The boy next door has been the first person you see every morning. Why? Because his room was right across from yours and couldn't help taking a little peak whenever he walked passed by the window shirtless as he looks for his wallet.

He's quite interesting. He's new and really handsome. He takes care of his little sister whenever his mom goes to work. Plus, he's part of a band. His friends come over to practice every Friday night and you had to admit it's quite annoying. They're so loud that the walls in your room vibrate and knock down pictures and posters. Are they really considered a band if they just make noise??

Saturday morning you woke up with dark circles that weren't very attractive. Your hair looked like a bird's nest and your breath smelled like when a skunk gets terrified. Stretching your arms over your head, you rubbed your eyes and looked out the window to see the cute but loud and obnoxious boy from next door talking on the phone. How is he up this early?

Then you looked at your clock. It's 12:23pm. So not morning anymore.

With a frustrated groan, you threw your soft brownish blanket out of the way and pushed yourself off the bed, putting on your purple bunny slippers. You took small lazy steps towards your bathroom and as soon as you stood in front of the mirror, your eyes widened.

"Gross", you said before turning on the faucet to wash your face.

Being able to tame your hair is always a drag because your natural hair is super curly. If you don't put products on your hair, it'll just look frizzy and weird.

Now that you look decent and have chosen your outfit, you headed down to the kitchen and grabbed a muffin before stepping out onto the porch. You inhaled the afternoon weather, taking in the scent of pumpkin pie and cinnamon. It was almost Thanksgiving after all. Did you have any plans of spending it with your family? No clue. They're always working plus they live thousands and thousands of miles away from you.

"But you promised."

You heard a cute little whine coming from your left. The house that you were always curious about. A little girl, maybe six years old, ran after her older brother who was putting suit cases in a minivan.

"I know I did but I'll be busy this week. I'll make it up to you when you and mom come back from your trip, okay?", the guy who you've been eyeing these past few weeks.

"Ice cream and car rides??", the little girl smiled happily while standing on her toes.

"You know it. Now, get in and put on your seat belt. Mom will be right out", he said.

She complied and sat down in the backseat while the door was still open. She hugged her stuffed unicorn that's missing one eye and noticed something.

"That girl is staring", she whispered to her brother.

He raised an eyebrow and looked over to where his sister was looking. As you met eyes with him, your cheeks turned pink and quickly looked away.

"I think she likes you", she giggled.

"Ellie, you think everyone likes me", he chuckled as he helped her buckle her seatbelt.

His mom came out holding a large sweater and a gift bag. She placed them in the front seat and told her son that she would be back the day before thanksgiving.

"You hear that? Only three days away. Not too long right?", he asked Ellie.

She nodded and hugged him before closing the door. He watched as they drove off and sighed.

You couldn't help but glance over at him. He pushed his fingers through his hair, walking towards the front door. But as he did, he glanced at you as well, softly smiling before heading inside.

