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Yoongi is always excited to see Seokjin’s name appear on his phone screen but today is extra special. Today is Yoongi’s birthday and he’s not expecting any grand gestures from his boyfriend but he is expecting some sweet words. Seokjin has always been so good with words. He knows exactly what to say to make Yoongi smile. The younger stands by the fact that it’s because they’re soulmates, destined to be together ever since Yoongi found his picture left behind in a photobooth at the mall.
Yoongi remembers that day so well. He remembers the feeling he had when he picked up the photo and saw Seokjin’s face for the first time. He remembers running after him, how confused the elder was when Yoongi insisted they were soulmates. He remembers the heartbreak when Seokjin didn’t believe him but how it only lasted for a few minutes because he was too excited about finding his soulmate.
Convincing Seokjin that they were meant to be together was harder than Yoongi ever imagined it to be. It took time and patience. For a moment, Yoongi thought it was never going to work and he was silly for ever believing in the idea of soulmates. But, Seokjin proved to be exactly who he thought he was. He was kind and caring and he gave his entire heart to Yoongi, which is all the boy could ever ask for.
The elder still doesn’t use the term ‘soulmates’. It’s never been a part of his vocabulary but Yoongi doesn’t mind. He has Seokjin in his life. They’re together and they’re happy. That’s all that matters to him.
Seokjin is always going to be Yoongi’s Moon and Yoongi is always going to be Seokjin’s Earth.
Before answering the phone call, Yoongi looks to his left, smiling at his dog, Holly, who he adopted not long after the two started dating. They both consider Holly to be both of theirs but he just lives with Yoongi. “Today is going to be a really good day, Holls. I can feel it.”
The pup perks up, practically smiling back at his owner in agreement. It’s hard for anyone to be upset around someone as positive as Yoongi, even when that someone is a dog. He radiates so much pure joy that it’s infectious.
“Hi!” Yoongi answers the phone in a chipper voice.
“Good morning to you, too!” Seokjin laughs. “You’re very happy today, aren’t you?”
“Shouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know? Is there a reason to be so happy today? I mean, you’re normally in a good mood but today seems a bit more.”
Yoongi’s excited expression begins to fall from his face. He can’t tell if his boyfriend is messing with him or not. Seokjin knows when Yoongi’s birthday is. He hasn’t forgotten it once over the past two years so why would he start now? Yoongi doesn’t know how to respond to the question.
“Is today not a happy day for you?”
“Hm,” he pauses. “It seems like any other Wednesday to me, sweet boy. But, I suppose the weather is a bit nicer this morning than it was yesterday.”
Yoongi can feel his heart beginning to crack. “That’s all? Just the weather?”
“I think so. Should be nice all day long. You should try and get outside for a bit.”
“You don’t want to come over? Do something? See Holly?” He feels like he’s grasping at straws at this point. “Maybe we can take him for a walk together?”
Seokjin only hums. Yoongi knows what that means. It means he doesn’t want to say yes and he’s trying to be polite about it. He knows every one of Seokjin’s habits. He knows everything there is to know about the elder. But, it seems the elder doesn’t know everything about Yoongi anymore. This almost feels worse than if he were to forget their anniversary. “I’ll see if I can make it. I have plans with Namjoon later so depending on how long I’m with him, I’ll see if I can stop by, okay?”
“Y-You made plans with Namjoon? Today?”
“Yeah!” He says it so excitedly, Yoongi’s heart breaks apart even more. “I haven’t seen him in a bit and today seemed like the perfect day for it.”
Yoongi has never been too good at hiding his emotions. His eyes begin to bubble up with tears but he wipes them away with the back of his sleeve. “Okay.”
“Everything alright? You sound upset?”
“I, um, yeah. I’m okay. Have fun with Namjoon.”
“I’ll let you know if I have time to come over, okay?”
Yoongi nods his head, forgetting the elder can’t see him. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
“I hope you have a good day, Yoongi. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he says through his own tears before hanging up the phone.
