Jaebum takes a deep breath, the cold air outside freezing his throat and he winces, clamping his mouth shut and massaging one hand against his throat to soothe it. Snow crunches under his boots as he bolts on the sidewalk, curling his coat to cover him from the cold but he takes care to not drop the wrapped presents he brought. 

The dorm is finally in sight and Jaebum sighs out of relief, the maknaes better thank him for letting them borrow his car. He shouldn't be subjected to this torture after what he's been through. Jaebum drops his keys twice before successfully opening the door, quickly sliding in and shivering at the contrast from outside. He taps his boots on the rug underneath him, before taking them off and neatly lining them up on the dorm's shoe rack. Three shoes are still missing, so Jaebum assumes the maknaes are still out. 

The dorm is dim from the entrance hallway and Jaebum can feel the warmth and hear the crackling of fire from the living room. He enters and heads straight for the fireplace, plopping himself in front and almost plunging his hands into fire before someone's hands grip his shoulders and pull him away. 

Jaebum flinches and almost falls unto his back, his hands supporting his weight as he looks up and directly into Park Jinyoung's face, eyes concerned and soft. Jaebum would've blushed if his face didn't feel like it was about to fall off. 

"Hey, hyung." Jinyoung mumbles as he slides his hands off Jaebum's shoulders and Jaebum continues to watch him, back bending and vision upside down. Jinyoung picks something up from their coffee table and the smell hits Jaebum like a truck, now that he isn't freezing anymore. Hot chocolate. Jaebum's mouth waters and Jinyoung laughs and promptly sits beside him, handing him one and holding his worn out mug on the other. Jaebum mutters a 'thank you', and Jinyoung reminds him to cool it down before drinking it. 

"I heard from my room that you let the maknaes use your car, so I figured that you'd want something hot when you got back." Jinyoung smiles at him as he adjusts himself closer to the older male and Jaebum appreciates the warmth of another person even if it was just a little. 

Jaebum hums in appreciation as he melts into Jinyoung's side, feeling cozier now than in all his life. "Thanks, never walking outside in winter again." He places his mug next to him and taps Jinyoung's leg. As if ordered, Jinyoung carefully puts down his mug and intertwines his hand with Jaebum's, rubbing it comfortingly. 

This is how they are usually, neither of them speaking but both of them the most comfortable. In times like these, Jaebum always remembers his time with Jinyoung during JJPROJECT. The two of them always alone, with nothing but themselves to lean on.

It took them a while to get used to it, Jaebum having troubles with his anger and Jinyoung almost always in the clouds with his negativity. It got bad especially when they were told they were going back to training by their manager after dinner. Their manager looked sullen as he went back home and once he was gone, Jaebum lost it. He punched the walls till' his fists bled and threw everything on the ground, temper flaring as he stormed around their dorm in his rage. He didn't calm down until Jinyoung hugged him suddenly, stopping him from throwing the framed picture of them against the wall. Jinyoung took the frame and replaced it with his hand, intertwining it with Jaebum's, which was twitching in anger. Jinyoung didn't say anything, no empty promises, no empty reassurances, but Jinyoung made it very clear that day: Jaebum wasn't alone and Jinyoung was still with him (and will continue to be).

That very day, Jaebum felt his heart twitch in a different way for his best friend. It wasn't like when they got back into the training room and practiced for hours, it wasn't like when they told Jaebum he was going to be a leader to six other men, it wasn't like when he got to know who GOT7 was, and it wasn't like when thousands and thousands of fans scream their name, resounding in the concert hall of their very first concert. No, nothing like that, Jaebum realized after looking at Jinyoung from across the room all those times. Jaebum realized that Jinyoung was still here, after everything they've been through and Jaebum realized, with a start, that he was falling in love with his best friend, Park Jinyoung.

This became a problem to Jaebum for a while, because what happens when the media finds out that a boy band member is gay, and worse, is in love with his fellow group member? That won't end well, Jaebum can tell. But usually, when the leader has problems (or anyone in the group, really), he goes to the so-called mom of the group, Jinyoung. This time though, he can't go to him or anyone here, so he lets it fester in his mind until he's accepted the fact and will be living with it for the rest of his miserable, longing life. It's been hard to keep a secret too, because Jinyoung was observant as hell and he's confronted Jaebum about it but of course, Jaebum never told him. 