"...what....how long have I been staring??", you asked yourself.

~~~

Later that day, you decided to go for a walk. Your dark green wool sweater and black beanie kept you warm. The winds decided to calm down and the leaves from the tree blocked the sidewalk. Although you do love the crunchy sound it makes as you step on them.

You spotted a gray cat who was sitting on the curb. It was only a few feet away from your house so you decided to sit next to it.

"Hey cutie, what are you doing out here? It's cold", you said, softly petting it.

It purred and rubbed itself against your hand. He was quite comfortable going on your lap.

"Oh..you know I'm allergic to cats. But I don't really care because cats are cute", you said.

"Mr. Buttons, there you are."

You turned your head and met eyes with the same boy..well really he's not a boy.

"Ah, this is your cat? Hm, he doesn't have a collar", you said.

"We got him a few days ago. My mom meant to buy him one but she keeps forgetting so I'm gonna buy one tomorrow", he said.

You nodded and handed the cat to him.

"He's really cute", you said.

"He's my sister's. He tends to leave the house and comes back hours later which is why he needs a collar. Anyways..you live next door, right?", he asked.

"Yeah I do", you said.

"Cool. I'm Minho. I just moved here", he smiled.

"I'm (y/n)", you smiled back.

"It's nice to meet you. So what are you doing out here at this time?", he asked.

"I just went for a walk. Then I saw this little guy on the way. I was just about to bake some cookies. Want some?", you asked.

"I'd love some! I just need to put Mr. Buttons inside because I don't want him to stay out tonight", he said.

~~1 Month Later~~

"Can we go see (y/n)?? Pretty pleeaase", Ellie kept begging her older brother as he worked on a project for his band.

"She's probably busy Ellie", he said.

"But I'm bored and you're working on something. And mom isn't here. And Mr. Buttons is sleeping. Please", she pouted.

Minho glanced at his sister and sighed, nodding. She smiled really big and jumped as she went over towards the front door. Grabbing her stuffed unicorn and waited for her brother to open the door.

They knocked on your front door, waiting for you to answer it. When you did, Ellie quickly hugged you and showed her unicorn which now has no eyes.

"He must have been through an adventure", you smiled, kneeling down to face her.

"He actually fell out of the window and he got stuck in a tree. Minho got him for me", she giggled and looked up at her brother.

"And it wasn't easy", he said, ruffling her hair.

You let them in, Ellie running towards your backyard. She loves climbing on the trees.

"I'm sorry. She really wanted to come see you", Minho said.

"It's fine. I love having you guys over", you said.

Minho followed you to the backyard and sat down on the chairs. You didn't have that much Christmas decorations up. Just a Christmas tree and a few lights outside.

Ellie ran around and followed the lights, laughing as it turned on and off.

"So what are you doing for Christmas?", he asked.

"I don't know. But I heard your mom is having a Christmas party and inviting people from work. Ellie says she's not allowed around them", you said.

"Yeah. She kinda likes getting to know people and last time it didn't end well. So I'm probably gonna take her out to see Christmas decorations that the neighbors have up. You should come with us if you're not doing anything", Minho said.

Ellie must have overheard and excitedly ran up to them, sitting on your lap as she wrapped her arms around your neck.

"Please, pretty please can you come with us???", she pouted while hugging you.

"Ellie, if she doesn't want to, don't force her", Minho said.

"No it's fine. Sounds great Ellie. I'd love to come", you smiled.

She giggled and looked over at her brother who nodded.

"You know my brother likes to come over here but he's too chicken to admit it", she said, swinging her legs.

"Ellie", his eyes widened, cheeks turning red.

"What? It's true. If you like her, just tell her. She likes you too anyways", Ellie smiled while looking at you.

Your cheeks turned red as well and awkwardly laughed.

"She's something", you said.

Ellie hopped off your lap and gave you her unicorn, standing behind her brother. She began playing with his hair, combing it forward.

"Are you guys hungry? I made butter pasta", you said.

Ellie's eyes lit up and her lips were raised so high that her nose sort of crinkled up. Minho mentioned over two weeks ago that she loves butter pasta which you never tried before. He gave you the recipe and tried it out today.

"I want some!", she yelled excitedly and ran inside.

"She's so little yet she has a lot of energy", you chuckled.

"You have no idea. She's like a hamster in a ball whenever she's at home", Minho said.

"You're lucky you have a sister. You have a bond with her", you said.

"I thought you said you have three brothers and two sisters", Minho said.

"..yeah..I mean..I haven't seen them in over two years. I don't know. I guess having a younger sibling who looks up to you is what I really want. That's why you're lucky", you said.

