Thread by @bruisedpeanut

I know I should be working on my WIP but the approaching holiday season is tickling my writing brain and giving me ~ideas~

Consider: #zhancheng mall santa AU where LXC volunteers at the local mall as Santa Claus every year bc he has a heart of gold

The (mostly female) staff there love him. He's handsome, kind, funny, and loves kids – basically the perfect man.

But he comes down with a nasty cold this year the night before his shift, so he asks LWJ to fill in for him.

He wouldn't ask his younger brother for this favor if he had any other choice, but it's impossible to find a replacement at this hour and LXC can't bear the thought of disappointing all those cute kids if he were to call in sick.

Plus he and Wangji look so similar, no one's bound to notice anything's amiss.

LWJ can never say no to his brother (LXC rarely asks him for help, so this must really mean a lot to him), even if the thought of touching complete strangers makes his skin crawl.

So he reluctantly agrees and tries not to think about it too much. Doesn't work. He stays up all night tossing and turning, stressed about being around all those people tomorrow and having to be /social/ *shudder*

The next day comes and LWJ is a sleep-deprived ball of nerves. He gets to the mall 2 hours early (what? There could have been traffic - it's the holidays!) and paces around the food court to kill time before finally heading over to the photo place 15 min before his shift starts.

He stops by a bathroom on the way to put on his brother's Santa suit (it's itchy and stuffy), and then it's go time.

He's just gotten set up in his Santa chair when the first few kids start trickling in. They're quite shy and LWJ has to lean in closely to hear them speak,

but they're sweet and polite and when one little girl gives him a kiss on the cheek before hopping off his lap, LWJ feels his heart absolutely melt.

Before he knows it, there's a sizable line of kids waiting for their turn at a picture with Wangji-Claus.

Meanwhile, guess who's also in the mall?

JC and WWX. The former is being dragged by the latter, kicking and fussing, but helpless to stop the other man, who's marching determinedly towards the Santa display.

Despite his shidi's shouted accusations of "blackmail" and "extortion", WWX knows he's doing JC a favor. After all, JC's been in love with LXC since as long as he could remember! What better opportunity to help his shidi shoot his shot than by forcing them together for a picture?

He's a genius, he knows. And the best shixiong anyone could ask for. JC should really be more grateful that he has a shixiong like WWX.

By now, LWJ's shift is almost over, so when JC and WWX finally get there, the last kid is making his way back to his parents.

The staff's about to wrap up for the day when WWX yells "Wait!" and shoves JC forward, hard. JC stumbles a few steps, trips, and then falls, landing smack dab onto a very warm, sturdy lap.

Oh, shit.

He looks up. A pair of bewildered golden eyes stare back at him.

Fuck.

(Will continue this later... must sleep now...)

For a moment, JC is lost in the other man's gaze as they stare at each other in shocked silence. It isn't until he hears someone clear their throat that he snaps back to reality.

"I- I'm so sorry," JC stammers, scrambling to remove himself from LWJ's lap, his face bright red.

Before he can get too far, however, a sharp tug at his earlobe stops him. His earring has gotten caught in LWJ's beard.

JC swears under his breath and resumes his efforts, more frantically this time, attempting to disentangle himself without injuring either of them.

His shaking fingers fumble to undo the knot, embarrassment making his actions clumsy and uncoordinated.

Suddenly, a pair of large, warm hands covers his own, making JC look up to meet those hypnotic golden eyes once more.

"Let me help," a deep, rumbling voice murmurs.

JC can only nod, slack-jawed, as those deft fingers gently nudge his aside and proceed to free JC's earring from its bearded prison.

With one last soft tug, the earring comes free, and JC breathes a sigh of relief as he lifts his head, bringing him eye-level with the other man.

Whose lap he is still on. Fuck.

He's about to apologize profusely once more and move to stand when a loud voice calls out:

"Now KISS!"

It's WWX, his hands cupped around his mouth with a proud, shit-eating grin on his face. JC feels himself shake with anger and mortification.

He's fully prepared to give his shixiong a piece of his mind when a friendly voice interrupts his thoughts.

"Um, excuse me?"

He and LWJ both turn to locate the speaker. It's one of the workers at the Santa exhibit, who's dressed up as an elf.

