"Why don't you guys ever help me?!"  Jungkook shouted as he watched the tangled mass of red stars fall to the floor. He was standing on one of the higher steps of a metal ladder, propped against the wall of the huge attic, which was to be the main place for the night's party as it held the Christmas tree. 

At the foot of the tree, Taehyung was sprawled over the carpet, sampling some Nutcraker shaped cookies. 

"Taehyung." Jungkook hissed, narrowing his eyes to slits as he looked at the cookie eater. 

Taehyung looked up at him with innocent eyes, his mouth still moving and shrugged. "What?"  He said through a mouth full of cookies, crumbs flying out. 

Yoongi giggled from the side and Jungkook moved his attention to him. 

“See, this is why I never work out. People expect you to do all the heavy work on your own.” Yoongi, who was lounging on his back on a purple couch, said, pointing a finger at Jungkook.

“Heavy?!! Putting up Christmas decorations is heavy wo-…” Jungkook exclaimed incredulously, his voice becoming high pitched. His face changed into an enraged one and he started to come down the stairs.

Taehyung and Yoongi both sat up straight.

“Yah…J-Jungkook…Yah…” Yoongi said, swallowing. He got up from the couch when the youngest of the three climbed all the way down.  Yoongi walked quickly around the couch to stand behind it.

Taehyung was watching the scene, still munching on cookies.

“Mom said she wants the attic ready by 7 PM. And its already 5! If I have to face her wrath, I’ll forget that you both are elder to me.” Jungkook said, raising his eyebrows.

“Yah…wh-what…you can’t scare us! You’re not going to beat us up on Christmas!” Yoongi said, his eyes fixed on Jungkook warily, doubting his own assumption.

“And of course, you wouldn’t actually hit me.” Taehyung said. “Not anymore.”

Jungkook turned in his direction, very slowly. Taehyung’s hand, which was about to shovel another cookie into his mouth, froze a few inches away from his lips and so did his smile. He pressed his lips together and gulped, looking at Jungkook’s expression.

“Wait, I’ll help. Don’t look at me like that.” Taehyung said in a very low voice and placed the cookie jar away quickly, slowly standing up, his eyes all the while on Jungkook. He walked from the spot towards the Christmas tree and started fiddling with one of the higher branches, muttering, “Always threatening hyungs…no respect…” in a very small voice.

“What was that?” Jungkook asked.

“NOTHING! I was just wondering best how to decorate-…” Taehyung started to fidget with the tree furiously.

“Yoongi Hyung?” Jungkook turned to Yoongi, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Yoongi looked like a stubborn child, who was just about to throw a tantrum about doing homework.
Jungkook rolled the sleeves of his sweatshirt up to his elbows.

“AISH! I’ll help!” Yoongi said. He walked around the couch and stood, looking at Jungkook with a resentful scowl.

Jungkook flashed him a bunny smile and handed him the stream of red stars that he had picked up. Yoongi moved around him and got to work, uttering profanities under his breath. They started working.

“We should have had this place ready by yesterday. If only you guys had helped.” Jungkook mumbled as he worked.

“I would’ve fled the scene long back if I’d known you would threaten us even on this day.” Yoongi said.

“You wouldn’t really hit me though, would you, Kookie?!” Taehyung asked, turning to Jungkook with a wide boxy smile.

“I’ll beat you both and you’ll be the worst hit, Taehyung, if you don’t work quickly.” Jungkook said, not looking at them as he worked.

Taehyung turned to look at Yoongi with a miserable face, like that of a child complaining to a parent that he’d been bullied.
Yoongi glared at Jungkook’s back and narrowed his eyes, looking like a villain plotting something evil. Then he set the large reindeer doll he had been holding silently on to the ground and turned towards the door, with a mischievous smile on his lips. He took a sneaky glance at Jungkook’s back and started tiptoeing toward the door.
Taehyung gave him a shocked look and started shaking his head vigorously, indicating him to stop.

