Wooyoung hates Christmas parties. 

It’s not that he’s not a festive person or anything. 

Alright, so maybe he’s not, but Wooyoung grew up in a family where the only Christmas-related thing they did was turn on the radio in the month of December for some Christmas jams, so you can’t really blame him. Christmas just isn’t his thing like it is for other people. 

In fact, the last time Woo remembers going to a Christmas party was freshman year when that Taecyeon thought it would be fun to poison him with cheap beer until he out. Woo never did find out what really happened that night, but from Junho and Chansung’s poorly-hidden giggles and snarky comments the next day (“Forever alone,” Junho snickers while Chansung wheezes in the background), he can probably fill in the blanks himself.

So when Minjun decides to host a big flamboyant Christmas party at his off-campus house this year and begs him to come, Wooyoung’s first response is— 

“No. No ing way.”

Minjun puts on his best puppy-eyed face, looking really pathetic. “Please Wooyoungie? It’s hyung’s last year of college and I want all my boys there to celebrate with me one last time.”

Wooyoung cringes. “Hyung please, not the aegyo.” He stops for a second. “And it’s just all guys at a Christmas party? What the , man.”

Minjun only shrugs. Whatever, this guy’s always weird. It’s just what comes with being friends with Minjun. 

“You won’t regret it,” is all he says. 

So with that promise (but mostly because of Minjun’s guilt-tripping), Wooyoung reluctantly agrees. 

Wooyoung regrets it as soon as he knocks on Minjun’s door. He can practically smell the chaotic energy coming from inside. No response.

What is taking so long? Wooyoung rubs his hands together and tries not to freeze his off, all the while cursing himself for being cheap and opting to walk all the way from his dorm on campus to the outskirts of the city to Minjun’s house in late-December weather instead of calling an Uber like a normal person. 

After a few minutes of angry rapping on the door, Wooyoung jumps as the door is suddenly yanked open and Junho’s stupid face appears, grinning and already red from Asian flush. 

“Wooyoung’s here!” He hollers. There’s no response. The loud laughter in the background does not even lower one decibel.

Woo walks in and slaps Junho’s in greeting.

“By the way, the door was unlocked.” Junho sticks his tongue out.

This time, Woo decides to slap Junho in the back of the head, earning him a yelp.

Hiding behind the doorway leading to the living room, Woo peeks in and takes a quick glance around to gauge the situation. Everyone is decked out in the most ugly Christmas sweaters, and Wooyoung remembers with a start that Minjun did indeed say that there was a dress code. Peering down at his own incredibly plain hoodie, he mentally slaps himself before turning his attention back to the people currently drunkenly singing in the room. Chansung, Taecyeon, Minjun, yeah. Oh, Jo Kwon and the others made it too. Wooyoung feels relief at knowing most of the people in the room, but—

“Who is that?” The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. Junho follows his line of vision. 

“Oh, that’s Khun-hyung,” Junho says casually.

Wooyoung squints. He has never seen this guy in his entire life. The hell is he doing at a party for all of Minjun’s “boys”? This Khun-hyung guy is ridiculously good-looking too, with big brown eyes and a tiny face, and Wooyoung can’t help but feel a little intimidated.

“‘Khun… hyung?’” He echoes.

“Nichkhun Horvejkul.” Junho quirks an eyebrow. “You guys haven’t met? He’s like one of Minjun-hyung’s closest friends.”

Woo’s face remains blank.

“He’s on the badminton team? Plays the piano in the student union sometimes? International relations major?”

“Ah… Well, that’s why I don’t know him.” Woo scrunches his face.

“Don’t be rude, Khun-hyung’s ridiculously nice. Polite to a fault, even. And,” Junho raises his eyebrows suggestively, “he’s single.” Woo doesn’t know what reaction Junho wants from him, so he just eyes the latter warily. 

Finding nothing but suggestive eyebrows again, Woo backs away and finally decides to announce his arrival to the others by stepping into the room. The conversations stop at once. Eight pairs of droopy eyes shoot to his frame in the doorway, making Wooyoung feel mad uncomfortable. The silence is so, so awkward.

“Woodong!” Chansung roars suddenly and rushes over to sling an arm around Wooyoung’s shoulders. The others start to cheer and whoop, with the exception of that Nichkhun guy, whose eyes just widen a little. 

Not that Wooyoung is looking.

“Let’s get some drinks into this guy,” Taec crows with a -eating grin before striding towards Wooyoung, who makes an attempt to flee but gets locked in place by Chansung’s muscular arms. (Wooyoung makes a mental note to ask Chansung about his workout routine).

