of lashing out in a fit of jealous pique. She had taken him by surprise, her soft words striking him like the wicked edge of a whip; hadn't he proved time and time again that his heart beat only for her, that he would sacrifice anything to be with her? What did he have to do to get her to believe him? He kneaded his forehead, the beginning of a migraine beginning to throb in his temples; why couldn't he sacrifice his pride and just admit that it bothered him when she asked him these hurtful questions? Why couldn't he admit that he felt slighted that she had brought a child along on their date in what he could only assume was an attempt to stave him off? Daoming Si was a man of many talents, and one of those talents was shrugging on a mask and pretending nothing bothered him, even when he felt like he was being eaten alive by crippling defeat. He had rashly yelled at her to never see him again...and she had taken him at his word, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of her since. He was aching more and more with each second that passed. He missed her and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.
The Daoming heir took another slug of his whiskey, relishing the burn as he cast his dark eyes over the pulsing crowd in abject indifference. That was when he saw her, the drink suddenly sour on his tongue as his blood pressure sky rocketed. Shancai had appeared, and she looked insanely beautiful; her midnight onyx hair was swept into messy, tousled waves, her plump lips were painted berry red, glistening under the light, and her enticing décolletage and creamy skin were highlighted by the cut of her dress. The dress....his eyes roved her hungrily, drinking her in like a cool glass of water - he had been stranded in the desert, dying of thirst, but here she was to save him. The dress was quite daring, cut low and off the shoulder, the delicate shimmering fabric a fetching scarlet that flowed over her curves and nipped in at her tiny waist. The skirt billowed out to mid calf, the chiffon swishing temptingly against her shapely calves, her dainty feet encased in killer three inch golden stilettos. Her legs...they did funny things to his self control, and he felt heat creep up the back of his neck as he gawped at her in amazement. No matter how furious he was with her, he couldn't deny that she was the most delectable woman he had ever laid eyes on. He was paralysed, unable to tear his eyes away from her - how could someone dressed in devil red possibly look so angelic? Shancai chose that precise moment to look up, directly into his eyes; he was embarrassed to be caught staring like an idiot, but his sheepishness was swiftly replaced by fury as her eyes hardened with what looked to be disdain. She deliberately turned her back on him, her tiny hand clutching onto the tall male form beside her. That's when it hit him, more savagely than a wrecking ball - she wasn't alone.
What. The. Actual. Fuck. Ah Si felt his teeth clench painfully as he glared daggers into her slender back, his hands balled into tight fists. What the dick did she think she was doing, did she think this was funny? Was she trying to bloody kill him, was that her end game? He gasped breathlessly as a vitriolic cocktail of envy, agony and wrath coursed through his veins, blistering and raw. His heart was racing at a dizzying rate, and he was forced to slump into an empty chair behind him as he fought to keep his composure. How could she do this to him? Did he really mean so little to her? How could she hate him so much she could turn up, to his friend's party no less, with a date? He would rather stick pins in his eyes than date another woman - clearly she didn't feel the same. Yes, they had argued, barbs had been slung in the heat of the moment, but never in his wildest dreams had he anticipated she would hurt him like this. Why, why, why? His head was well and truly banging now, the surging pulse echoing each beat of his splintering heart - he was a fool, he was above this, he should just shake it off like a bad dream. But try as he might, it was impossible. His piercing eyes followed her around the room, watching her incessantly with tunnel vision as she giggled and flirted with her date. The world disappeared from around him as he clutched his glass, his knuckles white as he attempted to reign in his ire. He felt like he was about to blow a gasket when he realised with a sickening jolt that her date was Tian Ye. That sycophantic bastard, preying on her when she was vulnerable - he hadn't waited two minutes to sink his hooks into Shancai and all Ah Si wanted to do was knock his teeth down his good for nothing throat. He so much as touched Shancai, he was fucking dead.
Ah Si was jolted rudely back to reality when a large, slightly unsteady hand suddenly clamped onto his shoulder. It was only years of familiarity that prevented him from tossing the assailant to the ground; at this point, Ah Si probably knew Huaze Lei's hand better than he knew his own. He grimaced as his friend collapsed against his shoulder, his breath wafting over the perplexed Doaming heir as he giggled uncontrollably. This was a rare sight indeed; unruffled Huaze Lei, steaming drunk and comedically dishevelled. "Ah Si," he slurred, his eyes unfocused, causing Ah Si to snort slightly under his breath, "did you see? Shancai is here and she's with a boy!" He had been feeling somewhat amused by Lei's uncharacteristic display of joviality, but he was abruptly on edge once again as Lei stage whispered "and it's Tian Ye! Tins Ye, Ah Si, that stupid medicine chef man. Are you going to go and rescue her?" Ah Si sneered at his inebriated friend, his expression thunderstruck as he grizzled "why should I? I don't own her. If she wants to come with a good for nothing date who isn't good enough to lick her shoes, well, that's her prerogative isn't it?" The words were like razor blades on his tongue, but he was feeling scorned and they tumbled out if him uncontrollably. It felt good to spew the venom even if he didn't mean it.
