reef knot

nineteen

"Fine," I relent, applying the cream onto the patches of purple on his face. "I won't press you if you don't wanna tell me."

"I just don't want you to worry, okay?" he says gently, sensing my concern. He reaches a hand towards me to pat my head, and I can't help but smile while probing his cracked lip with my cream-covered index finger.

"How did you know it was my birthday, though?" I switch the topic, moving to treat his right cheekbone.

"Jimin texted," he tells me briefly, as if speaking too much would cause him pain.

At that, my heart melts into a bout of warmth. So my brother still cares about me after all.

My mind lingers at that thought, and for a while, silence descends upon us. Yoongi only starts speaking again when I put away the tube of lotion while reaching for the Band-Aids.

"Hey, Park Jiyoung," his tone comes out as an order, as if forcing me to look at him.

"Hm?" I prompt while pasting a Band-Aid onto the bridge of his nose.

"Can you promise me something?" Yoongi asks, tone sounding a little sad.

I stiffen at the sorrow in his eyes, halting in my actions just as I'm about to place another Band-Aid onto his left temple.

"...yeah?" I hesitate, quickly sticking it onto his head before chucking the Band-Aid wrappers into the bin. Pulling my legs up onto the couch, I turn to face him so I can give him my fullest attention.

He mirrors my pose, before continuing. "If... one day, I... suddenly leave you," his tongue peeks out to wet his lower lip, "will you promise me not to be too sad?"

My heart skips a beat at his words.

Sensing my confusion, Yoongi hurriedly adds on, "Just hypothetically. Like, if I were to leave you and so on."

"It's not like I can control my emotions," I mumble, head lowering to avoid his gaze.

However, Yoongi cups my cheek with his left hand, forcing my face back upwards to meet his gaze. "Promise me," he insists, eyes earnest.

"Why do you sound like you're leaving?" Worry is written all over my face.

He ignores my comment. "If you ever feel like crying, just tilt your head towards the sky, alright?"

"How does that even ease the sadness?" I mutter.

"It may not make you any happier, but at least it'll stop the tears from falling," he forces a small smile.

"Why do you sound like you're leaving?" I repeat my question.

"I'm just saying hypothetically," he uses the same answer as before. "I can't be here for you all the time, you know."

"You act as if I'm a five-year-old kid," I scoff, before widening my eyes in realization. "Hey, did you realize you're finally addressing me as 'Jiyoung' and not 'Miss' anymore?"

Yoongi rolls my eyes, removing his hand from my cheek to flick my forehead. I yell in pain.

"What was that for?!" I complain.

"You idiot, of course I'm calling you by your first name," he rolls his eyes again. "Which dumbass would call his own girlfriend 'Miss'?"

At that, a smug smile starts to form on my face. "I don't think I ever agreed to being your girlfriend though?" I remind him.

He shrugs nonchalantly. "Well now you are."

"That's so insincere," I comment with a pout, and he points at the standee in disbelief.

"I run all the way to the other side of town to get that thing for you, and you call me insincere?!" he blurts out, sounding pissed.

I giggle, bending forward to wrap my hands around his waist as my head rests on his chest. "Nah, you're the most sincere boyfriend in the world," I grin, curling myself around him.

He scoffs, though I feel him smiling above me. His hands move to return my embrace, and for a while we just sit there, silently breathing in each other's arms.

I eventually move to lay on his lap, knees bent and pointing towards the ceiling. His hand strokes my hair as he watches me, as if memorizing every single centimeter of my face.

Then, his eyes suddenly widen, and his mouth moves to form an 'O'. He bends forward slightly to reach into his back pocket, pulling out two objects from the denim cavern.

"I got these for you too," he says, handing me a square case. There's a picture of EXO on the cover, and like before, I squeal in delight, recognising the album immediately.

"IT'S THE REPACKAGED VERSION OF EX'ACT!!" I exclaim, snatching the case from him and turning it around in my hands. I rise to a sitting position as I scrutinise the album, moving to straddle Yoongi. "I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!" I shriek, wrapping my hands around his neck and squeezing him so tight, he probably can't breathe.

"Of course you do," he winks, hugging my waist to hold me in place. Then, he pushes me away gently to hand me the other object he pulled out from his pocket. This time, it's a cassette tape.

"What's this?" I ask, placing the album on the couch beside me as I peer at the cassette tape while taking it into my palm.

"You'll know it when you listen to it," Yoongi grins mysteriously, before continuing, "but promise me you'll only listen to it the day after tomorrow."

"Why not now?" I widen my eyes in confusion, and Yoongi shrugs, taking the tape from my hands and placing it on the cushions with the EXO album.

"So you'll be drowning in suspense," he exaggerates, and I roll my eyes, but peck him on the cheek anyway.

"Thank you," I tell him sincerely, wrapping my arms around his neck again.

"It's nothing," he assures me, patting the small of my back as he pecks me on the cheek.

"Not just for the presents," is what I don't say. Instead, I kiss him square on the lips to convey my message.

I feel him smile a little against my mouth, his grip tightening around my waist. He pulls me a little closer as our kiss deepens, but I break the kiss after a while, afraid that my saliva may sting the cracked and bleeding spots on his lip.

"Wanna go to the amusement park in the morning to celebrate your birthday?" he asks me, placing his head onto the crook of my shoulder as he snuggles into my neck. "We already made plans before, remember? But we couldn't make it cause of-" he cuts himself off, not wanting to remind me of my father.

I smile in reply, nodding against his neck. "Only if you'll pay for everything."

I feel him roll his eyes. "Duh. Not only am I the looks of this relationship, but I'm also the cash cow, aren't I?"

"Yea yea," I reply with zero sincerity, snuggling into his chest as I nuzzle closer into him.

Yoongi pulls away slightly to peck my forehead, before returning to rest his chin on my shoulder.

"Goodnight, princess," he whispers.

+

I'M SORRY THAT WAS BORING BUT I'LL TRY TO MAKE THE NEXT CHAPTER AS FLUFFY AS I CAN OKIES <3

ilyasm :>

;minghaoburgers