LITTLE DOES HE KNOW

(HOSEOK'S POV)

We meet with the boys outside the hotel. There's a soft breeze and the sun is already gone, making the night colder. I put on a coat and a black beanie to stay as warm as possible.

"Do you have some place in mind, Namjoon?" The streets are full of people, walking or waiting their turn to enter to different kind of restaurants and bars.

"I know a place you're all going to love." He says.

"Which is. . .?" Jimin says, running to catch us.

"You'll see." He smiles.

We keep walking another 10 minutes, until Namjoon stops in front of a tall building. It has a lot of windows and golden lights decore the facade.

"Good night, gentlemen. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, my name is Kim Namjoon."

The young man looks at a list for a few moments and nods. "Please, come with me."

We follow him into the building. "Wow, he even made a reservation." Jungkook whispers to someone, or to himself. We go upstairs, where the tables and decoration are even more elegant.

"I hope you enjoy our food. One of my coworkers is going to give you the menus in a moment." He bows politely.

We sit in front of the long table. The boys insist me to sit in the middle, but I prefer sitting besides the window, where I can see the streets and the beach from here. Different kind of lights, cars and people fill the scenario.

"Namjoon. this is beautiful." I say. "I'm really enjoying it."

"You deserve it, it's your birthday. We needed to celebrate it properly."

"I know, but this wasn't necess-" A young man, probably in his twenties, cuts me off.

"Here it is." He places them on the table.

Everyone grabs one. "It wasn't necessary, I would enjoy it as much as if we had stayed in the flat."

"Well, I wouldn't." Jimin shrugs.

"Jimin, -"

"I know, shut up."

"What are you going to drink?" I look at the Yoong's menu. "Hey, you can't drink alcohol." I say.

"I've to give it a try, don't you think?"

"They won't give you any alcoholic drink. If I can't, you can't." Seokjin says, while he keeps reading the card.

"I just want a glass of wine, why can't I have it?" Yoongi protests.

"Because you're not 21 years old, yet." Namjoon says. He's doing exactly the same as Seokjin, they even talk with the same tone of voice.

"Fuck them." Yoongi mutters under his breath.

"You can drink soda."

Yoongi chuckles, bitterly.

"Do you know what you want to order?" The same boy as before, says.

I look quickly one last time through the dishes, everything looks delicious. He grabs the menus once he had written everything down.

"When will he able to open his gifts?" Jungkook asks.

"Do I have gifts?"

"What a question." Taehyung says. "What's a birthday without them and the cake?" Taehyung shakes his head. "Hobi, just relax and enjoy the night."

* * * * *

Everybody has given me my birthday gifts. Almost.

Namjoon, a notebook, it kind of surprise me, but he told me I would know how to use it on my own. Seokjin, a set of beanies colour pastel; yellow, blue and pink. Jimin, my favourite perfume, he noticed I was running out of it. Taehyung made friendship bracelets; one says "Relay on me" and the other one "Taehyung"; he has it, too, but with my name on it. Jungkook a leather black jacket, with three silver letters "JHS" in the back.

And Yoongi.

Yoongi's pale skin shines with the greyish light of the moon, the waves make the perfect melody and the sand under us keep us still. We've been sitting here at least for ten minutes, but he didn't open his mouth yet.

He's biting the inside of his cheek, looking at the horizon. "Yoongi, if you don't have a gift, it's okay." I place a hand on his back.

"I did buy you something, I was just waiting for the perfect moment." He looks down, between his legs. I swallow, he didn't bring anything with him. I look away, breathing slowly to stop the blood coming to my cheeks.

The white foam of the waves disappears after a few seconds and it comes back with more force and it lasts longer. The sea reflects my emotions, as if we were connected.

"Close your eyes." He whispers. I do as he says so.

The dark night keeps my face in the shadow and I take this time to relax and compose myself.

"Show me your palms."

I open my hands and something cold touches my skin. I grab it with both hands. With my eyes still closed, I palpate it carefully: it has a chain and something round hanging on it.

"Is it a necklace?"

"You can open your eyes." He says, almost like a whisper.

When my vision comes back, I collocate it right in my hands, it's a medium silver water drop.

"This is cute, Yoongi." I squeeze his shoulder.

"You didn't even see the best part."

I turn it around, caressing it with my fingers, but I can't read anything.

"Open it." I raise my eyebrows.

I do it slowly, scared I may break it. I recognise the picture after a few seconds of staring at it, forcing my eyes to see every detail.

"This is. . ."

"This is our first picture, do you remember?"

I nod. The old photo starts shining and our smiley faces start to deform. "This is beautiful, Yoongi."

"It has a big meaning to me, and I imagined it also has it to you."

I throw myself towards him, embracing his neck and resting my face on his shoulder. It takes him a few seconds to hug me by my waist, pulling me closer. I hold the necklace in my fit, sniffing gently, too scared to disrupt the moment.

I don't want to let him go, not just yet. I smell his true scent, holding it for a few seconds, I want to impregnate my lungs with it, if it's possible. He pulls away, hesitant.

"It's late." He stands up, taking off the sand of his pants.

I put on my shoes and run to catch him. We walk in silence to the hotel. When we enter our room, I thank Namjoon mentally for putting us together.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Mm-hmm."

I place the necklace on the bedside table. I take off my clothes and put my pyjamas on, before sitting in bed and grabbing Yoongi's gift.

I admire the shape. I open it, and stare at the picture inside. It was our very first photo together. Yoongi was fully recovered and I went to pick him up from the recovery room. We were smiling, he was wearing a black hoodie, while I was wearing a red one. We looked so young, but it was only three years ago. We grew up a lot, and a lot of things have changed since then.

I close it and turn it around. I take a deep breath,

"My reason to fight for, I'll be always grateful.- Min Yoongi."

Seeing this sentence, full of meaning and memories, inscribed on the necklace, make my eyes water again with pride. He means so much to me, and I mean so much to him. Even if he never feels the way I feel, I know I saved him, and there's no one like me to him.

But little does he knows, he also became my reason to fight for.