CHRISTMAS!

songs!
last christmas........... wham!
all i want for christmas is you..... mariah carey
snowman............ sia
a nonsense christmas......... sabrina carpenter
somebody does love... agust d
carol of the bells............... mykola leontovych

🖤🩶🤍❤️

Carlos clenched his teeth, speaking to Dominick on the phone. Penelope was gone. Out of the country. Probably somewhere in Seoul, angry and scared at the same time. She couldn't believe they had threatened her with her dad, and she wanted to be back. She did message Jungkook a couple hundred times, frustrated even more with each one after realizing he'd finally blocked her. She was going to make them pay for it, just not sure when... Or how. Though her lack in the team had Carlos struggling. He wasn't good at killing, preferred taking the orders from Dominick, but now he had no choice but to get his hands dirty.

"Couldn't even follow a simple fucking order." Dominick scolded him on the other end of the line. He was allowed to call anyone once a week, for exactly five minutes, and his choice was always Carlos. Dominick had a single goal in mind, and it was to go through with his plan, smooth-sailing, and take revenge. Only a single mission: Lola must suffer.

Tucked away in the kitchen of his coffee shop, Carlos cleared his throat. He didn't want to disappoint Dominick. "Dom, I promise I'll do better."

"You better." The other criminal said, his menacing voice seeping through the speakers of Carlos's phone. "Because if I can't get my revenge on my baby sister, I'll certainly make sure to get it out on you." And with that, he ended the call, not a single breath more to waste.

Groaning, Carlos threw his phone across the counter and kicked the trash can beside him, before burying his face in his hands. He'd do it all for Dominick, even if it meant soaking his hands in blood.

❤️

It was Christmas. The group had separated to spend their mornings however they liked before they came back together for secret Santa. Giselle chose to visit her sister.

"So, what're you gonna do now?" She asked, sucking on a pineapple sour strip while the other blonde sat at her desk, shrugging. "Kinda cool, you have a dorm all to yourself."

Pressing her lips in a thin line, Emma sighed. "I dunno. It's kinda boring this way..." She took a minute to lean back and cross her legs. "So weird."

"What is?" Giselle did the same, arching a brow.

Emma shrugged again. It felt as though nothing really made sense, lately. "It's just that-" licking her lips, "she didn't even tell me anything. Just left. Don't even know where she is right now. Isn't that weird?" Emma locked eyes with Giselle.

In the quiet of her sister's dorm, Giselle cleared her throat. Nerves were bunched up in her joints, and the sour strip numbed her jaw painfully. The sugar itched her throat, uncomfortable. She coughed and took a sip of her water, setting the glass down carelessly. "Uhm- no...? Why would it be weird? It's Penelope. She's... like that."

Giselle would've loved to tell Emma all about it. How they were in a deep, murderous mess. How they were the reason Penelope left the country. Then again... Giselle wished she could just talk to Emma. Sometimes she forgot they were twins, and unless she looked in a mirror, she'd go days without remembering. She wondered when it was exactly, that they fell apart. Was it when they started college? Highschool? Or even before that? Was it in the womb? Were they truly so bad at sharing space? Maybe in another life, where Emma's older, and Giselle's her younger sister, they could've had the time and space for each other. Maybe they just weren't meant to be twins.

"I guess you're right." Emma pulled her out of her thoughts. "It's just, I dunno, not really something she'd do, y'know? Like, she would've at least told me she's leaving, or something... Anyways. What're you doing for Christmas?"

Giselle's smile stretched. "Doing secret Santa with the girls and stuff-" though her smile dropped when she noticed Emma's face. Sort of heartbroken. "Oh... I- do you wanna like, spend it with us?"

"No, thanks." Emma shook her head, clicking her tongue. "Is Namjoon doing it too?"

Giselle didn't want to beat around the bush. Softly, she nodded. There was something so utterly dismal about the fact that her sister was heartbroken, and yet if it meant she'd get back with Namjoon, Giselle didn't want her to be happy. Giselle wanted to be happy with Namjoon.

Emma wanted to ask her about Lola. She'd been losing her mind over the idea of it. Namjoon and Lola. It sounded like a joke. She thought they didn't like each other. What was it that Lola had... and she didn't? Sighing, "I've got a lot to study for, anyways. Can't do it. Oh! But I did hear from someone that you were doing secret Santa." she said.

"From who?"

"A guy named Jai...?" Emma answered, unsure. "He asked me for help, told me he picked Jin's name and wasn't sure what to get him."

"Jai got Jin?" Giselle questioned, leaning forward and stuffing another sour strip in her mouth. Hoseok's had warned them not to tell each other the names they had picked, or the gifts they'd get, but Giselle didn't think anything was wrong with a little prying. "Wait, why'd he ask you? And what did you tell him?"

"Saw me talking to him, asked me if I was his friend. She explained. "Told him to get fishing equipment. Jin loves to go fishing."

"And..." Giselle began. "How do you know that?"

There was a suggestive nature to her tone, which Emma dismissed with the swat of her hand. "He's my friend... Or, used to be, I guess."

"So weird." Giselle whispered. It was her turn to make the other blonde nervous. "You two were like, inseparable. And now you're barely talking."

"Things change." Emma shrugged. "Whatever." She rose to her feet, her knees cracking as she did, and jutted her head at the door. "I'm gonna study. Shoo."

Giselle rolled her eyes, didn't even try and fight against it. Arguing with Emma was like arguing with a wall. Standing up and taking her bag of pineapple sour strips with her, "See ya." she told her sister, before leaving.

Emma was left pondering about it all. Why did Penelope leave? Where did she leave? Was it for good? Why the fuck is she thinking about Jin all of a sudden?

She chose to bury her nose in a book, and study her thoughts away.

On Giselle's way out, "Gigi!" Kehlani spotted her walking down the hallway. "Wait up!"

"Lani!" Giselle greeted her with a smile.

Kehlani, out of breath, "This is urgent!" told her. "I'm meeting up with Destiny in like an hour, but I'm so glad I found you 'cause I need to ask you something important!"

"Sure! What's it about?"

"Taehyung." Kehlani answered.

