Heaven Help A Fool Who Falls In Love

26.

The rabbits are chewing on Sehun's shoes.

Sana sits on a chair in the open parlour, her lap full of wiggling puppies while purring kittens crawls on the arms and wings of the chair, scratching the fabric as kittens do. Sana is stringing popcorn and smiling at Sehun. Sehun is on his hands and knees in front of a brass bucket filled with sand, muttering and turning the trunk of the Christmas tree. It is his third attempt to get the tree straight.

"It looks fine to me." Sana tells Sehun.

He backs out, scowling at the two gray rabbits for a moment before he shifts away, eyeing the angle of the tree. "A little more to the right."

Sana rolls her eyes and ties a knot in the string of popcorn.

Chanyeol snickers. "You have to understand Sehun, Sana. He's meticulous about these things."

"Single minded." Jongdae adds, he's focusing so much on his own string of popcorn that he doesn't realize his tongue is sticking out like a little boy.

"Obsessive compulsive." Baekhyun chimes in in a singsong voice. Baekhyun doesn't want to admit it but he is enjoying making decorations. It's been a long time since the four of them have spent so much time together and Sana's enthusiasm is infectious.

"See?" Chanyeol laughs.

"Shut up." Sehun glowers as he sits down near Sana and starts his own string of popcorn.

The formal parlor is a mess. A huge bowl of popcorn is sitting in the center of the Savonnerie carpet, a trail of plump kernels lead to the tree where rabbits nibble at some of them.

Scraps of tinsel and string are scattered by tumbling puppies and playful kittens until the center of the room where settees formed a conversation area, looks like the aftermath of New Year's Eve in Times Square.

Sehun tries to call the servants to help them with the decorations just to keep the whole house looking more like his house and not a disaster area but Sana says firmly that they have to be the ones to do the decorations or it would be no fun at all.

The entire lower floor of the mansion is filled with the scent of Christmas. By the time the grandfather clock strikes eleven, the tree is decorated and greenery hangs throughout the front of the house. Tied with red ribbons, cedar and laurel, pine and holly hangs from pictures and mirrors and wraps around the bases of the candelabra. Mistletoes hang hidden in doorways and other unsuspected places thanks to the mischievous Chanyeol.

Tinsel glints silver on everything.

The rabbits, puppies and kittens are tucked into their baskets under the tree, exhausted after an evening of chasing strings and popcorn as well as Sehun's shoes.

"NOW, it looks like Christmas." Sana says, putting her hands on her hips and smiling in satisfaction on their handiwork.

"I can't believe we did all this!" Chanyeol says tiredly as he looks around the house.

"Me neither." Baekhyun chimes in. "I'm going to home to hibernate now. It'll take a century for my skin to recover from all this stress!" Jongdae just slumps on Baekhyun's shoulders, giving everyone a small wave as Baekhyun drags him out the door with him, Chanyeol trailing behind.

"Good night, everyone!" Sana calls after them. "And thank you!" When the three disappears through the front door, Sana turns to ask Sehun. "How about you, Sehun, aren't you..." She turns just in time to catch the look on Sehun's face.

Sehun is standing next to tree, silently looking at it. His expression is naked and open and filled with such desolation in that one brief instant that Sana is unable to breath. Sana strides across the room, reaching out and touching Sehun's arm. Because somehow she knows she needs to, because somehow she senses that Sehun wants the physical contact as he relives some memory.