“Don’t even think about it.” Jungkook said, turning his head slightly and Yoongi and Taehyung both jumped. 

Yoongi turned at the spot, his face red.
“You can’t stop me!” He turned and ran in the direction of the door. Jungkook sprang towards him and got to his side swiftly, catching his wrist.

“Yah! Let go of me you punk!” Yoongi shouted.

“You…lazy…hyung!” Jungkook said, pulling Yoongi, who resisted, planting his feet firmly into the carpeted floor. “You lazy lump!”

“Santa doesn’t give gifts to evil monkeys like you!” Yoongi said, scrunching up his face. “Evil bully maknae!”

Jungkook’s eyes suddenly moved to something behind Yoongi and he started grinning. Yoongi struggled, looking at Jungkook with a confused scowl.

“Whoops!” Jungkook let go of Yoongi’s hand with a flick of his wrist.

Yoongi fell backwards with a yell, knocking over someone behind him. He looked up at Jungkook and Taehyung’s faces which moved closer to him, both of them grinning. And then he turned his head to the floor below him and noticed a pair of large brown orbs staring at him. His own eyes widened in shock and he started to get up in a hurry. He fumbled, trying to find his balance, skidding down once and Jimin caught him by wrapping his arms around him. 

Taehyung giggled from above them.

Yoongi’s face had become the color of a tomato by the time he got up.

He took a second to remember the other victim of the fall and bent down, grabbing Jimin’s arms and pulling him up.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry, Jimin ah, did I hurt you?”

“I’m okay!” Jimin said, looking at the Christmas tree.

“Yah!” Yoongi turned to Jungkook, who had a happy grin on his face. “Why did you let me go?!”

“You were struggling to get free!” Jungkook shrugged, displaying his bunny teeth. “I couldn’t hold on.”

“You did it purposely.” Yoongi said through gritted teeth.“To take revenge coz I didn’t help you.”

“I wouldn’t blame him if he did.” Jimin said beside him, walking around the Christmas tree, his eyes still on it.“You and Taehyung are both good for nothing.”

Yoongi went silent, staring at Jimin with an open mouth. Taehyung in some air, with an offended sound.

“Yah! I was decorating the tree.” He said, huffing.

“I don’t see a single decoration.” Jimin said, turning to look at him.
Taehyung’s face became abashed and he looked to Jungkook, expecting support. But he noticed that Jungkook had enjoyed Jimin’s comment and he was glowing.

“Jungkook, I’ll start putting up the tree ornaments. Leave these two sloths, they won’t get any work done anyway.”Jimin said and turned to Jungkook, motioning with his hands for Jungkook to hand him something.

“Yeah, wait, I’ll bring the box of ornaments.” Jungkook said and walked to a corner of the huge attic.

“Yah, where did you come from? To join in with Jungkook in humiliating us.” Taehyung said with a pout.
Jimin chuckled.

“Jimin hyung came here earlier than you both. He was downstairs helping Mom and aunty Min.” Jungkook called, bent over a number of boxes, shuffling through them.

Yoongi looked at Taehyung and saw that he had the same shocked look as him. “Jimin Hyung?!!!” they both mouthed, both equally shocked at the change of behaviors of these two boys who couldn’t tolerate each other’s presence earlier.

Jungkook came over and Jimin took the large cardboard box from his hands. 

“Um…hey, you know what, Kookie…we should finish the decorations by the poolside first.” Taehyung said.

“What?! No! Mom asked me to get the attic done. She’ll kill me if-…” Jungkook started to say but was cut short by a pointed look from Taehyung.

“I think Yoongi hyung and Jimin would be able to finish it themselves.” Taehyung said, with eyebrows raised high at Jungkook. “So, we both should go to the pool side and finish that. Because it kinda requires taller people. No offence, Jimin!”

Jimin turned and gave an exaggerated polite smile to Taehyung before throwing some of the packing paper at him and turning back to his work.