Immediately, the blonde's brows arched. "Taehyung?"

❤️
one hour later

The two of them had decided to spend Christmas morning together, but only after getting their gifts for tonight.

"So how long y'all know Margot for?" Destiny asked over a paper cup of coffee. They were sat on a bench, choosing to spend their Christmas morning asking each other three questions to get to know one another.

Kehlani thought about it, shrugging, "Like, almost two years... It woulda been two years if she wasn't dead." she answered.

Not so silent, cars passed behind them, honking, engines roaring, and yet it was deafening. Destiny regretted bringing it up, and to change the subject, "Ask your question." she jutted her chin.

Nodding, "Uhm, ooh! Okay!" she then turned to her, eyes widening. "This is a good one, I hope you don't disappoint me."

"Damn!" Destiny leaned back, eyeing her new friend up and down. "Watchu boutta aks me? My body count?"

Kehlani laughed, rolling her eyes. "No! That's not important to me! I was gonna ask you your favorite Christmas song!"

That is important, Destiny thought. She had to think deeply about it, even thought deep down she knew the answer was buried within the lobes of her brain. She cleared her throat, holding up her hands defensively. "Imma say it, but you can't be judgin' me."

"I promise I won't." Kehlani nodded, leaning in curiously.

Destiny mirrored her, licking her lips. "Tyler the Creator's version of You're A Mean One."

Gasping, "Are you fucking for real?!" Kehlani wrapped her hands around the others', laughing.

"I said you can't judge, the fuck?!"

"I'm not!" In protest, Kehlani laughed loudly. "I just didn't expect that, holy shit! Tyler the Creator, huh?"

"The fuck's yours then?" Destiny, certainly offended, rolled her shoulders back, nodding down at her friend as if challenging her. "White Christmas?"

"What? No-" shaking her head, Kehlani cleared her throat. And without missing a beat, "All I want for Christmas is you!" She sang.

It put a baffled expression on Destiny's face. Eyes wide, jaw on the floor. She grabbed Kehlani's wrists and pulled her in. "What the fuck?! You can sing?!"

Humble in the way she shrugged, "Kinda." Kehlani giggled. "Go on, ask your second one."

Destiny knew not to push or pry, she'd get her to sing again eventually. Thinking, "Hmmm." she hummed before nodding, "Ooh, okay!" she leaned in. "Who'd you get for secret Santa?"

"We're not supposed to tell!" Kehlani rolled her eyes.

Destiny did the same, laughing. "Aight girl, just tried my luck. Damn, Ion know what the fuck to aks, like? Hmmm, okay. How many exes you got?"

"One." Kehlani answered simply.

Refreshing, Destiny thought. It was like a bucket of cold water on a hot day in the middle of a desert. Nodding, impressed, she snapped her fingers. "Okay miss I'm too good for y'all, miss I'm waiting on that special someone."

"Oh, shut it!" Throwing her head back, Kehlani cackled. "I'm just not a huge relationship person. Whatever, how many do you have?"

"Is that your second question?" Destiny bounced her brows suggestively.

Nodding, "Yeah. How many exes do you have?" Kehlani asked her.

Not so refreshing, Destiny thought. She didn't want to lie or beat around the bush about it. Licking her lips, clearing her throat, "Like, twenty-four."

She had expected her eyes to go wide, her jaw to drop, or at least a small and polite gasp from her lips, but all Kehlani did was nod. "Cool."

"Cool?"

"Yeah, cool." Kehlani told her. "You look like you know how to have fun, I'm sure all twenty-four of them had a blast dating you."

What. The. Fuck? This isn't good. In fact, this is bad. Terrible. Horrible. The way her heart was starting to beat? Destiny couldn't have this happening. She couldn't be this into her. Especially not after Kehlani's opinions on relationships. She tried laughing it off, taking a sip of her -now cold- coffee and looking everywhere but the girl in front of her.

❤️

On the other hand, Hoseok was locked in. Eyes piercing into Jai's soul like there was nothing else left on planet earth, like he'd been blindfolded his whole life, starved of something pretty to look at, and now that he could, he did. Chuckling, "Is there something on my face?" Jai asked him, elbows on the table, smiling through his words.

The rustic ambiance of the café had Hoseok in his feels, and the lovable sparkles in Jai's brown eyes weren't really helping his case. Shaking his head, "Uh, yeah!" he giggled, his lips forming into a heart. "Sorry just- excited for Christmas."

"I know. Me too." Jai hummed sweetly. He bit down on his bottom lip as he did, and brushed his medium locked out of his face. "Can't wait to see who everyone for for secret Santa."

"I'm curious about yours since you don't really know any of us that well."

"That's what I was concerned about too-" Jai nodded. "but I figured something out."

"Good." Hoseok nodded, sipping on his latte.

Forks and knives clattering softly on plates, ten other conversations being held over slices of seasonal pies and cookies, it was Hoseok's idea to spend their Christmas morning here. He enjoyed the vulnerability of such a little place because it forced everyone to sit closer to each other. Their knees were practically touching under the small round table.

Considering both their faces turning a slight blushed color of pink, the two must've been enjoying their morning. Flutters in their stomachs, they wondered if it was the cold weather, or something special...

❤️

"Where's everyone?" Jin had returned to the dorm after an early morning. The study hall needed to be decorated, and so did the huge Christmas tree at the entrance, since it had a bit of a delay in arrival. Everything was a little too rushed.

Sleepily, "Out." Namjoon answered. Half his face was buried in the couch, a blanket lazily thrown over his slouched body. He was never really one to get all giggly about Christmas, but never hated it, either. Never thought of stealing it like the Grinch, didn't care enough for it. He was more of an elf, but not a working one. He preffered staying on the shelf... The shelf being his bed, or a couch. Something he could sleep the day away on. He was meat with tired eyes, and so instead-

"JK's out with Lola, Suga hyung and Jimin are out too, and Hobi's with Jai." Taehyung answered. He wasn't nearly as sleepy, since he'd been doing that a lot more than usual, lately. He was stood in front of the mirror, combing his hair, getting ready for his Christmas morning. A simple breakfast with Giselle.

They were getting along just fine.

