Oof this one's a bit sad? Idk why I did this (nah, I do. I had a bad day when I wrote it) but um, it's also kind of soft??? I'm sorry

Also, I've aged them down a bit. Jeongin is 13 and Felix is 14. 

Jeongin hadn’t wasted much thought on Christmas ever since he got here. The past two weeks had been an endless blur of tears and anger, so he hadn’t really had time to think about what used to be his favorite holiday.

Last year around this time, he had been decorating the house with his parents, shopping for Christmas presents and baking cookies. He had been part of a family, surrounded by people who loved him unconditionally.

Now, those people were gone.

This year, he was at an impersonal orphanage with a few Christmas decorations sadly dangling over door frames and the dusty fireplace in the dining room. This year, there was no baking cookies, no shopping and most importantly – no family. His parents were gone, and he had been left behind on this cruel earth all alone.

The other 13-year-olds around here had all known each other for years, so he didn’t really feel like he belonged here. Not that he wanted to. He just wanted his mom and dad back, but that was never going to happen.

“Jeongin, why don’t you go play outside with the other kids?” Joohyun, the head of the orphanage, said when she found him sitting on the stairs with a gloomy expression. He only shook his head. She gave him a sympathetic smile and patted his shoulder before checking on the other kids. Jeongin pouted, trying to fight the tears that were welling up in his eyes for the nth time in the past few weeks.

Suddenly, he felt a presence next to him. When he looked to the side, he found a blonde boy with freckles smiling at him. He’d seen the boy around before, of course, but he hadn’t exactly been making any effort at getting to know the other kids around here. He wasn’t sure if he could even name one of them.

“You’re Jeongin, right? The new kid?” the freckled boy said, that friendly smile still on his face. Jeongin shrugged and wiped his eyes, not keen to show this boy his weak side. “I’m Felix. I saw you sitting here on your own and figured you could use someone to keep you company”, freckles continued. Jeongin couldn’t deny that he felt slightly touched by the other boy’s concern.

“Nobody really made an effort to talk to me before”, Jeongin finally spoke up, his voice hoarse from the lack of use. “But I can’t really say that I did, either...”, he added. Felix nodded in understanding. “It must be hard for you...since it’s...you know, pretty recent”, he said carefully. Jeongin wanted to snap at him, asking him what he knew when he realized that this was an orphanage and Felix damn well knew how Jeongin felt.

“How long have you been here?” Jeongin questioned. Felix shrugged. “My whole life...being here...it gets more bearable after a while”, he said. “Holidays are hard on everyone, but I’ve learnt that spending it with the others around here is almost enough...” This boy talked a lot, Jeongin noted. But he didn’t really mind. It felt nice to have someone talk to him.

“I spent Christmas with my parents every year. They were the only family I had and now...I have nobody...”, Jeongin said, his eyes welling up yet again. Felix put a hand on his knee comfortingly. “That’s not true. I know not having your parents , but you’re not alone. You just have to let people in.” That sure was easier said than done. Two weeks ago, his life had been alright and next thing he knew he’d been into a strange house with 25 strangers.

“I just don’t know how I should enjoy Christmas ever again...”, Jeongin mumbled. He was surprised when Felix put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into his side. “I wish I could give you an answer to that or tell you that it’ll hurt less, but what I can do is be your friend and try to make you feel more comfortable around here...if you want”, Felix offered.

Jeongin’s face showed a hint of a smile. He’d known this boy for 5 minutes and he already felt the slightest bit better. He still wasn’t in a Christmas mood; he still missed his parents like crazy and he still wanted nothing more than to get out of here. It would take him a long time to feel like himself again or to stop crying himself to sleep every night, but he figured having a friend might speed up the process.

“I’d like that...”, he finally said.

“I see you’ve met Felix”, Joohyun stated, when she came back through the front door, a few snowflakes melting in her dark brown hair. She gave them a warm, almost knowing smile. “I’m glad you’re making friends, Jeongin!” she added, before heading to the kitchen.

“I’m glad, too...”

I'm sorry, I'll see myself out now