Work Text:
First Christmas
It was Christmas Eve, the day when Xu Minghao finally took a step closer to his dream—he finally did an exhibition for his paintings. The room he managed to rent was kind of worn out, but strategic enough as it was only 7 minutes walk from the nearest station, makes all the money he spent worthy. Minghao smiled as his eyes wondered to the paintings he’d been doing for years—with all different size of canvas, all different color, all different material of paint. Then his eyes went to all the people that came and surrounding his babies. Thank you for coming , he breathed softly in heart, I hope even just a little, my paintings can paint your night .
Just right when Minghao thought the night was made for him only, since it couldn’t be this perfect if it wasn’t, the loud bang broke the night, followed by the same loudness of electric guitar sounds. People were not focusing on his paintings anymore, all were changed to the loud noises that came from somewhere upstairs. Minghao sighed, apologized softly to the guests, then ran upstairs to check the source of the sound. He faced another room just like the one for his exhibition and entered.
A man—in black leather jacket, hair brushed up, wet of sweat, and Minghao almost lost himself with the thought of damn, hot —was inside, playing an electric guitar, with 4 huge boxes of speaker behind him.
“I’m sorry,” Minghao yelled. The man noticed him and he stopped playing, so Minghao continue with a lower voice, “Can you please low down the volume? I’m doing an exhibition downstairs.”
“Oh?” The man tilted his head a little. “I have a Christmas fan meeting tomorrow and I need to practice. So, sorry, I can’t.”
“But, I’ve been dreaming to do an exhibition for my whole life, and finally I do one today. You can’t just ruin my dream like this.” He might sound desperate, but who cares.
“If I don’t practice, my performance tomorrow will be bad, and that can caused something not good to my career.” The man sighed. “I’m so sorry, though. What if I give you a ticket for my fan meeting tomorrow?”
***
Second Christmas
It was Christmas Eve, the day when Kwon Soonyoung moved to a new apartment. The year had been a roller coaster for him, but he managed to end it with a good sales of his latest single. Which was the sole reason why he moved—the more popular he became, the more fans approaching him, the less privacy he got. The new apartment building was quite far from the center of the city where his recording studio took place, but he will manage. As per moment, the whole thing he needed is some space.
Soonyoung still had some boxes to unpack when someone knocked his door. Once he opened his door, a quite thin figure with mullet blond hair bundled up in thick padded jacket surprised him. “You’re the new guy, right? I’m Minghao, my room is right beside yours.”
“Ah, I’m Soonyoung. Sorry I haven’t greet anyone here. I was planning to after I finish unpack.”
“No, no, it’s okay. We have an Eve party at the rooftop, though, if you want to come? Everyone would be up there, you can greet them all at once.”
“Sure! Let me go grab my jacket first.”
Rooftop was full of red and green and yellow-ish tiny blinking lights everywhere, and there was a middle-sized Christmas tree near a table where all the warm drinks placed. Minghao introduced him to everyone, as The New Guy of course, making a chance for him to properly introduce himself to him—and the others.
After a quite torturing couple minutes of trying to remember which name for which face, Soonyoung found a free spot near the corner. He grabbed a drink before sitting there, enjoying the view of the city night sky. Suburb had less tall buildings that give the night view prettier, but the air was fresher. He somehow glad he moved.
Suddenly, Minghao sat next to him. They exchanged tiny smiles but stay silent, both enjoying the view.
It was windy that night, and when the wind hit straight to Minghao, Oh , Soonyoung thought, he never seen someone with mullet looked that beautiful, as the golden hair went back and showed his face clearly. Minghao laughed, trying to fix his hair. Oh , once again Soonyoung thought, that sounds like a Christmas jingle.
Soonyoung cleared his throat. “Nice view, huh?”
“Yeah,” Minghao softly answered as he smiled. “Anyway, seeing you kinda reminds me to a rock singer. Do you know Hoshi? You both looked so alike!”
The question made Soonyoung freeze. I am Hoshi , he wanted to say, but cannot. He moved because he was running away from his popularity as Hoshi, so instead he went with, “I’ve heard that a lot. Do you listen to him?”
“Sometimes. His songs are good. You should try.”
“I will.”
***
Third Christmas
It was Christmas Eve, the day when Xu Minghao cursed loudly inside his room because he had not find something yet as a present for Kwon Soonyoung. Or… you can say the cursing was mainly for the fact that he picked Soonyoung’s name instead of all other people in the building for his Secret Santa giftee, since he was avoiding his neighbor for the past couple weeks.