“Yyyyes, you’re right!” Jungkook nodded. “The poolside is a very important area.”  He grabbed Taehyung’s arm and turned him towards the door.

“You both will get this place done, won’t you, Jimin hyung?” Jungkook asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it done. It’s only the tree that’s left anyway. Go!” Jimin said, nodding at Jungkook. He turned and sat down in front of the Christmas tree, getting to work. 

Jungkook and Taehyung hurried out of the room like children who had just been released from school.
………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Yah! This place is already done.” Jungkook turned to look at Taehyung, confused.

Taehyung grinned at him, turning and walking over to a wall, where he turned a switch. All around them, red, green and golden lights came on.

Jungkook looked all around, his lips curling up into a bright smile, his eyes twinkling as they reflected the lights he saw. 

“Wow.” He whispered, turning and taking in the entire length of the backyard. 
He felt Taehyung’s arms wrap around him from behind. 

“I love you.” Taehyung whispered into his ear.
Jungkook smiled wide, resting some of his weight against Taehyung’s chest.

“This is the best Christmas I could have asked for.” Taehyung whispered.

Jungkook opened his eyes and looked at him sideways.
“Coz you ate an entire jar of cookies in ten minutes?” He asked.

Taehyung pinched his cheek. 

“Ow!” Jungkook chuckled.

“You know why.” Taehyung grinned, resting his cheek on Jungkook’s shoulder.

“Nope.”  Jungkook looked away from him to admire the lights again. 

Taehyung huffed angrily and let Jungkook go, giving a small push to his back with his palm. 
He turned around and walked a few steps away from Jungkook with a pout.
“First threaten to hit me and now this.”  He mumbled.

He looked around at the trees with an angry pout before he felt a pair of arms slide around him. Jungkook pulled him in, crushing him against his chest, his arms locking him there. He kissed Taehyung’s cheek.

“You are crazy…” He whispered before kissing him again.

“Of course I am. How would any sane person be this crazy in love for this long?”  Taehyung said, smiling. “I don’t even remember when I fell in love with you. It feels like forever…I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with you.”

“You don’t have to remember. The past is the past, Taehyung. And there won’t ever be a time when I don’t love you, as long as I live.” Jungkook whispered into his ear.
He hugged Taehyung closer to himself. 

“Promise me.” Taehyung said. 

Jungkook released Taehyung and turned him to face himself. He stepped closer to Taehyung, wrapping his arms around Taehyung and pressed his lips to his.
“Forever. I promise.”

Taehyung’s arms slid around his waist, snuggling him closer to himself.
He rested his forehead against Jungkook’s.
As they stood there silently, in each other’s arms, soaking in each other’s presence, they both knew that the promise was true. Neither of the two knew when it was that this bond had been created. Or what this love was…friendship or love. But they knew, it’s all they had ever needed and all they would ever need. 

………………………………………………………………………………………………

[Yoongi]

“Hyung, I’ll finish this on my own. You can go. You look dead bored.” Jimin said, his eyes on the tree he was almost done decorating.

Yoongi had been standing awkwardly rooted to a spot quite some distance away from Jimin. He now looked at Jimin, who was kneeling over near the bottom of the tree.

Yoongi thought he looked like a child trying to sneak up and unwrap presents in the night as elders slept.
But something in Jimin’s tone didn’t make him dare to laugh.

“No…Jimin ah, I’m fine. Uh sorry…I’ve not been helping…” Yoongi said.

“No, really, you can go.” Jimin said.

“No, it’s just that I’m…uh, I’m not very good with this stuff…” Yoongi hesitated.

“So go.” 

Yoongi couldn’t help but be shocked at Jimin’s tone. His voice was still polite, the way it always was. But he had never heard Jimin talk this way. There was something in his voice that made Yoongi walk up to him and sit down, a few arms away from him.