She smiles kindly at JC and points to the camera in front of them, hiding her amusement behind a cough. "Would you like a picture with Santa?"

JC feels himself flush even redder, if that were possible. No, of course not! He wants to shout. He's not a child!

Not to mention that this is possibly the most humiliating thing he's ever experienced. LXC will probably never look at him the same way again.

"No, that's okay," JC says, searching for an excuse, not wanting to seem rude. "Santa probably wouldn't like it," he jokes.

He attempts to extricate himself from the taller man's lap, but is shocked to find that those hands have somehow moved to his hips and are holding him gently but firmly in place.

"I... do not mind." A quiet voice murmurs. JC snaps his head up to stare at him in disbelief.

"What?" He blurts out.

"I said... I do not mind. If we take a picture. Together." LWJ clears his throat and pointedly looks away from JC at the ground. The tips of his ears are bright red underneath the Santa hat.

LXC's reaction baffles JC for many reasons, but the only thought his glitching mind can comprehend at the moment is how precious LXC looks with his flushed ears and shy expression.

It's utterly adorable. JC thinks he just fell even more in love.

But then his brain comes back online and LXC's words finally click. Did LXC just offer to take a picture together? With JC? Why?

Well, regardless, JC's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He may never get a chance like this again.

He's already made a spectacle of himself, why not just see it through to the end?

At the very least, he'll have a cute picture to remember this day by when LXC inevitably slaps him with a restraining order later on. Might as well savor the moment while he still can.

"So, how about it?" The worker asks again, watching their interaction with barely concealed mirth.

The rest of the staff are hardly better off, smothering giggles behind open palms and hanging off of JC and LWJ's every word with bated breath.

This is the most excitement they've seen at their jobs, like a scene straight out of an Asian drama. Plus, they all know that LXC is single, and, well, they can't help but want to play matchmaker. LXC deserves to find someone special! And this new guy is very, very cute.

JC glances over at LWJ again, and, finding something reassuring in the other's serene gaze, turns back to the worker and nods. "Sure, a picture would be great, thank you."

She smiles in response and leaves to set up the camera. JC carefully adjusts his position on LWJ's lap.

He's worried his bony ass is digging into the other man's thighs, so he wriggles around for a bit before tentatively putting his arms around LWJ's neck, hugging him loosely. He watches LWJ's eyes for any signs of discomfort, but the other man's stare is as unperturbed as ever.

Under the surface, however, things are not quite as calm.

(Slight 🔞 ahead)

LWJ tries his hardest to keep his hands from shaking as they move to embrace JC's slender waist. He does not know if he has succeeded. He forces himself to take deep, meditative breaths through his nose, mind in shambles.

His ears are hot, and he knows they must look like twin tomatoes, but he prays his face does not betray the true state of his thoughts, which have been equal parts panicked and desperately aroused since the other man first landed in his lap.

Of all the people to show up today, why did it have to be JC?

JC, who LWJ has had the biggest crush on since he and his brother moved into JC and WWX's neighborhood 15 years ago.

He still remembers that day like it was yesterday.

Their family had moved halfway across the country chasing his father’s promotion to a city much too coastal and sunny for LWJ’s tastes, leaving behind the idyllic mountain ranges and lush forests of his beloved hometown, Gusu, where he and his brother had spent their childhoods.

LWJ remembers the frustration and bitterness he felt watching the movers pack all their belongings into the moving truck. They had made it seem so easy, as if his home – and life – could be reduced to just a few simple boxes, cleaned up neatly without a trace.

He had bit back tears the entire long drive to Yunmeng, hating everything but unwilling to voice his thoughts, knowing how much work his parents had put into the move and how excited they were to start a new life in a city renowned for its rich culture, livability, and sights.

It had been ranked #1 on a national list of “Best Places to Live” for the past five years in a row, with notable features such as quality of life, infrastructure, and its public school system that made it stand out amongst the crowd.

Yunmeng also had a reputation as a “green city”, thanks to its sustainable and innovative hydropower technology, which used the land’s abundant waterways and lakes to power the entire metropolis.

As a result, the city’s population had more than doubled in only a few short years, leading to a surge in tourism and business as companies raced to take advantage of the rapidly growing workforce and families like LWJ’s flocked there with the promise of a better life.