The entrance door opens and Jaebum sighs, separating himself from Jinyoung and avoiding the teasing from the youngests as he hears the incessant chatter of Bambam's running mouth. Jinyoung stands up now, and he looks down to Jaebum with a soft smile before leaving to help the three.

---

Jaebum goes to his room a few minutes after that, Yugyeom returned his car keys and Youngjae gave him a back hug as thanks. He ruffled his hair after that and sat there, finishing his drink. 

Nostalgia is a good friend of Jaebum's, with the countless times he's zoned out thinking about the past. And he remembers well. He remembers how JYP had told them they could live anywhere they wanted to, as long as they'd come when called. And how tense it was when Jaebum broke the news to everybody. He remembers how they heartwarmingly said that they'd stay, in their own weird ways. That same night, Jaebum remembers vividly, how Jinyoung had snuck into his and Youngjae's room while the vocalist was still up in the living room. And how Jinyoung had clung to him and had cried into his shoulder, whispering that he was so, so happy that they'd all still be living together.

Now, the group lives in a two-storey dorm (well, more like a house) with enough rooms that everyone could have a room to themselves but old habits die hard, Jaebum guesses. Youngjae, Jinyoung and Jaebum have rooms for themselves but the other four chose to room with their partners. Yes, partners.

During the time that Jaebum had been too blind to his surroundings because he was moping and longing for Jinyoung and all that, a fellow member of his had started to develop feelings for another member. Jaebum would've noticed it had he not been busy, but at the time he was distracted. Jinyoung, however, knew. How could he not, he's the one Mark spilled out to. And Jaebum sees now, how Jinyoung had been torn between telling him or keeping it a secret. It wasn't until Jackson started reciprocating Mark's feelings that Jaebum notices. 

("Jinyoung," Jaebum calls out one night, day one of their second concert finished, and everyone was still high from adrenaline. "Can you come to my room? Like right now?" 

Jinyoung raises an eyebrow and tells Jackson to go ahead, before following Jaebum to his room. 

"What's wrong, hyung?" Jinyoug plops himself on his bed, bouncing a few times before settling.

"Uh," Jaebum starts, "Do you know if Jackson likes Mark?" He says uncertainly, remembering the heated gaze Jackson had given Mark earlier today, damn, the fans went ing wild. "Or if Mark likes Jackson?" Jaebum then remembers the way Mark had stared at Jackson a beat longer during one of their segments. 

Jinyoung lights up. "Finally, hyung! I thought that Yugyeom was gonna find out earlier than you!" Jinyoung then goes into depth about how he knew and how he couldn't tell Jaebum, how he hasn't talked to them regarding the pros and cons of dating because he was waiting to do it with Jaebum but Jaebum was so slow. The leader rolls his eyes.)

They ended up talking to them that night, too. That night, Mark and Jackson decided to be a couple, too. Jinyoung told him that he was really proud of Jaebum for allowing the two of them their happiness and Jaebum just shrugged, brushing the compliment off but his heart beated painfully at his chest, because he'd been dying to tell Jinyoung he loved him. Everyone had been extremely supportive and accepting and they all claimed that they knew one way or another. Jaebum sulks at the fact that he'd been the last one to know. 

Yugyeom and Bambam's story, well, that's for another time to tell.

His door opens slightly and Youngjae's head pops in, "Hyung, what are you doing?" He asks incredelously before stepping into his room and Jaebum squints at the light, "Thinking hard in the dark at Christmas Eve, hyung?" Youngjae then laughs suggestively and Jaebum swears, that this man hadn't been like this five years ago. 

Jaebum sits up abruptly, motioning Youngjae to come closer, "Yah, come here, brat!" Then Youngjae dashes out his room, Jaebum hot in pursuit. The sudden light from outside makes his head swim for a moment, and his eyes adhust quickly, finding said brat to be downstairs already, ("Ha-ha, too slow, hyung!" Youngjae sticks out his tongue childishly and makes a show out of it. Jaebum growls.) sat beside Jackson, Mark and Jinyoung. 

