It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I know we hate each other but your flight was canceled and it's Christmas Eve..

A last walk around the apartment to check that everything is in order and you would finally go home, just in time to celebrate Christmas. Your obligations for the university required that you stayed in Italy far more than your liking, resulting in you locking your apartment door in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve to catch the next flight to home.

That was when your phone rang. It was your mother and she bore the most depressing news. All flights were canceled due to the forecasted snow storm. You were doomed to spend Christmas alone, away from home.

The shrieking sound you made when the line died must had been too loud, since your neighbor opened his door and looked around with a puzzled expression.

"Is everything OK?

"No! Yes!"

You closed your eyes, took a deep breath and pulled yourself together. The last thing you wanted was to make a fool of yourself in front of your most despised neighbor and you had a feeling it was already too late.

"Everything is OK", you repeated, "thank you very much."

"If you say so."

He shrugged his shoulders and rested against the doorframe with his arm crossed.

"What do you want Boschetto?"

"Woa! No need to snap at me like that, I was just asking out of concern."

"What is wrong with me" you asked yourself. It wasn't your usual behavior to burst your frustration on other people, especially those whom you wanted to communicate only on the necessary good morning/good evening basis and Ignazio Boschetto was certainly one of those. On the -thankfully- rare occasions that he was residing next door you even refrained from using the elevator to avoid being stuck with him in the same room for more than 10 seconds.

However, you still felt bad for talking to him like that. You took a deep breath and mimicked his shrug.

"I'm sorry Ignazio, I shouldn't have snapped like this at you."

"Apology accepted", he said with a small, encouraging smile. "I take it your flight was canceled as well then?"

You frowned and nodded in reply.

"I've never spent Christmas alone and honestly, I'm a bit terrified if that makes sense."

"Believe me I feel you. Unfortunately it's not the first time i'm forced to spend Christmas apart from my family and every time it happens it feels even worse."

"I guess I'll just have to accept the fact that I will be alone this year. It would happen at some point anyway. Anyway, I'll go unpack now. Merry Christmas Ignazio and thank you."

Just as you were about to unlock and get inside you house, you heard him clear his throat and shyly call your name.

"Um (y/n)? I know we hate each other, but it's Christmas eve and your flight was canceled, so please come inside."

You threw him a questioning look, asking for elaboration.

"I mean you obviously don't have plans for tonight and we're both stuck here alone. You could come and I could cook us some dinner and then we can have like a Christmas movie marathon."

"Am I in danger of getting a food poisoning?"

"Deliberately? No, I don't hate you that much", he joked.

"Alright, but I don't trust you with the movie selection. You are about to get a hella good Christmas movies lesson."

"We have a deal. Go unpack and I'll start preparing dinner."