Terrible Things

Chapter 10 - Then

"No, Hoseok, you can't just get whatever color balloons you want," I growl into the phone. "I said blue balloons and I meant it."

"Geez, fine fine. But I'm telling you that the mixed bag is on sale."

"The money doesn't matter. Just please get the blue."

"Roger that, Captain."

There's a soft click as Hoseok hangs up and I slide my phone into my pocket, sighing deeply as a headache pushes at me.

All day I've been setting up for Jimin's party; setting up decorations, making sure the food was in order, checking that the DJ was gonna be here on time, and my friends were trying to help the best that they could but I was still exhausted. Not to mention that we were thirty minutes from starting and I just realized we didn't have balloons.

I slide into one of the booths, the familiar leather creaking under my weight.

When I decided to throw Jimin a party, I knew it had to be in the place we met. And although the bar was slightly shabby at the beginning, it looked completely different now that I had finished getting it ready, well except for the balloons of course.

Strings of lights hung from the ceiling, casting a soft glow on the rest of the room. The bar itself was covered in a white table cloth, markers strewn about it so guests could sign it as a memento of the night. Over in the corner the DJ was setting up, the dance floor in front of him outlined by silver poles, each one connected with a white ribbon.

It was elegant, but still down to earth. Much like the boy it was designed for.

"Taking a break, huh?" Jin asks, sliding into the booth across from me.

"Yeah, it should be pretty much set up now anyway. Just need these damn balloons." I rest my elbows on the table, the black table cloth smooth against my skin.

"You need to relax, Yoongs. You know Jimin will love it no matter what. It came from you, after all."

"Of course I know that," I mutter. "But I don't want him to just love it because it came from me. I want him to just love it. I just want him to feel like his birthday is special."

"You don't think he thinks his birthday is special?"

I shake my head slowly, my eyes trained on the table. "I asked him about it a few weeks ago and he didn't say much about it, just that his family didn't celebrate it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's weird right? What family doesn't at least get a cake or something to celebrate? And when I asked him about it, he went super quiet. It took minutes for him to give me that answer."

"And have you met his family?" Jin leans forward, clearly interested.

I shake my head, "No. We haven't even talked about them. This is actually the first time he ever brought them up."

Jin's eyes go wide, his mouth dropping open. "You guys have been together for almost a year though... Didn't you ever ask about them?"

"Of course I did," I sigh. I tap my fingers on the table, feeling anxious. "But he never answered. He'd just go quiet for so long that I would give up."

To be honest, I wasn't telling Jin the whole truth. While Jimin has gone quiet every time I asked about his family, that isn't what makes me give up on knowing.

It was the sheer terror that showed on his features everytime I brought it up.

"Well, maybe he'll tell you eventually."

I shrug my shoulders, my eyes surveying the room again. I stop when I catch sight of Namjoon leaning against the bar, his face alight in a smile as he converses with the person next to him. Jin follows my lie of sight, a small smile lighting up his face when he sees his mate.

"I want that for you guys, you know," He speaks up, catching me off guard. I whip my eyes back to him, but his eyes stay on Namjoon.

"Wh-what?"