Discover Top Posts Tagged with #angelo works

All The Pieces Fall

Synopsis: Some pieces mismatch, but some pieces fall into place. They figure out a way to create a beautiful and unlikely picture. Here’s how a few lives intertwined on this holiday, making it count.

Word Count: 26.4 k words

Genre: Holiday, Friendships, Not present lover, Christmas Fluff

Warnings: It’s really long. Haha I’m sorry. And a sprinkle of angst throughout.

Members: All 7 of them. Hoseok as a brother, Yoongi as a lover, the rest will make their respective appearance (;

Author’s Note: This work is highly special to me. I was supposed to post it last Christmas, but didn’t finish it and vowed to finish it this year. And I accomplished that goal! I am so happy with how it came out. It’s not perfect, but it’s beautiful. And I think that’s reflected in how the piece unravels. Hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ~ Angelo

For as long as she could remember, she was a sentimental person. She enjoyed the smaller details, she collected items that may seem confusing to those who didn’t know her well and at the end of most nights, she enjoyed reminiscing about the people and the things that she loved. Earlier on in life, she knew there were rare feelings that she wouldn’t find anywhere else; when she was a teenager, she documented them and if she ever discovered new and rare feelings, she’d add them to the list.

First love. Concerts. And the feeling of Christmas.

There were only three experiences that sparked those rare sensations, but every time she pulled that little note out, it made her smile. Rare feelings aren’t something to be sad about.

She was aware that many people considered Christmas their favorite holiday. That in itself wasn’t rare. What’s rare is the feeling that blooms in her chest every 24th of December, and what lasts until she goes to sleep on the 25th. Her friends would call her a poetic romantic, always trying to articulate what or how something makes her feel. Christmas was one of the only experiences she certainly couldn’t capture in words. It was too rare, too stunning, too… ah, she couldn’t find the words.

What she could confirm is that her heart always swelled seeing those she loved surrounding her, the look of joy on their faces unforgettable. The air was warmer on those days, the lights softer. Smiles were more lovely. It’s the Christmas air, her brother Hoseok would say. Perhaps that’s what it was.

Christmas was the closest, she believed, to the feeling of pure bliss.

It always has been that for her, and it always will be. Sometimes, things go wrong and it doesn’t seem like Christmas will be the same. Somehow, in some way, it always works out. Even if it’s the slightest shift.

This winter was the most helpless she ever felt. As her favorite day grew closer, a piece of her hope would splinter off. Her brother didn’t seem to be coming home from university, her parents weren’t batting an eye, and it might be the first Christmas without him.

She wouldn’t lose faith, though, not yet. Christmas wasn’t over until the clock struck midnight welcoming the 26th.

This particular holiday always had a funny and inexplicable way of surprising her. She assumed this year wouldn’t be any different.

She could only hope that even if it’s different, it still captures that feeling she craves all year long. That’s all she wanted as a gift.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Christmas Tree

“Have you talked to your brother recently, Y/N?”

The words sent her stomach dropping, finding it hard to resist asking her mother to repeat herself out of shock. She knew her mom wouldn’t be happy if she did so. Frankly, she had expected anything but those words to leave her mouth. She had been home for a few days now due to being on winter break as well as scheduling time off of work. Being surrounded by her childhood memories, portraits of her and her brother, and simply being reminded of how Christmas might be different this year, had left her moping around. She was too guilty to admit it aloud, but she found her mother partially responsible for their circumstances. Truly, she did not expect her mother to ask her that one morning after waking up.

It was her favorite time of year, the Christmas season. It was the most blissful experience, so brief and a wonderful rush that fills her once it’s around the corner. The day itself was highly anticipated, but it ended so fast it was almost like it never came. Now that she was a little older, the experience had transformed into an entirely different experience. It was more about giving instead of receiving, and she couldn’t get enough.

That particular morning, she had been lounging in the living room watching a Christmas movie on tv. Her mother joined her shortly after she woke up. Not thinking much of it, she assumed her mom was just joining her to watch the movie. She had not expected her to ask her such a loaded question, and one about Hoseok at that.

She spoke slowly and carefully. “Uh, I haven’t. Why?”

A brief silence, and it was enough to let her know what she needed to know. More than anything, growing up in her home, her and Hoseok recognized early on that their parents’ silence typically had to do with their pride. If it was related to an issue and they were responsible for apologizing, it took even longer for them to set pride aside. Hence, their familiar silence.

“What are his Christmas plans?”

To be fair, she didn’t know the answer that question either. At the realization, her heart sank.

There weren’t enough words to describe how much she loved her brother. Hoseok was his name, and that even conveyed how warm and soft he actually was. He was an enigma, mostly because somehow the moment anyone met him, they fell in love. Even if he spoke two words, they became enamored. Growing up, bringing her friends around her bright brother was fascinating because afterward, they were all smitten. When they were young, it was his friendliness and excitable personality that drew in everyone they met. As they both matured and grew, and he became the young man he was today, people simply fell for everything about him. All of that didn’t matter, though, because above everything else he was her brother. She and Hoseok had an unbreakable bond, one that wasn’t just because they were siblings but also because of a friendship built on years of closeness.

What she lacked, he embodied and vice versa. She loved him and supported him in everything he did.

Earlier this year and just after Christmas, Hoseok had announced that he had changed his major. It wouldn’t be such an issue if he had been changing to anything but photography.

When he was eight years old, he had gotten a camera as a birthday gift from their grandpa. Not just any camera, though. Their grandpa had gifted him a Yashica Mat 124G. At the time, Hoseok knew next to nothing about photography. What mattered to him that their grandpa, who was his favorite person in the world, had gifted him something so special to him. Once Hoseok clicked the cranked it and clicked the shutter, there was an everlasting love in his eyes.

She was six at the time, but she knew her brother had been changed by this gift from their grandpa.

Since then, his love for capturing the world had never ceased, only expanded with time. It was why she was utterly surprised a couple of years before he graduated high school, and told her he had chosen psychology as his major instead.

Although their parents loved him dearly, they were too afraid of the unknown that came with pursuing a career in any type of art. At the age of eighteen, he would have done anything to appease their parents. So he settled for his second passion, which happened to be psychology. It made their parents relieved. It made her brother passive. That was over three years ago.

Last year when he was home for Christmas, he confessed to a lie that he had been telling his family since before his sophomore year in college. It had really been plaguing him; she could tell he was hiding something long before that moment. He was on his third year of university, and he had been carrying the secret with him for so long. She had watched as the words slipped past his mouth, about how he was on his second year now of majoring in psychology. She watched the life return to his eyes as the weight lifted from his shoulders. That’s all that mattered.

The repercussions were deadly, the biggest explosion between her family she had ever witnessed. It had been about a year since the fight, but she tried to avoid thinking about it as much as possible. She hated remembering how thundering her father’s voice sounded in the house, rattling the house. She hated seeing her brother transform as he was backed into a corner, how Hoseok reciprocated with an even bigger storm in his eyes. She especially hated witnessing her brother’s heart break as their father treated him like he wasn’t welcome anymore. The night had ended in shambles, her brother leaving back to school a week early.

Since then, her father and brother hadn’t spoken. And their mom only occasionally checked up on him, in fear of breaking down and in fear of making it worse. She knew how much it was killing both sides, but Hoseok wanted their dad’s approval and their dad was too stubborn to concede. At this rate, she was afraid for not only Christmas, but for the future.

“I haven’t asked,” She paused, carefully wading through, “Do you want him to come?”

Silence. Then tiptoeing. “He is welcome to do whatever he pleases. Seems that’s what he does anyway-”

“Mom, enough. Do you want Hoseok to spend Christmas with us or not? Are you really going to let him spend Christmas alone all because he loves something you don’t?”

And she didn’t know if it had been the conviction in her voice, or if it was solely because she missed him so much, but her mom’s next words were exactly what she wanted to hear.