Minho raised an eyebrow and placed his hand over yours. For a moment, he stared right into your eyes, softly smiling.

"Are you coming or what?!", Ellie peeked out from the door, being an impatient six year old.

Both of you chuckled and went inside to eat. Ellie was talking about how she really wanted to go ice skating but that their mom is always busy with work and Minho is always practicing with his band. Though he does spend a lot of time with her.

"I also wanna go to the snow. I've never touched snow before", she said.

"And I promised I would take you one day. But this project that I'm doing, it's very important and I don't have time to mess around", he said.

"But..you never have time anymore", she mumbled softly as she looked at her plate.

Minho pushed the chair back and kneeled down to face her.

"Hey, I will have time. Remember those times I said I'll make up whatever I said I promised? I did make it up to you. So I won't let you down. If I say I'm gonna take you ice skating or up to see the snow, then that means I'm gonna do it. I'm sorry I haven't had the time to spend time with you. But the reason I'm doing this project is so I can make money that way mom doesn't always have to work. We'll all be having dinner again like a family. And go on family trips. You just have to be patient with me", he explained.

Ellie was still upset but she understood. She misses family time with her brother and mom.

You were a bit upset as well. If only you had that type of relationship with your family.

"Can (y/n) come with us?? Pleeaase", Ellie begged, glancing at the both of you.

"Ellie, you know I love spending time with you but I can't be there all the time. It's called family time for a reason", you said.

"But you're family..I mean, to me you are. And Rainbow also", she said, lifting up her unicorn.

You looked up at Minho, wondering if he's thinking the same thing. Ellie is only six years old and very sensitive so if someone tells her something, even something as small as a penny, she'll get really upset and pout for days.

"Why don't we talk about this some other time? I'm sure (y/n) feels a lot of pressure", Minho softly smiled at her, ruffling her hair.

"Hey Ellie, how about we play castle? We can be whoever we wanna be. I'll be the dragon", you said, standing up from the chair.

"Can I be the princess who fights off the dragon?? My unicorn can be my sidekick", Ellie quickly changed her attitude and smiled happily as she placed the couch cushions together, creating a castle.

Minho placed the dishes in the sink and washed them, drying them as well. When he went back into the living room, he leaned against the wall and watched as Ellie laughed as she pretended to be a princess knight. He's never seen her this way with anyone.

After about two hours of playing, Ellie fell asleep on your lap, resting her head on your shoulder. It made it easier because you were already sitting on the couch.

"I should take her home", Minho said, carefully putting his arm on Ellie's back.

He was about to carry her but Ellie wouldn't let go of you. Her grip tightened and she snuggled herself closer.

"I guess she got really attached to you", he said, carefully sitting next to you so she won't wake up.

"..is that bad?", you asked.

"Well, no. But she's probably gonna expect you to come with us everywhere. I'm sure you're worn out after today", he said.

"Not really. I had fun with her. See, this is what I was talking about. A relationship like this is amazing", you softly smiled as you looked down at Ellie who was making weird faces as she slept.

"Hm, maybe we should come more often", he joked.

"Maybe you should", you said.

"Really? I was just joking. I'm sure your tired of seeing this face", he said, chuckling.

"No. I'm not. I like when you're here too. I mean, you're the first person in two years that genuinely likes being around me. Unless...you're just pretending",you said.

"Why would I pretend? You're really sweet and you genuinely care about my sister. Hm, guess I might get attached as well", he said.

His hand slightly touched your arm, tilting his head to see your reaction.

"Just as long as you don't hug me as tight as your sister is doing right now", you said.

"Yeah she's like a koala", he said.

Ellie groaned and stretched her arms, accidentally hitting your eye. Minho tried not to laugh and apologized for his sister. She once again hugged her and began talking in her sleep.

"Why don't you just leave her here? As like a sleepover. I'm sure she'd love that", you said.

"Yeah that's fine. But, as long as you come with us to the ice skating rink on Saturday. I know she really wants to see snow and I just can't help it. Her cute little koala face is hard to resist", he said.

"I can agree with that. And yeah, I'd love to go. I actually have never seen snow either. It'll be a first for the both of us", you said.

"Great, she'll be super excited and happy when she finds out you're coming with us", he smiled.