"Hobi's with Jai?" Jin repeated in a question, and after being met with a soft hum, "That was fast." he mumbled to himself. He couldn't imagine doing anything else in this moment, apart from taking a shower and unwinding before the hassle that was Christmas day at campus... And then there was secret Santa with the rest of the group, too.

In the same minute Taehyung put on his dress shoes and walked out the door, Jin had already ran the water and taken off his shirt. He took one last look at Namjoon, and the state he was in. Something needed to be done. He couldn't watch his friend be so miserable anymore. Jin needed to step in. He felt like he did. That was most of what his shower thoughts included. Some other thoughts were that of a certain blue-eyed blondie he hadn't had the time to think about in a long while...

❤️

Jimin's short and stout fingers were tangled with Yoongi's long and slender ones, his pinky rubbing softly along the delicate vein on the back of his boyfriend's hand. His coat, a puffy and soft white cloud hugging his figure, making him look like a little snowman, while his plump lips opened in an 'O' shape when he noticed the ring-billed gulls flying over the foamy surface of the ocean, their wings cutting through the morning mist. His eyes, formerly crescent due to Yoongi's silly jokes, were now round, doe, and sparkly. "Babe look!"

Yoongi did, but not at the gulls. He was entranced by the way Jimin's bread cheeks were pushed in by his white earmuffs, like two marshmallows squeezing a slightly bigger one. He was a 'Smore, one that Yoongi was craving badly. Giggling, his gums on display, "I seem 'em, baby." he lied.

He wasn't seeing the gulls. Didn't want to, didn't care for them. Yoongi's favorite thing was this exactly. Early morning, strolling along the beach side with his absolute favorite person in the whole wide world.

"Y'know Kookie calls them Justin Seagulls?" The blond laughed, head thrown back, while Yoongi nodded along, placing a hand on his back to prevent him from falling on his ass. His giggled did come to an abrupt end, and his facade went blank momentarily, before it switched to that of concern. "Hate it." He sighed.

"What do you hate?" Yoongi turned to him, holding his small hands in his larger, colder ones.

Jimin shrugged, hid his face behind the neck of his big coat, licking his lips. "That he's in danger."

Yoongi could only nod. He'd been worrying about Jungkook, just like the rest of them. He had killed someone, yes, it was an accident, yes, but the police won't listen to that. He could be locked up any minute... Carlos, or better yet, Dominick could share the video of him killing Charlie. They got rid of Penelope, yes, but they weren't even nearly done.

Sighing, "I know." Yoongi held Jimin's chubby face in his hands. "But we've got everything under control, baby. It's gonna be okay. He's gonna be fine."

"You think so?" Hesitant, Jimin arched a brow.

Leaning in, "I know so." Yoongi pecked his lips.

❤️

"Mmmm, the pancakes are so fluffy!" Giselle pointed with the tip of her knife, gesturing Taehyung to try them off her plate. He went for a classic bacon and egg combo, never really had a sweet tooth, thought it was cute how Giselle was sort of the opposite.

Chuckling, he stabbed his fork into the big piece Giselle cut up for him, drenched in syrup, and the moment the layers touched his tongue, "Fuck." he groaned. His eyes shut tightly, he leaned back in his chair, and let out a soft moan. Purrs cascading out of his lips. "Fuck, that's fuckin' good."

Whether consciously or not, Giselle's thighs were pressed together. There was something about him. The ambiance of their environment, the way the morning sun cast on his back through the window behind him, making his silhouette glow wonderfully... And the way he cussed. She wasn't thinking, -she definitely was-, but he sounded delicious. Like, delicious.

She cleared her throat and nodded along. "Right. They're good."

"So good." Taehyung repeated as he leaned forward, licking the syrup off his fingers, making Giselle lick her lips. He heard her gulp, and knew it was something. Although he often acted so, Taehyung wasn't stupid, and he most definitely wasn't a virgin. He knew how girls felt around him, what they were thinking. Giselle wasn't exactly an open book, but he had managed to crack her open enough to take a peek. He gazed at her through his fluttering lashes, gunning seductive glances at her, and topping it off with a quick wink. "Made a good choice."

She cleared her throat, sipping on her orange juice. "Thanks." Her mind was clouded. Fuck. What was that feeling? Why was it so... exciting?

She felt it right above her belly, and right under her breasts. Something formerly hollow, now full. Giselle knew it wasn't the pancakes, it was different. Not like the food babies she'd often have, it felt shaky. Jitters in her stomach. Was the food poisoned? Or was it simply to do with the beat of her heart? Did it echo in her stomach? And if so... Why?

Taehyung noticed the drop, almost heard it. Coughing in his fist, "You good?" he raised his brows. After a swift nod from the blonde girl opposite him, "You sure? Look like you remembered somethin'."

"No, I'm good." Giselle insisted, stretching a smile to convince him. "Just- thank you for hangin' out with me."

It took him a couple seconds to process what she had said, before chuckling lightly. "The fuck you thankin' me fo', girl?"

"I know you probably have other things to do, like, I don't know, you're always out doing things, but I know you're feeling bad for me because of the way Emma treats me 'n shit, so-"

"Hold up...?" Taehyung cut her off and shook his head in a confused manner. "Watchu mean feel bad? You think I'm hangin' out witchu 'cause I pity you?"

Silence. Although the strangers around them were very much enjoying their Christmas breakfasts, chatting away about their past couple weeks, it fell silent between the two. Giselle hummed. "I mean... It's not like we're actual friends, right? Like, we're kinda just mutual, and I just know you're a kind person and all that stuff and that's why you're hangin' out with me-"

"Maybe I'm hangin' out witchu 'cause I'm tryna be friends witchu." He cut her off again, scoffing playfully. "You's a good girl, Gigi. I'm hangin' out witchu 'cause I wanna hangout witchu."

His words caressed her softening face, as if. "Really?" Her brows raised sweetly as she gasped.

Licking his lips, "'Course. Trust me, I ain't boutta be friends with no lame ass motherfucker just 'cause I pity them. I'm a good guy but not that good." Taehyung told her, as clear and honest as can be.

