"What was that, Jinnie? You know how Chan can be sometimes. And it was your duty to make breakfast," Minho said with a frown.

"You always complain that it doesn't taste good when I cook. Yes and? Then I just asked Felix if he would make breakfast with me. Where's the problem?!" Hyunjin asked annoyed.

"And then you let him do all the work alone. You're such an ass." Seungmin punched laughing against the older's shoulder.

Hyunjin rolled his eyes and took another pancake. "I made the coffee. And he was about to back the pancakes, what do you think I should have done? Sit on his shoulder?"

"Can we talk about something else?"

Surprised, everyone turned around and saw Felix and Chan standing in the door frame.

"Everyone in a family has their part of work. And if Hyunjin can't cook, let him shop the groceries or wash the dishes. Or let him clean the house." Felix's voice had been gentle and calm and yet everyone had listened to him.

"Nice to have you back. Pancakes for you are in the oven so that they stay warm. And Jinnie takes care of the dishes," Minho said firmly and got up to get the pancakes out of the oven.

After breakfast, Felix sat on the bed in his room. Somehow he had had the feeling of needing some time for himself, but now that he was sitting alone in his room, he felt rather lonely.

He had looked at his phone. Hoping to find a message from Sam or his parents. But the only message he had received had been from the secretary of his father's. And also only about the fact that his college admission had arrived.

With tears in his eyes, he had thrown the phone aside and since then he had been sitting there, staring into the void.

He didn't even noticed the knock on the door. Only when a hand was placed on his shoulder, he looked up in surprise.

"Come with me."

Chan pulled Felix out of bed. But since the blonde didn't expect it, he fell forward into Chan's arm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to attack you," Chan laughed, holding Felix tight so he wouldn't fall over.

"Where are we going?"

But Chan didn't answer, he simply dragged the younger with him. Down in the hallway everyone was putting on their ski equipment.

Felix looked at Chan in surprise, but he only smiled mysteriously. "I think a little fresh air would be good for all of us," he said and winked at him.

When they stepped outside, two horse-drawn sleighs stood in front of the hut to everyone's surprise.

"It wasn't on your list, but I thought maybe you'd like it," Chan said quietly to Felix and was surprised by Felix wrapping his arms around the older.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Felix whispered and his eyes lit up.

Smiling, Chan pulled him with him to one of the sleds. Minho and Jisung followed, causing Changbin, Seungmin, Hyunjin and Jeongin to sit in the other.

What none of them noticed was that Hyunjin looked over at Felix and Chan thoughtfully and somehow a little sadly.

The sleigh ride was beautiful. At first they talked and laughed a lot with each other, but with time they became calmer.

The snow-covered landscape captivated them all. Frozen lakes alternated with snow-covered forests and fields full of snow. The sun broke out from behind the clouds and made everything glitter.

Felix turned his gaze away from the beautiful glitter and looked at Chan. The older looked dreamily at the landscape and seemed relaxed and happy.

In the past few days, Felix had somehow gotten used quite quickly to how much physical contact was with the seven. And also how much he liked to be hugged.

Which was why he now shared his joy about the beautiful idea by reaching for Chan's hand.

Chan looked at him in surprise and there was something in his eyes that Felix couldn't really interpret. But the wide smile that appeared on Chan's lips felt somehow stunning.

"Thank you!" he whispered, brushing his finger over the back of Chan's hand.

"It's getting even better. Just wait."

Now Felix smiled in surprise. But instead of asking what he meant, as Chan had expected, Felix simply leaned against him.

When they passed the first houses of a small town about half an hour later, everyone marveled at how Christmas-like everything was decorated.

"What is this?" Felix asked with wide eyes and turned again and again from one side to the other to notice all the little details.

"A Christmas Village. With a Christmas market. We can drink mulled wine or cocoa or buy Christmas decorations," Chan explained, and now his eyes were also shining.

Together they got out of the sleds and while the two young men who had brought them here took care of the horses, the eight went to explore the Christmas village.

Everywhere hung fairy lights and Christmas trees were decorated between the houses and the stalls of the Christmas market.

Excited, Felix took Chan with him. The snow that was everywhere enchanted the Christmas market even more and Felix was sure that he had never seen anything so romantic and beautiful.

"Oh Chan, look there," he squealed and pulled the older to a stand where, among other things, hand-carved wooden animals were sold.

"Do you want to buy one?" Chan asked smiling and carefully took the little kangaroo, which he had immediately noticed, in his hand.

"I don't have any money with me... no one could have guessed that you need money if they get kidnapped by you," Felix murmured and a pout appeared on his lips.

"Sorry... we'll come here again, okay?" Chan said and had to suppress a smile.

Just at the right moment, Minho and Jisung appeared behind them and dragged the younger one with them.

Chan stayed behind and made sure Felix was out of sight before he bought the kangaroo and a koala and quickly made them disappear in his jacket.

They spent most of the day there. Strolled through the city and over the Christmas market. Decided to go eat, not very christmas-like, burgers and finally persuaded Chan to buy everyone a cup of mulled wine.

"Ugh, that doesn't taste good." Felix carefully put down the cup with the steaming mulled wine and twisted his face.

Grinning, Chan shook his head. "Wait a sec."

He went back to the stand where they had bought the mulled wine. When he came back shortly after, with a new cup in his hands, Felix looked at it critically, but found that there was cocoa in there.

"Thank you!" He carefully drank a tiny sip and had to grin. "But there's also alcohol in it."

Chan shrugged his shoulders with a grin and nodded. "There's Amaretto in there."

Felix became very warm, but he pushed it on the alcohol in his cocoa and leaned against the older one.

When they made their way home again, it was already dawn. All eight had at least one mulled wine or cocoa with a amaretto in it, which led to the fact that the mood was accordingly exuberant.

Felix had leaned against Chan and felt as good as he hadn't felt for a long time.

8
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