“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Makeu, happy birthday to youuu!”

A round of cheering and laughter can be heard inside the room. It’s the 4^th of September and Mark Tuan is currently celebrating his 22^nd birthday with his boyfriend and friends at their favorite chicken restaurant.

It’s actually kind of unfortunate that he doesn’t get to celebrate it with his family this year, because his parents went back to Los Angeles a couple of months ago. It doesn’t make him that sad though, since he has Jinyoung, Jackson, and Jaebum by his side now. They are basically his second family.

From his left, Jinyoung tells Mark to make a wish before blowing out the candles. Mark obeys, closing his eyes, crossing his fingers and making wishes. A few seconds later, he opens his eyes and blows the candles out. Jackson and Jaebum congratulate him for the third time that day, but he still says ‘thank you’ to them nonetheless.

“Happy birthday, Mark hyung. Thank you for being with me.” Jinyoung says shyly as he kisses Mark’s cheek.

The birthday boy grins because of that and turns his body to the left. He takes a hand and lifts Jinyoung’s chin, pressing his own lips onto his boyfriend’s pink and plump ones. “I should be the one thanking you, Nyoung. Thank you for being here and for celebrating my birthday with me.”

Jinyoung blushes at that, “It’s my pleasure, hyung. It’s your birthday after all.”

“Eww, can’t you both just save this lovey dovey moment for later? You can have Mark for the whole night, Jinyoung. Me and Jaebum are here too, you know.” Jackson suddenly interrupts, making Jinyoung blush even more. Jaebum just chuckles at his best friends.

Mark snorts, “Maybe you and this guy right here,” he points at Jaebum, “should stop being dumb and go get a boyfriend yourselves so you can have someone to do a lovey dovey moment with.”

Jaebum chokes on his drink upon hearing that, feeling his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He not-so-subtly glances at Jackson, whose cheeks mirroring his own.

This time, it’s Mark and Jinyoung who laugh at their dumb best friends.

“What the hell are you talking about Mark?!” Jackson snaps, cheeks still red and hot. “Ah, come on, let’s go order lots of chicken and beer, it’s on Mark!!!”

“.”

Three hours, tens of chicken, and bottles of beer later, the four guys sit lifelessly on their seats. Jackson has an unfinished chicken in his mouth, Jaebum rests his head on the table with his hand still holding onto his glass of alcohol. Mark is probably the most sober one out of them. Maybe years of living in LA does make him have a high alcohol tolerance.

Meanwhile Jinyoung... is the total opposite. He handles alcohol like a 15 year old. So it’s no surprise that he is now clinging to Mark’s arm, trying to get onto the older’s lap.

“Hyung… Mark hyung…”

“What is it Jinyoung-ah?”

“Can I sit on top of you, hyung? You can be the cake and I can be your candle~” he says, giggling innocently as if he didn’t just say an ambiguous thing.

“No, Nyoung. I think we should just go home.” Mark answers, softly pushing back the hair that keep falling in Jinyoung’s face.

Jinyoung pouts, “But whyyy! Isn’t it too early to go home? It’s your birthday hyung! We should stay here longer~”

“And let you drink more and possibly do weird things in front of other people? Nope no, I’d rather spending the rest of my birthday at home cuddling you to sleep.”

“Awww Mark hyung~ You are so~ sweet~”

Mark facepalms. His boyfriend is originally cute as hell, but he gets ridiculously adorable when he is drunk. Not that he is complaining or anything.

“Wait here okay, don’t do anything stupid.” Mark says as he gets up from his seat.

After paying the bills and hailing a cab for Jackson and Jaebum (and making sure that the driver will help the both of them safely reach Jaebum’s place) Mark goes back to Jinyoung. He helps the boy stand and leads him outside, one arm around his waist and the other holding Jinyoung’s that is placed around his shoulders.

Mark thought Jinyoung would still be able to walk straight, but  he is  totally wrong. His boyfriend is too wobbly to walk on his own. He even starts mumbling incoherent things, so Mark has no other choice.

Times like these, he is really thankful that he has a high alcohol tolerance and a strong build.

Mark lets go of Jinyoung’s waist and bends down in front of him, his back facing the younger. “Aish, come on. Get on my back.”