And although she should've taken it as a warning, Giselle couldn't help but melt into a puddle of whatever she was feeling. She hadn't figured it out yet, but it was driving her crazy. "Thank you."

"Here she go again." He rolled his eyes, combing his fingers through his hair. "Stop sayin' thank you and eat yo' damn pancakes girl, I paid hella bands for that shi."

"For a stack of pancakes?" Giselle giggled, hand in front of her stuffed mouth. Oh, how he loved watching her laugh. "Kind of an el cheapo, aren't ya?"

Mirroring her playful banter, "Economy's bad." he shrugged.

"You don't know anything about economy." She took it further, challenging, but unbelievable cute. At least that's what Taehyung thought.

He wanted to see how far he could take it, underline it with innuendos. Searching for the right thing to say, he licked his lips and cleared his throat. His chin rested on the top of his fingers, his elbows on the table. Taehyung gazed right into her eyes before purring: "Maybe not economy, but I know a lot 'bout supply 'n demand."

It took Giselle by surprise, but in the best way possible. She had a coy grin on her face, one that had menace written all over it. It was her favorite game. Innuendos. "What're you demanding?"

"Depends on how much you tryna supply." He shrugged, quick with it.

Giselle shrugged right back at him. "Well, what's the market value?"

Cocky. It was written all over his face. Giselle always knew something bad lurked beneath his 'good guy' facade, and she was excited to dig until the bones. Smirking, "I'm premium product, baby. You gon' have to negotiate hard and long to meet my demands."

"Is that so?" She arched a brow, but couldn't exactly hide the blush creeping through the apples of her cheeks. Though, she didn't really mind it. That full part of her stomach was fluttering, and her face was heating up, and yet, Giselle enjoyed it.

He hummed deeply, a certain rasp to his voice.

"Then I guess you've got yourself a deal." She held out her hand for him to shake, but couldn't hold it together any longer. The two bursted into sweet chuckles.

Glancing at one another and cracking up again. They were idiots, and they were aware of it. Shaking his head, grinning wide, "Eat yo' damn pancakes." Taehyung sighed.

❤️

Lola sighed. She had been all morning, because she wasn't aware of the fact that her boyfriend's a curious one. "It's literally tonight, you're telling me you can't wait until tonight?"

"Lo, I gotta know who the fuck you got, like? I ain't tryna see you gift someone else somethin'." He whined, brawny arms around her waist, face buried in her chest. They were leaned against the rails of the Brooklyn Bridge, listening to car engines roaring.

She rolled her eyes, chuckling. "What're you gonna do? Sabotage secret Santa? I'm still giving a gift, whether you like it or not."

"Ion gon' like it if it ain't me." He shrugged.

She giggled. "You're such a baby."

He shrugged again.

Lola's curls were fallen around his face, like an erupted volcano, or a campfire a little too big, either one of those would be fitting. Her eyes, looking down at him, were stars. It was repetitive, the way Jungkook thought about it twenty-four seven, but it was the truth. Lola had an entire constellation buried in the little parts of her face, like her opal eyes, her flushed cheeks, beneath her eyebrows, and between the soft cracks in her lips. She was the universe and a half.

"You love me." He mumbled against her skin, and felt her nod. It wasn't enough, though. Nudging her side, "Say it. Tell me you love me, Lo."

"I love you." She laughed, fingers in his black mullet, while her free fingers pushed her glasses up her nose. Lola leaned down to plant a kiss on the crown of his head. "I love you so fucking much, Koo."

"I love you so fucking much, Dolores." He repeated back in a whisper, finally peeling himself off her, only to pull her back into his embrace. It was her turn to be small, and hugged. His tattooed fingers played with her flaming curls. "Fuckin' love yo' hair. So fuckin' pretty. 'N yo' eyes, 'n nose-" he pulled her face up, pecking the bridge of her nose, then the tip. "your lips." A finger under her chin, he lifted her face more, and pecked her lips. That one lingered for longer. "Love you. Love everything 'bout you. No joke. Like, I'm bein' so fuckin' serious right now, Lo."

"I believe you." She giggled, holding his hands, caressing his fingers with hers, looking up at him like he put the sun in the sky. All golden and rich. Lola felt as thought she'd won the lottery with him.

Nodding, "You better." Jungkook pecked her lips again. "My fuckin' girl. All mine, yeah?"

"Yeah." She placed her hands on either side of his face, standing on her tippy-toes to pull him in for another pack. She could never get enough of those. "All yours. And you're all mine."

"All yours." He mumbled into her mouth. His last attempt at stealing a kiss wasn't so successful though, as Lola ran away giggling. Slowing down every other step, wanting him to chase her. And so he did.

Giggles erupted out of their mouths, echoing in the foggy morning, they ran down the Brooklyn Bridge with joy. Jungkook's hands nearly grabbing her waist before Lola increased her speed, running towards the end of it, where his car was parked, as always.

Steps getting smaller, giggled getting louder when he finally got his hands on her, pulling her back harshly to his chest. They were right by his car when Jungkook leaned in to kiss her neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent. "Not fast enough." He laughed, sweeping her feet off the floor with one hand, while the other unlocked his car and opened the passenger door.

"No, I was slow on purpose to not embarrass you." She laughed as he pushed her into the car, rolling his eyes at her coy manners, he reached around her and fastened her seatbelt.

Eyes locked on hers, "If that's gon' help you sleep at night baby, go ahead." he pecked her lips one last time -at least until he got in the driver's seat-, and started the engine.

Lola sat with her arms crossed, face flushed, and the entire fucking universe in her eyes. Though how ironic, the universe Jungkook always saw in her eyes was actually just a reflection of him. Lola's opal eyes only glistened when she looked at him, the same way her giggles only sounded alive when she laughed with him. It was him that Lola carried in her eyes, and in this very moment Lola knew, it was him she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

❤️
evening

"Alright, ladies and germs!" Hoseok clapped his hands together. As if hosting a show, he stood in the middle of their little circle for secret Santa. They'd pulled the table in the boys' dorm our of the way to clear and make space of all the presents they had gotten for each other, but had to listen to a drunk Hoseok ramble for a little while. "I decided to add a little twist to this year's secret Santa! Basically, if you can guess your Santa, you win an extra ten dollars from them!"

