"What? You met up with Seojoon again and even had dinner with him?" Jimin asks as he tilts his head to the side with pursed lips as Yoongi looks at him weirdly as well. Jungkook just nods slowly.  

"Yeah, because of Taehyung. Apparently, they met at the University where they're working at." Jungkook begins to say to his two older friends who have dropped by his house to return some of the stuff they borrowed off of him a little while back. Mainly gadgets like recording equipment etc. 

"Surprisingly, it looks like they're quite close," Jungkook shrugs, but Yoongi speaks up suddenly, looking directly at him and it makes him feel slightly uncomfortable.

"And you're ok with that?" The elder asks which made Jungkook frown.

"Uh, why wouldn't I be? Yeah things aren't great between Seojoon and I for very personal reasons, but they don't involve Taehyung. So I don't see why there should be a problem with Taehyung wanting to talk to Seojoon. I don't have the right to step in between them anyway," Jungkook scoffs, almost sarcastically as he steadies himself upwards with his hand on the kitchen bench. 

Jimin squints his eyes just slightly before nodding slowly.

"Right...but you guys are technically married, so like, shouldn't you be careful of, you know?" 

Jungkook laughs at that.

"Um it isn't real. So I literally could care less about who he wants to see or who he wants to have fancy dinners with." Jungkook states once again, not realising he was sounding quite irritated, contradicting to what he said earlier about not caring. He then notices Jimin furrowing his eyebrows at him almost sceptically now. Jungkook ignores him. 

"Oh and I'm pretty sure Seojoon knows about the nature of our marriage as well...so yeah,"

"What? How?" Yoongi manages to ask quicker than Jimin does as Jungkook shrugs once again.

"Dunno, said something about me settling down was unbelievable, that apparently we weren't wearing rings in public together and that I still call him hyung and stuff instead of - I don't know - Babe? Baby? Honey ?" Jungkook scrunches his face as he shakes his head.

" you guys don't even wear rings out in public together, that's like a pretty big give a way for young married couples to be honest. It's obvious Seojoon would've picked that up." Yoongi adds as Jimin agrees with a quick nod.

Jungkook thinks about it as he glances down at his hand pressed against the bench, his left hand and ring finger is definitely bare as he stands up straight and lowers his hand away from his field of vision.

"You know, I think Taehyung's birthday is coming soon...." Jimin suddenly brings up as Jungkook looks up at the elder. Right...he had nearly forgotten about Taehyung's birthday actually.

"If you don't want to make it weird, I mean you can use this occasion to get a simple ring for yourself and for him just so it's less obvious you know?" Jimin suggests and Jungkook thinks about it.

He can do that actually. 

"It's only weird and complicated if you make it to be Kook," Yoongi advises as if he can almost read Jungkook's mind. That's when Jungkook eventually decided to follow through with the suggestion.

And besides, he did wonder a while back what he would give Taehyung when his birthday came. Buying presents was something that Jungkook was never good at for some reason, so matching rings didn't seem so bad. Like Yoongi said, it's only weird if you make it to be.

The sun has already set and the weather is getting much colder now as Taehyung packs away the last set of data spreadsheets before making his way home. He has been leaving the University pretty late these days because it's exam period which mean Professor Park is super busy helping the students in his classes prepare for their exams.

Taehyung doesn't really mind too much because he likes what he is doing in the research lab. 

It's a little over 7 pm when Taehyung makes it back to his apartment complex, glancing at his watch as he frowns. It feels as if he's forgetting something but he can't quite pinpoint what it actually is. He's been feeling weirdly out of rhythm the whole day actually.

Brushing it off, Taehyung thinks that maybe he was just tired and hungry as he makes it to his apartment door, plunging in the pass code before waiting it to click open.

For some reason, it was eerily quiet. His sixth sense was somehow telling him to expect something to pop out from the dark and surely enough, as Taehyung reaches inside to flicker on the lights, he screeches so loud when blurry figures suddenly jump up on him in his own home.

"Happy birthday Taehyung!" The loud voices of these men can be heard now as Taehyung finds himself plastered against the wall for purchase, clutching onto his own chest and heart that was thundering in his rib cages. Wait...birthday?  Taehyung slowly peaks upon one eye. 

"Hey you alright hyung?" A voice calls out to him as warm familiar hands find their way along his waist. Taehyung knows this person.

"Jungkook? W-w-what are you doing here?" Taehyung can see the younger now, standing in front of him smiling, bunny teeth showing endearingly as another few familiar faces begin to show up from behind him. And in Jungkook's hand, there is a small birthday cake with a few candles already lit as Taehyung feels his heart flood with sudden happiness.

"We're here to celebrate your birthday!" Jimin chimes as Yoongi nods along, raising his hands that are carrying a few bags in the air as he says,

"Of course we came with plenty of food and booze,"

Hoseok laughs as Namjoon and Jin leans over Jungkook to congratulate him on his birthday.

And they all eventually huddle around Taehyung, with Jungkook in the middle holding the cake, they begin to sing Happy Birthday to him extra loud and boisterous which made Taehyung laugh in embarrassment. This feeling of being so treasured and cared for made him feel so light and happy. Both excitement and gratitude fills Taehyung's heart as he looks at Jungkook who is smiling unabashedly back at him.

Taehyung wonders for a brief moment what his life would be if he had never met Jungkook and his group of friends. His eyes suddenly feel watery but he suppresses the urge to cry from happiness and just thank them with all his heart instead. 

A little while later, they all settle down to set out the food that Jin and Hoseok had brought over to feast together. Yoongi and Jimin quickly set out some wine and champagne for everyone to toast to in which Taehyung scrunches up his face at the slight smell of alcohol. He's never really drank before so it was new experience to him. He's always wanted to know what it would be like though. 

Jungkook just laughs and says he doesn't have to drink if he doesn't want to and even offered to poor some coke into his wine glass but Taehyung decides there's a first for everything. He wanted to join in on the fun and try new things as well.

Wine was ok. Wouldn't really drink it often leisurely. The slightly flavoured champagne was nice though. Kinda fruity and frizzy if anything, Taehyung thinks to himself as he continues to take a few more sips of his glass. Occasionally Jimin would lean over and pour him some more booze without him noticing throughout the night as they all sit around, eat and talk.

Although Taehyung doesn't talk much, he likes watching the rest of the group interact with each other. For some odd reason he finds the dynamic of Jungkook's friends always so fascinating and attractive. Their bond was tight and he could tell they mean a lot to each other.

He suddenly feels so special that they are here to celebrate this night with him. It's been a while since anyone has surprised him on his birthday - or rather, cared enough to spend their time to celebrate it with him and it made him feel wanted and accepted. 

Unknowingly, Taehyung is wearing a solemn expression now thinking about all the years he had never really spent his birthday with anyone. He remembers how lonely it had been for him back then growing up. Many years as a child just flew by like that without ever feeling special on his own birthday, so being able to spend it with so many people now 15 years later, laughing and enjoying some good food together, made him realise what he had been missing out on all these years.

"Hey? Are you alright?" Taehyung nearly jerks back into reality when he feels Jungkook's hot breath fan against his earlobe.

Taehyung looks up at the younger beside him who was watching him with a concerned expression, hands finding their way onto Taehyung's thigh comfortably as Taehyung feel his nerve tingle from the touch.

"I'm fine," Taehyung breathes out, smiling softly as he shakes his head.

Ok, maybe he wasn't fine and this is what people called being 'buzzed'. Yeah, maybe he had drank more champagne and wine than he had thought for the first time and it's beginning to kick in because the