It's today. It's today! Seokjin's birthday. 

Taehyung wakes with an overwhelming sense of joy; today is the day that all his plans will come to fruition. He's not good with secrets, never has been, but he's been keeping his plans for his boyfriend's birthday from him for about a month. Now it's finally here, he's incredibly excited to see how Seokjin will react. 

It's too much to keep to himself so he rolls over in the general direction of his night stand, one hand reaching out and fumbling for the phone that should be there. It isn't and for a moment Taehyung's stomach drops as he contemplates what it would mean if he'd lost it, and then his hand finds the familiar object just a little bit further away than he'd expected. He flops back down on his pillows, willing his heart to slow now the panic is over, but it has a mind of it's own, refusing to adjust. Sighing softly to himself, he unlocks the phone to text his best friend. 

To; Chimchim 

It's Jinnie's birthday!!!!! *\(^.^)/* yayayayayayayayayayyay 

To; Taebear 

What kind of time do you call this? 

To; Chimchim 

Hyung, it's only eight am 

To; Taebear 

Yeah, only -_- 

Huh, now your is even scarier O_O 

To; Chimchim 

:( 

It'll go back down in 26 days ;) 

Oops I should have texted Jinnie first O_O 

To; Taebear 

Wait, you didn't yet? Dude text him! 

To; Chimchim 

Yeah im gonna 

To; Taebear 

STOP TEXTING ME 

To; Chimchim 

YOU STOP 

 ... 

... 

Jimminie? 

To; Taebear 

TAE I SWEAR 

To; Princess 

Good morning beautiful *.* happy birthday <3 ^.^ =^.^=

I hope you slept well *\(^=^)/*

I'm coming round as soon as I'm dressed so you better get up 

To; Precious Tae 

Is that a threat? Thank you <3 I slept pretty well and you, precious taetae? 

To; Princess 

Ew dont call me that D; 

To; Precious Tae 

Precious or taetae? 

To; Princess 

BOTH >.< 

To; Precious Tae 

You know you love it really <3 

To; Princess 

Let me help unwrap your presents! 

To; Precious Tae 

Why? 

To; Princess 

Because im your BF <3 

To; Precious Tae 

That doesn't automatically earn you present unwrapping rights. 

To; Princess 

What does? 

This? 

To; Precious Tae 

Close but no cigar. 

To; Princess 

??? 

To; Precious Tae 

Come make me breakfast. 

To; Princess 

But your place is so far awayyyyyy 

To; Precious Tae 

To; Princess 

Fine I'll see you in 30mins 

To; Precious Tae 

I love you taetae ~ 

To; Princess 

I should just move in 

To; Precious Tae 

Pfft like your parents would allow that. 

To; Princess 

Bye <3 Don't call me taetae 

To; Precious Tae 

Can I moan it? 

Taehyung can feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. Flushed red, he locks his phone and leaps out of bed, deciding that right now is as good a time as any to get up. He quickly slides into the first of two outfits that he laid out last night in preparation; all black boxer briefs followed by a pair of blue jeans that, so far, only have a couple of holes - one from skateboarding and the other, on his , from a disagreement with a tree a couple weeks back. A white linen shirt follows, with sleeves that are longer than Taehyung's arms. He scans the floor for socks, picking up the first two he spots and sniffing them to assess their state of cleanliness. Passable. He hastily tugs them on. One sock is white-ish with a pattern of little bunny rabbits. He's sure that it's Jungkook's although he has no idea when or how he'd acquired clothes belonging to his best friend's younger brother. The other sock is metallic pink. He knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that this one belongs to Seokjin and feels happy to be wearing clothes that have previously been worn by his boyfriend. 

Once he's dressed, Taehyung bolts out of his room and across the hall to the bathroom, nudging the door shut with his toes. With a comb in his left hand and a toothbrush in his right, he sets about making himself a little more presentable, persuading his hair to lie mostly flat and eradicating all traces of morning breath. 

Taehyung stumbles into the kitchen a few minutes later, only narrowly missing the door frame and with a few stubborn tufts of hair sticking out in different directions. His mother is sitting at the table reading a newspaper and studiously ignoring the food placed in front of her. Taehyung pauses in the doorway. He's not completely sure why he came in here - he doesn't need breakfast since he'll get that at Jinnie's place. He clears his throat. 

