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The sound of plates clanking pulls Yushi out of his sleep. He looks at his phone, it’s six in the morning on a Saturday. He has no business being awake at six in the morning on a Saturday, but he can’t go back to sleep either. So he accepts his fate and decides to scroll through his phone. He can’t help but smile at seeing all the birthday wishes the fans write for him, somehow still struggling to believe they’re real.
His attention shifts to the dull pain in his left arm where Sakuya is soundly sleeping on, and he doesn’t have the heart to wake him up. So he pulls his arm, as slowly as he can, and replaces it with a real pillow. Sakuya is going to thank him when he wakes up without a stiff neck. Daeyoung is asleep on the floor somehow, like a human-sized booby trap, with Riku tucked in his chest. He doesn’t know why all six of them think sleeping in Sakuya’s room together is a good idea.
Yushi carefully drags his feet outside, his stomach immediately groaning at the smell of food from the kitchen. He sees Ryo first, fast asleep on the living room couch. He’s curled up, looking smaller than Yushi last remembers him. He smiles at the sight.
“Morning,” Sion calls from the kitchen. Ah, so he’s the one making all the noise.
“Morning,” Yushi stretches his body until he sees white.
“Want some?”
Yushi nods. Sion wordlessly takes a bowl and scoops some ramen out for Yushi before taking some for himself. Yushi notices that Sion made enough for the six of them. The smell seems to travel through the whole dorm, waking Sakuya up, who trips over Daeyoung, waking Riku up.
“Ow, ow, ow.” Sakuya limps into the kitchen and drapes himself on Yushi’s back, his head perched on the older’s shoulder. “Hyung, I fell.”
“You stepped on my feet and fell on top of Riku hyung,” Daeyoung scoffs, smacking Sakuya’s back lightly. “You shouldn’t be the one whining.”
“What is this? The misery Olympics?” Sakuya sticks his tongue out, earning a playful shove from Daeyoung and a pinch on his cheeks from Riku.
“You guys are so loud,” Ryo’s whines from the sofa fall on deaf ears as Sakuya and Daeyoung busy themselves with food and Riku throws himself on top of him, cooing a series of ‘our Ryo is sooo cute’.
They fall into comfortable silence, only talking to each other about what they’re planning for today. Yushi is glad his birthday is on the weekend because he gets to spend it at home. He loves being on stage more than anything, but he won’t reject a full day at home doing nothing with his favorite people.
Yushi can’t help his mind from wandering back to last night. The feeling of his members arms around him, pulling him into the middle of the living room with matching smiles on their faces. As if Yushi’s happiness is their own too. He already knows what to wish for as he closes his eyes.
For his family’s happiness, health, and safety. For another year of dreams coming true with the people he loves. For his team, the best friends of his life, the people he considers a part of his dreams come true, to be by his side forever. For him to finally accept that he deserves all the love and happiness he feels right now.
Yushi breathes in—
The six of them staying up until midnight to celebrate Yushi. Sion’s warm and steady smile as he holds Yushi’s birthday cake. The lights reflecting in Daeyoung’s eyes from the ‘21’ candles. Riku’s crescent eyes as he puts a birthday hat on him. Laughing until his stomach hurts at Sakuya and Ryo’s own rendition of the happy birthday song. Smiling so widely his cheeks hurt, the overwhelming fondness filling his chest, and wondering if he deserved to be loved like this.
—and blows out the candles.
Maybe his wishes have come true after all.