~~~

"WOW LOOK AT ALL THE SNOW!", Ellie yelled so loud that everyone looked at her.

She ran towards a small pile of snow and jumped onto it, laughing.

"Make sure to keep your mittens on", Minho said.

She shook off the snow that was on her beanie and explored kore of the snow. You were actually freezing even though you had layers and layers of clothing on. Minho took one glance at you and laughed.

"You look like Rudolph. Your nose is red", he said.

"How are you not cold?? I can't feel my face", you hugged yourself, hoping to get warmth.

He placed his hands on your cheeks, softly caressing them before looking into your eyes. There was a moment again. Then he covered your face. His gloves were so warm, probably hiding your red cheeks.

"Can you feel your face now?", he asked.

"A little. But I can't breathe", you mumbled onto his gloves.

He removed them from your face and rubbed the back of his neck. Probably nervous and embarrassed.

Ellie found a photo booth near the gift shop, smiling widely as she pulled you and Minho towards it.

"It's too small. We can't fit", you said.

"Sure we can. You guys can sit next to each other and I can sit on your lap. Easy right?", she said, pushing you in first.

She then pushed Minho to sit next to you before she climbed onto your laps. Theres hardly any space in the photo booth so as you tried to get comfortable, your hand touched Minho's. He looked at you and smiled, not even pulling away.

"Say cheese!", Ellie said, putting up a peace sign.

They took a few pictures together, making weird faces. She even had you and Minho take pictures of just the two of you. It was weird. When Ellie was with them, Minho would act nervous but as the two of you sat in the photo booth together, he's more calm. He placed his arm around you to pull you closer for the pictures. One with the two of you smiling, another with him looking at you, and the last one with him placing his hand on your cheek, turning you to look at him. You stayed like that for a few seconds, Minho slightly leaning in.

"The pictures came out great!", Ellie yelled.

Minho cleared his throat and pushed aside the curtain that covered the small entrance of the photo booth, helping you out.

Ellie showed you the pictures and smiled.

"Can we go skating now?", she asked, walking as she picked up snow.

Minho looked over your shoulder to see the pictures.

"So close", he said before passing by you.

You placed the pictures in your pocket to make sure you don't lose them. You caught up with Minho and Ellie before heading to the hotel where you'll be staying at.

"Whoa, that's a big bed", Ellie said, eyes widening.

You and Minho stopped taking steps as you noticed the one bug bed the room has.

"S-Sorry. I asked for a room with two beds. I should go tell the receptionist", Minho said.

"No it's fine. I can just sleep on the couch. And your sister really likes the room. It's no bother", you said.

"Do you really think I'll let you sleep on the couch? No way. You and my sister will sleep on the bed and I'll sleep on the couch", he said.

He placed the bags in the corner before carrying Ellie over his shoulder and playfully dropped her on the bed. He tickled her until she couldn't take it, stopping as he kissed her cheek. You smiled and walked into the bathroom to wash up.

"Hey, do you think (y/n) likes us? I really like her. She's fun and she makes you happy", Ellie said as she leaned against his back.

"You think so?", he asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Do you know she's always asking me about mom? I don't really tell her a lot of things because I told her she's always working", she said.

Minho tilted his head, surprised. He turned around to look at Ellie.

"You know mom loves us, right? She'd do anything for us", he said.

"I know. I just wish she was here with us", she said.

"Hey, no tears. We're here to have fun. Ready to go ice skating?", he asked, hoping that would cheer her up.

"Can I take my unicorn?", she asked.

"Of course. I'm sure he'd love it", he smiled.

She quickly put a smile on her face and ran towards the couch where her unicorn was sitting. You finally got out of the bathroom and placed your belongings in your bag.

"(Y/n) were gonna go ice skating!", Ellie said as she pulled onto her hand.

"Slow down", Minho said as he closed the door.

Minho and Ellie were in a store, buying her some ice skates since the ones she had don't fit anymore. You waited outside, smiling at the kids who were playing in the snow.

"(Y/n), look at my skates! Aren't they pretty?", Ellie laughed as began walking towards the ice skating rink.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?", Minho asked you, softly holding onto your arm.

"Sure. What's going on?", you asked.

"Ellie was telling me that you kept asking her about our mom. Look, no offense but that really isn't any of your business. I just don't want Ellie thinking that she's gonna leave us too. Our father left over a year ago for a woman he works with. She was really upset and wouldn't stop crying. I don't want her thinking about that stuff so can you please not ask her anything personal?", he said.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't know. I shouldn't have-"

"It's fine. Come on, she's gonna wonder why we're taking so long", he smiled and held your hand, pulling you towards the ice skating rink.