“I want my son home.”

~~~~~~~~~~

That afternoon, after settling down from mulling over her mother’s words over and over, Y/N found herself contemplating the home around her. The home she grew up in, the one that she and Hoseok played tag in and got scolded for running in, the one where her and Hoseok teamed up against their parents in debates and got scolded for as teens. Of course, there were both good and bad memories tied to this house. More than anything, it was their home. Usually, she loved being home completely. It was different, knowing that her dad didn’t welcome Hoseok anymore.

Yet, their parents welcomed her with sweet smiles and warm hugs. Her dorm wasn’t even far, a brief drive away to be quite honest. She had chosen the nearest university to her family because a) it had the major of her dreams and b) she was near her family. With the swarm of school and work, however, she didn’t get to visit as often as she’d like. Yes, that’s why she didn’t visit regularly. It wasn’t because it reminded her of the strain in her family.

It was at dinner that night that she found herself thinking about Hoseok once more. As she sat across from her parents and quietly ate her dinner, she remembered Hoseok’s laugh ringing in the air last Christmas, his smile as she unwrapped her gift from him. Their entire lives, his laugh had always been loud, sometimes obnoxious. It never failed to pull a laugh from her. Even now, a smile tugged at her lips as she recalled how she’d hit him with a throw pillow every time he’d laugh too loud late at night. He would only send her a mocking glare every time she told him to shut up, not worried at all about being caught watching t.v. late on a school night.

Her smile faded as she remembered how he was a boulder to cover her from the harsh winds of life. When school was overwhelming and he’d find her crying over something she can’t even remember anymore, he would wrap her up in his arms and remind her he’ll always be there. He would say that with her spirit, the world doesn’t stand a chance. She always used to wonder how could it be possible that he viewed her the same way she saw him.

He was a bonfire. People were drawn to him and his warmth. He would never let her hear the end of it whenever she compared herself to him. Thinking of that, his words rang in her ears. I’m not any better than you, Y/N. You are amazing, the most amazing sister I could ever ask for. Stop comparing yourself to me. Can’t we both be great?

“Y/N? Did you hear me?”

She looked up then, her attention being drawn to her mother. She was sitting to her right, her dad sitting right beside her. The setup almost made her happy. Almost. Except it wasn’t, not with Hoseok nowhere to be found. If he were here, he would be sitting right beside you at the table, finishing her plate when she grew full. Sometimes, their dad would jokingly insist she needs to finish her food. When he would leave the table, Hoseok would shovel all of her food quickly into his mouth, causing her to weaken with laughter as he finished, resembling a squirrel with filled cheeks. After swallowing, he would always say the same thing. “If I can’t finish your leftovers, what kind of brother does that make me?”

“What did you say?”

“I was telling you that the Parks can join us for Christmas Eve after all. It’s been so long since we’ve spent Christmas Eve with them. Their son is back home, too, which is lovely. We haven’t seen Jimin since your guys’ graduation. Isn’t that crazy?” Her words successfully drew her attention, mostly because it had been a long time since she saw Park Jimin.

Before she could respond, she felt her mother’s probing gaze. She knew what she was going to say. She wished she could stop her, but there was nothing she could do to avoid her teasing.

“I felt like I should let you know. I know you always used to have a crush on Jimin. I would hate for you to be caught by surprise after seeing him again.”

She clenched her fists with embarrassment, keeping her gaze trained on her plate as she pushed around her leftovers. No Hoseok to finish them for her. Hearing her dad’s exclamation, she braced herself for his dramatic reaction as her mom stifled a smile.

“Excuse me? You like the Parks’ boy? If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have ever let him spend the night-”

Her mom waved him off as Y/N cupped her forehead with embarrassment. “Oh, hush. He was friends with Hoseok. And so what if she has a little crush on him? He’s a good boy. Well, now he’s a young man.”

She tried her hardest to pretend her parents weren’t discussing her past crush while residing right across from her. Her thoughts were thankfully enough to keep her distracted.

It was true that as she was growing up, Jimin had been the boy who made her heart race. He was the school’s sweetheart, mostly because he was sweet to everyone. Because he was sweet to everyone, her heart grew sweet on him. Back in high school, he had been one of Hoseok’s good friends. Having him around made it even easier for her to grow fond of him.

He had only two girlfriends throughout high school, and each of them were treated like his queen. Whenever he spent time around her, he treated her the way Hoseok did. Back then, she didn’t know what loving someone was like. The way it felt, it was like he truly saw her. He looked out for her back then, bought her her favorite chocolate every time he came over. He even liked to ask her what new music she was listening to, because according to him she always had great taste. When Hoseok let it slip that Jimin had a Spotify playlist with all the songs she told him about, she knew she was head over heels for him.

She buried that crush deep within. He was not only Hoseok’s friend, he was her friend, too. His friendship meant the absolute world to her. The crush she harbored wasn’t deep enough to risk everything.

At graduation, after she and Jimin took a picture in their caps and gowns, she had stared at the boy in his angelic eyes. They were going their separate ways, him moving across the country. She would always remember him as her childhood crush, the friend that meant a lot to her. And when his lips had brushed her cheek, and her entire body grew warm, she was okay with leaving those feelings right then and there.

Besides, by now she had truly experienced what love actually felt like, all because of a boy with jazz eyes and piano hands. Her parents didn’t know about him quite yet. So, you let them speculate about the Parks’ son.

“Not that I don’t love talking about love with my parents,” She said sarcastically as she rose to her feet. She held back a smile at her dad’s highly unamused face and her mother’s amusement. “I’m going to head to bed.”

“This early? I know you don’t sleep until 3 am,” Her dad said, calling her out.

“You got me there,” She said, bending down to give both of them a kiss on the head. “Goodnight! Love you.”

Truth be told, she wasn’t tired at all. It was only 10 pm, but it was only a few days until Christmas Eve and time was working against her. For whatever reason, her heart was racing at her plans. This was Hoseok, for crying out loud. She was just afraid he would not take it well when she asked him to come home.

She had texted him earlier to video chat with her tonight. He agreed, his text exclaiming how much he couldn’t wait to talk to his sweet “Paws”. She couldn’t distinguish whether or not the nickname he had given her a long time ago made her more sad or happy. All she could do was shove it aside as she prepared herself for the tough conversation she was about to have.

The time had come, and as she shifted in her bed, she prepared herself for what was about to unravel. Inhaling deeply, she hoped for the best reaction. Unlike her parents, she stayed in constant contact with him. He didn’t really like to talk about their parents though, and she knew it was because it hurt him. She hoped this wouldn’t be too much for him.

Finally, his beaming face popped up on her screen and she quickly accepted the video chat, his face temporarily freezing in a buffered smile before it cleared up and she was staring at her brother’s live and in action face. It had been a while since they had video chatted, and staring at him made her realize how deeply she missed him.

Both of their smiles were unrestrained, and they excitedly got out their initial greetings.They talked about school for a while, discussing how their semesters went and what had been difficult about some courses. The topic shifted to work, Hoseok telling her about how he had recently gotten a job at a dance studio. He had gotten hooked up with an interview by one of his friends who majored in music production. He loved it a lot, hoping he would eventually get to be able to teach his own class. After the small talk, Hoseok’s smile died down and she could tell he was going to say something serious.

“I see you’re back at home.”

She didn’t control the surprise that filtered across her face. Nervously, she laughed. “Yeah, I am. For the holidays. Finally, I got some time off of work.” The smile she tried to hold didn’t last, her lips uncontrollably pursed before she decidedly dove in head first. “Speaking of the holidays, Christmas Eve is in three days…”

She didn’t like the cloud that covered Hoseok’s face, his eyes trailing off to the side. It squeezed her heart. Her brother was someone who should always be smiling. It made the world a lot more bearable. But she understood his dilemma. Their dad, who they both cherished, didn’t support the one thing he loved. It hurt her to know he was hurting.

She continued, her voice sounding small all of a sudden. “Are you coming home for Christmas?”

His voice was just as small, quiet. “I can’t. You know that.”

“Yes, you can. You know you can. Mom and dad love you-”

“Dad sure has a funny way of showing it,” He scoffed, and she pretended not to hear his voice crack. She wished she could hold him tight, just like those times in school when she doubted herself. If only he were here.

Shaking her head, she tried to find the words. By the look of his face and the sound of his voice, her heart sank with the oncoming disappointment. “Hoseok, you know he only wants the best for you. We both know he’s wrong in how he’s handling it, but he misses you. Mom misses you. I miss you.”

“Oh, they do? Then why hasn’t dad spoken to me since that night? How come mom can’t go one phone call without trying to convince me to switch majors, all to appease him? Why do I feel like I’m a villain for pursuing what I love?” He was crying, she could tell by the slight quiver in his voice. He had moved the camera so she couldn’t see his face.

Her own cheeks were damp, but she ignored it. She was desperate at this point, fishing for the words to bring him home. She needed him here.

“I want you here. And I know they want you here too. They’re just too stubborn to admit it.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I don’t want to be an outcast in my own parents’ eyes. I miss you so much. I’ll come visit you after Christmas break.”

“Hoseok-”

“I got to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“No, wait, please-”

The call ended just like that. The silence right after was unbearable, her brother’s broken voice and broken heart ringing in her memory. The ring was deafening, painful. She sat there a moment, frozen. Although she knew there was a chance the call wouldn’t go well, a part of her had still hoped she would convince him to come home. Instead, her mind began to torture her the realization of what Christmas would be like this year sunk in.

Her face crumpled as her heart did. She wished so badly she could shake her parents and tell them to stop hurting Hoseok. Mostly, she wanted him here.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Y/N!”

The next morning, she sluggishly trudged down the stairs and found her mother in the kitchen scrambling eggs. She stood in the doorway, watching her mom as she hummed a Christmas tune underneath her breath. Still tired from her restless night, Y/N found herself really looking at her mother. She knew her opinion of her parents had changed since that fateful night when her brother stormed out of the house, no intentions of coming back. She heard it in her mom’s voice yesterday, when she asked about Hoseok. And she saw it when her mom thought no one was looking, her eyes fluttering over the photos of her son hanging in the hall. She missed him just as much as Y/N did.

“Oh!” Her mom slightly jumped at the sight of her. “You scared me. Sorry to wake you. I need you to run to the store for me and pick up a couple things. I would ask your dad, but he’s at work. It’s his last day before he’s off for a week!”

Her excitement was endearing, and a bitter part of her wanted to be angry at her mom for doing nothing when her dad chased Hoseok away. At the end of the day, she knew that her parents initially had good intentions, that they loved Hoseok and had only been trying to protect him. They simply let the problem spiral out of control and were too prideful to make amends.

“Okay. Let me get changed.”

Before she knew it, she was driving to the grocery store. Since she woke up, her heart was weak at the memory of the video call last night. Hoseok’s hurt voice, his refusal as she pleaded. She tried to avoid thinking about him, but she couldn’t shake the sadness that came with the reality that he was not coming home. It would be her first Christmas without him, no one to wake her up to tell her to come downstairs. He wouldn’t be there Christmas morning, ready to start watching their favorite holiday movies. Who would finish her hot chocolate for her? Who would force her to dance to Christmas songs? Maybe it shouldn’t be as sad as she felt, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t shake the heaviness. A pivotal piece was missing.

It was like she blinked and she was at the grocery store. She sat in the car for a moment, the ignition turned off and the previous warmth from the heaters dissipating. As the cold air seeped in from outside, she told herself to push down the negative feelings. She would figure it out. She would. For now, she would just focus on the task at hand.

Stepping out of the car, she hissed at the frigid air, zipping up her jacket as tight as it would go. As she walked toward the entrance, she noticed on the other side of the parking lot there was a sectioned off area where real Christmas trees were set up. Before she went inside, she noticed people hauling off trees to their cars. It was quite the sight.

She bought everything off her mother’s list with no trouble. She was in and out rather quickly, pushing the cart out of the store and avoiding other frantic shoppers as much as she could. With the rapid approaching holiday, everyone was frantic and everywhere was busy. Somehow, she avoided all of it. Because of the music playing in the store, Jingle Bell Rock was stuck in her head. As she hummed it to herself, she gathered in her surroundings as she headed toward her car.

Taking one last look toward the Christmas tree lot, something caught her eye- moreso, someone did. Narrowing her eyes, she stared for a moment before the familiarity dawned on her. A smile widened on her lips before she raced to the car and put all the groceries in the trunk. After she finished up, she put the cart away and rushed to the tree lot.

As she approached, her gaze trained on the familiar figure that had previously snagged her attention. And she was thankful she had noticed him, because it had been too long since she had seen him.

When she was close enough, she felt her heart light up like the star on the top of the tree at home. He had let his hair grow long since the last time she saw him, but he was as handsome as she remembered. He was kneeling, fixing one of the Christmas trees that he had placed in a shopping cart. His face was flushed red, from exerting himself or from the cold she didn’t know. She smiled at the festive beanie he wore atop his head.

Finally, he noticed her. His eyebrows furrowed for a slight moment before his face lit up like the sunrise. A grin formed as he rose to his feet. Without any hesitation, he approached her with open arms. She stepped right into his arms as he said her name with unadulterated happiness.

“How long has it been since I saw you?” He said, cold air seeping out past his lips. She couldn’t describe the joy that wrapped around her at the luck of running into her dearest friend. Kim Taehyung was someone that had entered her life as sudden as a shooting star. But he wasn’t brief, no, he was an everlasting sun. She had met him when she was fourteen, and had forged a friendship that hadn’t been broken by distance or time. Yes, she hadn’t seen him in months, due to different schools and lack of time. That didn’t change anything. And here he stood. And it was like no time had passed.

“I think August. I’ve really missed you, Tae.”

His smile was blinding, erasing the previous distressed emotions suffocating her. “Likewise. It’s been way too long. No one else puts up with my tomfoolery like you do.”

“Maybe it’s because you use words like ‘tomfoolery’.”

His laugh echoed in the air, drawing the attention of a nearby family looking at trees. Glancing at them, she offered up an observation. “Isn’t it a bit late to be looking for Christmas trees? Christmas Eve is in two days.”

Taehyung shrugged casually, adjusting the beanie on his head. “Yeah, but it’s always sort of been a thing my family does. We cut it pretty short to the day itself. We’re badass like that.”

“Or reckless.”

“I like badass more.” His smile died down then, his fond eyes looking her over. “It’s so good to see you. I was going to wait until Christmas to reach out to you. Crazy how it’s not that small of a town, but it never stops us from running into each other.. We have to hang out before you go back-” And something strange happened then. It was like something had physically stopped him from continuing, his eyes glazing over. She had known him long enough to see something was bothering him.

“Is everything alright?”

His eyes found hers once more, shaking it off before feigning a comforting smile. “Everything’s fine! Sorry! I just remembered something. Anyways, want to help me find a tree? Taeyeon wants me to bring the perfect one home!”

Something told her not to force him to tell her what’s wrong. So, she complied. For twenty minutes, she walked the lot with him, offering up her opinions and finding time in between to reminisce about old times. A part of her wished he still lived nearby during school. Shortly after she moved into her dorms, he moved to a nearby city about thirty minutes away. Though he wasn’t far, they were both busy with school and work, and hardly found time to see each other. If they found the time, she was positive he would be the person she spent all her time with throughout the year.

Soon enough, he found what he deemed ‘The Perfect Pine’, and she helped him carry it to his familiar red Toyota. It brought back some dear memories, and she was unable to control her gasp of glee. After helping him secure the tree in the truck bed, the two of them stood facing each other.

She patted the trunk. “Haven’t seen this old friend in a minute.”

“Dory missed you. Just like I did.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “I can’t believe you remember our nickname for it!”

“I know, right? We were so excited when I got this car. Named it and everything. Except we never even called it Dory, not even once.”

It was times like this that she truly missed about being younger. Sure, it hadn’t been too long since she had seen Taehyung. And she generally kept in good contact with him. But it wasn’t like when they were younger. It was good to see his face.

His next question inevitably called back her sadness. It wasn’t his fault, because he couldn’t have known. However, there was no way to cover up the disappointment that washed over her face at his words.

“How’s my boy Hopeful? Haven’t seen your brother in ages. I miss him too.” At her prolonged silence, his hand reached out to her shoulder as he noticed her crestfallen face. “Hey. What’s wrong?”

Shaking her head, she sighed. “It’s… complicated. Let’s just say he’s not coming home for Christmas because he’s clashing with my parents. Has been for a while now.”

He sighed at the news, his hand unconsciously moving to rub her arm comfortingly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” His actions paused for a moment, as if he were pondering what he was about to say. It seemed he decided it was best to say whatever he was holding back. “Since when has an argument with your parents been this drastic though? And since when did that make Hoseok miss out on his favorite holiday?”

“It’s worse than it seems. Our parents don’t really support him and what he loves. And because of that, he doesn’t feel welcome.”

Taehyung frowned. “Your parents never seemed like they would be that way.”

“That’s the thing. They aren’t. My dad’s silence is just his pride. I know he misses Hoseok. My mom asked me to bring him home somehow. They want him here just as much as I do. They’re just too stubborn to make the first move. And Hoseok is hurt. He doesn’t want to make the first move because he’s afraid they’ll just do the same thing as last time.”

“So talk to your parents.”

“I have.” Her voice died, squeezing her eyes to make sure she didn’t get too emotional in front of him.

“Have you truly talked to them? Have you told them they’re wrong, that in order to have him come home, they need to reach out to him?”

She opened her mouth to respond but came up short. Because in a way, Taehyung hit the nail on the head. All these months, she hadn’t really called them out for their wrongs. She had only implied that they needed to be more understanding. For the first time since the night Hoseok stormed out, she realized that maybe she played a hand in this prolonged stalemate. Without outright calling them out on their behavior, they won’t think about what they’re doing. It was up to her to ultimately end all the turmoil.

“Tae, what would I do without you?”

He brushed off her compliment, his face drawn in a shy smile. “You would be fine.”

Lunging forward, she held him tight. “No, I wouldn’t. I have to head home, but we’ll hang out before I head back to the dorms. Have a Merry Christmas.” And in that moment, she didn’t register the grimace on his face. Maybe it was because of the stress of her family situation, that she didn’t even notice Taehyung’s own sadness lingering. At that moment, she had to get home and then get Hoseok home.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Mom, we need to talk.”

She turned at Y/N’s greeting, her eyebrows pulled downward in question.

“What took you so long? The list wasn’t that long.”

Brushing her arm dismissively, she explained, “The store was pretty busy. And I ran into Taehyung. But-”

“Oh, Taehyung! How is he? You haven’t brought him around in so long! He was always such a good friend to you-”

“Mom. We can talk about him later. We have something important to talk about.“

“Is everything okay, Y/N?” The concern in her eyes solidified her nerves, but she needed to push through. This talk was going to be hard, but she wasn’t walking away from it without getting her mom to see what’s right. If she failed, then she didn’t know how long her parents and Hoseok’s relationship would hang in a void. She couldn’t stand the idea.

“No. Everything isn’t okay. But it can be.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Her father came home to a gloomy house that evening. Both Y/N and her mother sat in a quiet living room that night, her mom’s stoic expression trained on a blank television. Her own gaze followed her dad’s movements nervously as he shrugged off his coat, meeting her look with his own questioning one.

“What’s going on? What are you guys doing just sitting here?”

“Dad, we need to talk.”

He stared at her for a moment, before he rubbed at his temple tiredly. “Can’t it wait? I’m pretty tired from work.”

“It really can’t. It’s important.”

She could sense his exasperation was building behind his expression, but she was thankful he was at least trying to be patient. “What’s it about?”

She was holding her breath, nervous for his reaction. Exhaling deeply, she just let go. “It’s about Hoseok.”

Disappointment filled her bones at the sight of him guarding his expression, looking the least bit responsive. “We’re not talking about him.”

“Dad, we have to. It’s almost Christmas-”

“So? What does that have to do with him?” His words stung and she unconsciously rose to her feet.

“What do you mean? It has everything to do with him. He’s your son, my brother. Christmas won’t be the same without him!”

“Whose fault is that? If he just listened to his parents-”

“Why would he listen to you if you guys were wrong-”

“I won’t have you disrespect me in my own house, Y/N. If you feel so strongly on the subject, why are you here? You can leave just like him.” His words extinguished any sort of fire previously lit in her veins. She heard her mother cry out in disbelief, but there was nothing else she could do. It seemed he was dead set on being prideful.

Shaking her head, she muttered, “You’re unbelievable,” before turning on her heels and heading toward the staircase.

“Y/N.” This time it was her mother, uncharacteristically quiet during the whole argument. Turning to look at her, something in her gaze comforted how upset she was. “I’ll talk to him. Just stay in your room for the night, okay?”

And there was nothing she could do. So she agreed. And she hoped her mother could pick up the pieces. Because if she didn’t, then maybe her family would never be the same. It was her biggest fear at this point. Aside from Christmas, what would their relationship with Hoseok look like in the future? It terrified her.

She didn’t have to wait long to know how the conversation played out after she went to her room. It was a few hours later when her mom joined her, her hiding beneath the covers. The only light that filled the room filtered in through the hall. Quietly, she walked in and sat beside her.

Her silence unnerved Y/N, and she feared her mom was quiet because she was coming to bear bad news. She sat there in silence for a few beats, her heartbeat the only sound thundering in her ears.

Finally, she spoke.

“Your father is driving up to see your brother in the morning. He’s going to talk to him. And if your brother lets him, he’s bringing him home.”

Her words brought Y/N to tears.

~~~~~~~~~~

Stockings

The countdown was two days until Christmas Eve.

That was her first thought the next day when she awoke. The second thought that flashed in her mind was her brother, and how their dad was going to see him. With that thought, she ripped her blanket off of her and stumbled out of bed. She sprinted out of the room and to her parents’ bedroom down the hall.

Pushing the door open, her heart rate spiked at the absence of her parents. Spinning around, she made her way down the hall and stairs, finding her mom lounging in the living room watching the news.

“Mom!”

Jumping at her voice, she shot her an irritated look. “Don’t scare me like that! What’s wrong?”

She paused, almost wondering if she had dreamt what she said last night. So she had to ask, just in case. “Did… did dad leave already?”

Her face morphed into realization before she soothed her with a soft look. “Yes, he headed out about an hour ago. He should be there soon. And if all goes well… Hoseok should be home by late afternoon.”

The words filled her with relief as the realization hit her like a knockout.. The words were exactly what she wanted to hear, an antidote to the potentially ruined Christmas. Slinking into the spot next to her mom, a thought struck her.

“How did you change his mind?”