"Uhm, I'm going out!" He announces, plastering a nervous smile onto his face. His mum looks up, peering at him over her reading glasses. Her smile of greeting is slightly marred by the obvious disapproval in her voice when she speaks. 

"Good morning darling, let me guess - attending to Seokjin's every whim?" Taehyung's smile drops immediately as he rolls his eyes. Even on Seokjin's birthday she feels the need to make a quip. 

"Whatever mum, I'll be back before lunch." He hovers uncertainly in the doorway, unsure if their conversation is done with or not. 

"Your dad is out and I have work. There's food in the fridge." Her expression softens and she dips into her pocket, pulling out a small box wrapped in blue paper and tied with a little pink bow. "Here, Tae." She says, holding it out towards him. "Tell Seokjin happy birthday from us. This is for him." 

The smile is back on Taehyung's face in an instant, brighter than ever, after this tiny little bit of acceptance from his mum. He isn't sure his parents will ever fully accept Seokjin, but he appreciates this effort; they are at least trying. He rushes forward to envelop his mum in a hug, squeezing her with all his strength and thanking her sincerely. Her laugh is muffled but genuine as she gently extricates herself from his grip, folding up her glasses and setting them down on the table. 

"I still disapprove." She says softly. "But you're old enough to make your own decisions. Have a good time Tae." He leans down to give her a quick kiss, picks up the little parcel and practically skips from the room. 

In the hallway, he sits down on the floor to put his shoes on before grabbing his keys as well as his own card and small gift for Seokjin. When he's sure he has everything, he starts out the door to begin his walk across town. 

It isn't really that far to Seokjin's place, it just feels that way when he's comfortable in bed and wrapped up in warm, soft blankets. In reality it's roughly a fifteen minute walk if he doesn't dawdle too much. 

He waits a moment outside the door to Seokjin's apartment, then unlocks it with the key the other gave him - Seokjin doesn't particularly like being interrupted by having to answer the door and would rather find his friends or boyfriend unexpectedly in his house. It used to weird Taehyung out that so many of Seokjin's friends have keys to his place and randomly let themselves in, but he quickly got used to it. Even if many of Seokjin's friends agree with Tae's dad, feeling that he's too young to be dating Seokjin. 

He removes his shoes as quietly as possible and leaves his keys and the gifts on the side table by the door. Then he begins tiptoeing round the apartment in search of Seokjin, leaving the bedroom until last. His beloved Jinnie isn't in the kitchen, living room or bathroom. Nor is he in the cramped study. That leaves only the bedroom. 

He approaches the door cautiously, sliding his socked feet across the wooden floor of the hallway to try and minimise the noise. Gingerly, he pushes the door open and steps in. 

Seokjin is slumbering peacefully, a serene look on his face, blonde streaked hair spread out on the pillow like a halo, a trail of drool ruining the effect as it falls from his slightly parted lips. 

Tae's heart flutters at the sight; he can't believe he's dating this beautiful man. His eyes drop to those plump lips. The drool fails to make them any less enticing and he climbs carefully onto the edge of the bed so that he can crawl over to his Seokjinnie. 

He kneels next to the sleeping form of Seokjin, admiring his beauty and the calm, content expression on his sleeping face. After a moment's consideration, Taehyung leans down and presses a light kiss to that pretty mouth, smiling happily against those plump lips when the rich dark eyes of his boyfriend flutter open momentarily. Strong arms wrap around his waist, pulling him down as Seokjin sleepily returns the kiss. 

When Taehyung finally pulls away, resting his head on Seokjin's chest, the latter mutters a quiet 'good morning' in a slightly husky voice, hands resting on Tae's lower back. 

"Happy twenty first birthday, hyung!" Taehyung beams. 

After a little while, Taehyung begins to get bored of lying so still. He fidgets about a bit, playing with the blanket and then shifts further down, his weight forcing Jin's legs open a little. 

"Don't wriggle like that Taehyung, not at this time in the morning." Seokjin mumbles, his arms tightening around Taehyung's waist. 

"Does that mean later...?" Tae perks up, hopeful and wriggling more in his excitement. 