You haven't skated in years but you were able to manage on your own. Although a few drops onto your bottom made Ellie laugh. Minho helped you up and decided to hold onto you so you wouldn't get hurt.

"Are you alright?", he asked.

"Yeah. I think I just need a break", you said.

You skated over towards the benches and rubbed your ankles.

"Ow", you softly groaned as you noticed a mark on your ankle.

"I think you tied them wrong. Let me see", he said, kneeling down.

He checked your ankle, making sure he was gentle.

"It's just bruised. You should rest so it won't become worse. I'll get Ellie and we'll go back to-"

"No it's fine. You stay with Ellie. She was really excited to ice skate. I'll just go back and see what I could do", you said as you stood up.

"Are you sure?", he asked.

"Yeah. We'll hang out later", you said.

When you arrived at the hotel, the first thing you did was get on the bed and rest on your back, sighing. You stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before closing the eyes to sleep.

Minho and Ellie arrived at the hotel hours later, finding you on the couch watching the news.

"Hey (y/n), we bought you some muffins, chocolate chips cookies, a blanket, some medicine, and a stuffed polar bear. My brother wanted to buy you flowers but I told him you don't like flowers", Ellie said, sitting next to you.

"Hm, well it's a good thing you were with him. You're so sweet. Thanks", you smiled at Ellie and put an arm around her before changing the channel to something for her.

"How's your ankle?", Minho asked.

"A bit better. I put some ice on it. There's still a mark though. I guess that will go away", you said.

Minho glanced over at Ellie, noticing her becoming tired as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. She rested herself against you and closed her eyes while hugging her unicorn.

"Should I move her to the bed?", you asked.

"No I got her. I don't want you to hurt your ankle again", he said before carefully carrying Ellie to the bed.

He covered her in a soft and warm blanket as he kissed her forehead.

He walked back towards the couch and sat down next to you.

"You should eat", he said, placing one of the muffins in front of you.

"I'm not really...up for muffins", you said.

"Why? They were bought with love. Ellie chose them herself", he said.

"Yeah..did I forget to mention I'm allergic to nuts?", you awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of your neck.

"Are you?? You could've said something. I mean, what if you ate something that had peanuts in it and you didn't know? I could've killed you. That would've been a shame and dreadful", he said, sitting up correctly.

"Um..I was just kidding. That was me...making a joke", you sat up as well.

"Oh...well you're not very good with jokes", he said, nudging you.

"Sorry", you chuckled, taking a bite off the muffin.

He exhaled and sat back, facing the tv but his eyes were on you. He watched as you took small bites, softly smiling without realizing as your nose crinkled up.

Then a question popped up in his head: Is it a good idea for him to get close to you? Emotionally. Romantically. Physically.

"How was ice skating?", you asked.

"Great. Although Ellie really wanted you there. She kept saying 'I wish (y/n) was here' or 'do you think (y/n) is bored?'. And then I started thinking the same thing. Were you bored?", he asked, sitting closer to you.

"..a bit. I mean, watching the news isn't really exciting. Informative but not fun", you said.

He smiled and agreed with you. You handed him a piece of the muffin which he declined. He said you should enjoy the muffins that Ellie 'bought' for you.

"You know, you're really nice. When you first moved next door, I thought I would have to yank out my hair every time I heard your band play. I mean, don't you guys ever rest? Because I don't", you said.

"You never said anything. And when you say you have to yank out your hair, do you mean by how loud we play or that we suck?", he asked.

"A little bit of both", you teased.

He scoffed and nudged you, causing you to laugh.

"Hey but I still have a full head of hair which means you guys have improved. Some of your friends are cute by the way", you said.

"Who? The only cute one in the band is me. You're trippin'", he said.

"I'm..trippin'? And you're a child", you said.

"I'm not a child. I'm nineteen years old. I'm a man", he said.

"Hmm..by the way you're pouting, I don't think so. You remind me of Ellie when she gets mad. It's actually adorable", you laughed as you squished his cheeks.