"The fuck?!" Taehyung was the first one to protest, scoffing with his brows tied close. "Nah, hyung I'm fuckin' broke as shit! Just 'cause yo' greedy ass just want some extra cash!"

Nudging his side softly, "Sounds familiar." Giselle laughed.

Chuckling, "Economy." he whispered back over the loud chit-chat of the others, rolling his eyes playfully and playing annoyed.

Shushing the rest, "Everyone calm down!" Jin interfered, holding his hands up like he's teaching kindergarteners. "If you wanna give the extra ten dollars, you're welcome to do so, and if you don't want to-" he glared at Taehyung briefly. "you don't have to."

Once agreed on collectively, they began the circle. 'Last Christmas' by Wham! playing in the background, Santa hats and bowls of peppermint pretzels scattered in front of them, the group gathered the gifts in the middle.

Giselle was the first one to begin. She searched for her name among the wrapped presents, and spotted it written in yellow, attached to a square box. Immediately, she went to shredding the wrapping to reveal a yellow chest, which she was already gasping over. Unlocking the hinge, she dived her fingers in to pull out two bags of her favorite pineapple sour strips, her eyes widening with joy. "Oh my fucking god! My faves!" Digging in deeper, she believed it had to be Destiny or Lola, up until she drew out two hair clips in the shape of dainty bows. One pink, and the other green. Her eyes immediately found Taehyung. "It's you." She pointed. "You're my secret Santa."

Formerly against the idea of giving up an extra ten dollars, Taehyung sat with a sit grin on his face. His fingers reached into his pocket to pull out a ten dollar bill, holding it between his fingers for her to take. "Yeah."

The others clapped, cheering as they teased the boy for knowing very well what Giselle likes.

"Oh my god!" The blonde was over the moon happy, plucking the ten dollars from his fingers and thanking him, despite his pleas to not do so earlier that morning. "These are so cute! And how'd you know I love these sour strips?"

"See you eat 'em all the time." He shrugged.

Next to Giselle sat Destiny, who was in turn now. She struggled to find her name on any of the presents, clicking her tongue. "Y'all, where the fuck's my present?"

"Isn't it that one?" Jimin pointed, squinting his eyes at a small card-shaped thing nudged between two other boxes. "The little one."

The pout on Destiny's face had them all cackling. She held her present between her fingers, sneering. "Hell nah! My secret Santa broke as shit! The fuck's this?"

"Open it!" Giselle encouraged, already wearing the green bow in her hair. Taehyung had not been able to look away for a single second. "Maybe it's something good."

"This better be a gift card to Sephora or some." Destiny's nails were already ripping away at the packaging. The writings on what looked like a small gift card read: "Two hunnid fo' custom grillz?!"

Gasps were pouring out of their mouths.

Destiny was shocked. "Yo what the fuck?! Who the fuck got me this?!" She turned to Jin, who shook his head, then to Yoongi and Jimin, who both did the same. "Man what?! Who the fuck is it?"

The excitement evident on her face, Jungkook couldn't help it any longer. "Me." He sighed.

Turning to him, nearly giving herself a whiplash, "What?!" Destiny grinned widely. "You got me a gift card for custom grillz? Is you fuckin' crazy?"

"Just a lil'." He shrugged pompously.

Destiny didn't thank him, she felt as thought it'd make it awkward, so nodding her head, "This is dope." she kissed her teeth.

Lola's arms were tangled around Jungkook's biceps, leaning her head on the muscle. Something warm blooming in her stomach, which he felt too. Her favorite people were getting along just fine.

Kehlani, sat next to Destiny, had spotted her name the moment she entered the room. She wasn't sure who it could've been from, she didn't know anyone that well, hoped it was Jai... Ripping the paper open, "Oh wow!" she held the item up. It was a beautiful snow globe with a snowman in the middle. "This is so pretty!"

The others leaned in too see the cute decoration in her hands, while she looked around. It could've been anyone, so she jutted her chin at Giselle. The blonde shook her head.

"It's from me!" Destiny cackled.

The others clapped, laughing along while Kehlani gasped. "Oh my god really?! This is so pretty, thank you!"

"'Course!" Destiny nodded back shyly.

Then it was Jai's turn. His box was not too big, but he was happy to receive one regardless. Ripping the paper, "Oh wow!" he smiled, pearly whites on display. They were wireless headphones, something he genuinely needed. "Oh I don't know who my Santa is but this is amazing!"

"It's me!" Hoseok admitted, a little too excited. His hands in the air, he turned to Jai with loud laughter. The others cheered along, too.

Jai, not as loud as his new friend, "Thank you so much!" grinned. His face was heating up, and his cheeks hurt from the way he stretched his smile further, the more he heard Hoseok laugh. It was a sound he was strating to enjoy a lot.

Next to him, Jin searched for his name. His eyes squinted at the suspiciously long box, wrapped in three different wrapping papers. Since they'd all gathered the gifts, all of them had wondered what it was, and it was finally time. Taehyung drummed his knuckles on the floor as the anticipated present was being unwrapped by a rather hesitant Jin.

He peeled the sides, revealing a earthy green color, and a tacky water design along the entire box. "Holy shit! Is it a fucking fishing rod?!"

Gasps erupted out of their mouths. "Goddamn, who the fuck got that?" Taehyung, leaning in with Giselle, their arms touching, exclaimed.

"It was me..." Jai sat cross legged.

They turned to him with wide eyes, a collective "WHAT?!" bursting out of their mouths.

"You's a real fuckin' stalker." Namjoon glared at him through the corner of his eyes, sitting with his arms crossed in front of his chest, and his hood pulled over his buzzed head.

"No!" Jai held out his hands in protest. "I swear I didn't stalk this time, I just asked your friend!"

"What friend?" Jin questioned, brow arching.

Jai shrugged. "Emma. Saw you two talking, and thought I'd ask her what you like."

"Emma?!" Namjoon's squinted eyes were now wide, jaw clenching when he heard his ex's name. His eyes landed back on Jin, and he noticed the subtle smile.