She waved her hand before cupping her mug once more. She sipped at what she guessed was her morning coffee before she answered. “I’ve known your father a lot longer than he’s known himself. He didn’t need his mind changed when it was already where it needed to be. He just needed a little encouraging. He loves Honey and truly does want what’s best for him. All this time, he just needed to realize that Hoseok is in control of his life and is old enough to pick his own path. It’s just up to us to be there if he ever falls.”

Her heart tugged at the mention of the family’s nickname for her brother, then twisted at the sentiment of her mom’s words. She couldn’t help but hug her then, ignoring her playful protests. Soon, she was embracing Y/N back, her hands unconsciously moving to play with her hair.

In a few hours, the family was going to be what it was supposed to be. And Hoseok was going to be right where he belonged.

About an hour passed like that, her in her mother’s arms as she tempted Y/N to doze off. Her mom knew that playing with her hair was her ultimate weakness. It almost always led you to falling asleep. She fell asleep briefly before her mom adjusted in her seat and woke her up.

“Sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Yawning, she sat up straight in her seat. “It’s fine. I actually think I’m going to get some sleep. Before they come back.”

Her words seemed to please her mom, her eyes getting distant. “Yeah. When they come back.”

She groggily headed to her room then, every intention of hers to get some sleep. Just as she got in the most comfortable position, her phone began buzzing on the bedside stand.

Groaning, she debated whether or not to ignore it but ultimately decided to reach out and grab it. Looking at the screen, her sleepiness faded at the sight of Tae-rex.

“Tae! What’s up?”

“Hey. Did I wake you?”

“Nah, I’m just in bed.”

“I just wanted to check up on you, see how things are. Did you… talk to your parents?”

She couldn’t control the smile on her lips and permanently in her heart.. “I did. My dad is driving to pick him up as we speak.”

“That’s awesome! Y/N, that’s so great to hear! I’m happy for you.”

A laugh escaped her, even though there wasn’t anything funny. It just bubbled out from her body. All was well.

“Thank you, Taehyung. Something as simple as pointing out how I feel made a difference. If you hadn’t suggested it, who knows what would’ve happened?”

“It was all you. You’ve always had an influence on people. I admire that.”

This time around, she wasn’t distracted by her sadness. Immediately, she picked up on his underlying solemn tone. Something was bothering him.

“Tae, is everything okay?”

He hummed in thought. It was never a good sign. It always told her everything she needed to know about how he was feeling. It was the sound he made when he didn’t know what to say, and the sound he made when he was hurting. To know that about him was an advantage and a burden, because it meant something was really wrong.

If possible, his voice dropped lower and quieter than it was before. “I’m fine. Why?”

“Something tells me that there’s something bothering you. Intuition, perhaps. Are you really fine?”

He was quieter a lot longer than she expected. Again, it told her all she needed to know. In a way, his silence answered the question.

“I…” She knew how he worked. Two sides of him were battling, one side telling him to put up a front and the other to open up. Over the years, he started opening up and letting the latter win. Other times, it wasn’t easy for him. She wondered what side would win. She hoped he confided in her. “I’m not fine. It’s hard for me to say.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, I just-”

“I do want to, though. You’ve always been there for me. Maybe I just wanted to pretend I was okay. Who knows? It’s just hard to say because I don’t want you to feel bad. I’m just trying to be tough for Taeyeon but…” Now, she knew what was coming. She gave him the time to sort out his words, to find them and tell her what was plaguing him. And when he did, her heart dropped.

Taehyung proceeded to tell her about how he had been working hard to make this Christmas an amazing one for his little sister, Taeyeon. She had always been fond of his sister, a youthful little girl who carried the same wondrous eyes of her older brother. And as Taehyung began to open up a little more, a lot more started to make sense. Questions that had poked at her in the past became answered in this moment. She hadn’t known that Taehyung’s mother wasn’t around as much as she had initially thought. Sure, Y/N had been good friends with him since they were fourteen. And she was aware that Taeyeon was his number one priority, that he loved his mom a lot but she wasn’t around as much as an outsider would expect..

She would have never guessed that his mom missed out on the holidays that played a part in their family, the holidays that mark a kid’s childhood, the weekends are spent with parents. It broke her heart to know that him and Taeyeon had only been experiencing Christmas with each other as company for who knows how long.

After he finished, she was holding back the pain in her chest and the tears that threatened to fall. He didn’t sound too sad, which meant he was comfortable with the situation. That could only mean this wasn’t the first Christmas his mom wasn’t around. It also must’ve meant he likely saw it coming. And it made the realization even worse.

“...And I didn’t tell you all this so you could feel bad for me. Taeyeonie and I are fine. I just… I was thinking about how sad she looks every time she opens her presents in the morning and only sees they’re from me. You know, on Christmas Eve I do nothing but watch movies with her to keep her distracted. But every time she hears a noise outside the door, her head snaps toward it. Like… like she’s expecting Mom to walk through it. It makes me angry. Because I want to give her the world, but I can’t give her the one thing I know would make her extremely happy. When she was younger, she used to ask questions, wonder why Mom wasn’t around on Christmas morning. Now, my blood boils because it’s like she already knows. She’s conditioned to it, like she doesn’t have to ask anymore. I can’t figure out which one feels worse.”

“Tae…”

“You don’t have to say anything. I know. I’m sorry,” His voice wobbled too, but he was strong. He always had been.

“Don’t be. You don’t have to be sorry about this.” They both fell into silence, and she wanted to ease his pain, so badly it lit up her entire body. She wanted to embrace both him and Taeyeon, the starry eyed little girl who had her heart the first day she met her. She wanted to do everything in her power to ease their pain, even a little bit. Without any hesitation, she let your heart take the wheel. “Would you guys maybe want to spend Christmas Eve with us?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N and her mom were on the third episode of a sitcom when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. Pausing the show, they both listened. One car door slam, two car door slam, three-

Jumping up to her feet, she rushed to the front door, her heart soaring at the sound of her dad and Hoseok’s voices blending together as they approached from the other side. Throwing the door open, her eyes immediately connected with Hoseok’s smiley gaze. She launched herself toward him, his laughter breaking past his lips as he accepted her hug effortlessly.

“Hobi! I’m so happy!” She tried to keep the tears at bay, but she was almost in disbelief at the change of events. At this time yesterday, she was unsure of how Christmas was going to play out. She was melancholic at the thought of not seeing her brother. Here she was twenty four hours later, holding him and thankful at the unexpected turn of events.

Not soon after, her mom interrupted their moment to hug him, her own face shiny with tears. Hoseok offered up a comforting smile to her, but his whole body was bouncy with happiness. Just like he always should be. The feeling in her chest couldn’t be put into words, she was utterly filled to the brim with joy.

Turning to her dad, she hugged him just as tightly. He held her, a chaste kiss being placed atop her head.

“Thank you, dad. Thank you so much.”

“No, Y/N. Thank you.”

“Who’s this?” Once again, her mom interrupted another moment she was having. This time, she had garnered everyone’s attention at her questioning. Y/N’s gaze followed her mom’s inquisition, her eyebrows rising in surprise. Amongst all the embraces and happiness, she hadn’t noticed a lone figure standing back, hovering a little awkwardly.

He was young, possibly a little younger than her. His hair was dark and shielding his eyes. The clothes that adorned his body were just as dark as his hair. Even though his appearance was gloomy, he had quite the boyish face.

“Oh,” Hoseok strode over to the quiet guy, his arm falling across his shoulder as he addressed her and her mom with yet another blinding smile. “This is Jungkook. He’s my roommate back at my university. He can be a bit quiet, but once he warms up he’s gonna be as loud as me.”

“Great. Just what we need,” She offered up jokingly. She laughed at the sight of Jungkook flashing Hoseok a disbelieving look.

“Oh,” Their mom’s tone was surprised but pleasant. “Is he spending Christmas with us?”

“Yeah, he is. Is that fine?” It was the first time Hoseok’s smile disappeared, worry creasing his face. But he should know better. Growing up, their mom was avid in one particular message during Christmas: no one should spend it alone. Although Christmas Eve dinner typically had the same faces every year, she and Hoseok would expect to see someone there that hadn’t been the prior year. Their mom was soft like that.