He moved your hands away and put them on your sides, leaning forward, noses almost touching. Even though his face was as red as yours, that didn't stop him from keeping a close distance.

"..Minho?", you whispered, trying to understand what he was trying to do.

You couldn't really see his whole face, just the side due to the light coming from the television. But his eyes were only on you, more serious than ever.

"(Y/n)....I think I like you."

~~~

"Are we gonna get breakfast yet?", Ellie whined as she kept walking back and forth.

"In a minute. We're just waiting for (y/n)", Minho said.

You were inside the bathroom, arms resting on the sink as you tried to breathe. Last night after Minho confesses to you, Ellie woke up and said she had an accident because of a nightmare she had. You comforted her while Minho changed the sheets. You two didn't have a chance to talk about it since she stayed with Minho on the couch.

"(Y/n), are you done yet?", Ellie asked from the other side of the door.

You opened the door and told her you were ready.

Ellie was in between you and Minho, holding your hands as you walked towards the hotel café. All of you ordered pancakes and a side of hash browns. She didn't really enjoy the hash browns because apparently they looked burnt even though it was fine.

"Can I have a quarter?? I want to get a toy from the machines", she said.

Minho took out a quarter from his pocket and gave it to her, Ellie smiling as she hopped of the chair and made her way towards the small machines.

Minho noticed your hardly touched your pancakes. Not even with syrup helped your appetite.

"Not hungry?", he asked.

"I am...I'm just a slow eater", you said.

He cleared his throat and stood up to be able to sit next to you.

"About last night-"

"Minho the quarter got stuck!", Ellie yelled, causing some people to giggle.

You and him chuckled. He stood up and went over to help Ellie who kept slapping the machine. A smiled appeared on your face, loving the relationship they have. When Minho looked back at you, he smiled. That's when you couldn't breathe properly because your heart kept racing.

"Look (y/n) I got an eyeball!", Ellie ran over holding a small rubber ball that had been colored as a human eye, which is very creepy.

The rest of the day, Ellie didn't give Minho a chance to talk because she always had something to show you. Her energy never wore off.

But there were times when Ellie wouldn't look, Minho would brush his hand against yours or look at you with flushed cheeks.

Then that night Ellie wanted to see the Christmas lights. She hurried up to the center of the Christmas festival, which surprisingly isn't crowded with people. Her face is priceless every time she gets excited.

"(Y/n), can you spend Christmas with us?", Ellie asked as she looked back.

"But don't you have plans with-...um.. Minho mentioned something about taking you out that day", you said, remembering not to mention her mom.

She looked over at Minho, confused. He didn't mention anything to her.

"It was actually a surprise but thanks you for ruining it", he said, obviously kidding.

"Can (y/n) come with us?", she asked Minho.

He faced you, raising an eyebrow as he waited for your response.

"Um..won't you get tired of me?", you asked her.

"I never get tired of you. And I know my brother never gets tired of you. It's just you're always saying that you're alone in your house. Please", she pouted while hugging you.

"Are you alright with it?", you asked Minho.

"I think you already know the answer to that", he said.

Ellie giggled and held your hand, pulling you towards the spot where there are plenty of lights and Christmas decorations.

Minho admired from a few feet away. He really did have feelings for her. And he's tired of keeping quiet.

~~~

"I wish we could've stayed longer", Ellie said as Minho parked the car in front of their house.

Their mother came out and smiled as Ellie ran to her arms.

"Your mom's back early", you said.

"Yeah..strange", he said.

He got out of the car and walked towards them. Their mother was smiling but looked upset. She didn't wanna say but Minho knew. She lost her job again and they're probably gonna have to move.

"(Y/n), do you mind if Ellie goes to your house? I need to speak with my mother", he said.

"Sure. Come on Ellie", you held her hand and lead her inside your house.

She hugged her unicorn while she sat down on the couch.

"Do you want some orange juice?", you asked her.

"Do you have hot chocolate?", she asked.

"I can make some. It'll take a few minutes", you said.

You were starting to get worried as half an hour passed. Ellie was already asleep on your couch, covered in your favorite blanket. She had two cups of hot chocolate.