"No." Comes the firm response. Tae sees Seokjin pulling a face as Taehyung squirms about a little more to get comfortable once more. "You know what I said, what I always say - you're not eighteen yet and I'm not going there." Tae wilts and Seokjin smiles fondly, sliding his fingers through his boyfriend's dark brown hair "You don't have long though." He purrs, winking suggestively whilst one hand slides lower, down to Taehyung's and pinches it hard. 

"Don't teeaase!" Taehyung whines, squirming even more to try and get away from Seokjin's roaming hands. 

"It's my birthday, I have every right." The man beneath him grins, pulling Taehyung flush against him. Taehyung pulls back, trying to escape the arms encircling him. "Where are you off to so soon?" 

"To make you breakfast, princess, that's what I'm here for." Taehyung chirps but frowns when his boyfriend makes as if to follow him. 

Sitting up, Tae pushes his boyfriend back down on the bed, hands exerting pressure on his broad chest. 

"No hyung, I'm cooking you breakfast in bed." 

"You're either gonna poison us or burn the apartment block down. I'm supervising - my neighbours hate me enough already." 

"Relax, I can make pancakes remember?" After a moment more's protest, Seokjin subsides, resigned to his fate. It's true - pancakes are one of the few things Taehyung can genuinely cook. Maybe because Seokjin has made up a mix of all the dry ingredients and stuck a massive label with simple instructions on the side that even Taehyung can't manage to mess up. 

Not long after, Taehyung is pottering around the kitchen pulling out ingredients and the various pieces of equipment he'll need. With everything finally sorted, well scattered around the work surfaces, he looks around satisfied. The phone in his back pocket buzzes; a message from Jimin wondering if he texted Seokjin yet. He replies - of course he did and he is now at his Jinnie's place and about to start cooking. Satisfied, Taehyung takes a moment to glance round furtively before sending two group messages. 

To; RM, ChimChim, Cookie 

You guys better have your together by this evening or else! 

Love ya, you fools <3 

To; Grumpy-hyung, Horse-hyung 

Hyungs, are you still happy to help me out as backup? Love your best dongsaeng ^.^ 

He puts his phone in his back pocket and ignores the constant buzzing as it receives a flurry of messages, focusing on making the best pancakes of his life. 

Before long, he has a stack of admittedly slightly oddly shaped pancakes that, despite appearances, smell really good. He excitedly gets a second plate and things to put on them ready and stacks everything onto a tray to carry to Seokjin. He has to concentrate really hard on not bouncing as he makes his way through the apartment; he mustn't spill anything on the carpets in his excitement. 

Tae bursts into Seokjin's room to find him now fully awake and propped up against the multitude of pillows and cushions he owns. He looks slightly startled from the loud and sudden entrance, but his expression rapidly evolves into a welcoming smile. As Taehyung moves closer, the twenty one year old cutely disentangles himself from his blankets and crawls to the end of the bed, perching there expectantly, eyes focused on the food. He looks so excited, like a puppy waiting for its bowl to be filled, wide eyes glistening. Tae laughs as he drags across a small table to set the tray down on. As soon as his hands are free, he pets the head of his boyfriend, mouth wide in a box smile. 

"Can I feed you?" Taehyung asks as he sinks down on the bed. His voice comes out even lower than usual and Seokjin jumps the tiniest bit before laughing and jabbing him in the side. 

"Sure, but try not to be too messy." 

Taehyung smirks. 

Seokjin regrets those words. Sorely. Taehyung makes sure of it. He refuses to let his elder feed himself and he takes very little care over the fillings of each pancake, nor about actually getting them into Jinnie's mouth. 

It isn't long before there's a generous amount of golden syrup dripping steadily from Seokjin's lips. Tae grins as he holds the other's hands away from his face. The offended look on Seokjin's face only makes Taehyung happier as he quickly swipes up some of the syrup with his fingertips before sticking them in his own mouth. 

"You taste good!" He gives a blinding smile. 

"I'm never letting you feed me again..." Tae can't help but laugh as the other tries and fails to put on a stern expression. He gives the elder a quick peck. 

"You need a shower, hyung." 

"Yes, I do. I have to go in to the salon in an hour. You better clear this up, I'll give you a lift home." He makes no attempt to clean up his dirtied face, instead leaving swiftly after picking out some clothes. 

