Jaebum hated christmas.

Not only were the streets full of couples and the stores full of children, but his friends would also find a way to bother him by forcing him to come to one of these parties they held every year in order to get drunk and sing christmas carols off-key all night long. It's not like he hated partying or spending time with his friends, but everything about christmas felt so commercial. His family has never been into this kind of celebration and as far as he remembered, the first person to ever offer him a present on christmas was his very first girlfriend, whom he broke up with approximately a week later. Thus, Jaebum never understood why the christmas fever was a thing, but he'd go along with his friends' plans for the sake of it.

- Should we invite some more people this year ? The more the merrier, right ?

- Are you sure your appartment is big enough to welcome so many people ?

- Probably not, but once you're drunk it doesn't make a difference.

Jaebum rolled his eyes listening to his friends' conversation. He didn't know why he had decided to join them on their « work meeting » to prepare the upcoming party, but he already regretted his decision. He'd rather not know what to expect and adapt himself to the situation later than know exactly what was coming and that he was unable to make them change their mind.

- But who would you invite ? You know a lot of people and we're definitely not inviting them all.

- What a good idea, Jinyoung. What about we don't throw a party this year ?

- What about we invite Jaebum's neighbor ? It's still early, he probably doesn't have plans yet.

Jaebum wished he stayed quiet instead of trying – in a vain hope, to make them cancel their plans. This was absolutely not going to happen, and he'd fight for his honor if he had to.

- You're not doing that. Youngjae always leaves for the winter break.

- I thought he helped you find your keys and open your door because you were too drunk to do so after last year's party ?

Jackson seemed particularly proud of his idea, and although Jinyoung was staying quiet, the latter probably enjoyed the situation more than he should . They all knew exactly where this was going, and Jaebum did not like it at all.

- I admit, I don't know whether he has plans or not. But you know the whole city, could you avoid inviting people I know ?

- You threatened my beloved christmas party before my eyes and still expect me to have some mercy on you ? Choi Youngjae it is, man. And you better not think of faking being sick.

He had no other choice than admitting defeat on this one. Jaebum knew that the whole situation would be embarrassing and he had no idea how to face his neighbor after the several times he made a fool out of himself in front of him. He probably wouldn't mind inviting any other of his neighbors, but Youngjae wasn't like any of his neighbors. Jackson and Jinyoung knew , but he also knew the both of them and he would be lying if he said that he didn't expect them to play Cupid all night long on the 24 ^th of December. In other words, he wasn't looking forward to it at all.

***

Jaebum hated christmas, but he also hated his friends. Jinyoung had told him countless times that Youngjae couldn't come and that he could relax instead of being so tensed all the time, but the party had started for five minutes only and if this man wasn't Youngjae, then it was one hell of a lookalike.

- You'd have found some excuses not to come if we told you he was coming.

- Jinyoung, how am I supposed to face him after all the-

- Because he's here doesn't mean you have to talk to him. You're an adult, you know. Jackson and I like to tease you about your.. teenage boy crush but it doesn't mean that we're going to seriously get involved with your love life. Just have fun, don't mind him.

Easier said than done. He's been there for less than fifteen minutes but already caught himself staring at Youngjae at least thrice. Although the younger wasn't supposed to know his friends, he seemed to have a good time on his own and probably didn't notice the presence of his fool of a neighbor. Letting his eyes linger on the boy another time, he couldn't help but stress how handsome Youngjae looked this night – quietly in his head, until the latter actually look up and meet his eyes. Jaebum had no idea what to do and froze on the spot, looking away the second he realized that he was still staring.

He needed a drink.

Heading to the so called bar – that was actually three high tables behind which Bambam was actively trying to make cocktails, Jaebum found himself reconsidering all of his life choices. Out of all people, why did he have to be fond of his neighbor, with his wildly brushed brown hair, his bright smile and his eyeliner that made him look hotter than anyone else in the room – and there were a lot of appealing people in the room. Why did Youngjae have to be so cute yet incredibly attractive at the same time ? Jaebum knew for a fact that these thoughts weren't going to take him anywhere, except maybe deeper in the hell of his stupid love fantasies.