Yoongi turns his head to Holly, who can already tell something is wrong. He seems to pick up on his emotions better than Yoongi’s own boyfriend does. Holly moves closer to the boy, snuggling up beside his leg and resting his head in Yoongi’s lap. He receives lots of pets in return for comforting his owner.
He takes a deep breath, desperately trying not to cry. “He forgot, Holls. He really forgot about my birthday.”
Holly only moves closer, loving Yoongi as best he’s able to. Yoongi knows his dog is smart but right now, it’s as if he’s the smartest one in the room. It’s like he knows exactly what’s going on.
On the other end of the disconnected call, Seokjin sits on his couch across from Jieun. She’s already shaking her head in disapproval. She’s known Seokjin for years now, even before he knew Yoongi. She’s seen him make some pretty stupid decisions in his life but this has to be one of the worst. Seokjin looks up to see her negative expression, the way she looks at him with complete objection to his plan.
“What?” he asks, genuinely.
“You’re an idiot.”
“How am I an idiot?”
“That boy was clearly crying and you didn’t even show an ounce of concern!”
Seokjin thought through this plan very carefully for weeks now. He wants today to be the best birthday of Yoongi’s life and unfortunately, making Yoongi think that he forgot all about it is part of the plan. He’ll make it up to him, he will. And, it kills Seokjin to think Yoongi is sitting at home upset right now but he can’t react. He has to stick to the plan. “If he knows I’m messing with him then it’ll ruin the surprise!”
“I know you’re trying to make this a memorable birthday for him, but, baby, this might be going too far. He wears his heart on his sleeve and leads with emotion. You’re hurting him by doing this.”
“I know what I’m doing, Ji.”
She raises a brow, “do you? Because from where I sit, it looks like you just made your boyfriend cry on the morning of his birthday.”
“Jimin should be calling him any second now to get him out of his apartment for a few hours. By the time he comes back, I’ll be there to surprise him.”
“If you end up single after today, I won’t be surprised.”
Seokjin responds by throwing a pillow at his friend before leaving the room. He has so many things to do before he sees Yoongi and so little time in which to do it.
Just as Seokjin said, Jimin calls Yoongi not long after their phone call. Yoongi is still a complete mess, not having left his bed since he hung up the call with Seokjin. He’s been cuddling with Holly, trying to make himself feel better. The last thing he wants to do is talk to Jimin, who will probably only tell him he’s being dramatic or something like he always has. After he lets the first call from Jimin go straight to voicemail, he picks up the second.
He sniffles through their entire conversation, “I’m not really in the mood to talk, Mini.”
“Hyung, it’s your birthday! Why are you so down in the dumps?” Jimin knows exactly why but he sticks to the script. He’s with Seokjin on this one. Yoongi will love the surprise but getting there is the tough part.
“It’s not a good birthday.”
“Why not?”
Yoongi tries not to cry. Jimin can hear it, though. He can hear how broken his friend’s voice is. “He forgot, Mini. Jin forgot my birthday.”
“Oh, hyung. I’m sure he didn’t forget!”
“He did! He called me earlier and didn’t say anything about it! I asked if he wanted to do something today and he said he made plans with Namjoon! With stupid Namjoon! He doesn’t even remember it’s my birthday, Jimin!!”
The younger takes a deep breath, sighing through the phone. “I’m sorry, Yoongi. Maybe he’ll remember later and he’ll make it up to you?”
“He should’ve remembered in the first place.”
“Yeah, he should’ve,” Jimin agrees with him. “How about this: I come over, we get you dressed up, and I take you to all your favorite places today? We can go to your favorite restaurant for lunch, I can take you to that stationary shop you love so much, then we can go take Holly for a walk together? How does that sound?”
Yoongi wants to say no. He wants to continue his pity party and be upset with his boyfriend but wallowing won’t get him anywhere. Today is his day and he’s going to enjoy it. He can be angry with Seokjin tomorrow. He can yell at him for forgetting tomorrow. Today, he’s going to celebrate himself and do everything that makes him happy. Being with Jimin and going to his favorite places makes him happy. He won’t let anyone ruin his day, not even his soulmate.