“You’re…Jimin ah…You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” 

Jimin remained silent, his eyes on his work and his face completely devoid of any emotion or reaction to Yoongi’s words.
Yoongi observed his face from the side and his mouth fell open at the expression he saw. As hard as he was trying, Jimin wasn’t doing a very good job of concealing his feelings.

Anger…He’s angry…
What even…
Is he angry at me?
He looks so cute…

“Jimin ah…please tell me…are you mad at me?” 

Jimin still stayed silent but Yoongi could see him clench his jaws and his hands on the tree grew somewhat impatient and irritated, tugging and ing random ornaments at places where they looked odd.

Yoongi studied Jimin with astonishment.

Okay, I’ve seen him mad before. When I told him that Taehyung belongs with Jungkook. I’ve seen his jealousy as well, for Jungkook. Hatred for him too maybe…
But…I’ve never seen him be like this.
He’s never talked to me this way before…I’ve never seen him talk this way even to Jungkook, back when he hated him.
What’s wrong…Why are you so mad at me, Jimin ah?

Yoongi remembered his conversations with Jimin back at Jimin's house.
He remembered Jimin’s patience in spite of Taehyung’s reluctance. Jimin had just accepted it. He had just accepted the fact that the boy he had given everything to wouldn’t ever care for him.
Just like he had accepted it, without resentment, when Namjoon, his only family, had disowned him.

That was what he had observed in Jimin. The boy always accepted the faults of others without complaint. And he had close to zero expectations from the people he was devoting all his attentions to.
And that had made Yoongi mad from day one.

He remembered Jimin’s words.
All he needed was to fix broken things. To fix Taehyung’s broken heart. Even if it meant breaking his own. He didn’t mind…and he certainly wasn’t angry on Taehyung.

But what was this?
It was evident that Jimin was angry at him. As hard as he was trying to conceal it, it wasn’t working.

“Jimin ah…I’m sorry…Please tell me, are you-…” 

“Why would I be mad at you?! Who are you to me?” Jimin said, his voice uncharacteristically deep. 
Yoongi’s eyes went wide as he stared at Jimin.
Jimin tugged at one of the small glittering stars that he had put up on one of the lower branches in front of him, apparently trying to remove it now. The star was stuck there. Jimin grabbed the branch with his other hand and started to yank the star violently.

Yoongi got up swiftly and moved around Jimin to sit at his other side and put a hand on his. Jimin stopped yanking the branch but held onto it. Yoongi sat down on his knees beside Jimin and studied Jimin’s face.

“I’m sorry for last night.” Yoongi whispered.

“For what?” Jimin’s voice was almost a hiss. “For telling me that it was a big mistake kissing me?” 
He jerked his hands away. “Or for kissing me?”
He looked down at his lap and his nose was red. His chest was heaving up and down and he had an angry pout.

This much anger at me?

Yoongi couldn’t say anything. After a few seconds of his silence, Jimin looked up at him. His eyes were flaming with emotion. Yoongi leant back a bit unconsciously, looking at him.
He had never imagined that Jimin could look this aggressive.

“Jimin ah…” 

“Don’t “Jimin ah” me!”  Jimin said, turning his head away towards the tree and he started fidgeting with the star again, this time a lot more softly. His face had relaxed a bit and his breathing become less hard.

Yoongi lowered his head, hoping Jimin wouldn’t notice his grin.
He didn’t know what it was about the situation that made him smile. That made him feel like a long standing weight had been lifted from his chest. It made no sense to feel this way, because the boy he loved was raging mad at him and he didn’t know why.
But somehow, in spite of the scolding by Jimin, Yoongi felt like he could finally breathe.

“For what I said. Coz it wasn’t true. It wasn’t a mistake.” Yoongi found himself saying. He looked up and saw that Jimin was listening, but his eyes were still turned away.

Jimin kept tugging at the small glittering star, simply moving it from side to side like a pendulum. A trace of the pout was still there on his lips.
“Then why did you say that?” He asked, his voice low. Yoongi felt the ur