- You want another drink.. maybe ?

- Sure, give me another glass of whatever you just gave me.

- Make it two, then.

***

Jaebum hated christmas, his friends, but he also hated himself. When he heard Youngjae's voice, the glass he was trying to give Bambam accidentally slipped through his fingers and crashed to the ground, the noise fortunately being covered by the loud music that was being blasted all over the room. The self-proclaimed barman gave Jaebum a look of for heaven's sake why are you such an idiot before squatting down to collect the pieces and next to him, he could hear Youngjae's – delightful – laugh as the younger couldn't believe he witnessed his neighbor being clumsy again.

- This would have never happened if you didn't appear out of nowhere.

- Come on, you don't need to justify yourself everytime it happens, I got it, you can't hold something in your hands for more than ten seconds.

The last thing he expected was for Youngjae to make fun of him – although he'd probably make fun of his friends too if they were acting the way he does, but he felt so embarrassed about the idea of being reminded by the boy he had a thing for that he was an actual idiot.

- You know, I didn't expect to see you tonight.

- You didn't expect to see me at my own friends' party ?

- Well, you told me last year that you would never attend a christmas party ever again, so I just assumed you wouldn't show up.

Jaebum had no memories of what happened the previous year, except for what Youngjae had told him when they met in the elevator a few days later, and he apparently kept the details to himself. But he wasn't surprised he said something like this – since he'd always complain about these parties before, during, and after they happened. As he was thinking of something to answer, Bambam reappeared in front of their table with two glasses of what he assumed was a cocktail that involved at least a great dose of whiskey, and he brought the glass to his lips the second he could reach it.

- You better not drop it again, or you're the one cleaning the mess up this time.

- Sure, i'll try to be careful. Aren't you going back to your friends, Youngjae ?

- As you said earlier, I've been invited by your friends, so I don't know anyone here aside from you. And I noticed that you spent like half an hour walking in circles around the room, so I guess you're not really busy either.

He didn't especially want to admit it, but Youngjae had a point. Since he arrived, he only greeted a few people but didn't try to talk with any of them, and both Jackson and Jinyoung were nowhere to be found – they were probably on the roof, freezing to death with the smokers.

- Isn't it the first time we meet outside of our building ?

- Probably.

Jaebum would rather die than admit that he'd seen Youngjae countless times outside of their building, even if they never talked anywhere else than in front of their respective appartments.

- Do you not like to talk ? When you're with your friends, you seem way more chatty.

- Are you, like.. a stalker ?

- I wish I had enough time on my hands to be able to stalk someone, but no, we just take the same history lecture on wednesday and I hear you more than I hear the teacher.

If Youngjae wasn't smiling, he would assume that the latter hated him for being so loud and clumsy, but he seemed to find the situation quite funny, in particular since Jaebum interpreted everything the wrong way.

- What other good stories do you have about me ?

And why do you ask, you idiot ?

- You really want to know ? I wouldn't like to shatter your self-esteem to the point you'd never want to talk to me ever again.

Jaebum didn't know much about Youngjae's personality, but he didn't imagine the younger that straightforward, although the tone of his voice clearly indicated that he was joking around. And apparently, he really knew his ways around Jaebum, because everything he said would just turn the latter into a confused mess – probably was that sight enjoyable to him.

- Go on, I think I've hit the rock bottom already anyways.

- You're being dramatic, he laughed, I don't have that many stories about you. And I'm not telling anyone about your exploits either, if that's what you were thinking about. Well, except for my teammates on online games, they probably know everything about you by now.

- Are you seri-

- I'm kidding, but you should have seen your face ! If I knew you were easy to fluster you earlier, I'd have befriended you the day you moved in.

