Kai came to them eventually, but it took another week and no small amount of effort on Minseok and Sehun’s parts. Mostly just Minseok’s though, because the dance department had just started an intensive month of training for its potential scholarship recipients and Sehun, as their sole intern, was forced to shoulder the brunt of the work. He came home every night looking exhausted and worn down; it occurred to Minseok that even if he hadn’t instituted a ban on y times until they got Kai back, Sehun would probably have been too tired for anything more than a few kisses anyway.

So that’s what Minseok gave his boyfriend whenever he got the chance—self-inflicted abstinence be damned. He gave Sehun verbal encouragement too and left sweet notes of “Fighting!” or “XOXO” to be found by Sehun in the many pockets of the dancer’s practice duffle.

“I got this,” Minseok told Sehun the Tuesday morning after the third Monday in a row when Kai hadn’t been to his and Sehun’s shared physiology class. He tiptoed to kiss Sehun on the nose cutely and sent his boyfriend off to school with a light pat on the . Sehun’s answering smile was a little shaded by what Minseok correctly read as weariness tinged with borderline despair. Sehun, Minseok could tell, was starting to doubt himself, though he still maintained his resolute “Trust me” whenever Minseok felt the need to wallow.

“I got this,” Minseok repeated to his boyfriend’s retreating back. “Trust me.”

Sehun couldn’t hear him, obviously, but Minseok wasn’t worried. He had a plan, a sort of second phase to Operation Classmate Seduction that could be done on his own such that Sehun wouldn’t have to do anything other than reap the benefits—namely Kai. Minseok nodded once to himself, resolve strong, then went to get dressed for the day ahead.

It was chilly and getting colder as the year drew to a close, but Minseok’s heart was warm enough to keep himself from freezing in the mid-thigh shorts and loose, see-through, dancer sweater he’d stolen from Sehun’s side of the closet. He’d made himself one last cup of coffee before leaving the house, and the emanating heat of the caffeinated drink through the portable beverage container helped too. Well, that and the appreciative looks Minseok got as he made his way across campus to the same café where he and Kai had officially met. Minseok knew he looked good—had made sure of it before even thinking about leaving the dorm—but it was nice to know that others agreed with his assessment, especially since his apparently irresistible appearance had worked successfully on Kai before—and would hopefully do so again.

Minseok made it to the café in record time and, when he arrived, went right up to the dimpled barista behind the counter. “You’re Yixing,” he told, rather than asked, the man. Yixing nodded in confirmation but it wasn’t necessary—Minseok had done his research. “You’re a dance major,” he continued spewing facts. Yixing nodded again, eyebrow raised. “And you’re friends with Kai,” Minseok concluded after a moment in which he decided that he was willing to step past his dread of human interaction if Kai was involved.

“Oh.” Yixing looked, finally, like he understood what was happening; Minseok had the distinct impression that comprehension wasn’t an expression Yixing’s face usually conveyed, particularly since the furrowed brow of Kai’s friend was completely line free as if Yixing rarely had occasion to wrinkle it. “You’re the tiny cute one!” Yixing gave Minseok a blank once over, then snickered. “Lace shorts.”

Minseok colored noticeably but wouldn’t allow Yixing’s amusement to deter him; he was doing this for Kai and Sehun, after all, not just for himself. Instead of succumbing to the shyness, it was with great effort that Minseok widened his gaze, curved his lips up into a smile, and threw out a V sign; the overall effect was adorable and Minseok knew it. Yixing knew it too, because he winked devilishly at Minseok and teased, “Are you sure you want Kai? I’m available.”

“Shut up, Xing,” Minseok heard from behind him. A heated grip on his wrist confirmed what he’d hoped: Kai was there, in the café, just like Minseok had counted on him to be. “He has a boyfriend,” Kai added, resigned.

Turning around, wrist still in Kai’s hold, Minseok curled his smaller body into Kai’s side. “I could have two,” he flirted before he could reconsider the direct approach and stop himself. He bit his lip then, once he remembered that he wasn’t supposed to come on so strong this time.

Regardless, Kai said nothing to this and merely groaned, though in aggravation or appreciation Minseok didn’t know. He hadn’t missed, after all, Kai’s sharp intake of breath at Minseok’s outfit, nor the soft way Kai’s gaze lingered along the lines of Minseok’s flashing collarbone and the pale skin of Minseok’s thighs.

“We miss you,” Minseok whispered into Kai’s shoulder. Yixing was completely forgotten at this point, and when Minseok moved his head slightly closer to Kai’s and his breath accidentally blew hot against Kai’s neck, Kai actually moaned. Appreciation, then, Minseok decided, but also perhaps damning self-restraint; Sehun, at least, would never have been able to resist as long as Kai had, especially since Minseok had made sure to wear something that he knew both dancers would like.

“Please,” Kai choked out, his voice low and desperate. Minseok only pressed closer and watched with satisfaction as Kai swallowed hard.

“Please what?” Minseok teased dangerously. “What do you want?”

Minseok expected Kai to break then and there in the café, giving in to his desire for Minseok—and Sehun by association. He expected a husky “You; I want you,” as he trailed his lips across Kai’s jawline and leaned into the dancer’s body for support since Kai was easily as tall as Sehun and kissing him required the use of Minseok’s tiptoes. Minseok hadn’t expected Kai to growl suddenly and tug him by the wrist away from the counter and all the way out the door. The touch was no less gentle for all the dragging Kai did of Minseok as the shorter hurried to keep up with Kai’s long legs striding quickly back to Minseok and Sehun’s shared living space. And even if it weren’t gentle, even if Kai’s emotions were finally getting the better of him and that translated to an unintentional bruise left on the unblemished white of Minseok’s small wrist, Minseok didn’t think he would have cared.

Things hadn’t happened exactly as Minseok might have planned with the 2.0 version of his and Sehun’s seduction operation, but Kai’s resolve was breaking at last and a quick glance at his watch told Minseok that when they soon reached the apartment, Sehun would be there, home after classes and before work, to see it too.