Taehyung gazes at the tray. There's syrup everywhere. He's pleasantly surprised to find that it is neither on the floor (Seokjin would murder him) nor on the bed (Seokjin would resurrect him to murder again). It is however on the table. He picks up the tray with a sigh, putting the jars away before dumping the tray and plates in the sink. He fed himself as well as his boyfriend and there are no pancakes left - he did a good job after all and the pancakes tasted really good. 

He takes a damp cloth to clean the sticky patch off the table in Seokjin's bedroom and decides that he might as well make the bed too whilst he's in here. He means it as a good gesture, but it's more of a struggle than he expects; double beds are awkward as hell and Seokjin has more cushions and pillows than anyone could ever need. Eventually however he succeeds, and, pleased with his efforts, he retreats to the kitchen to do the washing up. 

He's still studiously scrubbing away when Seokjin emerges from the bathroom. Tae hears him pad quietly into the room and glances up momentarily. Seokjin is leant against the counter, watching Taehyung intently with a noticeable pout. 

"What is it, hyung?" Taehyung asks and Seokjin shifts his weight to his other leg. 

"Don't I get a present?" He blushes a little, perhaps feeling bad about asking such a question. Tae's stomach drops. He forgot to give Seokjin his gifts! 

"Aah, hyung!" Tae flails his arms, spraying soapy water into the air. "I'm SO sorry!!" He darts across the kitchen to dry his hands and then sprints to the front door to pick up the two little wrapped boxes and his card. When he arrives back in the kitchen, Seokjin is still in the same place looking slightly bewildered. Taehyung extends the gifts to his boyfriend. "This one is from mum and dad." Seokjin's eyes widen in surprise before curving into one of the most beautiful smiles Tae has ever seen. "I know, it's great isn't it? The other one is from me, but I also have a few more presents that I'm saving for when I see you later, okay princess?" Seokjin nods enthusiastically, staring in wonder at the gift from his boyfriend's parents - it means a lot that they might finally be starting to accept him, even just a little. He unwraps the box carefully, not tearing the paper at all and gingerly opens the lid of the box held within. It contains a beautiful silver watch with a cream dial and ornate hands. He picks it up to look closer and finds his initials K.S. Engraved on the back. 

Taehyung watches closely. He's never seen Seokjin looks so happy and so close to tears at the same time. So he says the first thing he can think of. 

"Well, it's not pink." An elated laugh escapes his boyfriend as he holds the watch out, asking Tae to help him put it on. 

"I'll just wear it for now. I don't want it to get wet or in people's hair or something but - oh my gosh Taetae, it's so pretty!" Taehyung lets that pass - his parents have made them both happier than they would ever know. 

Seokjin's attention shifts to the second gift, the one from Taehyung. He opens it just as reverently, carefully folding up the paper and admiring the little wooden box Tae found on a market stall. Seokjin opens it to find an assortment of earrings and stretchers that Taehyung had, in fact, spent months collecting. 

"There's so many..." He utters in a hushed whisper. His hands immediately reach up to remove the multitude of earrings he's currently wearing and switch them with a selection from the box. He looks up at his boyfriend with tear filled eyes. "Thank you for everything. How could you have anything more for me?" 

Taehyung smiles, wrapping his crying boyfriend in a bear hug. 

"Seokjin, you're so cute. You're also late for work." The man in his arms starts and looks at his new watch in horror. 

"Oh my gosh, you're right! But-but it's my salon.... Oh help... I just - let me call Ella." Taehyung releases him and cups Seokjin's face. 

"Don't worry, the others have keys right?" A nod. "Then they can open up, it's your birthday they won't mind. But you don't need to give me a lift home and you can open my card without me, okay?" Another nod. Taehyung delicately wipes the elders eyes. "And stop crying, you're twenty one now and the best hairdresser I know so go do your thing and make people happy!" A deep breath and then Seokjin is back to his usual self, although his voice is a little shaky. 

"Thank you Taetae, I'm sorry about this. I'll see you later, right?" Taehyung nods, grabbing his keys and leaving at the same time as Seokjin. He gives one last wave before turning in the direction of his house, ready to start preparations for his remaining birthday plans for Seokjin. 

He pulls out his phone to send another group message.