The last thing Wooyoung remembers is gulping nervously before Taec presses a bottle of soju up to his lips. 

When he comes to, he feels strangely sober. So sober, in fact, that he remembers exactly what he had been doing for the past two hours. Flashes of visions where he’s taking shots of eggnog, dancing like a lunatic in the middle of a cheering circle, and crying hysterically about his ex-girlfriend to a sympathetic Jo Kwon flood back into his mind. 

Woo groans. It seems like he ended up sprawled out in front of the staircase. Alone. Again. Traumatic memories from last year’s Christmas party flood into his head. He slowly picks his sluggish body up and plops it on the first step of the stairs, burying his face into his hands. Come to my party, Minjun-hyung had said. It’ll be fun, he had said.

Just as Woo starts to weep, his skin pricks suddenly, detecting someone’s presence in his vicinity. He shoots up quickly, ready to make a dash for it if it was Taecyeon coming to finish him off once and for all, but relaxes when the intruder ends up just being that guy Nichkhun.

“Hey,” Nichkhun says, and Wooyoung is taken aback because his voice is a lot softer than expected.

“Hi,” Wooyoung rasps.

They stare at each other for a bit. . Woo feels the tips of his ears start to grow hot.

“I don’t think we’ve formally met.” Nichkhun moves to stand in front of Woo’s perch on the stairs and extends his hand out. “I’m Nichkhun.”

“I know,” Woo says, grasping the other’s hand and shaking it weakly. “I’m Wooyoung.”

“I know,” Nichkhun laughs, and wow. That smile is really something. “How are you feeling? Taec really had no mercy on you back there.”

Wooyoung wrinkles his nose. “No kidding. I almost died because of him at last year’s party too.”

Nichkhun laughs again and sits down next to Woo. They stew in silence for a bit. Wooyoung doesn’t know what to say to this rando and he can feel his mouth drying up from awkwardness. Maybe… Maybe he should make up an excuse and make a run for the bathroom while he still can.

Right as he opens his mouth to say he has to take a , Nichkhun interrupts him. “So what’s your deal?”
 

“Huh?” Wooyoung gawks.

“I saw you crying back there with Kwon and now you’re sitting alone on the stairs at a Christmas party.”

Wooyoung mentally shakes a fist at the gods for letting this guy see him at his weakest moment. “I don’t know. I guess Christmas parties just aren’t my thing.”

“Why’s that?” Nichkhun’s dark eyes bore holes into Wooyoung’s. What is it about this guy that made Woo feel so vulnerable right now? Maybe it’s the effects of the alcohol still coursing through his system. Anyways, whatever it is is making Wooyoung feel very, very drawn to the other, and he can’t help but wonder who allowed this guy to look this gorgeous. It’s unfair, really.

But before Woo can open his mouth to respond, Nichkhun nudges his side with an elbow. “Hey look.” He points up. Clinging onto the ceiling right above the stairs, an innocent bunch of mistletoe beams down at them, all green and perky and tied with a big bow. 

It takes Wooyoung a moment to register what he sees in his head before turning a bright shade of tomato red. ‘’Oh, is that—”

“Mistletoe,” Nichkhun breathes softly and slowly turns his eyes back to Wooyoung. The look that Nichkhun gives him knocks the wind out of his lungs and his eyes are drawing him in and Woo’s heart is beating like crazy and he’s not sure what’s going on anymore and he doesn’t know what his hands are doing and he feels like he’s falling, falling, falling—

So Wooyoung closes his eyes, and leans in. Their mouths clash awkwardly before Nichkhun tilts his head, and then Woo is in heaven. Nichkhun’s lips are warm and soft and taste like a sweet combination of hot cocoa, peppermint, and alcohol. Wooyoung feels a hand touch his face gently, but he doesn’t open his eyes because he wants to savor this feeling forever. 

But alas, all things come to an end, and they separate with a soft smacking sound. If Woo thought his face was warm before, it is certainly on fire now, and he knows that Nickhun can probably feel it too because his hand is still cupping Woo’s face. For a moment, neither knows what to say. Then Wooyoung takes the initiative.

“Before you rudely interrupted me,” Woo mutters. “I was going to say I don’t like Christmas parties because I always feel so alone when I’m there”. 

“Well.” A smile blooms across Nichkhun’s face, which is so blindingly beautiful that it physically pains Wooyoung to look at it. “Not so alone are you, now?” 

Wooyoung shrugs. “No, I guess not.” Nichkhun’s hand slides to Woo’s nape and tugs it close to bring him in for another sweet kiss. 

“And you still hate Christmas parties?” 

“I guess not.”

And Wooyoung can’t help but think that he’s starting to like them quite a lot, actually.