Chapter 2 | 12-24

Jiyong sat up on the bed, not really sure how he got in there. He rubbed his chest, feeling cold and moaned silently when his fingers traced warm paths onto his bare skin. It simply felt too good. He tried to wrap the sheets around his torso, but they wee cooled off. Sighing, he climbed from the bed and out of the room.

Breath hitched in his lungs when he saw the clean condo. It hadn't been for a long time since it looked like this. He hated cleaning up and the only thing he used to do was doing his laundry once a week. Jiyong smiled when he saw the kitchen he used to love so much, now in its original clean form. He stopped caring ever since two years ago.

Jiyong spun around towards to window to confirm his calculations. It should have been the Christmas day. Jiyong peeked through the window and nodded sadly. He was right. All he could see outside were snowflakes flying through the breeze, being tossed around in their crazy frozen dance. 

Rushing, Jiyong went to the bathroom and into his wardrobe and put on a green dress shirt with red pants. Despite his hatred for Christmas he could at least play it off like a fashionista he loved and preferred to be. Checking the time, he was glad for the trains passing by so often and rushed out to the cold.

Thinking about the past, Jiyong realized, there was nothing pleasant about Christmas. Someone always had to cry on a Christmas day. And the one usually used to be Jiyong. He always used to spend this saint and magical night with his best friend - Seunghyun. Living far away from his parents was sad and draining, but having his hyung by his side warmed his heart enough for cracking a faint smile. 

All he wanted to do during the holidays was sitting on the sofa or occasionally snuggling closer to the man he adored and laugh on silly TV shows. However, they never stayed only with this. Cooking was definitely the younger's part, but Seunghyun loved to mix the ingredients together and, of course, eat the final product. Jiyong used to feel so confident while they sat in their small stuffy kitchen, trying hard not to burn the whole house down.

If Jiyong had a wish-list, the only wish he hadn't had granted yet was a Christmas kiss under mistletoe. Being scared of unwanted kisses, he avoided this little plant hung from the ceilings in order to 'unite people in love'. Jiyong thought, it was bull, even though in the corner of his heart he hoped for his hyung to drag him under one of those twigs. It had been on his mind when he was a teenage boy and he dreamed about it even now. But this time he knew that it was not possible. 

Snapping out of his thoughts, Jiyong quickly jumped from the train, glad that the main building of the offices was just a block away from the station. It wasn't that far, especially if the whole way from his condo to the work took an hour by the urban transport. It was snowing heavily and the snow was layering on the ground, not melting anymore. Jiyong walked faster when the cold wind blew the scarf he was wearing into his face, whisking his forehead with his own hair. 

The doors of the office opened and Jyong stepped back to let a group of women exit, bowing formally. He never let his image crumble down even if he was supposed to crawl on all fours. Stepping inside the building, the warmth enveloped him and he uncoiled the scarf gratefully. He felt like a human burrito with the cloth wrapped around his upper torso, but it kept him warm enough not to freeze to death. 

Jiyong quickly rushed up the stairs in attempt to warm his frozen limbs. He opened the doors to be welcomed by the ‘oh so familiar sight to witness. He felt a light tug on his sleeve and turned around. Something plump, soft, warm and actually moving and pulsating was pressed against his lips and Jiyong felt an electric shock run through his whole body. Those lips felt so perfect pressed against his.

Jiyong broke the kiss, kind of breathless from the sudden attack and opened his eyes in pure curiousness. There was a guy standing in front of him. His puppy eyes were cute and manly in the same while, showing that the person was not that old. He had nicely shaped lips and Jiyong found himself wanting to bite them gently and kiss him tenderly again. 

"Uh, hyung... It seems like I am your Christmas kiss." The younger pointed towards the mistletoe hanging over their heads, mentally thanking to Seunghyun for hanging it on this place for him. It was perfect. 

Jiyong seemed to be mute from the shock as he stared at the boy in front of him. "You are my neighbor." Not a question. Jiyong was aware of this fact. He just did not know about this boy working here.

"Yes. My name is Lee Seunghyun, but friends call me Seungri." The spoken reached out a hand and smiled sheepily when the blonde grabbed it, shaking it while he himself was a little bit shaken up.

All what Jiyong could and would think about was this stranger's name - Seunghyun. Jiyong had no idea why this name hunted him like a nightmare and he knew that nothing good was going to wait for him if he stuck with this guy.

"My name is Jiyong and it was nice meeting you, but I really have to go now. Thank you for the kiss, by the way." Jiyong tried not to stutter and he succeeded, grinning awkwardly as he his heel and left the place. He quickly closed the door and leaned on them, facing the three men in front of him.

"When did you get yourself a boyfriend, hyung?" Jiyong ignored the question of the mohawk boy and slumped behind his table. Seunghyun couldn't hold back and chuckled, the deep sound vibrating through the whole room.

"Ji, why were you so cold to the kid? He obviously wanted to be your Christmas kiss. Come on, you like him, right?" Seunghyun tried his best not to blow his cover and tell Jiyong straight away that it was his doing. After the younger Seunghyun cornered him the previous day, Seunghyun the elder wanted to help him. He found something familiar in this kid, reminding him of his self. He was so