Jaebum slowly descends the stairs, and of course, Jinyoung notices him coming. He beams and waves for Jaebum to sit next to him. The three looked to be in deep talk earlier, Mark and Jackson occupying one sofa and Jinyoung alone in the other. They all look warm, and comfortable sat around the fireplace like that, limbs tangled in others and lazily talking about travelling or whatever Jackson's mind supplies to him today. 

He hears Jackson complaining to Jinyoung along the lines of 'Jaebum literally just arrived. Yah, Park Jinyoung, pay attention to me!' and Jinyoung rolling his eyes at him, firing back about multi-tasking things and how Jackson can't do it. Jaebum sits next to Jinyoung and he notices something quite... different to him.

"Jinyoung, what are you wearing?" Jaebum asks, eyeing Jinyoung from head to toe. Jinyoung's wearing plain black pajamas and red, Christmas-themed socks on his feet. And Jaebum's an idiot for not noticing earlier, really, but Jinyoung's wearing a fluffy, red, Christmas themed turtleneck and while it'll look ugly on any other person, when Jinyoung wears it, it looks so endearing. 

"This is Bambam's present to me, he told me to wear it tonight." Jinyoung smiles widely at him, like he's proud that Bambam's the one to choose clothes for him. Youngjae coughs behind Jackson, coughing out, 'what a mom' and Mark slaps the back of his head. "What do you think?" 

Jinyoung turns to him fully now, and Jaebum stutters out, "Uh, it's, uh," Cute, endearing, gorgeous, you make anything look gorgeous, Jinyoungie. Jaebum wants to say but Jackson cuts through him. 

"It's ugly as , we know." Jackson rolls his eyes as Jinyoung pouts at him, then he flinches as Jinyoung wordlessly threatens him. Their careless chatter was interrupted when two pairs of feet step noisily down the stairs, gaining everyone's attention. Yugyeom makes his appearance and he grimaces at Jinyoung's choice of clothes. 

"It's supposed to look ugly, not cute, hyung!" Yugyeom complains as he plops himself to the sofa parallel to Jinyoung and Jaebum, Bambam in tow. Jinyoung flashes him a pleasant grin and thanks him. 

It's something like tradition in their group to exchange gifts for all seven of them at the strike of 12:00AM, not earlier than that, so to pass the time they eat, drink booze, and chat. Nothing spectacular, and Jaebum wants to keep it that way, no one wants to party on a Christmas Eve, anyway. 

Bambam's getting restless, Jaebum notes, he keeps wiggling and touching Yugyeom's thigh, a telling sign that it's almost midnight. Jaebum stands, albeit a bit wobbly, to go get his gifts. When he gets back, everyone's got their gifts in their hands and are waiting for him to sit back down. He goes to his seat quickly and almost immediately, everyone goes to him, giving his presents. They have an order for giving, it was somehow established wordlessly, an unspoken rule, to give their presents to their leader first then  by the order of age. After giving presents, GOT7 provides what each one of them definitely (doesn't) hate, a big shower of affection, be it praise, hugs or kisses, anything to embarrass anyone (except for Mark and Jackson, those two have no shame). 

They take nearly thirty minutes just to give gifts and affections and dramatic speeches, but Jaebum's exhausted from laughing so much. This time of the year, he feels so warm, and soft, and loved. He looks at the group in front of him warmly as he lounges back at the sofa while the others are busy running around or are busy talking to another member. He spots Jinyoung, who's holding a wrapped box in his hands, despite having given all of his gifts earlier; who's also looking directly at him. Jaebum's glad he doesn't blush often, because he would've imploded then and there. 

Jinyoung looks down at his gift, then at him and he smiles slightly, beckoning Jaebum to follow him. Jaebum's slightly confused but he follows Jinyoung anyway.

They enter the kitchen and Jinyoung closes the door after him, and Jaebum wonders if his fears are coming true, is Jinyoung leaving the group and is he telling Jaebum today? Jaebum panics and Jinyoung senses it, holding his hand and squeezing it comfortingly. Jaebum relaxes automatically, and Jinyoung chuckles but Jaebum doesn't have it in him to be embarrassed that he can be calmed so quickly by his best friend. 

Jinyoung presses the gift into his hand and Jaebum takes it, "You're giving me two presents? Well, aren't you biased, Jinyoungie?" Jaebum teases, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Jinyoung scoffs and tells him to open it. 