Lei boggled at him, his tongue unusually loose due to the abundance of red wine. "But Ah Si," he whined, his voice higher than usual. He was unsteady, nudging Ah Si's shoulder and almost falling over in the process, "you love her! Of course she's yours - don't be like me and let the love of your life slip away!" His words resonated with the Daoming heir, and he suddenly felt like an ass; he wasn't the only one hurting, after all. Lei was clearly still grieving the loss of Jing, evidenced by his current state - it was so unusual for him to behave so recklessly, that was Daoming Si's usual modus operandi. He felt selfish for not noticing, but he had been so wrapped up in his own drama, he hadn't realised his friend was struggling. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to comfort his brother in his pain, however, the words died in his mouth when Lei slung an arm haphazardly around his shoulders, hiccuping "you know what Ah Si? I worry about you. I worry that you will die alone because your pride is your own worst enemy... You remind me of Ebenezer Scrooge, he lost his girlfriend too because he was too prideful. You have to be honest with her or she'll be gone for good." Lei's drunken words hit him like bullets, and he had to physically prevent himself from wincing. He had tried to tell her how he felt but it fell on deaf ears...short of getting it tattooed on his forehead, what was he supposed to do? The only response he could formulate was "she's still my girlfriend, I haven't lost shit."
The words were said with a vehemence that startled even him. He tipped his head back, pressing the cool glass glass to his temple in an attempt to ease the pain and gather his thoughts. It was true...despite the rage he felt, the betrayal that was burning a hole in the pit of his stomach, he still very much considered Shancai his girlfriend. He had never been good at letting go, and she was his most important person. He would hold on for dear life! He didn't even know if he was capable of letting her go. No one, not Lei, not Tian Fucking Ye, not even Shancai herself could convince him otherwise. It was time for him to swallow his pride, put his money where his mouth was and go and reclaim his girl before she got any ideas about settling for the medicine man. He couldn't risk her becoming attached to another man, it would slay him. He screwed his eyes shut as he glugged the rest of his drink, the liquid fortitude sorely required; he almost choked when Lei muttered dreamily "oh look, now they're dancing..."
His eyes flew open, his blood boiling at the sickening spectacle unfolding in front of him. His girl, laughing like a schoolgirl, wrapped in the arms of a lesser male - oh, heads were about to roll! His nostrils flared as he registered where Tian Ye's hands were so conveniently placed - one just above the curve of her ass and one on her shoulder, caressing her collarbone as they performed what appeared to be a very clumsy waltz. Shancai was laughing uproariously and it was a stab to his heart; he wasn't going to sit idly by and watch his girl be seduced by another man! He leapt to his feet, seething, his shoulders stiff with tension as he stormed over to the oblivious pair. He was so intent on his woman that he didn't even notice Lei topple over when he lost the support of Ah Si's shoulder; a stampede of buffalo could have careened through the room and he wouldn't have flickered so much as an eyelid. He could feel the rage emanating off him in waves as he approached, and it seemed Shancai could sense him; she suddenly looked up, her eyes widening at his expression and her smile sliding off her face. This bothered him. Why could she smile for this glorified motherfucker and not him? Why did she live to make his life hell? Women. They were impossible and yet he still felt butterflies erupt in his stomach when she held his gaze. That's right, look at me and only me, baby he implored internally as he seized Tian Ye's wrist with an iron grip.
"Get your hands off her, or I'll rip them off!" He snarled, flinging his rival's arm away and squaring his shoulders as he moved to stand in front of Shancai. Tian Ye looked perplexed as he rubbed his wrist; he quailed under Daoming Si's heated glare, shakily demanding to know what he thought he was doing. Ah Si's lip curled back as he warned menacingly "I told you before that this woman is mine. That'll never change. Keep your fucking hands to yourself and get out of my sight. Understand?" He could feel surprised eyes on him from all angles, and he could feel Shancai glaring at him dolefully even from behind, but he refused to back down. He was making the stand he should have month's ago; if he had only been less prideful and admitted he needed her, they wouldn't be at each other's throats right now. Tian Ye looked inclined to fight back, directing a meaningful look at Shancai which didn't go unnoticed by the spittingly mad hotel heir. He grabbed a fistful of his coat, yanking him closer as he raged "what did I just tell you? Do you want to die?!" Tian Ye paled a little as Ah Si shook him roughly, his eyes as cold and unfeeling as flint. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving, stop scaring Shancai," he acquiesced, his shoulders slumped in defeat as he slunk from the room like a kicked puppy. Ah Si couldn't bring himself to care; he had eliminated the rival male, so now he had to get the girl - that was the difficult part.
