Yoongi has never believed in perfection.
When he thought he did his best, his parents always reminded him that he could do better. Things could always be better than they were.
But today, in this moment, Yoongi feels strongly that his life is, in fact, perfect.
"Earth to Yoongs!" Hoseok says, laughing as he throws a piece of bread at him.
"Don't throw food at the table, dear," Hoseok's mother says, sighing as Hoseok's father holds his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.
"Sorry," Yoongi says, smiling softly as he sees everyone looking at him. "Just thinking."
"Get your head out of the clouds, kid," Yoongi's uncle says with a smile. "The view from ground level is pretty great, yeah?"
Yoongi smiles at his uncle and glances at everyone seated at the round dinner table filled with different foods. To honor Aria and her American heritage, Hoseok's parents host a Thanksgiving dinner every year, and Yoongi and his uncle have been invited to join them this year.
Seated to Yoongi's right is his uncle, who is now stuffing his face with food and groaning about how delicious it is. Beside his uncle is Hoseok's father, who is mirroring what Yoongi's uncle is doing. Hoseok's mother is seated between Hoseok's father and Hoseok himself, and Hoseok and his mother are both grinning brightly at everyone seated.
Yoongi sees where Hoseok's contagious, happy personality comes from as the pair wear the same grin on their faces while they encourage the two older men to try more dishes.
Hoseok and his mother cooked the feast this year; usually, according to Hoseok, his parents do all of the cooking but Hoseok volunteered to take his father's place in cooking whilst his father entertained Yoongi's uncle.
The two of them hit it off immediately, and Yoongi smiles at the genuine happiness radiating from his uncle at the dinner table.
Between Hoseok and Yoongi is Aria, who is watching everyone around her with a calm, almost nostalgic look on her face, her lips barely quirked up into a smile.
Yoongi finds himself watching Aria's face more often than not. Ever since she began therapy, there has been a calmness to her demeanor; she doesn't seem as angry or distraught as she was in the past. She seems almost peaceful now.
He knows what is going through his girlfriend's mind; he knows she is picturing years of memories of Thanksgiving dinners with Hoseok's family as well as her parents. She is picturing the smiles and the carefree laughter. She is hearing herself laugh and sing songs at the dinner table as her parents watch her in awe with pure love in their eyes.
Yet, he sees no sadness in her expression now; he sees the nostalgia on her features, but there is a feeling of peace at this dinner table emitting from her and the others.
Almost as if this moment is signifying a new beginning, and she is at peace with that. She is happy knowing that, though she has lost her parents, she has not lost everything.
In fact, she has gained more than she ever thought she would.
All of this is easy for Yoongi to see; he knows just by looking into her eyes, which are now watching him curiously.
"Sorry," Yoongi says, laughing and rubbing the back of his neck. "I was staring again, wasn't I?"
Aria raises an eyebrow and smirks at her boyfriend before rolling her eyes and patting his arm that is resting against the table.
"PDA!" Hoseok yells, pointing at Aria's hand on Yoongi's arm.
Aria and Yoongi share a look before Yoongi looks at Hoseok and laughs.
"Aria thinks you're just jealous because your girlfriend couldn't be here," Yoongi jokes and Aria nods before sticking her tongue out at her best friend.
"Wow. They speak telepathically now," Hoseok's father jokes. "Why can't you talk to me using your mind, honey?"
Hoseok's mother rolls her eyes affectionately before turning to her son and ignoring her husband.
"Why don't we go ahead and say what we're thankful for? Would you like to start, love?" She asks Hoseok, smiling lovingly at him.
"I am thankful for my parents," Hoseok says and his mother coos and pinches his cheeks. Hoseok laughs before continuing. "I am also thankful for my best friends, Aria and Yoongi. And also my beautiful, perfect girlfriend, of course."
"I'm also thankful for Mr. Min, for everything he's done for Aria and Yoongi," Hoseok says seriously, smiling gratefully at Mr. Min, who nods in acknowledgment. "And last but not least, I am thankful for dance."
One by one, they all say what they are thankful for until only Yoongi and Aria are left.
"Aria?" Hoseok's mother says softly, smiling encouragingly at her.
Aria sits up straight and sighs softly.
She gestures to everyone at the table and bows her head for a moment to signify her thankfulness to everyone around her, and then she reaches to the center of the table and picks up a small-framed picture, and holds it up so she is looking at the photo inside the frame.
Yoongi glances over and sees three people posing in the picture; it is a man and a woman, holding a child up between them and all three people are smiling genuinely and widely.
The child in the middle has messy, dark blonde hair that is falling on her small shoulders in waves; her light blue eyes are alight with glee as she has her arms hooked around the two people holding her. Yoongi immediately recognizes the child as Aria.
Aria lets her fingers ghost over the two adults' faces, her gaze turning soft as tears glisten in her eyes. The man holding her has brown hair styled perfectly off of his face as his light blue eyes gleam with the same happiness that shines in the child's face. The woman has the same unruly dark blonde hair as Aria, and her hazel eyes are almost glowing in the sun's rays.
Everyone at the table watches Aria silently as she stares at the picture, her hand resting on the glass front of the frame. Slowly, her features shift and she is now smiling softly at the picture.
"They're thankful for you, too," Hoseok's mother says quietly. "They always were."
Aria nods in acknowledgement and places the picture back in its place gently before letting out the breath she was holding.
Yoongi reaches over at the same time as Hoseok does, and both men wipe the girl's tears from her cheeks.
"I'm thankful for my family," Yoongi speaks up after a moment of comfortable silence. "Not the family I was given at birth... but this family. The family who chose to love me when they didn't have to. My uncle, who has always been more deserving of the title 'father'... thank you. Thank you for showing me the magic that is music. Thank you for not giving up on me when I gave up on you. My best friend, Hoseok... thank you for being you. Your light and your uncanny ability to bring happiness to others has been nothing short of a miracle in my life and for that, I am so thankful for you. To my best friend's parents... thank you for raising my best friend into one of the best people I know. Thank you for raising Aria as your own and loving her unconditionally."
Everyone at the table has tears in their eyes as they listen to Yoongi speak.
"My beautiful Aria... I am forever thankful for you. You came into my life so unexpectedly, and ever since that moment, it has been a whirlwind of beautiful moments that I will cherish for the rest of my life. You are the most beautiful being to ever exist, and I am lucky enough to exist alongside you."
He leans over to kiss Aria's cheek before taking a deep breath.
"And to Aria's parents... I am thankful to you for raising such an incomparable force of nature. You showed her nothing but love and support, and though you had to leave her, you left behind a love that is so pure and true that it will never fade from your daughter's heart. I know that you are still with her, and I am so thankful that she will never be alone with two strong and loving souls protecting her and watching over her."
"I'm also thankful for music... not only did it act as a lifeline for me when I felt I was at a dead end, but it also gave Aria a voice again. Music has always listened. Music has always understood. I have whispered endless secrets to the piano and it has always turned my sadness into beauty. And for that, I am thankful. So endlessly thankful... for all of this."
Before Yoongi knows it, he's being engulfed in a group hug, and all of them begin to laugh and smile without a care in the world.
They are a family.
Indeed... Yoongi's life is perfect.