“The more the merrier. It’s nice to meet you, Jungkook.”

~~~~~~~~~~

There was a rhythmic knock at her bedroom door, and she could recognize it anywhere. Considering Hoseok liked to knock the beat of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, it was pretty easy to distinguish. Leaning back in her desk chair, she called out that the door was unlocked. It opened to reveal her smiley brother, inevitably making her a smiling mess too. The joy from earlier hadn’t worn off quite yet and if possible, it felt like she had received an early Christmas present. That’s exactly was. Hoseok was a gift.

“It’s good to be home.”

“It’s good to have you home. It wouldn’t have been the same without you here.” At her words, he beamed even brighter. She wondered if there was anyone as warm as him in the world. She would argue that no, there wasn’t anyone that could compete.

He trailed into the room then, letting a comfortable silence fall between the two of them. She watched him as he fondly took in her room, chuckling at the sight of a goofy photo of both of them on her bedside. It had been too long since she last saw Hoseok.

“Where’s Jungkook?” She asked, curious about his friend.

“He’s fine. He’s on the couch playing a game on his phone. I’ll be down there soon.”

She nodded before asking, “Mom and dad?”

“Went to bed. They said the day took a toll on them. I agree. It was quite the roller coaster.” He finished his statement by spinning and eyeing her, as if she was a suspect in some interrogation room. She met his gaze head on, playing innocent. He continued talking. “I never would have woke up this morning thinking that dad would show up at my apartment, scaring Kook and demanding to see me. When I saw him, I felt like I died. But he wasted no time to apologize, grumpy face and all.”

She laughed a little before getting up and facing him. “I’m glad you accepted his apology.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“They hurt you. And didn’t show their support.”

He merely shook his head before he responded, “I love them and I missed them. We all make mistakes. What I want to know is if this was all your doing?”

For whatever reason, she grew a little shy. “I played a hand. I argued with dad and thought I didn’t get through to him. Mom took care of it though. To be honest, Taehyung gave me the idea to confront them in the first place. I wanted my big brother home.”

His face dawned with realization before suddenly he lurched forward and held her in a light chokehold, rubbing his knuckles on the top of her head. She shrieked in protest, fighting to get away from his arms. He was being too loud, but she had a feeling their parents wouldn’t be barging in to scold them tonight. Gosh, she really missed him. Even his too-strong cologne was the same, practically burning her nostrils. Most people loved it, but she always said a softer scent would better suit him.

After he finished his assault on her head, she huffed and shoved him away gently. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she glared at the sight of her unruly hair. She wasn’t angry, though, she was too happy to have him here.

“My little teddy looks so precious when she looks like a witch.”

“Shut up before I punch you in the throat.”

Yeah, mostly happy.

His eyes went comically wide as he held his hands up in surrender. “Violent! Geez, don’t cast a curse or anything.” Just like usual, his attention shifted as he threw himself on her bed. “Tae, huh? How is he? I think I haven’t seen him since your graduation.”

“He’s…” She was going to say he was fine, but it felt like a lie. Hoseok caught her hesitation, watching her closely.. “He’s tough. I admire him and his strength. He has some things going on with family. I invited him and Taeyeon to Christmas Eve dinner.”

His face was filled with understanding, knowing not to prod. “Are they coming?”

“He said he would think about it. I won’t force him to. I hope they come though.”

“Me too. I always thought he was cool. Cooler than the other friends you brought around,” He gave her a funny look at her eye roll before continuing, “And I haven’t seen Taeyeon since your graduation either. How old is she now?”

“She’s eight now. And we all know how much she loves you.” She feigned bitterness, but it had made her happy years ago when Tae’s younger sister took a liking to her brother. It made it feel like they had two more siblings.

“What can I say? I’m everyone’s favorite,”He joked, sitting up on her bed.

“The fact that you don’t know that that’s the actual truth is annoying.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” He dismissed as he stood to his feet. “Now I think it’s time to carry out our Christmas tradition.”

“It’s not Christmas yet.” She smiled at his pointed look.

“It’s hot chocolate time! And The Polar Express! You know that Kook has never seen it?”

She exclaimed in horror, following him out the room. “The audacity! Speaking of... Kook,” Hoseok smiled at her awkward attempt to use the boy’s nickname, “Is everything alright with him? He’s spending Christmas with us…”

Hoseok’s voice grew quiet, which was odd considering he was so loud in any given situation. “Everything’s fine. The weather wasn’t looking good and his family didn’t want him flying out today. They got him a flight for the day after Christmas. He was really down, and it was one of the main reasons I was going to stay on campus too. But dad showing up out of nowhere really put a dent in my plans. There was no way I was leaving him there alone. So here we are.”

If possible, she admired her brother even more. He had the biggest heart, and one day she hoped to be as selfless as him. Their talk ended there, arriving to the living room to find Jungkook doing the exact thing Hoseok had said he was doing. His gaze jumped up at the sound of their arrival.

“Kook, it’s time for us to change your life.”

Coolly, he raised one eyebrow. She wished she knew how to do that. “That doesn’t sound good. What nonsense are you going on about now?”

“Watch it, kid. Remember who’s older.”

Jungkook sighed, turning off his phone before he asked again, “What do you mean, change my life?”

Hoseok smiled creepily, evading the question entirely by staring at his friend for a beat too long. She quickly grew impatient, so she reached over and lugged him in the arm. He shouted in pain, effectively ending his theatrics as he complained underneath his breath.

She said, “We’re going to watch The Polar Express. I heard you’ve never seen it.”

“Oh, yeah I haven’t. Hoseok nearly killed me when I told him. You offended too?” The guy had a bit of sassiness to him. It was kind of refreshing, given that a lot of Hoseok’s friends were just like him: warm and bubbly. Jungkook was different, more quiet but more witty and unafraid.

“No, I’m not. It is going to change you though. Hoseok and I love it.”

“Well. Let’s see if it’s worth all the hype.”

She merely shook her head before taking the recliner, grabbing the remote and finding The Polar Express. About ten minutes into the movie, Hoseok announced that it seemed like it was the perfect time for hot chocolate. The only issue was, neither of them wanted to get up and make it. After having the movie paused for too long as the siblings stared each other down, she suggested a game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who gets up.

“No fair. You know I’m not lucky.”

She shrugged. “Oh well. Best two out of three.” He sighed, before raising his fist to get ready.

Jungkook called it out for them. The first round, Hoseok chose paper and she chose scissors.

Hoseok cursed, his face scrunching in concentration. She wanted to laugh, but she didn’t want to risk getting him angry. The second round went to him, her shushing him when he celebrated a little too loud.

The last round, the two of them must’ve read each other’s mind as they picked the same play three straight times. Finally, Hoseok took the round as winner. Jumping to his feet, he danced around wildly, his arms flailing like a seal before he began a smooth dance.

“We get it, showoff. You can dance,” She hissed, having to control the urge to lug him once more. She wasted no time heading to the kitchen.

“Your sister’s funny,” She heard Jungkook try and say quietly but failing miserably. Seems he and Hoseok do have a few things in common. It eased the loss she just experienced, a smile on her face as she prepared three hot chocolates.

As she waited for the milk to heat, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out, her smile grew wider at the sight of her nickname for the person that pretty much owned her heart at this point. Reading the text, however, made her heart sink and her smile disappear.

Yoyo:

Hey… I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be making it back home in time. I’m working Christmas Eve and I couldn’t get it off. As for Christmas, I’m spending it with my family.

I’m really sorry. I know you wanted me to-

She didn’t want to read the rest, the upset feeling overwhelming her as she set her phone down. Trying to get a reign on her emotions, she finished preparing the hot chocolates. Taking them to the boys, she gave them a weak smile before going back to retrieve her own mug.

She remained pretty quiet for the rest of the movie, forcing a laugh every time Hoseok made a joke or Jungkook made a witty comment. Somehow, she managed to fool the boys into thinking she was okay.

It seemed something really didn’t want this Christmas to go well for her.

Yoongi wasn’t going to be here.

“Psst. Y/N,” Jungkook whispered toward the end of the movie. Her eyes left the movie, trailing to him and seeing him gesture to her brother. A genuine smile tugged at her lips at the sight of a knocked out Hoseok, his head lulling on the armrest of the couch.

She grabbed her phone, wanting to take a picture of the sight. However, the sight of another text made her pause. It was from nearly an hour ago, and she wanted to punch herself for not responding. She could only imagine how worried he must have been from her lack of response.

Yoyo:

I’m really sorry, Y/N. I know you’re upset. I really wanted to spend the dinner with you and your family. I know how much it means to you. I’ll make it up to you.

Shaking it off, she told herself she’d answer him later before she took a picture of her brother. She chose to pretend she didn’t notice Jungkook’s prolonged stare.

Soon enough, the movie ended and she realized it was officially after midnight. It was Christmas Eve. The thought both made her happy and sad. Although she was bummed Yoongi wasn’t going to make it, she was happy that Hoseok was home and that there was a chance she was going to make things a little easier for Taehyung and his sister.

Yes, this was still going to be a good Christmas.

“What the?” Hoseok startled awake, his bloodshot eyes shooting to the now dark television screen. “I missed the ending?! Come on, it’s the best part! When the boy can hear the bell,” He gave up in his ramble, too tired as he lay back down on the couch.

“You sleeping there?” She asked, amused.

He hummed, mumbling that Jungkook was taking his bed. She proceeded to go and grab him blankets and a pillow, assuming his last hum was a thank you. This holiday season was making her a little too emotional than usual, but she didn’t fight it as she ruffled his hair and whispered, “Goodnight, Hobi.”

“Night, Teddy.”

Jungkook followed in the walk upstairs. His voice was quiet, nervous to wake up her parents.

“Teddy?”

She sighed. “I’d rather not talk about that embarrassing memory.”

He proceeded to nod in understanding. That is, until he responded with, “I see. I’m sure Hoseok will tell me the story when I ask.”

She gaped at him while he attempted to muffle a laugh. Leading him to Hoseok’s room, she pushed the door open and flicked on the lights. She paused in the doorway for a moment, taking everything in as she realized that Hoseok’s room was just like it used to be. Nothing really changed since he moved out three years ago, and the same went for her. She remembered the first year of college for him, and how incomplete the house had felt. The puzzle was back together again for the holiday.

“Wow. His room screams Hoseok.” Jungkook’s voice somewhere from behind her. She nodded along in agreement, taking in the one wall cluttered with movie posters, the longest wall with professional shots he took with his own camera, and the furthest wall painted white with black constellations.

“It really is, huh? Kinda showcases how passionate he truly is.” She spoke fondly before stepping aside and letting him walk into the room. Jungkook moved past her, taking a moment before hesitantly sitting on his bed.

“I really admire Hoseok. I’ll have to admit, when I first met him, he was a bit much. He’s just so… different from me. Different, but the same. It’s hard to explain.” Jungkook shook his head, his fringe moving in the process. Watching him like this, a boyish young man in the center of her brother’s room, made her feel… almost like younger Hoseok was before her. She did sense that about him, how he was different but similar to him Life was like that sometimes. Maybe that’s why he and Hoseok clicked.

“I understand what you mean. Hoseok has that effect on everyone. Whenever I try and tell him how great he is, he doesn’t really see it.”

Jungkook stared back at her, confident and assured now. It was vastly different from her first impression of him. “That’s how most great people are.”

She held his gaze for a moment before cracking a smile and plopping down in Hoseok’s desk chair. Albeit, she had to move several articles of clothing to even sit down, but she didn’t mind. Hoseok was an array of color, touching every single surface and every single person.

“Hoseok talks about you a lot, you know. I felt like I knew you long before I met you,” His eyes were distant, like he was a grandfather retelling stories to his grandchildren. He looked at peace, his smile easy. It was a sight to behold. A slight chuckle bubbled out from his chest, one that she didn’t think he was aware of, before he threw her for another loop. “You know, he sees you the way you see him. It’s pretty sweet.”

She could only blink at him, not really sure what to say. She knew how close she was to Hoseok, she just never really thought about how he viewed her. She thought the world of him, and according to Jungkook he saw her the same way.

A confused but sincere smile found her lips. Something about Jungkook’s admittance was enough to dismiss anything that was hanging over her head, if only for a moment. And spending time around Jungkook quickly made her understand why Hoseok adored him.

“Tell me about your family, Jungkook. That is, if you want to.”

Her words surprised him, she could see it in his face. He blinked once before he nervously laughed it off. “Sure. Well, I don’t know if Hoseok told you but I’m going home the day after Christmas. The weather is pretty bad on the way back home. So they thought it was best to hold off a day or two. My mom’s a bit paranoid like that. It’s okay, though, I understand. She’s…” And at the mention of his mom, stars flickered in his eyes.

He jumped right in, describing this driven and passionate woman, unmoved by hardships and stern in her ways. He spoke so highly of her, and how he wanted to take care of her the moment he got out of university. He described her like she was the greatest woman in the world, and she adored that. She could tell how much he loved his mom.

Soon, he was talking rapidly and passionately, his eyes glancing at her here and there but mostly in another world as he started retelling memories. His attention shifted to his dad and his brother, how similar the two of them were and how balanced they made him and his mom. Where he took after his mom, his brother took after his dad. Regardless of the differences though, they seemed like a tight knit family.

After awhile, Jungkook lost all of his fire to continue talking about them. But in its wake was a lovely boy with distant eyes and a soft smile. It made her heart squeeze, both out of happiness that she got to know a little more about him and sadness for the fact that he wouldn’t get to spend Christmas day with them.

“I’m sorry you’re not with them right now. But soon you will be. And I’ll make sure you have a good Christmas with us.” Her voice was strong, firm as she tried to reassure him that he wasn’t alone.

He didn’t seem as down as he was before though, choosing to nod with a smile. He whispered a thank you, the smile still present and reassuring her. It baffled her, because it should’ve been the other way around. She got the feeling that Jungkook wasn’t the type that liked to be worried about. However, in the short time knowing him, she was another person on his side.

Before she bid him goodnight, he left her with a short statement that melted her heart.

“You know, you remind me of my mom. And if that’s anything to go by, I can tell you are someone I’ll love having around.”

And as she dozed off, a smile flickered on her lips. She held onto that feeling, refusing to let any of her worries creep in. When you’d wake, it would be Christmas Eve.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Nutcracker

She woke up to the sound of Hoseok’s booming voice.

Any other day and it probably would have irritated her. But it was finally Christmas Eve, and she could bear the sound on this particular day. After she cleaned herself up, she headed downstairs to find an odd but endearing sight. Her dad was sitting at the table with both Hoseok and Jungkook, in the middle of telling them a story.

“Isn’t this an interesting sight?” She uttered at her mom as she walked past with her coffee mug. She shot her a look of agreement, but she could see in her mom’s eyes that she was just as happy as she’s been since Hoseok arrived.

“Sleeping beauty finally decided to join us!” Her dad acknowledged her, his eyes twinkling with his own joy.

“More like Maleficent,” Hoseok attempted to subtly tell Jungkook, but they all know his lack of whispering skills.

She shot him an irritated look, which he tried to soothe with his beaming smile. It worked.

“So. What’s on the list of to dos before dinner tonight? I know Mom has something planned for us all,” She sighed, pulling out the chair across from Jungkook and beside her dad. At the sight of recently cooked croissants, she picked one up with excitement. As she began eating, Hoseok proceeded to answer her question.

“Well first off, I’m taking this kid,” He hooked a thumb toward Jungkook, “To buy an outfit for tonight. He owns nothing festive. That just won’t do. I am not letting him eat an amazing Christmas meal wearing nothing but black sweats.”

Jungkook rubbed his forehead in clear distress. “I guess I understand.”

She chuckled. “Don’t overdo it, Hobi. If he’s comfortable, leave him be-”

“Nuh-uh, nope. I don’t care if he only ends up wearing a simple green sweater. As long as there’s some color, I’ll be satisfied.” She knew that wasn’t what was going to happen.

“Good luck, Jungkook,” She told him seriously, and she watched as he flashed her a look of dismay. He looked toward their dad for help, but he was lost in his own little world as he typed away at his computer.

“Y/N, please,” Jungkook whispered, as if she could help him. Truth is, she was relieved that someone else was Hoseok’s victim for a change. With his focus on Jungkook, she could get away with a semi-decent red sweater and pants if she wanted. He was on his own.

Before she even got a chance to let him know that, her mother calling her over interrupted the conversation.

She got up quickly, but not before she shot him a thumbs up and said, “You’ll be fine. Hoseok, go easy on him.”

“No promises,” was his hollered response before she found her mom in the living room. She walked in with the intention of asking her a question, but it died on her lips at the sight of an unfamiliar man standing at the front door. The first thing she noticed was how tall he was, broad shouldered and practically taking up the whole foyer. The next thing she noticed was how stunning he was, perhaps the most breath-taking man she ever saw with her own eyes. His hair was dark and swept off his forehead, professional and serious. His eyebrows looked perfectly shaped, pulled in a furrow. His lips were plump, turned downward in a slight frown. The clothes that adorned him made it look like he just came back from an important meeting. He was all business. No pleasure. He was art, a painting of a stunning man frozen in his sorrows.

“Uh…” His gaze turned to her, searing and making her feel flustered.

Her mom was a different picture entirely, bright like a night light. She clapped once in excitement, before she said, “Y/N! I’ve been waiting for this moment, you don’t even know. Do you remember the Kims from across the street? This is their eldest son, Seokjin! I’ve told you about him, how he helps me and your dad out. I thought you’d never get to meet him, but luck is on our side! He made it back for the holiday!”

She suddenly felt severely under-dressed when meeting someone as intimidating as he looked. But as she stepped forward and extended a hand, his lips lifted into a smile that looked like it was meant for someone special. It made her feel warm all over, her lips glued shut as she reached out and shook his hand.

“Your mother has told me a lot about you. She’s really proud of you, and all of her praises made me curious to meet the one and only.” His voice was melodic, less bold than she expected.

“I,uh, yeah she’s told me about you too,” At least she thought she did, considering she could not remember a thing about the man in front of her.

