it's just kissing | m.j ✓

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

Namjoon peeks into the box and indeed sees miniature versions of familiar bottles packed nicely in a set. He pulls out a whisky bottle and studies it momentarily before putting it up.

"This is nice," the bar owner muses. He's never really enjoyed the process of decorating trees. Sure he's partaken in it, because everyone else at the bar had, but...this was different. There was something almost sacred about the way each ornament was being hung up in its own place, sparking and glittering under the lighting of the bar.

And Jimin is standing right next to him, his small fingers working delicately to make sure that each piece is where it belongs, a smile perpetually playing on his lips and his eyes shining just as brightly as the ornaments themselves.

And Namjoon wants nothing moro than to reach out and touch the man.

"How old were you when you found out that Santa isn't real?" Jimin asks as he pushes an empty box to the side and pulls out the last one. It's filled with miniature Santa hats and golden bells.

"I wish I could tell you 8 or 9, but....never was a believer."

"What! How? I only found out when I was like 10 and that's only because someone in my class spoiled it for me. I was so mad that day, you have no idea. So what happened?"

"My parents never tried. Santa never quite came home, I guess."

"....?"

"My dad was a bit of a workaholic. Didn't have time for all that nonsense or protecting my childhood," Namjoon elaborates quietly. "And mom well, Christmas season was the busiest for her. All those parties and events to attend to."

"Oh....Did you at least get gifts?"

"I did. Well, nanny took me. I pick something out, she paid with mom's card. I grew tired of it after a while and sort of stopped doing that too."

"....That's...I'm sorry."

"Nothing you need to apologize for," Namjoon says with what he hopes passes as a playful grin. Jimin is watching him with so much sadness in his eyes, and Namjoon hates it. He hates seeing the expression on the other man's face.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. I mean...it's just...all kids should be allowed to be...kids, you know? And it just...sucks, I guess, that you didn't get to enjoy that."

"Well, at least I didn't have to go through the whole being disappointed that Santa isn't real, right?" the bar owner says in an attempt at humor, and Jimin cracks a hint of smile at that. "I think we're done with the ornaments," he adds, realizing that the last box is empty as well.

"Yup. Time for lights!" Jimin says with a single clap and then reaches for the coils next to the tree. "Got the plain ol' white ones. Thought it'd look the best."

Namjoon helps Jimin wrap the lights around the tree, working around the branches and making sure to not knock any of the ornaments off. The bar owner circles around the tree in the direction opposite of Jimin, and he continues with a small, focused frown, until he trips over one of the boxes and goes stumbling down. He lets out a rather embarrassing "agh!" as takes a hurried step back and ends up tripping on another empty box. Namjoon braces for impact, instinctively letting go of the light in his hands as to not pull the tree down with him.