Jin nodded, something tugging at the corner of his mouth. Emma remembered his love for fishing... "Thanks man, you did not have to get me this at all! This stuff's expensive."

"Got it second-hand off eBay, don't worry I didn't actually spend that much on it." Jai clicked his tongue, brushing it off. The others were impressed by his dedication to getting a great gift.

Minutes passed. Minutes of Namjoon glaring at Jin. Minutes of Jin smiling to himself. Minutes of Jungkook searching for his name on one of the remaining boxes. "Man, my Santa didn't get me no present."

"It's that one there!" Lola helped him, pointing at the one hidden under a wrapped flat square.

His teeth dug into his bottom lip, tongue toying with his lip ring, Jungkook ripped it open to see the Nike logo. It made him sigh, smirking. "I guess these is my dunks from Joon hyung."

The air turned thick, and while the rest teased them for looking into each other's eyes after a long while of not talking to one another at all, Namjoon rose to his feet. "Yuh. 'Cause I fucked yours up."

Jungkook did to, immediately dapping his friend up. Lola was the first to start clapping, inviting the others to join. All of them knew they'd make up at some point, but for it to happen on Christmas day was a miracle, at least to Lola. She smiled, tearing up a little. "I fucked you up, so it's aight."

They laughed, heads thrown back, though Namjoon pulled him in for another tight hug, smacking his shoulder in a brotherly manner. "Brothers fo' life?"

"'Course!" Jungkook kissed his teeth, giggling. "Brothers fo' life."

"Finally." Jin groaned in relief. "The whole fight was getting too old and lame."

"Nah for real." Taehyung nodded in agreement. "Aight, who the fuck's next? 'Cause my ass startin' to hurt on the goddamn floor."

A wave of laughter passing them by, "Me!" Lola giggled in excitement. "It's my turn!" She immediately reached for the big square, which she realized she couldn't even pull to herself, so asked Jungkook for help. When she peeled the paper, a high-pitched squeal left her lips. "Oh my fucking god you're kidding?!"

A thick stack of vintage 'Totally Spies' magazines, making her mouth go all big and wide. It wasn't Destiny, so it could only be one other person. Pointing her finger at Giselle, "Where the fuck did you find these?!" she jumped up and down.

"Online!" Giselle jumped with her, reaching into her pocket to pull out a ten dollar bill. "And since you guessed it was me!"

Lola was over the moon. She was going to spend all night flicking through them like the little girl inside her would've wanted to. "Oh my god Gi! I love you! Thank you!"

"You're so welcome Lols!"

Jungkook was a puddle of mess beside her, melting over the way she chortled, geeking over the magazines. He scrunched his nose, watching her every second of the way. How fucking cute, he thought.

"Alright alright!" Jimin, with jealousy rushing through his veins, "It's my turn!" he rolled his eyes. Sassily swaying his hips, he leaned forward, on his knees and one hand, while he used his other hand to turn some of the boxes, although none of them had their name on it. "Where's my present?" Before his plump lips could turn into a pouty frown, his round eyes landed on the smallest present in the bunch. He was quick to confuse it for a piece of crumpled up paper. "No way that little thing's mine?!"

"The fuck you mean?" Taehyung laughed. "That's the perfect size fo' yo' short ass!"

Earning a smack on his thigh, Jimin rolled his eyes and snatched his present off the floor. "I'm so fucking sad right now! My Santa has to be broke, 'cause what the fuck is this?" Unwrapping the little bit of paper, he found a USB stick in his palm. "What?! What the hell is this?!"

The others teased him, bursting into cackles while Jimin sat with his arms crossed in front of his chest. The USB stick thrown on the floor.

"Somebody done gotchu a fuckin' USB stick!" Destiny laughed in his face, pointing shamelessly.

"Who's my Santa?!" Jimin looked around, glaring at all of them, but his glare turned into an expression of shock when he heard Yoongi say-

"It's me."

Turning around, giving himself a whiplash, "What?!" Jimin gasped. "Babe!!! You got me a USB stick?"

"It's not just a USB stick!" Yoongi rolled his eyes and picked the stick off the floor, and reached for his laptop on the couch. As he plugged it in, searching for the right folder, the others gathered around, sharing their ideas of what they thought it could be, thought they were all silenced with Yoongi's next words: "Wrote you a song."

Eyes widen, heart pacing, Jimin gasped in a whisper. "A song?"

Yoongi nodded and pressed play. Three drums in, and Jimin was melting, thought it turned him into complete juice when he heard his voice smooth in like butter.

"Yeah, somebody does love,
but I'm thinkin' 'bout you.
Somebody does love,
oh oh.
Somebody does love,
but I'm thinkin' 'bout you.
You, oh oh."

They were practically in a trance, the boys bopping their heads while tears had starting rolling down Jimin's cheeks. His hand sat against his chest, right where his heart was beating out of his ribcage. Yoongi's arm snaked around his waist for comfort, rubbing up and down as he giggled over his sniffles.

The song came to a slow end, and a soft but long "Wow..." left all of their mouths.

"Babe!" Jimin, with red eyes, turned to him boyfriend and held his face. "This is so fucking beautiful, I'm sorry for getting mad about the USB stick."

Chuckling, "I knew you'd react that way. Kinda why I put it on a stick." Yoongi admitted, and kissed Jimin through his sniffles. "I love you baby."

"I love you too." Jimin pecked his lips.

The girls watched in awe, and so did most of the rest of them, except for Taehyung... Who had to crack a joke or two. Pretending to vomit, "Cut the gay shit!" he scorned.

"I don't care about secret Santa, I just need to give you your present now." Jimin said, much to Hoseok's dismay. Secret Santa had rules, but it seems Jimin cared more about his relationship in this moment. Placing his wrapped present in his boyfriend's lap, "It's kind of a two-part thing, so open this one first, and then I'll show you the second one." he explained.

Yoongi nodded, not questioning in further. While he peeled the wrapping on his first present, "Two gifts?!" Hoseok exclaimed. "I thought we agreed on just one?!"

"We didn't agree on the amount of presents, Hobi." Jin told him, but his eyes were on Yoongi. It brought warmth to see his friends be happy, and noticing the shock on Yoongi's face, he couldn't help but wonder. "What is it?"