“Seokjin was just dropping by to give us these homemade cookies,” She held up a container happily, “Isn’t he so sweet? You really didn’t have to.”

“I know, but it was a small token for all of the times you and your husband have taken me in for a nice dinner. You know my parents are always travelling. That big house can be quite lonely.” She knew her mom too well, watching in mild horror as she recognized the twinkle in her eye.

The question may seem innocent to an outsider, but she knew where it was leading. “What are you plans for the evening? I know your parents are travelling for the holiday.”

He shook his head and did a playful eye roll. “When aren’t they travelling? But anyways, Namjoon is flying in for the holiday. Haven’t seen him in who knows how long, but he’s finally coming home. We were thinking of maybe ordering takeout and watching a movie or something. He doesn’t really do anything for the holidays. Our other brothers are all scattered.”

She watched as if it were a movie unfolding, her mother shooting him her signature smile. “I would hate for the both of you to not have a home cooked meal on today of all days. The two of you should come over tonight.”

Immediately Seokjin shook his head, his hands coming up to politely refuse. “No, it’s fine, really-”

“It just won’t do, son.” Y/N mouthed the word ‘son’ to herself, wondering how exactly this young man snuck his way into her mom’s heart. “We’d love for you to join us. It’s a tradition we uphold every year, to have Christmas Eve dinner with family and friends. My best friend and her family are coming, my kids are home for the holiday, and others are coming. Everyone is welcome. And now I think it would make it absolutely perfect if you and your brother join us.”

Seokjin stared at her mother with a slightly agape mouth, causing her to hold back a laugh. He looked like he was backed into a corner, his face frozen in surprise. Finally he got over his shock, composing himself by smoothing down his dress shirt and clearing his throat.

“A-are you sure? I wouldn’t want to make things worse on you-”

“Seokjin! Is that you?” The three of them turned at the sight of all the men in the house making their way into the room. She felt bad for this man she just met. She watched in confusion as her father stepped forward and embraced him.

Hoseok looked just as curious as her, looking to her for an answer to his question. She just shrugged.

“How are you? We haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Seokjin focused all his attention on her parents, explaining to them what he’s been up to and how busy work has made him. She sidled up next to her brother and Jungkook.

“Who is this guy? And why does he look like he just stepped out of a GQ magazine?” Jungkook asked, the three of them watching the interaction happening in front of them.

Y/N uttered, “I guess he’s our neighbor. The Kims’ son. Why haven’t we met him before?”

Hoseok shrugged, humming in thought before he said, “He must be the really successful one. The one never around.”

“Hey Seok? Probably shouldn’t talk about him,” Jungkook uttered.

“Why?”

“Because you can’t whisper and they’re looking at you.”

Hoseok looked at him confusingly before trailing to his parents. His eyes widened comically, their gazes angry and Seokjin’s amused. Nervously laughing it off, he stepped forward and introduced himself.

She simply observed, watching as Hoseok cracked a few jokes and made Seokjin laugh. Everyone seemed to ease up, and soon enough it felt natural. The topic of tonight came up again, and her mom didn’t hesitate to sink her claws into him once more.

With your dad staring at him, it seemed Seokjin couldn’t refuse anymore.

“Alright. I’ll let Namjoon know the change of plans. We’ll see you tonight.”

Her mom clapped with glee, causing she and her brother to share a look. It seemed like Seokjin was her favorite kid and he wasn’t even her son. Their dad clapped him on the back, shaking his hand and enthusing about seeing him tonight.

“It was nice meeting you,” Seokjin’s gaze swept past her and Hoseok with a polite nod before he headed out the door.

Their parents stood at the front door, their mom shouting, “And dress down, Seokjin! We want you to be comfortable!” His yell back was indiscernible, but at the small exchange she witnessed, she was officially curious about this man whom her parents loved.

When their parents turned back to the room, their smiles died down at the sight of their questioning children.

“What?” Their dad grumbled, his eyes narrowing.

Hoseok laughed through his question, “What was that?!”

“What was what?”

“Is he our long lost brother?” She joked, pretty amused with how smitten her parents had seemed.

“What are you talking about?” Their mom asked, that previous excitement she had displayed long gone now.

“You guys stared at him with heart eyes. I’m a little hurt,” Hoseok wiped away

an imaginary tear.

“Oh relax. He’s just an amazing young man. He’s so thoughtful and responsible. I think you and Y/N will really like him once you get to know him,” Their mom sounded confident, before she walked past and to the kitchen. She called Y/N to follow her.

Her started washing the breakfast dishes, chatting with her and letting her know the game plan of how the day was going to go, what needed to be done before dinner time. A few minutes passed before the topic of Seokjin came up again. However, this time around she learned more than before.

“You know, I’m really glad he’s coming tonight. I was hoping he would end up agreeing. He is such a good man with a big heart. I know you and Hoseok don’t really know him yet, but trust me when I say you’ll love him just as much as I do. And,” she sighed, piquing her attention as she looked at her mom curiously, “My heart goes out to him. Not everyone is as fortunate to spend time with family during the holidays. Some people aren’t affected by that. The Kims have never been festive like that, and that’s completely fine. But… given what’s recently happened with Seokjin, I didn’t want him to have a gloomy night.”

“What happened?” She found herself asking. At her next words, her heart saddened for the man she just met.

“Recently, his fiancée called off their engagement. To be quite honest, she broke his heart. And he hasn’t really been the same since. I just want him to have a good dinner with us, at the least.”

Thinking back on Seokjin, she never would’ve guessed he was hurting. He was so put together, his smiles effortless. The revelation was unfortunate, but she was impressed by the strength the man so obviously possessed. She was completely on board with the idea of giving him a good Christmas Eve dinner.

“I’m glad he’s coming.”

Her mom looked over her shoulder at her, reciprocating a smile. “Me too, Y/N. Me too.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The holiday music was soft and playing in the background, but it caressed her skin. The smell of dinner wafted from the kitchen, filling up the entire house with a gentle and mouth-watering sensation. The air was warm, and she couldn’t decide if it was because of the body heat or the heater. The room carried an almost angelic glow, and she was positive that if she told anyone, they would look at her funny. There was truly nothing quite like Christmas, and it had shown up before she could give it a proper greeting.

“You look nice.” Hoseok’s voice came from behind, and she turned to greet him with a smile. He was dressed for the part, his hair parted and neat. His ensemble was a bit… much, given his usual style. She didn’t comment, because admittedly he looked handsome in his maroon fitted sweater with a collar and slacks.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” He asked.

“Oh, nothing. I was just expecting you to comment on how I wasn’t following the Christmas color theme.” She hadn’t expected less, considering she was wearing a white sleeved shirt and a skirt. Nothing too fancy, but still a bit considerate.

Hoseok merely shrugged. “Unfortunately, you weren’t my responsibility this year. Kook is a lot more picky than he looks. I practically had to drag him out of the store with one new outfit. One. Speaking of that kid, he should be coming down any moment now,” His head was craned and his eyes were drawn to the hall where the stairs resided. But that wasn’t where her focus laid, no, it was something much more pressing.

So far, only her aunt and uncle had arrived with her cousins. Currently, they were running around and hollering louder than necessary. But she didn’t mind, not when her mind was split in a few different directions.

One reason was the fact that the neighbor’s son Seokjin and his brother had arrived about five minutes earlier. They were currently in the corner of the room, conversing with her father and making him laugh at something she couldn’t hear but likely wasn’t that funny. She found it easier to admit as time passed, Kim Seokjin was definitely a sight that she couldn’t exactly pull away from with the snap of a finger. The man should be on magazine covers.

Another probing thought was whether or not Taehyung was showing up. He had stopped answering her texts around noon, the last topic being about him still unsure if he was attending. She hoped with all her heart he would show.

The most prominent thought plaguing her, so much that it was the one she had to fight to suppress if she didn’t want to be down all night, was Yoongi. She hadn’t really gotten much opportunity to talk to him since he broke the news to her, but it was true that she couldn’t find the words. Genuinely, she understood where he was coming from and was happy. She would never want someone to not get the opportunity to spend time with her family. That didn’t dismiss her disappointment in not getting to see him tonight, the night she had been dreaming to see him for a while now.

It was the reason they had held off coming to visit each other at each other’s schools. He was older, about to graduate and she had a while to go. She knew he was busy most of the time, so they figured that the next best thing was to spend time with each other on the holidays. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out when they both had jobs and lived a few hours from each other.

The two of them hadn’t even figured out what this was, but all she knew was that she wanted to make it work. When she realized her feelings for him, she knew that he was it for her. He was her Christmas in a person.

To not have her Christmas person not with her on Christmas Eve, well, it was a major disappointment. All she could do was keep her head up.

“Hey teddy… I was trying to wait for you to approach the subject first, but you know me and my impatience. It’s Christmas Eve after all,” She was confused to see Hoseok acting slightly nervous, but she understood why moments later, “Is Yoongi joining us tonight or not?”

Spluttering, all of her breath that had been currently inhabiting your lungs disappeared. She stared at her brother wide-eyed, wondering how he could possibly know-

“Do you think I’m stupid? Both of you are so smitten, it’s disgusting. I’m the one who introduced the two of you. Not only that, I spend the better half of my weeks with the guy. Lastly, you two are the least sneaky people I have ever met. Did you guys really think I wouldn’t find out? And neither of you are actually hiding it considering he’s always asking me about you and you’re constantly bringing him up and-”

“Okay, okay. I get it. You figured it out.” She sighed, rubbing at her forehead. If anything, it made her heart even heavier.

Min Yoongi wasn’t just a guest that had been invited on short notice. In fact, he was never meant to be a guest. He was a man that spoke more with his hands, the way that he gripped onto her for a second longer than necessary or when he pressed into her back to lead her. She had to watch him to understand him, specifically his face, to know what was really on his mind. She knew when he was tired, his eyes low and his speech even slower than usual. His happiness was easier to observe, his lips loose and his eyes carrying a subtle excitement.

As luck would have it, she had met him by chance when she had went to surprise visit Hoseok earlier this year. The two of them hadn’t fallen for each other at first, mostly spending time together that one time. She remembered her innocent curiosity, requesting to follow him on social media and how he took a day to accept. He was the first to message, their conversations light and inquisitive.

It wasn’t long before she started to feel a shift in their conversations, how profound and intimate they became. She was the first to make an excuse to come and visit. She did it a second time. He did it the third. Whenever she looked into his dark eyes, it was like looking into another world.. Dark eyes carried her solace, carried a mirror to the life she wanted to live. Eyes that weren’t actually dark but an array of colors, all brand new and enamoring.

She liked to compare him to home. To anyone else, it might be a house with no distinctive feature. To her, it was walking in and feeling like she could finally and fully be herself.

In nearly a year, he had become one of the most important people in her entire life. And deep down, she knew he always would be.

“Y/N? Are you going to answer me? I didn’t get to see him much this last month. Whenever I was working, he wasn’t and vice versa. Last time I talked to him, he told me he was trying his best to come visit you, but he wasn’t positive.”

“How long have you known?” She ignored how sad she actually sounded, attempting to toughen up and tell herself that him not being present didn’t have to sour the night.

Hoseok shrugged, a certain glint in his eye. His eyes found the Christmas tree as he answered. “You’re my baby sis. And he’s a good friend. I was suspicious at first, because he seemed a little lighter after you visited that first time. And you seemed a lot more giddy. It didn’t take a genius to see the signs after you visited two more times in the same month,” She covered her face in embarrassment, wondering if he was angry.

Again, he answered her silent question. “I’m happy for you. I don’t need to know all the details. As long as he treats you well, and the both of you are happy, then I’m happy.”

She couldn’t help but embrace him, her heart soaring as she wondered how she had been blessed to have such a phenomenal brother. Pulling away, she whispered her thanks. At the sound of her mom calling for her, she figured she would answer her brother and use the new guests as her escape.

“He can’t come tonight. I’ll probably see him when next semester starts.” She ignored his exclaim of confusion, pausing in the entrance of the kitchen and composing her erratic feelings. Even if Yoongi wasn’t here, it didn’t mean the night would be any less special. That’s what she kept telling herself. She knew it was true, but it was hard to snap out of her disappointment.

She stepped into the room with a smile, a question on the tip of her tongue before she stopped in her tracks.

Her mother was sitting at the dining room table, Seokjin sat across from her with an attentive smile adorning his lips. She spotted Y/N, her face lit up as she enthusiastically waved her over. She approached slowly, his smile fading at the sight of her for a moment before he adjusted it into something more friendly.

“I was just telling Seokjin about how you’re still in school, studying and working hard for your major.”

He waved his hand. “Please, call me Jin. Seokjin makes me feel old.”

“Oh hon, you’re not old. Trust me.” It was odd to hear her mother’s unrestrained laugh, to see the same adoration that she held for her and Hoseok shimmer in her eyes as she gazed at Seokjin. Y/N wondered what exactly it was about the man before her that had her mom enamored.

“How did you like your classes this past semester?”His voice was gentle in addressing someone he barely knew. But she had heard him earlier among his banter with her dad. He had a strong personality hidden in the depth of those curious eyes, a loud voice in which he was restraining out of politeness or weariness, she did not know.

She entertained his questions, a mild conversation about school and work ensuing between the two of them. At one point, her mom spoke about having to leave for a moment.

She thought she would feel uncomfortable alone with him, but it was quite the opposite. He was a character, animated in his story-telling and thundering in his laughter. Little by little, she opened up and saw why her parents adored him.

“Truthfully, I’m happy your mother called you in here. I had been meaning to officially meet you. She loves talking about you and Hoseok. So much that, she actually made me excited to meet you two.”

“That so? I never really thought about her doing that,” Her eyes found the fabric on top of the table, her hands tracing the design. For whatever reason, she was shy at the thought. If he noticed, he didn’t comment.

“Believe me, she does. She really loves the two of you. And… I know it meant a lot to her that Hoseok was able to come.” Ah, so he knew about the previous divide in the family. She wondered just how much he happened to know.

“Well,” She waved her hand, “That’s behind us. I did notice how much she happens to love you. My dad too. You’re like their third kid or something.”

His eyes shone with pride for a moment before it dulled, his smile fading. “Yeah… they’re really great. Without them, I don’t know if I would’ve pulled through some rough moments I had this year.”

What her mother told her earlier rang in her ears. It jostled her, but only for a moment. She shook it off, giving him a gentle smile.

“I’m glad I got to meet you, Jin. It means a lot that you came tonight.”

Without looking at Y/N, a smile grew on his lips. “It means more to me than you’ll ever know, that I’m here tonight. Your parents are something else.”

“And so are you. Otherwise, they wouldn’t love you so much.” She watched as his neck grew flushed.

“Thank you, Y/N.” A whisper.

“No need to thank-”

“No, really. Thank you.”

And for his sake, she pretended not to notice the actual shine in his eyes, instead returning the smile he directed at her.

He was a good man, indeed. And she hoped this was the first night of many that built him back up again.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Carolers

She was joking around with Hoseok and Jungkook when the doorbell rang, only to reveal the Parks had finally arrived. They stood poised in the doorway, her mother exclaiming loudly at the sight of her best friend. As they exchanged hugs, Mr. Park maneuvered around them to greet her dad, leaving Jimin hovering in the doorway.

“There’s Jimin,” Hoseok wiggled his eyebrows, causing Y/N to roll her eyes.

“What’s the scoop on him?” Jungkook asked.

“Nothing. He’s yet another one of my friends Y/N has had a crush on.”

“Dude!” Y/N exclaimed, walking away from him and slinking into the couch as she ignored his teasing laughter.

To distract herself from her brother, she watched her little cousins run past, her uncle chasing them. Her aunt joined the other older women, the three of them catching up on whatever it was they needed to talk about.

It was nice and full, so warm and angelic. It was almost complete. Almost.

Looking over, she noticed that Jimin had made it inside and was in the middle of unwrapping his scarf from his neck. His face was slimmer now, more mature. Her heart was trained to jump at the sight of him, but he didn’t give her that longing feeling he used to give her.

That feeling was reserved for someone else, now.

Checking her phone, she noticed a text had come in from Yoongi around thirty minutes ago. They had been texting on and off all day. She could tell he was feeling awful about not being able to make it, but she reassured him that she understood. It was still sad to not have him around on this wonderful day.

Yoyo:

How’s everything going?

Y/N:

Going well so far! Mostly everyone is here. Taehyung hasn’t shown up with his sister yet. And my mom invited the neighbors’ sons. They might show up.

He responded quickly. He always had since the moment they first talked.

Yoyo:

I’m sure they will.

Are you excited for tonight?

Y/N:

Yes I am! It’s my favorite holiday. Since I was little, I’ve had nothing but golden memories of this day. It’s…. Magical.

To be completely truthful, the answer to his question was yes and no. It wasn’t perfect without him, but he was with her through the phone. And that had to be enough for her. She hoped he would have the best Christmas ever. If anyone deserved to, it was him.

In the middle of texting him that, someone sat beside her. Looking up, her face contorted into surprise. Quickly, it morphed into a soft smile to mimic Jimin’s own.

“Y/N.”

“Jimin.” She looked into the young man’s eyes that used to keep her up at night daydreaming, and now all she felt was a distant fondness. He may have matured in his looks, but he still had the same boyish eyes.

“How are you? I usually ask Hoseok but now that I’m finally seeing you, I figured I didn’t need the messenger.”

She acknowledged his tone with a bigger smile. “I’ve been really well. The semester was busy but I survived. And I got a new job, which makes the days go by quicker. I’m honestly really happy to be home. What about you? How is it living so far away?”

Jimin tilted his head in thought. She took a moment to study him up close. He was styling his hair different now, more of a mature look. He had it swept to one side of his forehead, but other than that it was a short and neat haircut. It was pretty short now, remembering in high school he would let it grow out and dye it blond. He was back to more of a natural look, and she adored it.