Not a moment later, there was a knock on your front door. Hoping it wouldn't wake Ellie up, you quickly opened it, letting Minho in.

"Is everything okay?", you asked.

He sighed and leaned against the wall, glancing at Ellie to see if she was listening.

"My mom lost her job. At the moment, she only has money to pay for the bills. She told me that my grandpa can take us in but it's eight hours from here. Once I tell Ellie, she's gonna cry nonstop. The money I saved up, it'll probably give us a month or two. But that's it", he said.

"Minho, I'm so sorry", you said as you hugged him.

He wrapped his arms around you, resting his chin on your shoulder. You were gonna let go but he held on tighter.

"What?", you asked.

"If we end up moving, do you think you can come with us?", he asked.

You lightly pushed him away so you can see his face. His eyes were a bit glossy, maybe from tears.

"Minho, everything is gonna be fine. You guys are a strong family. I can ask my boss if there are any openings and I'll tell her about your mom. I know she works hard and so do you. It's fine okay?", you placed your hands on his cheeks, caressing with your thumbs.

He nodded and hugged her again.

~~~

The next day, Minho went out to go do something about his band while Ellie stayed with her mom. You've been thinking about this whole situation the whole night and didn't even sleep.

Looking through one of the boxes in closet, you took out a small lunchbox and opened it.

"Hi, Minho isn't here yet", his mother opened the front door after you knocked.

"I'm actually here to see you. Can I come in?", you asked.

She nodded and stood aside. Ellie hugged you as soon as she saw you before heading back to her tea party with a bunch of stuffed animals.

"My son mentioned that you'd talk to your boss. You don't have to do that", she said as she handed you a glass of water.

"I'd love to though. I can see how amazing your family is and you worked hours and hours just to keep a roof over their head. That's why I really wanna help", you said.

You placed the lunchbox in front of her and opened it, causing her to gasp.

"It's just a few thousand dollars. I was saving it up for family stuff but...I want to give it to you", you said.

"I can't accept this. This is yours. Save it for something important", she said.

"This is important. I've spent a lot of time with Ellie and Minho and I love them. And I know we don't know very much about each other but I can tell you're like #1 mom. I wish I had a mom like you. Anyways, I'm not taking no for an answer. And don't tell Minho because I know he's gonna scold me and what not", you said.

"Thank you. I'll make it up to you. You can come over for dinner. Or spend Christmas with us. I was supposed to have a Christmas party but that's canceled", she said.

"Sure. I'd love to. Anyways, I have to get going. My shift starts in half an hour."

~~~

Your shift ended at 9:30pm but you had to stay behind to clean everything and put stuff away. Once you arrived home, you were so tired that as soon as you took off your shoes, your feet began to throb.

So close to resting until a knock on the door caused you to groan. When you opened it, you met eyes with Minho.

"Hey, what are you doing h-", you didn't even get to finish asking him as he stepped in and placed his hands on the back of your neck, kissing you passionately.

He didn't even give you time to breathe as your back touched the wall.

When he did pull away, he kept his forehead on yours.

"What was that?", you asked.

"For being amazing. Why did you give my mom money? You told me you were struggling with money too", he said.

"Your mom needs it more than I do. I mean, I was saving it up to buy a new car but I can always take the bus. Anyways, I just didn't want any of you getting upset if you had to move. Are you mad?", you asked.

"No I'm not mad. I just wish you could've told me", he said.

"But then you would've said no. Your mom is really nice. She invited me to spend Christmas with you guys", you said.

"That's great. Ellie's gonna be so happy. And as for me, I couldn't be any happier than right now", he said, holding your hands.

You smiled and felt him kiss your cheek repeatedly before moving on to your lips. His hands lowered down to your back and pulled you closer.

Christmas was unforgettable, especially since you spent it with Minho, Ellie and their mom. Luckily she ended up getting the job that you mentioned to
her and has no issues financially. Ellie kept telling you that if you and Minho ever have kids to name the girl after her. It was cute since she's only six. And Minho has been having trouble keeping his hands off of you. It's as if they're magnets.

Even though they weren't your biological family, you treated them like were.