However, instead of a torso clinging onto his back, Mark feels a soft, pudding-like thing latching on it. It’s Jinyoung’s . Jinyoung is sitting on his goddamn back.

“Jinyoung?”

“Yes, hyung?”

“What are you doing?”

“Hm?”

“I said get on my back. Why are you sitting on it?”

“Oh,”

Upon realizing what he just did, Jinyoung gets up from his sitting position. He then properly gets on Mark’s back and finally places his arms around the older’s neck. “Sorry, hyung.”

“It’s fine,”

Mark puts both his palms under the end of Jinyoung’s buttcheeks to prop him. Fortunately, despite being a little taller than Mark, Jinyoung is a lightweight, so Mark has no problem carrying his boyfriend like this -- even when he is in his slightly inebriated state.

“It’s my birthday. I am supposed to party and have fun, why am I giving you a piggyback ride?”

Jinyoung giggles, voice soft and velvety in Mark’s ears. “Because you love me, hyung~”

Yeah, I do. So much.

“Yeah, yeah, of course Jinyoung.” Mark says.

Unsatisfied with the respond, Jinyoung asks again. This time, he tilts his head, face getting too close to Mark’s. “You love me right?”

Mark turns to his right to find his drunk boyfriend pouting. Ugh why does he have to be so cute when he is drunk.

“I do baby, you know I do.” He finally answers, giving Jinyoung a peck on the forehead.

“Good, because I love you too sooooo much!” Jinyoung says, half shouting.

If Mark’s stomach churns at the adorable statement, he doesn’t say it.

Once they are arrived at their shared apartment, Mark immediately brings his sleeping, drunk boyfriend to their bedroom. He lays him gently on the bed, taking of his shoes and socks then changing his striped shirt and slacks into Jinyoung’s favorite pair of peach-printed pajamas.

When he’s done and about to go the bathroom to shower, Jinyoung suddenly grabs his wrist.

“Hyung…” he says sleepily, eyes still closed.

“Oh sorry Nyoung, did I wake you?”

Jinyoung shakes his head. “No, I wasn’t really sleeping. Hyung, lay down beside me.”

As much as Mark wants to have a nice hot shower, he can’t say no to Jinyoung. He can never.

So he climbs onto the bed and pulls Jinyoung into his embrace. “Go sleep, baby.”

“Wait, hyung~ I still have something to do.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Can you give me your phone? I want to call your parents.”

“Wha- My parents? What for?”

Jinyoung falls silent for a few seconds before he speaks again, voice almost inaudible. “I wanna thank them for giving birth to you,”

Mark is speechless. Out of all things his boyfriend can say or do in his drunken state, he wants to thank Mark’s parents for giving birth to him?

“B-but why?” Mark asks.

“Because… because of them I got to meet the man of my dreams, who takes really good care of me. Who gives me everything even when I don’t need them. Who always does his best to make me smile. Who stays with me although he knows how sensitive and moody I can get.  Who loves me just as much as I love him…”

If Mark was speechless earlier, now he can’t even think about anything besides JinyoungJinyoungJinyoung. The younger is always so sweet and affectionate towards Mark, but this is he very first time he ever said something as heartfelt as this. It makes Mark want to cry.

He jolts back to reality as he feels Jinyoung’s fingers wiping his tears that he didn’t realize falling. His face looks sad. “Hyung… Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry…”

“No, no, don’t apologize. You said nothing wrong, baby. Everything’s just so right, and I’m just so, so happy.”

With that being said, Jinyoung’s wrinkled smile makes a way back to his face. “Good. Now, can I call your parents?”

Mark chuckles at that. He is still drunk after all.

“How about you call them tomorrow? It’s still morning in LA and I’m not sure if they have woken up or not.” Mark reasons.

“Oh? Is that so? Okay then…”

“Okay. Now go to sleep.” Mark says, kissing the crown of Jinyoung’s head and wrapping his arm around his waist.

Jinyoung shuffles closer to the warmth that is his boyfriend, burying his face on Mark’s neck. “Okay. Good night, Mark hyung~ Happy birthday~”

“Good night, baby.”

Just when Mark’s about to close his eyes, Jinyoung calls him again. “Hyung?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you very much for being born.”

Mark can feel his heart melts yet he smiles and kisses Jinyoung’s head once again.

“Thank you Jinyoung-ah. I love you.”