A part of her was always going to adore him. He was, after all, her first crush. Before Yoongi, she referred to him as her first love. Now that knew what love really was, she knew otherwise.

“I’ve adjusted. It was pretty hard at first. Being away from everyone. I missed my parents a lot and thought about transferring. Somewhere around November, I found my groove. I’ve met a couple friends who make the days easier. And I really love my major.”

“I could never do Environmental Engineering. Highly impressive.”

“Ah, we all have our different skills.” There he was, the Jimin from her memory. He downplayed everything because he wanted everyone to feel good. He was an angel even in the slightest ways.

They went on to talk about different things, first catching up and asking about each other and then moving onto reminiscing. It was peaceful, being able to talk with someone who knew her childhood. It was rare to have a connection with someone because they were apart of that, and they understood that part of you.

Going to college, one meets all kinds of different people. They come in endless different forms, and one forms new and unforgettable bonds that may last for a lifetime. There is no one quite like the people you knew beforehand, the ones that were around when growing up.

Those people are a different tier, a tier of old memories and different kind of fondness.

He had just made Y/N laugh when the doorbell rang once more. Hoseok opened it this time, grabbing her attention when he shouted, “Hey! It’s been so long, man!”

She jumped up at the sight of Taehyung, his sister peeking out from behind him. She rushed over to them, and at the acknowledgement of Taehyung’s smile, she hugged him tightly.

“I’m so glad you decided to come,” She whispered.

“I realized I couldn’t miss spending time with you and your family. You guys were always good to me.”

“And we always will be.” She pulled away and they looked at each other with appreciation, mostly with different reasons but the same sentiment.

She ushered him inside, both of them pausing at the sight of Taeyeon chatting up a storm with Hoseok. He was knelt to her level, a blinding smile on his lips. She had forgotten how he pulled out a side to her none of them usually saw.

Hoseok sparked minds, old or young.

Once her brother noticed them, he uttered something to Taeyeon and then pointed at the two of them. Taeyeon turned and widened her eyes, rushing to the both of them. Yanking on their hands, she pulled them forward.

Y/N and Taehyung shared a look, before going along with it.

“Come on! Hoseok told me you have toys packed away in your closet! Let’s play with them!”

“Hoseok,” She called her brother, who raised his hands in surrender.

“She asked me if I still had my toy train. I do not. But you have your old toys so.”

“You need to come too, Hobi!” Taeyeon instructed, the mention of his name causing his eyes to widen in shock.

“Me?” He asked, pointing to himself.

“Yes, silly! You’re the only Hobi I know,” She whispered loudly to Y/N, “Kind of a weird name.”

Hoseok’s mouth dropped, looking offended and causing Taehyung and Y/N to laugh. Thankfully, before Taeyeon could successfully pull them onto the stairs, Y/N and Hoseok’s parents stopped them.

Her mom stepped in front of them, greeting them with a cherry red smile. “My, my. If it isn’t the daredevil duo. I haven’t seen you since you were six,” She greeted toward Taeyeon, who grew shy at the new amount of attention. She ducked behind her brother again, causing the adults around her to laugh.

“Sorry, she’s still a little shy whenever someone new talks to her,” Taehyung apologized.

“You don’t have to apologize. Some kids are.” Her mom stepped to Taehyung and gently placed her hands on his shoulders. “Taehyung, you’ve grown so much. We’ve missed having you around.”

“I’ve missed coming around, too. Everything’s changed, huh?” He said, stepping into her hug.

“Yes, it has. I know it’s for the good, but sometimes you can’t tell if it really is,” She told him.

Y/N and Hoseok stayed quiet, knowing not to comment on that. They knew how sentimental their mother could be, and they knew it was hard for her to have both of them out of the house for most of the year. It hurt Y/N more than she would ever reveal to her, because she knew it would only make it harder for everyone.

So she put on a smile and asked Taeyeon if she wanted to meet some new friends as Taehyung caught up with her parents.

Taeyeon nodded, taking her hand and letting Y/N lead her to where Jimin and Jungkook stood in the kitchen. Hoseok had joined them right before her, noticing they were talking about some Netflix show the three of them loved. She cut them off, but she had a feeling they wouldn’t mind.

“Sorry to interrupt, but a friend of mine here would like to meet you guys! Taeyeon, this is Jimin and Jungkook.”

“We’ve met before. We had lots of fun at your birthday party a couple years ago, remember?” Jimin smiled down at her. His eyes widened in shock at her response.

“I don’t remember you. You were at my party?”

Hoseok nodded. “Yeah! Remember? Your brother invited Y/N and me! We brought Jimin with us. We bought you your own toy train, and then we jumped in your bouncy house with you!”

“I remember that, but I only remember Hobi being there,” She said accusingly, as if Jimin were lying to her.

He struggled for words, not knowing what to say as everyone else stifled their laughter at the little girl’s probing gaze.

“I-uh, well, I was, uh, I was there. You must not remember! I wouldn’t lie about that. The party was so fun! I loved the cake. I even helped you when you couldn’t find your friends in hide and seek! I pointed out where they hid!”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “So you’re a liar and a cheater!”

“What?!” Jimin exclaimed.

Hoseok burst out in laughter, causing Y/N to follow. Jungkook was a little better at maintaining his control, deciding to throw Jimin a line.

“Hi, I’m Jungkook. So you’re the sister of…?”

“Taehyung. He’s my brother. He’s in there talking to the adults. He’s pretty cool. Sometimes. You might like him.”

“I’m sure I will,” Jungkook said, a smile tugging at his lips. They were all amused, taken aback by Taeyeon’s sharpness with Jimin.

It was a pleasant conversation after that, all of them loving Taeyeon’s insight. They even consoled her when she worried about there being no kids there, as if on cue Y/N’s young cousins bolting in. They asked Taeyeon to play with them, and she agreed shyly.

Once she was gone, they all sat at the kitchen table. It was odd for Y/N, almost as if she were transported back into the past. If it weren’t for Jungkook, she could fool herself into being back in high school on a Friday night, waiting for popcorn to finish in the microwave so her, Hoseok, and Jimin could watch a movie.

Taehyung soon joined them. Then, her mom and her uncle trailed into the kitchen, continuing whatever they were finishing up for dinner. Y/N introduced Taehyung to Jungkook, but let him do his own thing. It always depended with him. Sometimes, he was quiet with meeting new people, sometimes he was loud with his personality.

It seemed they were all vibing well, not having any trouble keeping a conversation going. She liked this, having warm faces surrounding her. It made this Christmas special on its own, because the majority of the people sat at the same table as her, she hadn’t known if they would be in attendance at all.

These were her people. This was her home.

She realized why people believed in Christmas miracles. Sometimes someone can find themselves wondering if Christmas will work out. And somehow, in some way, all the pieces fall right into place.

Just then, the doorbell rang for the last time. Hearing her dad’s greeting from the living room, they knew it was the two brothers from the neighborhood.

“I’m not even lying, the oldest brother looks like a Disney prince,” Hoseok spoke with conviction, upon Jimin and Taehyung’s look of question on who just arrived.

Taehyung looked to Y/N for agreement, and she nodded.

“He’s not that good-looking. He’s no Prince Naveen,” Jungkook muttered. When they all looked at him, he added, “What? Am I the only one watching Disney plus or what?”

They all looked at him for even longer before Hoseok ignored him altogether, “Alright. Let’s go greet them.”

Taehyung leaned over to Y/N and uttered, “Looks like Hopeful’s got a man crush.”

“Looks like everyone does. Even my parents are in love with the guy. I don’t blame them. He’s pretty great.”

“That so? Then I got to meet this supposed prince.” His tone was sarcastic, but she knew that because he was joking around. Whenever he joked around, it meant he was comfortable. And it made her chest flutter with love.

There was nothing more satisfying than seeing the people she loved when they were happy. She wouldn’t trade it for anything.

“Then let’s go, Prince Tae.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The group made their way into the living room, just as her dad began to introduce the pair to everyone else in the room.

“Everyone! These are the Kims’ sons from across the street. You all know Seokjin,” Her dad clapped a hand on the man in question, grinning with pride as if it were his own son, “And this is his younger brother, Namjoon.”

The latter seemed to be the complete opposite of his brother, looking more frazzled than put together. Seokjin immediately moved over to Y/N’s mom, looking her over with a warm smile. Namjoon hovered awkwardly, hands in his jeans. His button up blue shirt was wrinkled, and it looked as if he had tried to make his hair neat and failed. His glasses were slipping down his nose, and she watched as he continue to reach up and adjust them.

For whatever reason, she knew she already liked him.

“Anyone else noticing how they’re all fawning over that guy?” Jimin nodded his head at Seokjin, who had just made all of the adults he was talking to, laugh.

Hoseok shook his head, huffing playfully. “That guy is stealing my brand.”

“Won’t hurt if you’re knocked down a few tiers,” Y/N joked, ignoring his glare. Shaking him gently, she hoped it was enough to comfort him before announcing, “I’m going to introduce myself to his brother.”

She wasn’t surprised when the group dispersed, Taehyung being the only one to follow her. They walked over to the newcomer, and her heart felt for him as he rocked on his heels, looking as if he didn’t know what to do with himself. Noticing their approach, he pulled his hands out of his pockets and fumbled for a moment before deciding to clasp them together.

“Hi,” She greeted with a smile, “I’m Y/N. I’m happy you decided to join us.”

“I’m still figuring out if it was a good idea, considering no one has even noticed I’m here with the star that he is,” He rolled his eyes as he motioned to Seokjin, but otherwise was unbothered.

“We noticed,” Taehyung said seriously.

Namjoon paused at that, before sliding his glasses up his nose. “I’m Namjoon. Pretty different from my social butterfly brother.”

“Different isn’t bad,” Y/N shrugged.

“I agree,” Namjoon gave the room a onceover. “Nice place. It’s a lot more warmer here than at home.”

Y/N and Taehyung glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. Namjoon stifled a laugh at their faces. “I meant that we don’t decorate for Christmas or anything like that. Our family doesn’t really celebrate.”

“Really?” Y/N inquired, mildly surprised. She didn’t come across many people who didn’t celebrate, but she knew there was obviously people that didn’t. She respected and understood that, but it made her sad to think of people not experiencing the joy she experienced at this time of year.

Namjoon nodded. “Which is why I was surprised Jin insisted on us coming over here.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Why is that?”

“Your brother was hesitant to accept his invitation.”

Namjoon waved the statement off. “That’s just him being humble. He loves your parents, always talks about them. In fact, I’m really glad. I know things haven’t been… smooth for him. So, it was good to hear something had him excited. I’m really here for him, if anything.”

Y/N nodded once. “I’m glad then. Glad he has you.”

Before they could continue further, her mother announced that dinner was ready. And so the night officially began.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Angel

All of the parents were sitting in the dining room, her mom directing the young adults to sit either at the kitchen’s smaller table or in the living room. Y/N and Hoseok didn’t complain, knowing the routine, so they found themselves huddled around the small kitchen table with their friends. Namjoon had been convinced into sitting with Seokjin and the adults. Y/N wished she could save him, seeing how quiet he was with them, but he decided to leave him be after he shot her a reassuring smile.

She sat across from her brother, Jimin on one side of her and Taehyung on the other. It was a standard rectangular table, but she always appreciated this time of year when her mom pulled out a white knitted tablecloth. Hoseok disappeared for a moment as everyone settled into their seats, returning with a lighter.

“What’s a dinner without candles lit in the center?”

“Hobi, we only do it on holidays. So technically, dinner would be just fine.”

“Hush. You’re ruining the sentiment.”

“Actually, you are by leaning over Jungkook’s plate.”

“Seriously,” Jungkook agreed, looking at Hoseok with disgust. Y/N laughed, both at his facial expression as well as Hoseok’s struggle to light them.

“Dude, what the fu-” He stopped dead in his tracks when he glanced at Taeyeon, who insisted to eat with Taehyung. Clearing his throat, he straightened his back and started over, “What’s wrong with this lighter? Is it a trick lighter?”

“No, you’re just weak. Let me see,” Y/N stood.

“It’s not me! The candles don’t want to light-”

“Excuse me. I got it,” Their mom had suddenly appeared as if she had sensed the topic at hand, bearing one of those longer lighters. The clicking of the lighter went on for three times or so before she caught a flame, easily lighting the centerpiece candles.

Jimin clapped and cheered for her, their mom patting Hoseok sympathetically before asking, “Any of you need anything? Drinks? Anymore food?”

After everyone expressed their thanks, she departed. Just like that, Christmas dinner began.

For every family, it was different. Different cultures mean different dinner traditions. Growing up, it had been one of Y/N’s favorite parts: the food.

As she ate quietly, she looked around the table at the faces of the friends who had joined them this Christmas. At her brother, who was in the middle of telling the other boys some story about Jungkook that the latter was embarrassed over.

Her heart hurt with happiness. Just a couple days ago, she was crying in her room at the thought of Hoseok not joining him. Now, he was across from her having a laughing fit. She hadn’t seen Taehyung in so long, and now he was next to her smiling and making sure his little sister was having a great time.

It had been even longer since she saw Jimin, and looking at him gave her this wave of nostalgia. He was like flipping through an old journal, the pages filled up with the memories of her youth. He was a piece of her past, one that she didn’t think she would ever forget.

Jungkook was a new piece to the puzzle, but since he had joined them, she saw a whole other side to Hoseok. He brought out this energy in him that she had only ever seen in secret. Jungkook brought out that same look on Hoseok’s face when he was out photographing the world. She knew Jungkook was special.

It was a special dinner, mostly quiet. Stories would break out here and there, but it felt like they had slipped into a snowglobe of bliss. Nothing could shatter the intimacy and disconnect from every other worry in her life.

Even when she would pause in her eating and text back Yoongi, everything was alright. His sweetness dripped through the words on her screen, making her miss him but comforting her.

She was drunk on the love in the air, and no matter how the night ended, she knew then this would be a Christmas for the books. Not because something exciting had happened, but because it was a quiet one. That in itself was beautiful.

A little while later, after some of them had settled into eating dessert and Taeyeon had dragged Taehyung away to play a game with the kids, Jungkook directed a question at Y/N. “So, am I going to get to hear the story behind your nickname?”

“Teddy?” She asked.

“Yes, teddy. What other nickname do you have?”

Hoseok grinned mischievously, and Y/N shot him a look of warning that he ignored. “Oh, she has plenty.”

“And so do you! If I were you, I would keep my mouth closed!”

They had a stare off for a few beats, and Y/N thought she was in the clear- that is, until he rushed out, “We used to call her Walrus because when she was younger, she liked sticking things in her mouth and pretending to be one.”

“Hoseok!”

“You guys want to see pictures?”

Jungkook had started laughing at the thought, and Y/N felt mortified. Just then, she thought of the perfect revenge. As if Hoseok had sensed the gears of her mind turning, his smile faded.

“My parents used to call him Huggies until he was like eight. You want to know why?”

“Y/N, no!”

“What? You told them about Walrus! You know that story embarrasses me!”

“But Teddy is a cute nickname. And so is Walrus. It’s not even bad! Don’t do this!”

Their debate eventually died down when Taehyung came back, effectively distracting them from the topic at hand. Jimin asked Jungkook about his major, how he liked his university.

All of the guys seemed to be getting along well, and it was a sight to behold. They were all incredible, so it wasn’t a surprise that they were getting along.

That was, until the mood shifted without her even noticing.

Jungkook had just finished summarizing why he loved what he was studying, Jimin listening intently as he sipped on a soda. Letting him finish, Jimin nodded along before asking, “Are you from here?”

He shook his head. “I’m not. I moved here for university. I love it here… but I do miss my family all the time.”

Jimin nodded along in agreement. “I definitely understand that feeling.”

“I love my major, I really do. It was everything I imagined it would be and I can’t wait for more. I love my friends, I mean, if I hadn’t gone there I wouldn’t have met Hoseok. I’m so grateful for the opportunity. But some days, I just miss my hometown. I miss my family so bad sometimes, I feel the urge to buy a plane ticket straight home. Of course, I don’t have the funds for that but it’s nice to dream,” Jungkook’s voice was dreamy and longing, and Y/N knew he was thinking of his family celebrating Christmas. Her heart tugged.

Hoseok sat quietly, listening. She could see in her brother’s face that he was thinking the same thing. They didn’t have the words to comfort Jungkook, but suddenly his face transformed into something more hopeful.

“Even though I can’t be with my family until after Christmas, I’m really glad I got the opportunity to be here. It reminds me of my own home, and I know not everyone is lucky as I am. I just, I keep thinking of my mom. She’s great. I just know that right now, she’s probably fretting over all of our guests at home, asking who wants more food. That’s who she is, always on her feet and taking care of everyone else. I can’t wait to see her.”

“And you will. In two days. Before you know it, you’re going to be back home,” Hoseok assured him. Jungkook nodded, shooting him a look of appreciation.

The atmosphere, regardless of the subject, had felt hopeful. Y/N saw how Jungkook was determined to keep a good attitude, and she expected that was the end of it.

Not everyone has as warm a Christmas as you, is what she would come to realize.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Jimin muttered, offering all of them a weak smile before scooting his chair back and striding to the backyard door, going outside.

Y/N’s eyes remained there for a moment, his facial expression replaying in her mind. Had Jungkook said something wrong?

Looking over at Hoseok, they had a silent conversation with their eyes. They both knew something was wrong, and they had no intentions of leaving Jimin alone. They came to a silent agreement, the pair of them rising to their feet.

“We’re going to check up on him,” Y/N told the other boys.

“You guys going to be alright?” Hoseok asked Jungkook and Taehyung.

“Of course. We’ll just go talk to Disney Prince. See if he’s as great as everyone says he is,” Taehyung suggested. Jungkook pointed at him, as if he came up with a brilliant idea. Y/N could only shake her head before she led the way, making sure to quietly open up the back door.

Hoseok flicked on the back porch light, successfully shrouding Jimin’s back in light. He was sitting at the bottom of the porch steps, his head bowed.

The siblings paused at the top, and Y/N wondered if it was right to disturb him. Something was telling her to not leave him out here to drown in his thoughts. It was obvious he was upset and who knows if he intended to talk to anyone about it. It was up to them to at least try.

“Hey…” Hoseok began, taking the lead as he walked down a few steps. He remained behind him, waiting for any reaction. Jimin stayed quiet.

Y/N decided to try, maneuvering around her brother and stopping two steps above Jimin’s. Kneeling down, she paused before gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “Jimin.”

His shoulders started shaking, and her heart dropped as she heard the beginning sounds of suppressed crying.

He wasn’t okay, and maybe hadn’t been this entire time.