Jaebum opens it delicately and in front of him, Jinyoung fidgets nervously. He unwraps the present and sees a velvet black box tied up with a silver ribbon. Jaebum looks up at Jinyoung curiously before untying the ribbon and opening the black box. Jaebum involuntarily gasps, inside were black and silver piercings, elegantly design integrated into them yet simple if you look at it from afar. These piercings bring him back. 

Jinyoung clears his throat, "Do you like them, hyung? I remember you looking at them when we were still JJPROJECT. But it was too expensive for us to buy back then." Jinyoung says, hands tangled in front of him, a tell-tale sign that he's nervous. But for what?

"I bought them like, after a year of GOT7's debut. And I didn't really know when or how to give it to you. I kept it for four years, you know." Jinyoung chuckles and Jaebum's still astonished, looking between the present and the object of his affections.

"Anyways, I gave it to you now to thank you for being a good leader and for still being by my side. It means a lot to me." Jinyoung breathes deeply and looks at Jaebum in the eye. "Jaebum, I-"

"I love you." Jaebum grips the box tightly, and he doesn't hesitate even if Jinyoung flinched at his confession. "I love you so much, Park Jinyoung. And before you spew bull about loving me too as a friend, you have to know that this isn't that kind. I love you. I love you the way Mark loves Jackson, the way Bambam loves Yugyeom." Jaebum puts the box down their kitchen table before ruffling his hair in frustration.

"God, you don't know how long I've wanted to say this. I've loved you for so long. So please, please, let me down easy." Jaebum hangs his head, fists white and eyes shut as he waits for rejection. 

Only it never came. 

"Jaebum." Jinyoung says shakily, but Jaebum doesn't look up. Hands come up to caress Jaebum's face, "Jaebum, look at me." Jaebum looks up and sees Jinyoung, at the verge of tears. 

"I love you too." Jinyoung confesses simply but Jaebum's heart does cartwheels, head spinning before Jinyoung surges forward to kiss him. 

Dream Jinyoung's lips were nowhere near how soft real Jinyoung's was. As soon as their lips touched, Jaebum immediately kissed back, a bit messily because he was still proccessing that Jinyoung loves him back. It's everything he'd dreamed of and more.

Jinyoung sighs happily once they part, breathing in each other's space. Jaebum looks at him lovingly and Jinyoung blushes under his gaze.

"Does this mean you're my boyfriend now?" Jinyoung has his arms looped around Jaebum's shoulders and Jaebum's hands rest at Jinyoung's hips, and they're swaying slightly. Jaebum's surprised to feel how comfortable and right this feels. 

Jaebum kisses him softly and shortly, and Jinyoung chases his lips, whining when Jaebum pulls away completely. "Yes, you're mine, I'm yours, you know the drill." They both giggle, like lovestruck fools.

Suddenly, Jinyoung sighs, dropping his head and he whines, "This is going to be a pain to tell the others." Jaebum laughs and was about to reassure him-

"No need, Jinyoungie!" Jackson's voice resounds from against the kitchen door, before the others start to talk as well, ranging from congratulatory (Youngjae and Mark) to complaining, 'Why didn't Jaebum kiss first? Now I owe Yugyeom money.' (Bambam) and laughter(?). 

Jinyoung flushes hotly but Jaebum keeps him in place, feeling the sort of shamelessness Mark and Jackson have, and it feels like pride rather than shamelessness now. He holds Jinyoung closer to his chest and Jinyoung looks up at him, embarrassment still apparent from his cheeks and ears.

Jaebum smiles sweetly down at him, "Let's go?" And that's all the encouragement Jinyoung needs before he's out of the kitchen with Jaebum. When he does get out, immediately the members start asking but Jaebum and Jinyoung can see how supportive they all are, and the two thank the heavens for having such a supportive family. 

Jaebum thinks, as he has an arm around Jinyoung while they all lounge at the living room, donning new piercings that weigh more on his heart (how sappy) than on his ears, surrounded with happy faces illuminated by the fireplace and comfortable chatter in the air, that this was probably one of the best Christmas he's had in a while and by the looks of the knowing grins by the others, that this was probably one of theirs, too.