Soonyoung and Minghao went close as friends right after the Eve party last year, when the older guy moved to the building. They went outside together, they stayed in together, they slept over in each other’s rooms. Until the day when… Minghao found out Kwon Soonyoung was that famous rock star with stage name Hoshi.
It was an accident, Soonyoung never said he was the singer and Minghao also never said that he knew. On one of hundred nights Soonyoung spent in Minghao’s room, he hummed some melodies Minghao never heard before, and some weeks after, Hoshi released a new single with the very same notes. It shocked Minghao to the death, as he… was kinda hate Hoshi, the guy who ruined his very first ever exhibition two years ago. Hoshi offered him a ticket for his fan meeting as an apology, and Minghao indeed came, but the annoyance was still there. If only his exhibition went smoothly until the end… If only there was no Hoshi with his loud guitar playing…
Minghao knew it was his own fault for not being good enough as an artist, maybe that was the reason why his next exhibitions were not that well-known in public. No good articles on the internet talked about him. But he needed something to blame that was not himself.
And Minghao hated to admit that he did listen to Hoshi even after the first bad encounter. He hated to admit that he did attend the fan meeting. He hated the fact that he told Soonyoung he sometimes listened to Hoshi.
And the most important thing, he hated to admit he had a feeling for Soonyoung.
He sighed.
Well, since he didn’t know what to get, maybe this was the time where Minghao had to prove to the ruiner of his life—or himself that he was a good artist. He was going to paint Kwon Soonyoung.
And later, Minghao placed the painting of the singer’s back facing the night sky on the rooftop—the vivid image of Soonyoung from his first day in the building that Minghao would never forget—on his front door.
***
Fourth Christmas
It was Christmas Eve, the day when Kwon Soonyoung found himself stand in front of Minghao’s door as he was battling with his mind to search some good words to say to his neighbor. He had not talk to the other boy as much as they were before. Things suddenly went awkward, Soonyoung really didn’t know what to do.
And now he needed something from Minghao.
Mayhaps God heard Soonyoung, when Soonyoung was about to go back to his room, Minghao came out from the elevator. Their eyes met. “I need to talk to you.”
Minghao went straight to his door, unlocking it. “Okay. Come in.”
They both sat silently on the couch in Minghao’s living. Usually, they went straight to the middle, thighs to thighs, but for now, they stayed still on each arms. “I have something to confess.” Soonyoung took a long breath. “I am Hoshi.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“You hummed something, and the next day Hoshi released a new song. I don’t have to be a genius to figure that out.” Minghao played with his fingers. “Also, you have quite numbers of music things I can’t even pronounce in your room.”
“Is that why you’re avoiding me?”
“Not really.”
“Then why?”
Minghao dropped his hands and eyed Soonyoung. “You really don’t remember me?”
“What do you mean?”
“You were the cause of why I need to close my first exhibition much earlier than the actual time. I hated you because of that.”
“What are you talking ab— Oh.”
“Yep.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t say that when you can’t even remember.”
“I do enjoy your painting, though. I mean, after knowing you for real. I also enjoyed spending time with you.”
“Okay.”
Silence.
“I lied.” Minghao let out an heavy sigh. “Actually what irritated me is just you… didn’t remember me. I remembered you.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t say that.”
“Okay.”
Another silence.
“Anyway. You know, my manager came to my place last month. He saw your painting. Of me, I mean, the one you gave me for Christmas present last year? He really liked it. He said the painting suit the concept for the next album we’ve been producing, and he wants it to be the album cover.”
“What?”
“The agency already made a contract draft for you to read… I mean, it’s a job after all. You can read it first and tell me your answer—or if you don’t mind, should I send your number to my manager? We hope to hear a good news before new year.”
“My—my painting for your album cover?”
***
Fifth Christmas
It was Christmas, in Minghao’s kitchen, under the mistletoe, where him and Soonyoung kissed.
Since the whole confession last year, they began to go back to their previous stage of closeness of friendship, which changed to a relationship around spring. The year went weirdly good: Soonyoung’s new album went bestseller, fans loved Minghao’s painting for the album cover, Minghao got offers here and there from other singers and agencies to paint them some promotion ads or stuffs.
Oh, right. Since Soonyoung didn’t renew his lease, started from the Eve, he moved in to Minghao’s.
Thus, let me rewrite the first sentence of this part.
It was Christmas, in their kitchen, under the mistletoe, where Minghao and Soonyoung kissed.