He takes a deep breath. “Okay. Come over in an hour.”
And, Jimin does. And, he takes Yoongi to his most favorite restaurant, even buying the elder’s meal for him. Yoongi tries to convince him not to but Jimin insists. After all, it’s his birthday and he’s not having the best day. It’s the least Jimin can do.
It’s when Jimin takes Yoongi to his favorite stationary shop that the boy becomes more emotional. He’s been to this section of the store, the section with all of the letter sets, so many times but he’s never seen this specific set. It’s covered in little frogs, all in different poses and making different faces. Some are even sitting on tiny lily pads. There are even two frogs sharing a lily pad. The drawing alone makes Yoongi want to break down.
If I was also a frog, would you share a lily pad with me?, Yoongi once asked Seokjin.
I think if it came down to it, I might just share that lily pad with you, Seokjin had said in return.
Ever since that moment, any time Yoongi sees a frog or a lily pad, he thinks of Seokjin. He thinks of how close the two grew in such a short time. He thinks of how much love he has for the elder and how much love the elder has for him. Yoongi would spend a lifetime sharing a lily pad with Seokjin if he had the chance. Even if it was a small one, where the two of them just barely fit, he’d do it. In the end, all he ever wants is to be with Seokjin.
A life with Seokjin by his side is Yoongi’s idea of a perfect life.
“You should get it,” Jimin says from behind him.
He’s been so distracted by the drawings that he didn’t hear his friend walk up. “You think so?”
“Get it, hyung. It’s cute.”
“It reminds me of him.”
“I know.”
Yoongi looks at him with glazed over eyes. He’s holding in his emotions because they’re in public but he’ll surely release them when they’re alone again. “How could he forget, Mini? He’s never forgotten. Not once.”
“Sometimes we just get distracted, Yoongi. We forget the most important things to us.”
“I thought he’d want to celebrate me today. I never ask him to. I always want to celebrate him and our relationship but the one day that I actually want to do something for myself, he doesn’t even remember.”
“I know. I’m sorry, hyung.”
The elder speaks with such a serious tone that it actually scares Jimin. “Do you think he still loves me? Or, do you think he’s moved on? That he doesn’t care anymore?”
“Yoongi, don’t say that. Ever.”
“How can you keep defending him?! He forgot my birthday, Jimin!”
A few people begin to stare. Jimin gives them a look, forcing them to avert their eyes. “I know, Yoongi. I’m not defending him but I promise you, he loves you more than anything, okay?”
“How do you know that?”
It takes everything inside of Jimin not to ruin the surprise. Seokjin has been texting him all day with updates, telling him how much longer he needs to keep Yoongi away. The elder snuck into his boyfriend’s apartment hours ago and has been busy decorating his heart away, all for Yoongi. Jimin knows for a fact that Seokjin is madly in love with Yoongi but he can’t explain to Yoongi how he knows.
“I just do, okay? I just need you to trust me. Even if it’s just for today.”
He sighs, “okay.”
“Good. Now, go buy that so we can go get Holly, okay?”
“Okay.”
Jimin smiles as his friend walks towards the register. He knows what’s waiting for Yoongi back at his apartment. He may be upset now but it won’t last for long.
Even as they walk up to Yoongi’s apartment, the elder still looks sad. Jimin knows he’ll be leaving again as soon as they open the door and Yoongi sees Seokjin but he couldn’t think of any reason to stay in the car. It only made sense to walk up with the elder, just in case he started to ask questions.
Knowing that Yoongi will want this moment remembered, Jimin secretly films him from behind as he unlocks his apartment door. He’ll send him the video tomorrow. As soon as the door opens, Seokjin’s voice causes Yoongi to perk up almost immediately.
“Surprise!” he shouts, startling the birthday boy.