Looking up at her brother, they shared a look of concern before she sat beside him, keeping a hand on his shoulder. Hoseok joined them, taking a seat on the other side of him. They didn’t look at him, respecting his need to cry.

They didn’t know what was wrong, and maybe Jimin wouldn’t tell them anything at all, but that wouldn’t stop them for being there for him. So they let him cry. Here and there, Y/N would rub his shoulder affectionately, hoping he didn’t feel alone. It may have been a year since she saw him, but it wouldn’t stop her from being there for him.

When the crying ceased and the sniffles were few and far between, he raised his head. She still didn’t look at him, and she had a feeling Hoseok didn’t either. They simply waited.

They listened as he cleared his throat, tipping his head back to look at the stars.

The beautiful thing about stars is that even when your world is turned upside down, they remain permanent, a constant in the chaos.

“I’m not happy.” From the corner of her eye, she saw the air leave his chest, his shoulders relax. He continued. “I haven’t been since I started college. Everyone says that it’s the homesickness, that eventually you’ll get into the groove of things. When months passed, and nothing has changed, it only got worse. I’m stuck. And I don’t know what to do.”

He took a moment to collect himself. His voice became stronger as he continued, as if the more he talked, the more weight dissipated from his shoulders.

“I hate school. I hate my life over there. I’m not myself, and I’m putting up a front every single day just so I can pretend it’s not the life I chose. I hate my major, I don’t know when I started hating it but somewhere along the way I realized it’s not what I want anymore. Y/N,” Her name startled her into looking at him. He was already looking at her, his eyes shining and his cheeks damp. “I lied to you earlier. I acted just like I’ve been acting all these months. I’ve always been taught to put up a brave face, that even if I’m crumbling, to never show anyone I need help. It’s not what I should do, simply because my whole life I’ve had everything figured out. When in reality… I want to be home.”

She and Hoseok watched him now, how he slowly began to talk softer, his eyes finding the ground. Although his voice was soft, his conviction was hard and set into his words. “Being home, I feel like myself. I just want to stay. I don’t belong at that school, studying what I’m studying, being someone I’m not. And maybe I’m not meant to be here for good, either. I just know that I belong here, surrounded by the people that care about me and make me feel like myself. That’s all I want and… being here with you guys so strongly reminds me of all of that. I just don’t know what to do.”

They waited until they knew he was completely done before Hoseok jumped in, ducking his head to watch Jimin’s face. “Why don’t you talk to your parents?”

Jimin immediately shook his head. “I just can’t.”

“Why not?”

He raised his voice before it grew soft again. “Because! Because… they insist on me being strong, to following through with whatever I start. I told them how much I loved my major, they expect so much from me. I can’t crumble for them. I have to be strong for them. I have to be strong for my mom! She needs to see me be strong! She can’t see me fail!”

“Jimin…” His voice was urgent, his words fast, but Y/N sensed there was more to his words. She waited until he was looking at her. “Why do you feel like you need to be strong for them?”

“She’s… She’s sick,” Jimin’s face crumbled at his words, Y/N’s own heart shattering at the sight. She wrapped her arms around him, letting him cry into her shoulder. Hoseok looked at her, at a loss for words. He reached over and gripped Jimin’s forearm, letting him know he was there.

This time around, the silence was thick with weight. Y/N’s mind was wheeling, searching and searching for anything to say. Her mind came up blank, and she wished with her entire being that there was a way for Jimin to come out of this unscathed.

“I belong here,” He cried quietly, pulling away from her arms, “And she’ll insist that I stay over there, that I pretend she’s okay.”

“So you tell her that you love her. And that you’re going to stay here and be strong for her.” Hoseok spoke sternly.

“But-”

“Jimin, you’re not happy over there. And I’ve known you and your family for a long time. Your mom wouldn’t want you to be miserable. If your dream is to be home, to be yourself, then you gotta tell her that you want to be here. It’s going to be terrifying, and they might not want you to at first, but they love you. They only want what’s best for you.”

“What if they… what if they refuse?”

Hoseok frowned, then nodded once. “Then that’s when you do what’s best for you. And hope that with time, they accept it.”

“I can’t upset her right now. She needs me to be strong.”

“Jimin,” Y/N took the soft approach, “In order for you to be strong for her, you have to let her know the way to do that is to be home. Once you’re home, you can be happy and then figure out all of the other things that are worrying you, like school and your passion. The only way for you to do that is to tell them how you feel. All you can do is try.”

“They love you. And they’ll see it’s taking a toll on you,” Hoseok added. “And you’ll come home.”

Jimin ducked his head again, sniffling and nodding at their words.

Silence ensued, different from the first two. It was a non-judgmental silence, one that took in its companions and offered them some time. It was just what Jimin needed.

“Thank you guys. Really.”

“You don’t have to thank us,” Y/N responded.

Jimin looked over at her, gratitude oozing from his gaze. “I really do.” He ran his hands through his hair, sighing deeply before saying, “You know, being out here reminds me of high school.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Hoseok said.

“Yeah. I remember this one time, when I spent the night. Y/N and I had to be like fourteen. We had convinced you to play hide and seek out here.”

“He was so scared! We were trying so hard not to laugh at our hiding spots, because he hadn’t even been looking for two minutes before he threatened to go back inside,” Y/N laughed through her words.

Hoseok narrowed his eyes at them. “Yeah, I remember that. Jimin jumped out of the bushes and scared me so bad, I slipped on the wet grass.”

“That was priceless. Absolute gold,” Jimin exclaimed. “And then you pulled Y/N and me down with you.”

“We laid on the grass so long that night, we got sick and then we got in trouble for it,” Hoseok added, the three of them drawn to look up at the sky in memory.

“But it didn’t matter to us, then,” Y/N said softly, “Because the stars were so beautiful that night.”

“You know, I can almost be certain that they look like they did that night all those years ago,” Hoseok said, moreso directed at Jimin. And she watched as Jimin looked up at the sky, how it looked back at him, and how Hoseok’s words made him smile to himself.

~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Lights

As the night grew darker and colder, the amount of people in the house started to thin out. Her aunt, uncle, and their children left a little after midnight. The Parks were getting ready to leave, and Y/N could tell Jimin was nervous to face what he had to do. If she got the chance, she would pull him aside to talk to him one last time.

Taeyeon was dozing off on the couch, so Taehyung was debating whether or not to leave as well. He was looking at her fondly, before he uttered to Y/N, “This might be the best Christmas Eve she’s ever had. I… I’ve tried so hard to give that to her but there was nothing like that joy on her face playing with your little cousins.”

Y/N rested her hand on his upper arm, waiting for him to look at her. “Tae, you’ve always given her the best gift of all. Your love. And because you love her so much, you’ve gone to the lengths of trying your hardest to give her the best Christmas every single year. That’s what matters. Not whether or not she gets to play with kids, or even if it’s not some grand gesture. She’ll see that and appreciate it more than she’ll comprehend when she’s older.”

Taehyung looked at her, fully looked at her with so much emotion in that moment, she felt everything he was feeling. Rubbing his arm, she allowed him to take a breath and regain his composure, before he mouthed, “Thank you.”

She nodded her head, before turning just in time to see the Parks heading for the door. She stepped away, walking over to Jimin and catching him before he walked out the door. “Hey. Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Yeah, sure. My parents are going to get stuck outside talking to yours anyway. They’ve never understood the concept of goodbye,” Jimin joked, but she saw the unease in his eyes, heard it in his voice.

“Hey,” She lowered her voice, “It’s going to be okay. You have all of us, especially Hoseok and me, rooting for you. This is what’s best for you. I know it’s hard and scary, but your parents need to hear how you feel. You should never feel like you have to pretend.”

He nodded along, rubbing his hands together anxiously and looking over his shoulder at his parents. Just then, his jittery nature calmed down and his hands froze in their movements. He was looking at them for a prolonged moment, before he whispered, “I’m going to be okay.”

“You are.”

He looked at her then, before he said, “I better get going. It was… really nice to see you again.”

The way he looked at her transferred her back to high school, when her heart would flutter like his eyes did at her. His voice was as soft as she remembered, and she could almost fool herself into being young again, except this time around she was aware of the growth they’ve both experienced. That, and she wasn’t a young girl with a crush on him anymore.

Nonetheless, she found herself shuffling under his gaze, just like she used to. Her hands fiddled with the bottom of her sweater, just like they used to. It was like his gaze was all-knowing, and she needed to look away from him for a moment. Old habits die hard.

She cleared her throat. “It was nice to see you too. I’m really glad you made it.”

“I am too. I missed you and your crazy brother.”

“He is a little crazy, isn’t he?”

“Who’s crazy?” Hoseok thundered in her ear, making her recoil from the sound. Pushing him away, he laughed like he was Santa, before he rushed forward and bear-hugged Jimin. The latter tried to fight the hold, voice raising in alarm when Hoseok started ruffling his hair, before giving up altogether with a wide smile.

After they settled down, Hoseok whispered something to him, and Jimin gave him a soft look. He nodded at him and expressed his thanks, before Hoseok walked outside to tell the Parks goodbye.

“Well, Merry Christmas, Jimin,” Y/N said softly.

He smiled, before he stepped closer and opened his arms to her. Stepping into the embrace, it was high school all over again. It was strange how some things never changed. She could recognize there was a slight shift though. The embrace wasn’t as tight as another from her memory, wasn’t the same scent. The embrace was different from Yoongi’s. This was a friend’s embrace.

“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”

“Let’s go, Jimin!” His dad’s voice bellowed. Jimin held up a hand for everyone else in the room, everyone saying their goodbyes before he strode out the door. Y/N waved at his parents, hoping with everything in her heart that they were understanding whenever he decided to talk to him.

“I think that’s our cue as well. Taeyeon can barely keep her eyes open,” Taehyung announced, holding the little girl’s hand in question. Y/N’s heart ached at the sight, her sleepy eyes blinking slower and her grip on her brother’s hand light.

“Awww. My favorite girl is leaving?” Hoseok asked, kneeling down in front of her.

“I’m sorry. It’s Tae. I would stay if I could choose,” She told him seriously. Hoseok laughed while Taehyung simply shook his head.

“Well, Merry Christmas! I’m really happy you guys joined us this year. You’re more than welcome to join us next year.”

Taeyeon’s eyes lit up like christmas lights, tugging on Taehyung’s hand, “Can we come next year? Can we? Can we, please?”

Taehyung pretended to think about it before he grinned down at her, “Of course we can!” His smile softened at her cheers, before he told the siblings, “I’d really like that.”

Y/N and Hoseok switched off saying goodbye to each of them before they walked them over to the door. She advised them to keep their coats on tight, it was really cold out.

“Text me when you get home, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Merry Christmas, Tae. I’m really happy you decided to come.”

“So am I,” He told her, before hugging her and whispering, “Thank you for everything.” He pulled away from their embrace and turned to the room who housed the last face left in the room: Jungkook. “Merry Christmas, mon ami!”

Jungkook saluted him. “Merry Christmas!”

As Taehyung stopped to say his goodbyes to their parents who still hadn’t finished talking to the Parks, Hoseok uttered, “Glad they hit it off.”

“We definitely all have to get together again.”

The sound of Seokjin’s laugh grabbed their attention, and they turned to see him leaving the kitchen with Namjoon. It seemed like they were in the middle of gathering their things as Seokjin shrugged on his coat.

“We better head out too. It’s getting too late for me.”

Namjoon added, “He may look young, but he’s a grandpa.”

His brother slugged him at that, and Y/N was amused as Namjoon pretended it didn’t hurt. She told them, “I’m really glad you guys came. My parents love you.”

“They’re the best. If it weren’t for them, this guy and me would be eating takeout tonight.”

“Seriously. Dinner was so good,” Namjoon uttered longingly.

They walked over, and Hoseok led them to the door. Just then, their parents finally came inside. Their mom was quick to say, “Oh, you guys are leaving already?”

Seokjin paused, as if finding the words. “We know everyone is leaving and we didn’t want to

overstep.”

“Don’t ever feel like you’re overstepping. You’re always welcome,” Their mom said. Their dad nodded in agreement.

“Thank you for that. We appreciate that.”

“Yes, thank you. It was nice to be surrounded by warm people on a cold day,” Namjoon added.

Y/N’s mom softened at that, telling him, “And Namjoon. I’m very glad we got to know you tonight. You are as amazing as your brother says.”

He looked shocked at that, his eyes shooting to Seokjin. His brother pretended not to notice, though he did look a bit smug. Namjoon searched for the words, rubbing at his neck shyly before he mustered up, “Ah, thank you. That means a lot.”

Their dad opened the door, angling it so the two of them could walk out. Seokjin walked out last, only to turn around and tell the family, “Thank you for tonight. It was… everything I needed. I’ll always be grateful for what you guys do for me.”

Her mom said, “It’s nothing, Jin. We will always look out for you and your brother.”

“It’s everything,” He told her as his face remained serious, before he looked past her at the pair of siblings and smiled up at them. “It was nice to finally meet you two. Their praise of you was well-deserved.”

Hoseok held back a smile as he called, “And so was yours.”

Seokjin merely shook his head before saying, “Merry Christmas!” It triggered a chorus of the phrase, until they watched them get safely into their house.

The day was now at its end, with the same five from the beginning.

“I can’t believe it’s over. It flew by,” Jungkook muttered a few minutes later, the trio of them squished onto the couch together.

Y/N’s parents had put on a Christmas movie in the background, and the two of them were cuddling on the recliner.

“That’s how Christmas is. Slow to come, quick to end,” Y/N told him.

“That’s what makes it so special,” Hoseok threw out there. Y/N and Jungkook hummed in agreement. The three of them were pretty sleepy, but they didn’t want to disturb the atmosphere.

It was a calm night to end the special day.

Jungkook was the first to retire to bed, expressing his thanks and announcing a goodnight. They could tell how tired he was, and they also saw in his face that he wanted to be alone for a while.

Y/N thought about him, about Taehyung, about Jimin. She thought about Jin and how each of them had been having a rough time. She thought about Hoseok, how up until a couple of days ago he felt alone.

She came to the realization that Christmas didn’t make everything perfect, didn’t suddenly dismiss all of the problems someone has on any given day. Christmas isn’t miraculous, at least in the sense that it makes everything disappear. What Christmas does is quiets those issues, highlights the love and the warmth that already exists. Christmas reminds you of what you have, and what you can give to other people.

That’s why Christmas feels rare, because it’s one of those days where you’re showered in what you deserve, and people aren’t used to feeling what they deserve.

“I have an idea.” Hoseok whispered to his sister. She glanced at him, wondering why he was whispering. She noticed that her parents had dozed off in each other’s arms.

“Hit me,” Y/N whispered back.

“It’s a surprise gift for Jungkook.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP, WALRUS!”

Her eyes flew open as she shot up in bed, her heart racing. Looking around, her eyes fell on her smiley brother standing at the foot of her bed. Giving him an icy stare, she fell back in bed and tried to get comfortable once more. It wasn’t even a moment of bliss before Hoseok grabbed a hold of her comforter and ripped it off of her.

“Hobi, I promise you that if you don’t stop messing with me, I’m going to tell everyone why we used to call you Huggies.”

“It’s Christmas, Ebenezer! Get up and come downstairs!”

She groaned, hating be woken up early. She couldn’t control the smile that had fallen on her lips at his words, stumbling out of bed.

Hoseok looked pleased, but it disappeared all too soon when Y/N rushed over to him and blew air in his face. He screamed- a little too high-pitched if someone asked her- as he pushed her away, face contorting in disgust. “That’s so nasty! Go brush your teeth, garbage mouth!”

“You love me.”

“Unfortunately. Now hurry up and meet us downstairs!”

She took a few minutes freshening up before she met them downstairs. She found her dad, Jungkook, and Hoseok watching tv. Hoseok had managed to get Jungkook to wear reindeer antlers, and she silently fawned over how adorable he looked.

“Here!” Hoseok thrust a Christmas tree headband into her hands, before he quickly placed one of those christmas light necklaces over her head.

“Isn’t this a bit much?”

“You mean, not enough?” He told her seriously, smoothing down his ugly sweater. She shared a look with Jungkook, happy to know that someone else got to see this crazy side of her brother.

“Merry Christmas, everyone!” Everyone responded, the boys mostly distracted by the television screen. She walked over and leaned down to give her dad a kiss on the cheek, before she asked where her mom was.

No one had to answer, because she could hear her mom bustling around in the kitchen. She joined her, helping out in any way that she could.

This was her favorite way to spend Christmas morning: a calm morning after a busy Christmas Eve.

It was everything she had wished for: to have Hoseok home, and for everyone to be together again.

“Call the boys. It’s time for breakfast.”

It was after breakfast that she gave Hoseok the signal. She was in the middle of distracting Jungkook with a story, watching as Hoseok not so smoothly took Jungkook’s phone from beside him. He looked panicked after a few moments, showing her that he had guessed the password wrong.

She stuttered in her story, watching as Jungkook looked at her with mild worry. She waved it off, smoothly continuing on and noticing that Hoseok figured it out. He was quick, disappearing into another room.

It was a couple minutes later, and Hoseok still wasn’t back. She was starting to get worried because there was a lull in her conversation with Jungkook, and it was at any moment that he was going to notice his phone was-

“Hm. That’s weird.”

Her heart jumped. “What is?”

“I thought I put my phone right here-”

“Jungkook! Come here for a second!” Hoseok called from the living room. Jungkook’s eyebrow lifted in question, but Y/N merely shrugged. She waited for him to lead the way before following closely behind. They walked into the living room, Hoseok standing in the middle with his hands behind his back.

“What’s up?” Jungkook asked cautiously.

“Well,” Hoseok took a deep breath, “We’re really happy you got to spend Christmas with us. But, we all know it happened because the unfortunate events of you not being able to catch a flight. However, in this day and age, it’s a little easier to see your loved ones. So,” He pulled the phone out from his back, revealing his family on the screen, “Merry Christmas!”

Jungkook’s eyes widened, watching as his family shouted Merry Christmas, his mom as beautiful as he described. He was frozen for a moment, before his face broke into the happiest smile she ever saw on him, him lurching forward to grab onto the phone.

“Guys! I miss you so much,” His voice faltered, before the smile returned, “I wanted to video call but I felt like I would disturb you.”

“Disturb us? Of course not! It’s Christmas. We’re just so glad you’re well taken care of,” His mom said on the other line.

His dad said, “Can’t wait for you to join us tomorrow.”

She looked away to give him some privacy, hearing how tender his voice had become as he whispered, “I can’t wait to be with you guys, too.”

