"That's the 6th outfit you changed."

Taehyung turned around and glared at Hoseok, who was sitting on Taehyung's bed, eating chips from a bag. "And your point is?"

"My point is..." Hoseok dragged the last word till he ran out of breath. "-that you're gonna get late."

Taehyung scoffed and made no attempt to hurry up. He had to look absolutely perfect tonight. Not only it was his birthday, his comeing of age party, but it's also the day that he gets to take the most important step in his life. Hopefully..

Suddenly the door opened and Yeri came in. "Yo! Birthday boy!"

Taehyung gave a flick from his head to acknowledge the girl but turned his attention back to mirror in the next second. He needed to find the perfect outfit.

"Where's Yoongi?" Hoseok asked as the girl sat on the bed next to him and dipped her hand in to the snack pack.

"Talking with Tae's father." Yeri answered with a shrug. "By the way, isn't he late?"

"He sure is." Hoseok snickered. "He can't decide what to wear."

"Oh come on, dude!! You'll look hot as fuck with whatever you wear."

Hoseok snapped his head at that and Yeri stiffened a bit for the hard gaze he gave her. His eyes seemed to be holding some unreadable emotion in them. Yeri squirmed as she stared back at Hoseok.

"W-what?"

Taehyung sighed a bit before deciding to change the conversation as the atmosphere had suddenly become too uncomfortable.

"It's not just for my birthday." Taehyung waiting till both Hoseok and Yeri turned to look at him. "I'm gonna ask Jungkook to be my boyfriend today."

There was a silence for two seconds before the two friends exploded with yells, wolf whistles and encouraging words.

"Damn!" Hoseok yelled as he playfully smacked Taehyung's back. "Thank god! you're finally growing some balls."

They both were much more active in finding the perfect outfit for Taehyung after that.

______________________________________

Jungkook was nervous. He had been fidgeting in front of the mirror for the past half an hour. His mother had called him twice but he just wasn't feeling ready to get out of the room so his parents eventually left him. So many 'what ifs' were running through his head, making him be excited enough to feel the butterflies in his stomach in one second and be anxious enough to feel it churning in the next.

Taehyung said he had a gift for Jungkook today and the letter can guess what it might be. Taehyung may not have said the words out loud, yet, but Jungkook is sure that the elder likes him too. Today will be the day that Jungkook finally gets to hear it from Taehyung.

But at the same time, Jungkook is worried what might happen if Taehyung's mate, if she or he is here in their pack, gives him a hard time. What will happen if the mate refused to let go of Taehyung and demand that Taehyung be with them?

Of course Taehyung would not do such thing, he had promised Jungkook more than enough times that. But the younger just couldn't get his mind out of that dreaded possibility. It was already close to midnight and once it passes that time and Taehyung's birthday starts, he will be able to feel the pull and smell his mate's scent, given that they are close enough.

Jungkook walked toward his bed and sat down on it. He just isn't ready to witness the scene where Taehyung finds his mate.

______________________________________

"Happy birthday, Tae." Sonmi said in a soft voice as she gave the younger man a kiss on the cheek. "My my! You look absolutely dashing today."

"Thanks, auntie." Taehyung replied with a shy smile and accepted the hug given by Junghyun too.

Taehyung's eyes darted to the side and behind the Jeon couple but he couldn't see the person he's waiting all night to see. "Where's Koo?"

"He's still not ready." Sonmi assured him with a smile. "He'll be here soon."

"Why?" Junghyun wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Miss him already?"

Taehyung grinned sheepishly while the two elders softly laughed. It was definitely fun to tease Taehyung and Jungkook and both sets of parents do it in every possible occasion.

"Uhh...." After the laughter died down, Taehyung started off in a nervous tone, making the two adults immediately become serious. "I'm gonna ask Jungkook to be my boyfriend today."

