"You got me, I dream while looking at you, I got you. Inside those pitch-black nights, the lights we saw in each other, were saying the same thing."

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The loneliest Christmas of Rein's life was spent inside her hotel room with nothing but her guilty conscience. Yoongi and Namjoon did her the service of meeting her at the nearby bar after the fight, in which she mostly babbled incoherent words while Namjoon secretly watered down her drinks.

His shared side-glances didn't go past her unnoticed, but she said nothing and kept up her ignorant front throughout.

"You're saying you don't have any Christmas plans?" Yoongi asked at one point, cutting off Rein's half-buzzed pity party.

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" she said a little too loudly, and she grimaced into her drink as the attention of a few of the people there gravitated towards her. The boys said nothing as she tried to think of the right words.

She elaborated, "I'm alone here", looking up at the two boys with a forced smile. "Excluding you guys, of course."

"Well, we'll have to just make some plans, won't we?" Namjoon said. Rein furrowed her eyebrows.

"Aren't you, like, on vacation for Christmas, or something?" Yoongi stifled his laughter by drinking out of his bottle.

"Uh... We don't really... Have vacation," Namjoon attempted to explain, a small smile blooming on his face, though it never reached his eyes.

"Oh, I totally know that's not true," Rein said. "According to a standard contract, each person must have-"

"At least fifteen days annually for personal recreation. Yes, I read the contract, too. But, Yoongi and I don't rest during that time. We stay on that grind, you know?" Namjoon said with a shrug.

"Well, that sounds honestly gross. You'll be as miserable as I am, I guess," she groaned. To her surprise, however, Namjoon only shook his head.

"You won't be lonely for Christmas. I promise you that." She had looked at Yoongi for confirmation, only to be met with an equally confused expression.

That was close to a week ago, and Christmas presented itself as a gift Rein wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. She didn't expect Namjoon or Yoongi to make plans with her that day, but she had let wishful thinking consume her, even going as far as to get him a gift in hopes of meeting him.

There was no call from her mother as expected. The cold war had begun once again, and Rein couldn't be bothered to be the one to end it.

The window was a blinding white, thick with heavy snowfall. Beyond it, she could make out the people milling about with their friends, the ones that didn't spend time with their family on the holiday. Snow piled up in grey mounds at the end of each block as street cleaners rid the sidewalks of the impurity, in fear of ruining numerous suede shoes of the citizens of Gangnam.

Everything about it reminded her of Colorado, how much she loved and sought the solitude it held. Her thoughts and mind were alone in the cabin, something she could never dream of getting in LA.

But this time, she didn't want to be alone.

Why do I have to be alone on Christmas of all days?

She tried her best to occupy herself with whatever she could find around the hotel. Studying Korean, listening to music, hell, even going through the bits of choreography from the music video she still remembered, but nothing did the trick. Everything reminded her of the fact that she was a fish out of water, not belonging in the cage she called a room. It was the poor mockery of a Christmas wonderland that she was so promised in the states, and maybe if she had went back to Austin she wouldn't be here-

There was a knock at her door, making her snap her head up in confusion. Another set of knocks, this time sharper. Rein didn't move. She wasn't expecting any visitors. And for that matter, her bodyguards never knocked like that.

Unless it wasn't her bodyguards.

Suddenly, cold fear forced its way into her body, paralyzing her. Her once pessimistic view on Christmas was swiftly replaced with a weariness of the unknown, the unpredicted.

The knocks came harder, impatience ringing in each one. Rein stood up, and steadying her resolve, made her way to the door.

"Who is it?" she said, her voice shaking. 

"Why are you so scared? It's just me, Namjoon," he said. The weight on her heart lifted as she opened the door with a roll of her eyes.

Thank god.

"I'm not scared. Just... Cautious," Rein said. "What are you doing here?" Namjoon smiled and brought out a bucket of chicken and a wrapped box from behind him.

"Merry Christmas," he said simply. She felt herself tear up and was surprised at the rare burst of emotion. What were the odds that Kim Namjoon, the person she most wanted to see at that moment, would appear at her very doorstep, bearing gifts?

She invited him in and let him put the presents on the kitchen table, then set aside some chairs for them to sit in. After some small talk about the traffic due to snowfall, she went back to her inquiry.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again.

"I told you you wouldn't be lonely for Christmas, didn't I?" Namjoon said with a wink. She nodded, then cursed as realization sank in.

"I'm not impeding on your time to work, am I? Oh, god, I'm so sorry-"

"No, no. And besides, even if it were, I know who my priorities lie with," he said, putting a hand on her arm.

Unlike me, I suppose. She reddened and tried to smile casually.

"Soo... What's in that thing?" Rein asked, motioning to the wrapped box. He looked over and scratched his head.

"I could tell you, but it wouldn't be as fun if I spoiled the surprise." She puckered her lip into a fake pout.

"Fine. Would you let me open it now, though?" He nodded.