At the time, none of that had mattered to LWJ. He didn’t think there was anything that great about a stinky, crowded city that probably had way too much traffic and was probably full of rude people who talked too quickly and drank coffee that was heinously overpriced.

Gusu was so much better, he had reasoned. Quiet and calm and slow-paced, with gorgeous nature scenery that looked straight out of a brochure for a national park, and where, although neighbors were often sparse, people were always kind and courteous to one another.

But they had left Gusu for good, and LWJ had to make his peace with that, no matter how sharply the homesickness ached within his chest.

He tried to look forward to whatever was awaiting them in Yunmeng, but couldn’t muster anything more than a cautious apathy.

The drive had ended up taking just over a week. The only comfort LWJ had was his pet rabbit, Bichen, who stayed in his lap the entire time and nuzzled her soft head into his palms as he stroked her floppy ears, nibbling on the carrots he fed her.

Eventually, they arrived at their neighborhood, which had looked like any other suburban town.

Neat, trimmed hedges. Uniform houses painted in unassuming beige tones. SUVs and minivans occupying every garage.

LWJ could see a few children playing outside, some drawing chalk portraits on the sidewalks while others ran through the sprinklers on their front lawns.

His family had moved during the summer months, wanting to get their sons settled in before starting a new year of school.

LWJ still recalls the unbearable humidity that had choked his lungs when he first rolled down the car window, sweat instantly beading on his forehead.

He loathed it.

Sweating was for athletes and people who liked the sun, neither of which LWJ was.

It was unhygienic and uncomfortable, and LWJ refused to do it without good reason. Plus the sun was a deadly laser that only ever gave LWJ horrible sunburns, even on overcast days.

No SPF was ever high enough to protect against the damage UV rays did to his delicate skin.

He simply was not someone who was meant to exist in harmony with the sun, and he was perfectly content with that. Until he came to Yunmeng, that is.

Quickly putting the window back up, LWJ had sat back and watched with a dull acceptance as they pulled into their new driveway.

His parents, wanting to take a look inside the house first, had allowed LWJ and LXC some down time before unpacking.

LWJ had been grateful for the space, wanting some time alone to process his emotions, which were threatening to overwhelm him after being bottled up for so long.

He was also dizzy from sitting in a hot car all day and wanted to go lie down – preferably in an air-conditioned room – and bury his face into Bichen’s fluffy fur, letting her comforting presence chase away the bone-deep exhaustion of a difficult week.

Unaware of their son’s wishes, however, his parents had then suggested that LWJ and LXC introduce themselves to the kids in the neighborhood and try to make some new friends, a suggestion that LWJ had mentally shot down immediately.

It had been much too taxing a day to attempt any sort of social interaction, much less the horrifying and excruciating act of “making friends”.

No, that was an impossible battle for another day.

Today’s LWJ was going to nap, possibly cry for a bit, and then nap again.

His brother, on the other hand, had been much more open to the idea, being leagues more outgoing and extraverted than his younger sibling.

Though he loved his brother deeply, LWJ often envied LXC for his warm, affable demeanor and effortless charm that attracted people to him.

His social skills were impeccable, and he was able to make anyone feel at ease in a conversation. Articulate and confident, he always knew just what to say, a far cry from LWJ’s blunt way of speaking, which unfortunately often came across as offensive or disrespectful.

LWJ couldn’t help the way he behaved during social interactions. It was like the cord connecting his brain to his mouth was cut, and what came out was never what he meant to say.

He had always been a nervous child, soft-spoken and sensitive to the emotions of those around him, but utterly unable to express himself through words. Somehow, his inner thoughts just didn’t translate well to verbal communication, tongue clumsy and awkward every time he tried.

LWJ had given up long ago on trying to be like his brother. He couldn’t change himself, no matter how hard he tried.

For years, he practiced talking to himself in his room, writing and memorizing scripts on every possible topic and rehearsing the lines until his vision blurred.

It was ultimately fruitless, as despite the countless hours spent drilling and reciting, the words would just simply… catch in his throat anytime he found himself in an actual conversation.

So he gave up trying, and figured it would be okay. He didn’t need friends.

He didn’t need people to like him. He had his family, his books, Bichen, and that was enough for him.

Turning towards the house, LWJ had been about to head inside when he heard footsteps running up behind him and a bright, chipper voice that called out:

“Hey, you there!”