The Jeons had been like parents to Taehyung and this was the first time he felt nervous in their presence. He didn't knew why he blurted out that sentence but with the way both Junghyun and Sonmi was staring at him, he sure wished for a way to pull it back in to his mouth.

Then the moment passed and the two adults started to smile. Sonmi pulled him in to a hug again and softly caressed his shoulders.

"Well, can't say we're surprised." Junghyun said with a happy smile, making Taehyung let out a breath that he didn't even knew he was holding in.

"What took you so long?"

"I wanted to wait and see whether my mate in in this pack. I didn't want be insensitive and hurt them by being with Jungkook, without offeringan explanation first. "

Both Sonmi and Junghyun looked a little surprised at this reasoning but then it turned in to a look of gratitude.

"You'll be a great leader, Tae." Junghyun's voice was filled with pride. "I will be proud to call you my son-in-law. I could never imagine anyone better for him."

Taehyung smiled happily at that. It was not like he had to ask for permission and there wasn't any chance of Jungkook's parents rejecting him, but it still felt really good to get that 'yes'.

"Thank you, uncle, auntie. I promise to take good care of him."

"I know you will, Tae. I know you will." Sonmi's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Now hurry up and put my boy out of his misery."

Taehyung laughed and rolled his eyes. "I would. If only he showed himself."

"Ah.. don't worry. He's just busy trying to look perfect for you. Why don't you give him a call?"

After the Jeons left, Taehyung picked up his phone and dialled Jungkook's number. It was only about 10 minutes left till midnight and Taehyung didn't want wait a single second longer than he absolutely had to. He could barely wait for the moment he can call the most beautiful person in the world, his.

"H-hello."

"Koo.." Taehyung's voice shook a bit due to the intensity of the emotions he was having. "Where are you?"

"In my room."

"Why aren't you here?"

There was few seconds of silence where Taehyung clutched the phone so tightly in his hand, before he heard a reply from the other end.

"I... don't wanna see you talk with your mate."

"Oh.."

"So call me when- when you're d-done with.. uhh.. whatever you're going to do. I-is that okay?"

Taehyung internally cooed at the adorableness of his baby. "Of course, Koo. I'll see you in few minutes then."

"Yeah."

"Okay. Bye-"

"-Hyungie!!"

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't.. uhhh... kiss them or anything right?"

Taehyung couldn't help but laugh at that. "Baby, I will stand two feet apart from them all the time. And I'm just gonna talk. That's all."

"Y-you p-promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay."

"Bye, now. I can't wait to see you."

"M-me too. Bye hyungie."

Taehyung cut the line and watched the big clock, until it strike 12. Once it did, Taehyung held his breath and waited..

And waited.... for something that did not happen.

That could mean only one thing. His mate was not from this pack.

_____________________________________

Jungkook was fidgeting in nervousness. He kept on rubbing the pendent on his chain, the one that has his and Taehyung's photos in it. With every passing second, Jungkook grew even more nervous. It was utterly nerve wracking for him.

Suddenly, the sound of his phone ringing startled Jungkook and he picked it up with shaky hands. "H-hello.."

"Come to me."

It was not a command, but at the same time, it was not a request either. Jungkook was up from his bed and out his room, even before Taehyung finished talking. He clutched the phone tightly to his ear, as he ran towards the elder's house.

"M-my mate is not here, Koo."

Jungkook suppressed a sob, as his heart soared in happiness. "I'm coming, hyungie."

Jungkook burst through the doors, with his phone still pressed on to his ear. He looked around hurriedly to see Taehyung, but the elder was no where to be found.

After few seconds of searching, Jungkook spoke to the phone. "Hyungie, where are you? I can't find you."

He waited for a second for an answer but when he didn't hear anything from the other side, he pulled the phone down and looked at the screen to see that the call was already disconnected.

With an unexplainable dread in his heart, Jungkook dialled Taehyung number.. and dialled again... and again..

It was ringing, but Taehyung wasn't picking up....