"You got me a fucking MPC three-thousand?!" Yoongi exclaimed, his voice raspy as he looked up at Jimin who stood with a grin and wet cheeks. "Baby?!"

"Holy shit what?!" Namjoon shot up to his feet, snatching the box from Yoongi to check it out.

"What's an MPC three-thousand?" Giselle questioned, baffled over the boys' reaction. So was Lola. Jungkook had shot up in an instant, all of them gathering around Namjoon to see it for themselves.

Laughing, completely bamboozled, "It's like a top tier beat machine! All of the legends produced on this, like Pharrell, Puff Daddy- holy shit baby?!" Yoongi pulled Jimin into a tight hug. "I been tryna get my hands on one of these, how'd you get it?! It's so expensive!"

"I have my ways." Jimin giggled into his hoodie.

"Jimin, this is insane!" Jin stood impressed. "Do you know how much this is gonna help our music?"

"Nah, you're a fuckin' legend for this Jiminie!" Taehyung too, had his jaw wiping the floor.

They all circled him, squeezing him in their embrace. "Yo, you's a fuckin' legend, for real!" Jungkook told him.

"Alright alright!" Jimin pushed them all back, catching his breath, and chuckling with his hand in front of his agape mouth. "I still haven't shown the second part of the gift!"

Anticipating eyes glued on him, they waited.

Jimin turned to Yoongi, fingers curling around the hem of his shirt, he pulled it up to reveal the word 'Nevermind' tattooed across his rib in bold letters.

Gasps erupting, eyes widening, they were losing their minds. Except Yoongi. He was losing his mind, just not visibly. Inside his head, forests were burning. "What the fuck?"

"You said to get it engraved on my chest, so I did!" Jimin smiled, his eyes turning into pretty crescents.

In an instant, Yoongi pulled him in. Face buried in his boyfriend's neck, he sniffled. "I love you so fucking much, baby. So much."

The others stood around them, watching them in awe, while Jimin hugged Yoongi back. "I love you too, Yoongles."

"I'm so lucky to have you." Yoongi whispered, because if he didn't, his voice would break. He had never felt so loved before... Before Jimin. Wiping his face, Yoongi stood back, admiring the tattoo on his boyfriend's body. "That looks so fucking good baby, did it hurt?"

Jimin shook his head, cocky. "Not at all."

Cutting through the sniffles echoing within the walls of the dorm, "Uhm..." Taehyung cleared his throat. "He said engrave it on yo' chest, not yo' rib, dumbass."

Giselle smacked his arm lightly, gesturing him to zip it, but it was too late. Jimin had already swung a punch on his other arm, rolling his eyes. "Shut up, Tae."

"Well, I guess we can all agree Yoonmin got the best presents this year." Hoseok smiled, but it faded once he realized what he had said. "Wait... How did you guys get each other though? Y'all did it on purpose didn't you?"

"No we didn't!" Jimin clicked his tongue, arm around Yoongi's neck. "We're just soulmates. Meant to be."

Taehyung gagged in everyone's place, laughing. It was his turn next. He grabbed the rectangle box with his name and got to unwrapping. Inside was a leather case, and carved in gold lettering said Taehyung.

"The fuck?" He looked up at everyone in the circle, before opening the case to reveal a pair of chique sunglasses with a thin, tiger print rim. "Damn! These go hard as fuck!" His boxy grin on display. Looking back at the rest, he placed them on his nose and pushed them up with the tip of his fingers. "How I look?"

"Like a model, as always." Jimin rolled his eyes, smiling.

The rest agreed. "They look really good on you, Tae." Jin said.

The grinning boy looked around, squinting his eyes at everyone. There weren't many names left to guess as his Santa, so his eyes fell on Jin. "You got me these?"

"No." Jin pressed his lips together.

Confused, "Who the fuck did then?" Taehyung asked.

"I did." Softly, Kehlani raised her hand. The others complimented her on her taste, saying they liked the glasses, but Kehlani had to give credit where credit was due. "Gigi helped me pick those, though."

"For real?!" Immediately, Taehyung's face lit up. He turned to Giselle, eyes wide, brows raised. "This yo' idea?"

Nodding, "I guess I kinda helped her a little. She asked me to help." Giselle explained.

Taehyung turned to Kehlani briefly, "Thanks, these is dope as shit!" before quickly averting his focus back of the blue-eyed blondie. It was something about the fact she picked it out, that made Taehyung happy. Maybe they weren't exactly soulmates like Yoongi and Jimin... Yet, but they were in some saw or the other. Right?

He gunned her a cheeky glance, before winking playfully. Giselle took it rather lightly, winking right back at him. She was enjoying whatever they had going on.

"Aight, it's my turn now." Namjoon reached for the last box on the floor, and while unwrapping-

"Hold on..." Hoseok's arched a brow. "But I didn't get a present yet. There isn't any left."

And softly chuckling, "Well, maybe your secret Santa couldn't fit your gift inside the dorm..." Jin shrugged.

Before Hoseok could freak out over what he'd meant, Namjoon cut him off with a whine. "Shut the fuck up! Don't ruin my fuckin' turn!" He peeled the wrapping off, revealing something he was never expecting to see. "Holy fuckin' shit, wait!"

"What is it?" Jimin, curious, leaned in.

Jungkook's biceps hardened, Lola could feel it under her head. She ignored the suspicion clearly creeping up his face, there were only two names left to be Santa, and since Jin was confirmed to be Hoseok's... It could only mean one thing.

"Yo, you got me the signed album?!" Namjoon turned to Lola, his dimples deep in either side of his face. "How the fuck?!"

Giggling menacingly, "Let's just say I know a guy." Lola pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, while trying her hardest to ignore Jungkook's glare into her soul. He was clenching his jaw, gritting his teeth, balling his fists tight. She simply wasn't in the mood for yet another commotion, so, "You're welcome!" she tried to lighten the thick mood right next to her.

"Yo what?! You fuckin' crazy fo' this, goddamn. Thanks ginger." Namjoon hadn't even lifted his eyes from the album. He was finally holding it in his hands. 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted', signed.

