NEIGHBOUR | PJM ✓

04

"Doesn't look like it's gonna stop anytime soon," she said, looking back outside.

Jimin followed her gaze and sighed, "You really don't have to go to all the trouble..."

Ara didn't move.

"I guess if you insist."

A grin spread across her face as he stepped in and slipped out of his boots, shrugging his coat off and hooking it on the rack. Under his heavy black jacket was a soft, tan brown woollen sweater, hanging off his shoulders so long that they had the sweater paws over his his hands. She couldn't help but notice how cozy and snug he looked in it, finding home amongst all the other Christmas memorabilia in her home.

As Ara walked to the kitchen, she heard a low chuckle from behind her and she turned, raising an eyebrow, the laugh obviously coming from Jimin, but not knowing why.

"What?" she asked, pointedly, anxiety starting to bubble up in her.

Did I have something on my back?

Was there anything on my face?

Did I leave a bra lying around somewhere?

"You really do like Christmas, don't you?"

Letting go of the deep breath she was holding in, she furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he motioned to the Christmas tree in the living room, and then proceeded to gesture around the place where her had tinsel, wreaths and little Santas running around.

"What's wrong with getting in the spirit?" she beamed as she shrugged, "Yes, I love Christmas."

"So does Eunji," he joined her in the kitchen, "She wanted to decorate the whole house this year but we negotiated and settled for just the living room."

"Aww let the girl have her fun," she punched his shoulder, "You don't like the season?"

He sighed, sitting in the high chair in front of the kitchen bench, leaning over his arms which he rested on it.

"Christmas just means another Gallery event, more people coming, more people to impress with a 'new, original' idea when all the new original ideas have already been used," he threw his fingers in his hair, running them through it a few times, "I'm sorry I'm ranting where I shouldn't be-"

"You," her voice was low, afraid to say the next few words but she wanted to say them, "can rant if you want."

He raised his eyebrows, "I-"

"I mean, it's not like I can fully relate but, between taking care of a daughter and working, I doubt you have much time to just... reset."

She was done with the tea and she walked around to the table, setting one mug in front of him and holding the other with her two hands, bringing up the cuffs of her own sweater to balance the heat.

"Reset," he hummed, tracing the rim of the mug with his thumb, "That sounds nice."

She shrugged before bringing her tea to her lips, "Go ahead."

"It's just, it's hard trying to find an idea for the Christmas event that's original and hasn't been done before. Being the leading gallery in the country we can't just do what everyone else does, having a centrepiece of an artwork and leave it at that. We're going to have camera crews, news reporters, celebrities, and this year UNICEF's decided to sponsor the event, and with them being a major charity we are definitely going to get more press than any other year," his voice was growing tired and she physically heard the stress in it, "And honestly it's great! We will get more recognition than we already have because of this event... only if I can come up with a good enough concept to get people actually interested and thinking about it."

Ara bit her lip, not realising how burdensome his job must actually be for him.

"Do you have any ideas of what you'd like to do?"

"UNICEF had provided us with this opportunity to use this large digital touch screen with motion sensor and so I was thinking of utilising that but I don't know how to do something Christmassy with it."

"Because you're not Santa's biggest fan?" she joked and he lifted his gaze from the table to her, a small smile playing at his lips. "Wrong time?"

"If only Santa could grant me this one wish," he heaved a deep sigh, finishing up the rest of his tea and when he put the mug back on the table, her hand instinctively went to his, resting it on top.

This action surprised him, and she couldn't lie it was taking her completely out of her comfort zone to do it.

"I guess things like this need inspiration, and I promise you, you will find that inspiration when you need to."

Jimin's phone dinged, and she looked over at his illuminated screen, seeing his wallpaper, of Eunji squeezing her arms around Jimin's neck as he tried to take a selfie.

"Looks like I have to pick up my three-year-old monster," he grinned, looking at his phone. "Has the storm calmed yet?" his tone was amused as he pulled back a curtain and looked through the window to check.

"Looks like it is safe to go outside," Ara feigned a serious voice and he smiled at her.

"Thank you for the tea, it was lovely."

"It's alright," she slipped her fingers into her pockets and started to walk with him through the door of the kitchen and into the living room, but Jimin stopped, patting his jean pockets.

"I left my phone..." looking around, he saw it sitting on the kitchen bench, "there."

Jogging over, he picked it up and started walking back, his eyes immediately looking to the door frame above her, a puzzling look on his face.

"Why do you have a mistletoe in here when you live alone?"

She looked up with him and felt embarrassment wash over her in an instant. Ara didn't remember putting it up there, but knowing her, it probably was collecting dust in an old box and she couldn't stand hiding away the beautiful ornament. Even if she did live alone.

She tried her best to keep her cool when she replied.

"I told you, I love Christmas."

He bit his lip, waiting for her to say more, but she didn't want to say anything. She didn't want to take the risk of letting this moment go to waste, because heck yeah she'd been thinking about kissing him ever since the day they met. His devilish good looks and sweet personality pulled her in like a magnet. But she knew he was out of her reach, he only had love for his daughter.

So in this moment, she had both her hands balled into fists, knowing that 'obeying the laws of Christmas' would risk way too much.

Jimin examined her more carefully, eyes tracing her own, and then went to her hair, taking a stray hair and brushing it behind her ear, taking a step forward.

"I guess we got caught under the mistletoe," he whispered against her lips, before he kissed her.

And honestly, this kiss was literally everything she could ask for. It was the kind that swept her off her feet, making her forget all her insecurities, all the reasons she deemed herself unworthy for him, or for any man in that matter. Lifting her arms, she draped them around his neck, angling him closer, and she felt his grin against her lips, making her smile as well. It only took a second for all her worries to be wiped away from her mind because right now she was just overcome with pure happiness, the type she never wanted to let go of.

She didn't want to let go of him.