Sure, befriended . Beyond Jaebum's fantasies was standing that unbreakable wall called reality . The more he talked with Youngjae, the more he found himself attracted by his playful personality, and that was totally going against his resolutions for the new year that were mostly about moving on. Fortunately, the new year was a week later and he decided that he could still enjoy breaking his own wishes at least for tonight.

***

Jaebum hated christmas, his friends and himself, but he definitely couldn't hate Youngjae. As they were talking, he kept on trying to find any flaws in his new friend , but this resulted in Jaebum falling for Youngjae a little bit more every minute. The only thing he was satisfied with, was how naturally their conversation has been going – Jaebum had finally overcame his frustration and could finally have a decent conversation without blushing out of embarrasment every five minutes.

And he learnt a lot about Youngjae. How he would always skip his last lecture on friday afternoon because of how boring the teacher was, how he never went home for christmas because his family would go on vacation in some hot country and he couldn't handle the heat, how he almost made it to their college's choir and god he decided to sing a carol and his voice was probably the most beautiful sound Jaebum had ever heard.

- Wow, you sing ? Jaebum sings too, have you ever heard him ? His voice isn't as sweet as yours though, he always sounds like he's angry at someone.

The last thing Jaebum expected, after losing his friends for the whole night, was for a heavily drunk Jackson to barge in when he was finally having an opportunity to talk with Youngjae as a normal human being and not a clumsy idiot.

- If you wanna sing together, the karaoke is.. this way ?

- We'll be fine, Jackson, you on the other hand should definitely stop drinking.

- Sure, like I'll take advices from a guy who's so unable to flirt he needs someone behind his back to make sure he's at least trying.

- I think Jaebum's right, you should maybe stop drinking.. and maybe not stand on that table, I give it five minutes before it breaks.

- Break ? My table is as tough as my muscles, it won't br-

It was almost impossible to have a conversation with Jackson when he was drunk, and he proved it yet another time. At Youngjae's words, the blonde decided to stomp heavily on the table, the glass breaking after a few seconds and Jackson falling on the couch not without spilling his drink everywhere in the meantime.

- At least it was his table.

- Everytime something like this happens, Jackson ends up blaming everyone else but himself because we don't have any proof he's responsible for it.

- Seems to be a handful.

- You don't say..

The both of them laughed together while people were gathering around the table, Jinyoung joining them in a desesperate cry at the sight of the mess his friend had created. At least, Jaebum recognized that Jackson's parties were always eventful, even if he was usually the one responsible for everything.

- So, you sing ?

- I thought you'd forget about that.

- It works the opposite way, I always remember this kind of details.

- Well, I do, he muttered, but definitely not as well as you.

- Who cares, what matters is that I now have someone I can sing with someday.

- I'm not going to sing with you.

- You say that now, but wait until the day it happens.

Did that mean they were going to see each others again  ? That they were going to hang out like normal friends  ? If the idea seemed pleasing, the whole friendship thing wasn't Jaebum's cup of tea. He would have befriended Youngjae under different circumstances, but now that he had reached the point of wondering how soft his lips were , he could barely imagine himself being just a friend.

- Wanna go on the roof ? I could really use some fresh air.

Jaebum wondered if Youngjae could read his mind, because he could feel himself heating up as his thoughts were suddenly drifting away to even more embarrassing ones. Thereby, they made their way to the building's roof, the cold hitting them as soon as they opened the door – but Jaebum had to admit that it was refreshing, the livingroom being quite suffocating once you've spent hours walking through the crowd. In the complete darkness, they could barely see anything but the snow covering the entirety of the ground – and they had to admit that the sight was far from displeasing.

- If I die from hypothermia, would you try to resurrect me ?

- You know that you can't resurrect a corpse, right ?

- You're no fun, Jaebum.

