sope au rivals to friends au where they were neighbors who never met competing every year to see who outdoes the other one with holiday decor; at first it starts small. Yoongi has a inflatable small snowman, with some lights he plants on the porch. Hoseok has a light up deer and-

frosted windows. theyve always noticed each other's houses, and their houses are the most attention grabbing when the holidays come near: and before they knew it, their holiday decorations become more abundant and expensive each year passing. Now yoongi's tiny snowman

has been replaced with a giant 12 foot inflatable one, and hoseok's house is nearly blinding at night with how many lights he has outside. Their energy bills have probably racked up a lot, but this is a competition. As namjoon passes by their neighborhood each year

to attend parties at hoseoks, he turns red from second hand embarrassment at the sight of both houses as he scurries across the front porch to quickly ring the pinecone decorated doorbell.

One year on a late november day, yoongi was inflating his snowman and was preparing to set up the new decor he had bought. But as he looks over to his neighbor, supposedly having to already set up their lights for the year, he sees a bare porch. It struck yoongi as strange,

but didnt think much of it. Maybe his neighbor would set it up later, its only november. But as it creeps closer to christmas, yoongi gets worried. Did his neighbor get tired to keeping this competition up? Did his neighbor become broke and had to move? Did the neighbor leave?

Before he knew it, yoongi stood before his neighbors lawn, finger hovering over the doorbell that was once overdecorated in pinecones. If he rang the doorbell now, he thought, wouldnt it be weird? If he were to ask "hey, so your lawn is empty," that would be a strange way to meet

his neighbor for the first time. After all, their only communication between each other were with the extravagances of their lawns. Before he could think any further the door whipped open, revealing wide, doelike eyes, and probably one of the prettiest humans he has ever met.

"um," his neighbor spoke uncertainly, breaking yoongi's concentrated gaze. "Can i..help you?" The trash bag in his neighbor's hands make a crinkling sound, his neighbor was going to take out the trash.

Yoongi gapes before blurting out, "Where were you?" Way to go, yoongi.

"P-pardon?" his neighbor squeaks, his face becoming fearful as he backs up slowly into his house.

"Wait, no, im not a stalker or anything. Im your neighbor, Yoongi. You know, the one with the giant snowman." Yoongi rambles, the last part of his sentence getting quieter with the

embarrassing realization that yes, yoongi had purchased a giant snowman just to compete with his pretty neighbor. Suddenly, the whole situation seemed ridiculous. His neighbor probably thought he's weird-

"Oh! You're my neighbor with the inflatable snowman!! Im hoseok!"

Hoseok's face makes a 180, a heart smile popping out as he beams at yoongi, and yoongi swears that his neighbors smile was brighter than any light Hoseok had set out in his lawn.

"Regarding this year, unfortunately I couldn't do anything," Hoseok continues. He drags the trash

bag away to reveal his legs, one of them in a cast.

"Oh," yoongi replied, understanding.

"I really did wanted to set the lights out, i saw that you even had some new things outside this year," Hoseok laughs as he sees yoongis embarrassed expression.

"And, uhm, you're not the only one," it was Hoseoks turn to look embarrassed. "I also bought some new decor. I was excited to put them outside until i got into an accident. Now ive been instructed to rest, so I guess you win this year!"

The conversation dies down to an awkward-

silence, yoongi stunned that his neighbor was having as much enjoyment as he was.

He clears his throat. "Not yet," he says, and hoseok looks at him confusedly.

Yoongi holds out his hands. "Where are your decorations? Im putting them up for you."

Hoseok sputters, "Wh-wha??"

"Hand them to me. Every single, last one of them. I'll put them up, and I'll even remove them later if your leg doesnt get better by then. I'm doing it for you," yoongi smirks, "and maybe for competition purposes. Im not going down without a fight."

Hoseok lets out a laugh of disbelief, "You're surprisingly very childish, you know that?"

"I know."

(And after that, yoongi does help hoseok set up his decor. Its a lot, and its in par with yoongi's lawn. They decide that its a tie, and hoseok invites yoongi over for dinner. And thats the start of their friendship (and hopefully more lol))

as always pls forgive me for grammer i always give up while writing aaaa,,, this was inspired by the fact that there are 2 houses in my neighborhood who have been competiting against each other with christmas decor for like a decade lol