"If you want," he replied. With a grin, she approached the box, wondering what could be inside it. It was a perfect cube, and when she shook it, there was only a dull rattle. Namjoon stood with his arms crossed, a faint smile on his face.

After thinking for a moment, she opened it, finding another box within it. She turned to Namjoon with a skeptical look, but he urged her to open it further.

"If this turns out to be a huge troll..." Rein didn't finish the sentence as she pulled out a sparkling silver necklace. On it was a pendant of a bird flying away from an opened cage.

"Holy shit," she gasped, turning it over in her hand. "Namjoon..." He got up and joined her.

"Do you like it?" he asked from behind her.

"I... I love it," she replied, turning to him. She realized how close he was and took a step back, clearing her throat. "Could you help me put it on?"

"Of course." Putting the necklace in his hands, she turned back around as he fastened it. She shivered each time his fingers brushed across the back of her neck.

As soon as she felt his hands leave her skin, Rein walked over to the mirror to examine the pendant further. It rested nicely, just level with her collarbone; it was elegant and simple at the same time.

My type.

"What gave you the idea to get me this?" she asked. Namjoon sat down on the chair, gazing at her with a lazy grin.

"Our album, mostly. But you remind me of a bird in a cage sometimes, and um, I don't know. It just reminded me of you is all," he said.

"Oh, Namjoon..." Without thinking, Rein gave him a quick hug, taking him by surprise. He stood with his arms at his side for a second, then wrapped them around her waist. She could feel her body heat permeating through her blouse, and she wished they could stay like that forever.

However, she pulled back when she remembered the gift she had gotten him.

"Wait, I got you something, too!" Rein exclaimed, digging through her closet for the box. Namjoon kinked an eyebrow.

"You did, huh?" She nodded and pulled it out, giving it to him with outstretched arms.

"It's not as fancy as your gift, but I thought you'd like it," she said. "I didn't even know you were going to come over, so..." Namjoon gave her a dubious look.

"Of course I'd come over. It's Christmas," he said. Before she could respond, he was already tearing into the present, beaming when he saw what was inside.

What do you think?" Rein asked tentatively. Her favorite part about his reaction was the dimples that showed through on his cheeks.

His present was a grey and black plaid scarf, made out of thick wool to combat the Seoul winters. She realized he probably had a closet full of them and wondered if she should've gotten him something more unique.

"I say this is a great addition to my scarf collection!" Namjoon exclaimed as he put it on in front of the mirror, smiling when he finished adjusting it.

"We both like things around our neck, I guess," Rein said jokingly.

"That we do..." he murmured as he looked at her through the reflection.

"So, what do you wanna do, now that you're here?" she asked. "You're not planning on leaving soon, are you?" Namjoon shook his head.

"No way. It's cold as shit out there. I was planning on staying here forever, actually," he said with a wink. Rein shrugged.

"Fine by me, but seriously, we should find something to do," she said. They both thought until Namjoon came to a decision.

"How about a movie?" he offered. Rein motioned him into her bedroom, which had a sofa and flat-screen TV in the corner that doubled as a living room space. He hesitated before following her, then looked abashed at the sudden invitation until he saw the TV.

"Oh, okay. I thought you... Never mind. What movie would you like to watch?" he asked, scanning the room in curiosity. Rein silently cursed herself as she noticed the mess, but he didn't seem to notice.

"My all-time favorites are Avatar, Princess Bride, the Harry Potter series, Indiana Jones-"

"Did you say the Harry Potter series?" Namjoon cut in. She nodded, to which he gave a thumbs up.

"That's one of my favorites, too," he said with a smile. Rein smiled back.

"We have that in common then, don't we?"

She found the first Harry Potter movie on her computer and hooked it up to the flat-screen. After everything was prepared, the pair settled into the couch as the whimsical music started.

The gap between Namjoon and Rein closed significantly by the time the halfway mark of the movie approached. They started out by being on opposite ends of the couch, almost uncomfortably distant. Then, as time progressed, they scooted in closer, until they were shoulder to shoulder.

Rein's eyelids started to feel heavy then, but she resisted the urge to lean on his shoulder.

But he's so strong and steady... Imagine it... She shook the thoughts away.

Stop it, you creep. Resist. Resist!

She sat up straight and succeeded for a bit, but the movie seemed very dull, and the sounds began to fade away. Soon enough, she was in the gentle arms of sleep.

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A/N: 안녕 여러분! I hope you all enjoyed this semi-long chapter! Make sure to vote, leave any feedback in the comments or just straight up PM me to really let me know what you thought!

Today's QOTD is a "Would You Rather". Here it goes:

Q: Who would you rather be stuck in an elevator with: Taehyung or Hoseok?

My answer would probably be Hoseok because he'd find light in the situation instead of having a total meltdown like me... Comment your answer down below!

Until next time, happy reading!

- Haneul xoxo