reef knot

eighteen

December 27, 2016, 7 p.m.

That night, I decide to prepare dinner to thank Taehyung for taking us under his wing and paying for all our utilities and bills without asking for anything in return.

While the brown-haired boy is napping in his bedroom and Yoongi is taking an evening shower, I pull out from the fridge the bag of groceries I got from the nearby market this afternoon.

Just as I am laying out the ingredients on the counter top, the front door opens and Jimin strides into the apartment.

"Hey, you're home!" I grin at my brother as I pull out a baking sheet from the cupboard. "Dinner will be ready in around twenty minutes!"

"Actually, I just came home to get my clothes and toothbrush," Jimin informs me, sauntering into the bedroom. "I'll be sleeping in the office tonight."

"Again?" I frown, halting in my actions just as I am about to empty the roast turkey onto the tray. "Can't you stay for dinner? It'll only take a while, I promise!"

"Sorry, sis," Jimin apologizes, emerging from the bedroom with an outfit and spare toothbrush in his hands. "I'll come home tomorrow, alright?" he persuades me, walking up to me to give me a quick peck on the forehead.

I nod reluctantly, unable to hide the sadness on my face. It must have been ages since I last sat at the same dining table as my brother.

Jimin doesn't seem to notice my disappointment though, humming to himself as he stuffs his necessities into his backpack.

"Eat well!" I exclaim as he's about to leave the apartment.

He makes a sound of approval, about to lock the door behind him, when his head pokes in again. "By the way, happy birthday in advance!" he beams quickly, before closing the door.

Only then do I remember that tomorrow's my birthday.

I must've been so busy with life lately that I forgot.

I stuff the roast turkey into the microwave, before starting to prepare the cake while wondering how I'm gonna spend my birthday tomorrow.

Just as I'm pouring the mix into a bowl, a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind, and I turn to see Yoongi, green hair drenched and white tee-shirt almost transparent.

He nuzzles my neck, his breath tickling the crook of my shoulder. "Need my help?" he offers, his deep voice soft but husky.

I grin with a shake of my head, pecking his cheek before proceeding to crack a few eggs into the bowl. "I can handle myself," I assure him, and he nods, but doesn't release me. "Are you planning on hugging me forever?" I complain with a giggle, though I wouldn't mind.

"Mmhm," I feel him smile into my hair.

He continues back-hugging me for the rest of the time I take to prepare dinner, until he hears Taehyung emerging from the room.

We have a quiet dinner, our attentions on nothing but the food, with occasional small talk interrupting the silence. Yoongi helps me with the dishes after that, and by the time we're done, it's already nine o' clock.

"I can hear you singing along to 'Love Is An Open Door' all the way from the kitchen!" I complain to Taehyung the moment I enter the living room. As expected, 'Frozen' is on TV.

"But it's Christmas!" Taehyung argues, patting the space on the couch beside him as a gesture for me to sit.

"That doesn't mean you have to watch every single movie with snow in it!" I retort. "And what's with that picture of a mistletoe above your pants?"