~~~~~~~~~~

The following evening, in the middle of watching yet another Christmas movie with the boys, Hoseok began acting strange. He was huddled in the corner on his least favorite chair in the living room, tapping away at his phone.

After asking him several times what he was doing, Y/N threateningly got up to go to him, and he freaked out. He yelled- again, a little too high-pitched for her ears- before he raced off to his room.

“What’s up with him?” Y/N asked. “I was only messing with him.”

“I stopped asking myself that a long time ago,” Jungkook responded, unbothered by Hoseok’s antics.

She decided to ignore it, sitting back down and continuing to watch the movie. About fifteen minutes later, Hoseok re-entered the living room. She didn’t look at him at first, assuming he was going to stop acting weird and finish the movie with him. After he stood in the entryway for too long to be normal, she looked up at him and instantly grew confused.

He was dressed to go out, his warm clothes a telltale sign that he intended to leave. His next words confirmed that. “I have to head out really quick. I’ll be back soon.”

“Where are you going?” Y/N asked, suspicious. On top of his weird behavior, he was suddenly leaving?

“Yeah. You didn’t mention having to do anything,” Jungkook added.

“Well- Well, I need to go get something from the store,” Hoseok rushed out as he rushed to the front door. This time, she wouldn’t let it slide as she raced to grab him before he made it out the door.

“Why are you acting so funny? What are you doing?”

“Nothing, Y/N! I have to take care of some business! Just let me be!”

“Why can’t we go with you?” Jungkook asked casually, unmoving from the couch as he stuffed some popcorn into his mouth. Noticing Hoseok’s pointed stare, he said, “What? Just a question.”

“Because.”

“Because why?” She narrowed her eyes, noticing he wouldn’t look at her. He was too nervous, too suspicious. He had always been bad at hiding things.

“Because I said so! Now leave me alone, you gremlins! I’ll be back!”

Just like that, he disappeared. She was entirely confused, wondering why he had to rush out like that and what he could possibly be hiding that he had to keep from her and Jungkook.

“Maybe he’s getting us a present?” She offered up to Jungkook.

He looked over at her and shrugged. “Who knows with him. Maybe he just wanted a dessert and didn’t want to have to pay for us.”

“He’s not like that!”

“He’s like that with me,” He scoffed playfully, before the conversation ended.

She looked down at her phone. 8:03 PM. There was nothing she could do now, so she tried to focus on the movie.

Around an hour and a half later, she got a text from her brother. Only, it wasn’t a text but he had shared a location with her. Clicking on it, she felt worry build realizing it wasn’t a place, but a road.

Was he in trouble?

“Jungkook.” He looked over at her. “Hoseok’s worrying me. He just sent me a random location. It just looks like a road.”

“You know what this means, right?”

“What?” She asked him. Jungkook sat up quickly.

“He’s sending us on a scavenger hunt!”

“Or to our death.”

“Highly doubt he could. Come on! Let’s go!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes! Now come on! Get your coat on!” She had never seen him so pumped up, and now she was really worried. As she got her coat on, she tried to call her brother but to no avail. What was going on?

It didn’t take long to reach the spot, though the drive was completely nerve-wracking. Had he been in an accident? Why hadn’t he answered when she called and why had he still not called her back?

And Jungkook was acting weird now, too, drumming his fingers on his thigh. When she tried to strike up a conversation, he gave her short and distracted answers.

It was a twenty minute drive to the road that Hoseok had sent to her. She recognized one of the cars- her parents’ car, parked on the side of the road. Right behind it was a car she didn’t recognize.

What was going on?

Just as she asked herself that question, she pulled in front of her parents’ car and parked the car, looking into the rearview mirror. Seeing two figures sitting in the car, she watched them for a moment.

“Who is that?” She asked herself.

Like magic, her question was answered as both car doors opened. She peeked out the side mirror on the left, seeing her brother shaking his body up and down, likely from the cold. She narrowed her eyes at the right mirror, studying the figure who stood at the front hood of her parents’ car.

Her eyes looked over his dark curtain of hair, his head tilted to her brother. His hands were buried in his long dark coat, his entire ensemble as dark as Jungkook’s was when she first met him.

She took in his lanky figure, his familiar stance and his distant but familiar features, and her heart jumped.

Unclipping her seatbelt, she quickly fumbled for the car door and rushed out into the cold, the air slapping her and trying to discourage her. Nothing could stop her, though, as she raced through the cold, past her brother and right toward her warmth.

Yoongi barely had time to register she was racing right toward him before he opened his arms and she fell into them.

It was falling into a warm bath, washing over her body and soul. He was her haven, protecting her from the cold and from all of the hardships she had recently overcame.

He was here, right in front of her.

And she couldn’t gather the words to express how happy she was to be with him.

“You’re here,” she whispered into his chest, inhaling his cologne. He chuckled a little, adjusting his grip on her.

Kissing the side of her head, he said, “I am.”

“How? I thought you were just going to stay with your family today.”

He pulled away, looking at her with smiley eyes. A side of his mouth tugged upward as he declared, “I did stay with my family today. It’s night time now.”

“Yoongi…” Her eyes looked anywhere but him. Shuffling in place, he tightened his grip on her to keep her from being embarrassed, “You didn’t have to. I’m sorry if you felt like you had to leave your family-”

“I’m going to stop you right there. I didn’t have to do anything, that’s true. But I missed you and wanted to see you. That’s why I wanted to surprise you. Except, things didn’t go so well,”He hissed at the last words, his eyes going to the car she didn’t recognize. “I should’ve listened to my mom when she said the car’s been having problems.”

“Ah, so that car is your mom’s.”

“Yeah. She gave me the idea to surprise you.”

“Really?” Her entire body stiffened with nerves. “You told her about us?”

He gave her a look of disbelief. “I told her the day I met you that you were going to be my future girlfriend.”

“Seriously?” She choked on a laugh, not aware that he had told his family before she even got around to telling her family they were together. Of course, they knew of Yoongi, but she assumed they thought they were friends. She was just so nervous to tell them, especially given that he was Hoseok’s friend.

He cracked a smile, gently playing with her hair and looking her over. “Yes, seriously. She was nervous about letting me use the car, and now I know why. But using it led me to this moment. So I don’t regret it.”

“You’re amazing,” She said, breathlessly. They stared at each other for a moment, losing themselves in each other’s eyes. He tilted his head a bit, his telltale that he was going to kiss her, until Hoseok cut in.

“Not to ruin the lovely moment, but it is freezing out here and I really don’t want to see my sister kiss anyone. Mind if we get in the car?”

“Sure, Hoseok. Thank you,” Yoongi’s voice was dripped in sarcasm.

They all gathered in their parents’ car, Hoseok turning on the heater.

“So,” Y/N pointed at her brother, “He knew about it.”

Yoongi looked unamused. “Yes. And did a real crappy job at not being suspicious.”

Hoseok whirled around from the driver’s seat. “Hey! It’s not my fault she knows me so well! She can tell the moment I start acting different!”

Yoongi shot back, “Then don’t act different.”

Y/N said, “Doesn’t help that he screamed like a baby when I acted like I was going to take his phone.”

“All that matters is she didn’t figure out you were coming,” Hoseok threw his hands up. They all laughed at how offended he was acting.

“I knew too. Well, after I asked if we could come he texted me and went off on me,” Jungkook told her.

“See? Now, Jungkook knows how to act less suspicious,” Y/N pointed out.

Hoseok shook his head. “You guys suck.”

Yoongi and Y/N shared a smile, him reaching out to intertwine their fingers. It was a moment she engraved in her mind, sitting in that back seat waiting for a tow truck.

She vaguely listened as Hoseok described his grand idea of calling her out to his location, calling it more “romantic” if she came to see him where he broke down instead of him bringing Yoongi back to the house.

She hummed along, mostly distracted by Yoongi’s presence. He was breath-taking, absolutely stunning. He was wearing a maroon turtleneck, probably for the occasion. His hair was swept barely above his eyes, which were in the middle of looking her over as well.

Suddenly, she grew embarrassed considering she was still in her pajamas and the apparel that Hoseok had forced them to wear this morning. At least Jungkook had taken off his antlers.

Yoongi leaned over, uttering into her ear, “You look so cute.”

She smiled down at their intertwined hands, rubbing her thumb over his. “So do you.”

They tilted their heads together, her heart racing.

“Merry Christmas, Y/N.”

“Merry Christmas, Yoongi.”

There it was. Somehow, in some way, it always worked out. Even if it was the slightest shift.

Christmas had already been perfect. But her gift was right here beside her, her Christmas in a person was with her.

She couldn’t ask for anything better.

“Now,” Hoseok clapped his hands at the tow truck pulled up behind their line of cars, grinning back at Yoongi, “You ready to meet my parents?”

Yoongi nodded confidently. “Of course.”

The mischief danced in Hoseok’s eyes. “You ready to meet them as Y/N’s boyfriend?”

She watched the fear enter Yoongi’s eyes, reaching forward to shove Hoseok. She ignored his scream, lying her head on Yoongi’s shoulder.

“They’re going to love you.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I love you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

About a week later, the photos that her mom had taken on Christmas were finally developed. She was a sentimental woman, one who liked to buy those old-fashioned ones you had to get developed at a CVS Pharmacy.

She laid them all out on the table, looking them over one by one.

There was a photo of Taehyung and Taeyeon, posed near the Christmas Tree. She was on his back, both of them in the midst of laughing.

A picture of Hoseok and Y/N, backs against each other and finger guns poised. They were standing near the family Stockings, the ones that Hoseok insisted on every year.

Jungkook in a candid photo of him checking out the Nutcracker she put out on the mantle every single year, studying it.

A photo of Seokjin with his arm around Namjoon’s shoulders, both of them unsmiling but comfortable. They were posed as if they were two Carolers, awaiting someone to open the door.

A picture of Jimin helping adjust the Angel at the top of the tree, his parents in the background smiling proudly at him.

Other pictures of everyone scattered about.

The last photo of the disposable camera was at the bottom of the pile, a picture of Yoongi, Y/N, and Hoseok, outside and surrounded by the porch’s Christmas Lights.

It was a beautiful Christmas. Not perfect to most, but perfect to them.

#angelo works

Trending Tags

Recently Viewed Tags

#angelo works