Jaebum laughed quitetly at his pouty expression, then took his jacket off before putting it on Youngjae's shoulders. The latter did not say anything, whispering a little thank you while covering himself with the older's clothes.

- If you died from hypothermia, I'd try to resurrect you.

- What did you say ?

- That I wished you died from hypothermia so I could steal all your clothes.

Youngjae's laugh was the only sound amidst the silence, and Jaebum raised an eyebrow at his unexpected answer. He did understand the first time, but something inside of him wanted to make sure he didn't misunderstand. Eventually, Jaebum found himself as confused as a few hours earlier.

***

Maybe Jaebum didn't hate christmas that much after all. When they went back to the livingroom, the atmosphere was the same – it was warm, loud and it smelled like alcohol, but at least, they were no longer freezing. Youngjae eventually realized that Jaebum's jacket wasn't that much of a winter jacket and the older decided that he wouldn't be able to survive wearing only a sweater in the middle of a snowy night. Noticing that they had spent half of the night together, Jaebum thought of the advice Jinyoung gave him at the very beginning of the party, and laughed internally – everything went so differently. But now, something else was frustrating him – Jackson was walking around proudly holding some mistletoe, and he knew his friend would never miss a chance to embarrass him.

- You look like someone who spotted their annoying ex in a crowd.

- I can't really say it's that much different.

- Did someone plan to beat you up ?

- Why would someone beat me up ?

- Well, if you don't explain, I assume.

But Jaebum couldn't explain. How would he find the right words to say that hey, Jackson is probably going to make us kiss, and I'm terrified about both the idea of kissing you or getting rejected ? But overthinking everything wasn't going to help Jaebum, whom Jackson just spotted in the crowd.

- Hey, the Jaes, it's past midnight, you know what that means ?

- That it's past your bedtime and you can't think straight at the moment ?

- You're such a party pooper, Jaebum. I'll give you a hint, I have some mistletoe..

He started to shake the plant above their heads, a wide smile on his face. This is not happening, this is definitely not happening . Allowing himself to peek at Youngjae, he saw the boy rolling his eyes before grabbing his shirt. His , shirt. The next minute went pretty quickly, although it seemed to last an eternity . Jaebum did not expect Youngjae to grab his face, press his lips on his, and kiss him for more than a few seconds while Jackson was squealing in the background. In his wildest dreams, he'd have expected a peck on the lips, but it was apparently underestimating his oh so beloved neighbor. Lost in his thoughts, the burning heat on his cheeks brought him back to reality, and Jaebum couldn't even imagine how much he was blushing – and how grateful he was for the dim lights.

- Jackson wasn't lying when he said that you really at flirting. You missed literally every opportunity.

- What is that supposed to mean ?

- That you're an idiot, but a particularly attractive and oblivious one.

What in the world was happening ?

- You really think that I wouldn't notice, considering how obvious you are about it ? If I wanted to reject you, I'd have done it the third time we met, probably.

The burning heat in Jaebum's cheeks was only getting worse. Not only was he embarrassed, but he was also confused and, somehow, happy.

He was supposed to be the tough one who makes the first step with everyone and has the flirting skills of a thrice married man, but Youngjae, who is the cute and innocent boy who probably sells flowers to old women in his spare time, kissed him first. Meeting Youngjae's eyes, he suddenly leaned closer to his midnight lover, joining their lips in a more heated kiss this time. It was like freeing himself from months of frustration through a passionate kiss the both of them were sharing – not minding the dozen pairs of eyes looking at them, solely enjoying what Jaebum wouldn't mind calling a christmas miracle.

- Merry christmas, I guess.

- Yeah, merry christmas.

- Does that mean you agree to singing with me someday ?

- Let's not get ahead of oursel-

- If that's going too fast, then we can start by walking my dog together.

- You have a dog ?

- What ? Oh no, don't tell me you're a cat person.

Jaebum used to hate christmas, but that was until he experienced a christmas miracle.