He didn't know how long Lola had to negotiate with her dad to sacrifice a small piece out of his small collection to donate to Namjoon's way smaller one. "Of course!" She giggled again.

Her fingers wrapped around Jungkook's tattooed fingers, tangling hers within the crevices, and leaning in to plant a peck on his temple. It was her way of letting him know she was all his, no matter who's secret Santa she was. She loved him.

"Okay cool, now my turn!" Hoseok, impatient, rose to his feet and pulled Jin with him. "What did you mean you couldn't fit it into the dorm? What'd you get me?"

Pompous, Jin reached into his pocket to draw out a set of car keys, making everyone else gasp in great shock.

"You got me a car?!" Hoseok yelled.

Taehyung did too. "No way you actually got a fuckin' whip?!"

"I didn't get anyone a car..." Jin sighed, shaking his head. "But we do need to get in my car and go somewhere if you wanna see your present-"

Hoseok was out the door before Jin had the chance to finish his sentence. All of them squeezed into his black van, Jin took the wheel and drove them through an unfamiliar little corner of Brooklyn, stopping by a tall apartment tucked away in the dim streets. Telling everyone to step out, he made sure to cover Hoseok's eyes with his hands, telling him to be patient for just a couple more seconds, positioning him right infront of the entrance.

Hearing the others gasp and whisper made him even more curious, his heart pacing. "C'mon! Can I open my eyes now?!"

"You can." Jin took his hands off his friend's eyes, searching for a reaction.

He got loads of it.

"Holy. Fucking. Shit." Hoseok stood frozen. Ground floor, and above the entrance hung a sign, in colorful bold lettering it read:

'Hope On The Street
Dance Studio'

"I thought since you're gonna choreograph our dances, you might need a studio to practice." Jin stood back, hands in his pockets, happy to see Hoseok's mouth hanging wide open.

Sunshine turned to the oldest, "You're fucking crazy. are you serious?!" he asked, voice shaking.

"Mhm."

"Nah, that's fuckin' crazy!" Taehyung smacked Hoseok on the shoulder, pulling him out of his trance, before they all hurdled inside. An urban studio lit with bright ceiling lights, three out of four walls covered with mirrors reaching from top to bottom.

"My own dance studio?" Hoseok was crying, and Jimin was behind him, hugging him like he always did. "Oh my god Jin, you're so insane!" Hoseok went to hug his secret Santa, letting his tears soak in the fabric of his white dress shirt. "Thank you."

Chuckling softly, "Of course." Jin hugged him back.

"I think we can all agree that Jin wins this year's secret Santa." Giselle threw her arm over Taehyung's shoulder, her free hand on her hip. She didn't notice the way he looked at her. Shaking in his shoes, Taehyung was dying under her touch.

The others had agreed on it, except for Jimin, who thought it was a tie between Jin and Yoongi. It was a hug that lingered, one that people would envy if they saw it. Laughing, "Me too!" Jimin pulled Yoongi with him, joining the hug before the others did as well. Namjoon threw his hands around Jimin and Yoongi, while Taehyung pulled Giselle with him, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders as they circled Hoseok. Lola and Destiny pulled Jungkook in, who was hesitant to hug everyone in a group, but he gave in in the end. Kehlani and Jai were in a much smaller embrace outside of the circle, before Destiny and Hoseok pulled them in to join as well.

Laughter settled in the studio, echoing in the empty place. Quiet streets, car engines in the distance, "I like this Christmas." Taehyung admitted, but... he spoke too soon.

Their hug broke apart after a window shattering, loud, piercing through their souls. They gasped, jolting away to see it was a rock thrown through the window.

"What the fuck?" They exclaimed, following behind Jin as he approached the window.

Taehyung stepped forward, "The fuck was that? Who threw tha-" bones cracking. His skull was bleeding. In a matter of seconds, Taehyung fell to the floor. A rock beside his head, stained with his blood, laying in a brief second of silence before scream of terror echoed in the night. They were quick to be overshadowed with a large collection of rocks being thrown through the window again, shattering every single inch of it.

"Tae?!" Jungkook got on his knees beside Taehyung, panic rushing through all before they did the same. Ducking down on the floor, around Taehyung's unconscious body. They had to yell over the sound of Windows breaking. "Tae wake up!"

"What's happening?!" Giselle cried, hands on either side of Taehyung's face, shaking him to wake up.

Jin, pale as a ghost, had wide eyes looking around the room in pure shock. He ducked down just in time before a rock could hit him. Misery, eerie suspicion, those were things running mad in his mind. Their hearts were pacing, nearly beating out of their chests with each second Taehyung didn't respond. They had circled him closer, and when the last rock was thrown through the window frame, no more glass to shatter, "What the fuck is going on?!" Jin finally bursted.

It was the silence after the storm... Or maybe the storm hadn't even come yet. Sobs pouring out of their mouth, they shook in fear. "Tae! Hyung he's not waking up!" Namjoon turned to Jin.

The studio was filled with their shaky breaths. Temples pulsing, heads reeling, faces flushing in fear. Jin reached for a rock by his foot, jittering hands ripping the paper it has taped around it, and on the paper, Jin read it in horrified whispers: "Stop fighting back, Gingersnap."

Lola's heart cracked. She looked up with her red eyes, wet face, keeping her scared little hands on Taehyung's unmoving arm, to spit through gritted teeth, "It's Dominick." she gulped. "He did this." Her brows were tied, chest heaving, veins popping out on her clenched neck.

When they looked around at the rocks thrown into he studio, they saw it. Stop fighting, Gingersnap on all of them. Tens, hundreds of rocks, all there to taunt her. Play with her like a puppet. Lola knew her brother, and Dominick knew his sister. Neither of them were good at it. Bottling when it was close to spilling out the rim. Lola wasn't going to lash out, not right now.

Silence settled over them like a thick fog, until Giselle broke it. They took their eyes off the rocks, and turned to her crying above Taehyung's head. "H-he's not breathing."

"What?!" The others gathered in closer, tapping the boy's chest, shaking his head.

She repeated through her teeth again. "He's not breathing."

🖤🩶🤍❤️