Shancai was apoplectic when he turned to her, a vein throbbing in her forehead as they assessed each other heatedly. No one else could push his buttons like Shancai, and he was hard pressed to keep from spitting accusations at her. He needed to control his temper before he said something else he regretted. Shancai opened her mouth, no doubt ready to give him a verbal beating, which could be more than he could stand. He suddenly couldn't bear the distance between them; his heart was chafed, he hadn't seen her for four whole days, and he hadn't even able to breathe properly since. Ah Si reached forward, catching her wrist before she could flee and ignoring her half hearted protest as he swept her into his arms. He settled his hands where Tian Ye's had rested moments before, determined to remove his presence by obliterating it with his own. Before she could argue, he had began to move, guiding her into a smooth waltz that was leagues about what she had achieved with the other pathetic boy. It was as effortless as breathing as they glided gracefully around the floor. Shancai seemed taken aback, her eyes wide as he suddenly dipped her low. His strong arms supported her weight easily, and when he brought her back up, their lips were millimetres apart. She swallowed nervously, her pupils dilated, and he couldn't help the soft smile that flitted across his face. "See how natural it is when you're with someone you care about?" He murmured to her, his hand creeping up her shoulder to cup the back of her neck. He wouldn't let her shy away this time; Daoming Si was nothing if not persistent! He watched curiously as the rage in her eyes flickered and died, clearly caught off guard by his sudden gentleness.
"Daoming Si, you have to stop acting like such a caveman," she sighed, but she made no move to extract herself from his arms; in fact, he could swear she had inched closer as there was no space between their bodies as he held her tightly. "I can't help it," he admitted, eyes downcast as he bared his soul, "I couldn't bear seeing his hands on you. Only my hands can be on you. I can't stand the thought of you with another guy. What were you thinking, coming here with him? Are you trying to kill me? Because it's working!" Shancai swallowed, her cheeks pinking as he affixed her with his ardent gaze. "I think you've misunderstood," she stuttered, "I didn't know he was going to be here, I met him outside. He looked like he could use a friend so I was keeping him company. Did you think he was my date?" He flushed cherry red as she guessed his intentions; she must know him pretty well by this point, as she could practically read him like a book. "It wasn't?" He repeated stupidly, his brain malfunctioning as she shook her head jerkily. "Of course not! Why would I date him when I'm dating yo-" The tiny woman realised her mistake a little too late, and Ah Si was powerless to prevent the incredulous grin that stole across his face at her slip up.
Shancai squeaked when he swept her into a bone crushing hug, ignoring the curious onlookers as he buried his head into the crook of her neck. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, "I'm sorry for losing my temper and saying I didn't want to see you anymore. It's not true. I hope you know that. Please don't keep ignoring me...can we get back together?" The last sentence was uttered so quietly it was almost unintelligible. Shancai, however, heard his softly spoken plea. "When were we ever broken up?" She asked in astonishment, her brow furrowed even as happiness unfurled in the depths of Ah Si's eyes. "You're...you're still my girlfriend?" He asked hopefully, his spirits suddenly higher than the tallest mountain. Shancai lifted her head, fully intending to reassure him that she was no longer angry in regards to their spat, but her attention was distracted by the garland fastened just above your head. "Oh look!" She exclaimed in surprise, not realising the implications of her observation, "it's mistletoe!" She looked so adorable, her eyes alight with an innocent expression, and his heart swelled three times larger, his entire being consumed with the love he felt for this girl. Mistletoe....that was a tradition he could respect. He leaned forward, eager to capture her lips once more and remind her of what she had been missing. He was surprised however when she leaned forward unexpectedly and planted a kiss squarely on his cheek, her face glowing like the setting sun as she chastised "don't be ridiculous. We were never broken up! Merry Christmas, Daoming Si..." She made as if to pull backwards, out of his embrace, but he wouldn't allow it. He had only just gotten her back, and they were standing together under mistletoe - not a chance she was walking away with just a kiss on the cheek! He smiled wickedly as he tangled his fingers in her perfectly coiffed hair, mussing it as he growled "not good enough...let me show you a real kiss!"
Shancai's eyes widened as he once again dipped her slender form down low, his lips crashing over hers and stealing her breath away. Their audience was totally forgotten as their mouths performed a passionate, fiery dance. Her velvet lips moulded against his, moving in perfect synchronicity as he poured all his pent up love, sadness, regret and frustration into the kiss. Her tongue darted out unconsciously, caressing his lips, and he groaned as he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding into her mouth and chartering previously unknown territory. She was glorious and he wanted this moment to last forever; he only pulled back when his lungs screamed in protest, demanding oxygen. Ah Si drew back, panting, marvelling at the dazed expression on her face. Her cheeks were crimson, calling to him like a siren song, and he couldn't prevent himself from stroking her face with his thumbs, his touch as tender as his eyes. Only he could put that expression on her face and it delighted him. He felt comfortably whole again as he caressed her, suddenly acutely aware of all the eyes burrowing into them. There was a time and a place for his heartfelt love confession, but this was not it. That would happen later, when they were in private and there were no nosy onlookers; some words were meant for her ears only. He beamed when Shancai reached up to cover his hands with hers. How he loved it when she initiated affection, it was so rare, she was so reserved and cautious usually. Her chocolate depths were brimming with unspoken promises, ones that she hadn't yet uttered aloud but which he could read just as easily. Shancai loved him. He was sure of it.
He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, his voice laced with love as he wished her "Merry Christmas, my love. Here's to many more."
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This is the fourth prompt given to me by Jen (JVH624 ), based on the word 'Christmas.' Once again, fluff overload, I apologise for the inundation lately! 😅