The entire apartment is adorned with birthday decorations, balloons and streamers everywhere. The home smells of freshly baked goods, a large cake sitting on the table is the reason why. It’s not the most perfect looking cake but that doesn’t matter much to Yoongi. And, to make things even better, both Seokjin and Holly have small, matching party hats atop their heads. Yoongi remains frozen by the front door.
Jimin sneaks by him in an attempt to capture his raw reaction. His lips are slightly parted, the shock still hitting him. Seokjin laughs, exchanging looks with Jimin. “Are you surprised, love?”
“I-I… But you forgot?”
“Does it look like I forgot?”
Yoongi slowly walks further into the room towards his boyfriend. Jimin takes it as his sign to bow out, leaving the two alone. His friend doesn’t even notice him leaving, as he’s too focused on Seokjin, but the eldest notices. He nods in Jimin’s direction, a subtle and quiet ‘thank you’ for all the boy’s help today. The front door closes and the couple are finally alone.
Yoongi sets his bag from the stationary shop down on the table, eyeing the cake as he does so. It looks like a five-year-old decorated it but it was clearly made with love. The icing on top of it reads, happy yoongi day! I ♡ U! Even just looking at it makes Yoongi want to cry. He’s never loved anyone as much as he loves Seokjin and it seems the feeling is mutual.
Holly sits perfectly still on the dining room chair, a colorful party hat on his head. It’s the cutest thing he’s ever seen and Holly has done some pretty cute things in his life. Yoongi starts to wonder how many treats it took for Seokjin to convince the pup to pose like this. “Say something, Yoongi,” Seokjin mumbles.
He looks over at his boyfriend, who is wearing the same silly hat as Holly. “I thought you forgot.”
“I could never forget your birthday.”
“But you made me think you did.”
“I wanted to surprise you. I wanted it to be something you’d never forget.”
Yoongi nods his head, trying his best to understand. Part of him still wants to be angry with his boyfriend. He wants to yell at him for making him cry so much today but, god, it’s so hard to yell at someone with a party hat on. Seokjin looks too adorable to be angry at. Yoongi is too weak for his soft smile and love-filled gaze.
He moves closer to Seokjin, finally hugging his taller frame. “I love you,” he says against the elder’s chest.
“I love you more, Yoongi. I’m sorry if I upset you by doing this. I would never forget something as special as the day you came into this world. You’re my best friend, the person I love most. You’re my Earth. I could never forget anything about you.”
“I know,” he whispers, a warm feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. “My Moon.”
The elder kisses the top of his head, “are you mad at me?”
“No,” he shakes his head. “I was upset but not anymore.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you this morning. If I wasn’t trying so hard to surprise you then I would’ve been here the very moment you woke up.”
“You’re here now, that’s what matters.”
Seokjin hugs him tighter. “Happy birthday, sweet boy.” After a few seconds, Yoongi begins to quietly giggle to himself. It makes the elder smile. “What, hm? What is it?”
“How did you manage to get Holly to wear a party hat?”
“A lot of treats and begging him to stay still,” he laughs. It’s Yoongi’s favorite sound. It always has been. “What did you get at the store?”
Yoongi grins, backing away from his boyfriend to show him the new letter set he bought. As soon as he pulls it out, Seokjin smiles even brighter. “It reminded me of you, of us. I couldn’t leave without it.” He turns it over, showing him the drawing of the two frogs sharing a lily pad. “See? That’s us.”
“I’d always share one with you. Always.”
“And, you’re always welcome at mine.”
Seokjin kisses him softly and suddenly, everything feels okay again. Every part of Yoongi that was upset with his boyfriend today is gone. All he feels now is love and happiness. It may have started badly but this is still the best birthday Yoongi has ever had.
The two spend the rest of the night eating cake and sharing their favorite Yoongi-related stories. Every time Seokjin looks his way or says his name, Yoongi can see how his eyes light up and how big his smile becomes. Jimin was right. He’s still madly in love with him and he always will be.
After all, they’re soulmates. ‘Forever’ is kind of their thing.