He saw Jongdae stepping into the light all the way at the back of the conference hall. The song neared its end and suddenly both boys were wrapped in a blanket of silence whilst staring at each other. Junmyeon released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He took a bold step by giving Jongdae the choice back to him and seeing whether or not this beautiful boy in front of him would take the risk of potentially being hurt. This showed him that he was willing to go for it despite the risk, that he was committed and it gave Junmyeon the last bit of confidence to try this. Their friends had joked many times about them being a couple already by how much time they spent in each other’s company. Both boys complimented each other and strengthened each other's faults and insecurities. When one struggled or failed the other was their to lift them back onto their feet. When all went well and one succeeded the other would offer kind words and congratulations. It was a give and take relationship that they were in, a two way street that would be walked at the same pace and as equals.

Junmyeon loved his best friend dearly and unconditionally. He once tried to picture a life without him in it and he couldn’t. He always imagined that his kids would play with Jongdae’s and that they would call him uncle. That their wives would throw extravagant dinner parties and they would hang out every other day. He always imagined growing old with him however not in the way that was just offered to him. He could lie and say he didn’t see it coming but he wasn’t a dishonest man in the slightest. So when he heard the melody of the guitar and the voice that went with it he knew that it was Jongdae. All the dinner’s, the little presents, the exciting trips, the always wanting to be without their friends were enough clues for Junmyeon. Sometimes he had thought of whether or not Jongdae loved him and he had felt scared. However now that he knows, and seeing Jongdae stand before him with so much love in his eyes, makes all his fears ebb away. The love is there, in his heart. He feels it every day and he prays to god that the attraction will come soon enough.

In the time that Junmyeon thought all of that out Jongdae had made his way all the way downstairs and onto the stage. Junmyeon felt both his hands grasped by Jongdae’s warm ones and he couldn’t help but stare at them and smile. ‘It looks good’ he thought. Different from the occasional hand holding when his friend needed to get a shot at the doctor’s. Less painful he thought and then giggled.

“What’s so funny?” Jongdae smiled.

“I was just thinking how different this feels. Us holding hands. Less painful than you squeezing the hell out of it when needles are poked into you” He said teasingly. Jongdae pouted at that and gave his hands a slight squeeze.

Jongdae was cute when he acted like a little kid. Whenever he would disagree of feel mistreated he would pout or whine. It was like a little kid throwing a tantrum only without screaming bloody murder. It was obviously something a grown man shouldn’t be doing but Jongdae always knew how to get away with it and get HIS way with it. He couldn’t help it whenever that man would jut his bottom lip out only a little bit his legs would melt to goo and he had to give in. Jongdae held too much power over him. However Junmyeon loved it. He loved taking care of him, to make him happy and do things for him even when he didn’t like or agree with it. It came natural to him and he was so used to doing it that he had never given it a second thought.

“Ah you’re too cute when you do that. Stop pouting you” Junmyeon said playfully shoving Jongdae’s shoulder. This made Jongdae pout even more and release a whiney “Why~” to which he just groaned and rolled his eyes.That man knew damn well what he was doing right now.

“You’re mean” Junmyeon said sadly and putting his own weapon to good use and that was ‘the resting face’. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t get done with that face. His expression turned into one of annoyance mixed with complete and utter disappointment. It was so powerful that Jongdae stopped his whining and started to apologize profusely. Junmyeon’s face turned from annoyance to a blinding smile in 0.2 seconds. Then he burst into a giggle fit saying he was joking. The atmosphere around him hadn’t changed by the news of Jongdae’s feelings. It was still the same. Best friends having fun, knowing each other inside and out and teasing each other. There was no awkwardness, no weirdness. It was a relief to both of them and it was a sign that their friendship could endure anything life would throw at them.

“So what do we do now” Jongdae inquired. This whole thing had been his idea and this was how well he had thought it out. Junmyeon was baffled that he didn’t take this situation into consideration.

“You didn’t anticipate me saying yes to your valentine’s request? Oh my god jongdae i am hurt to my very core” Junmyeon said sarcastically and with a smile.

“Ah junnie~ of course I did anticipate to you saying yes. I just… was so nervous I didn’t think any further than confessing” Jongdae answered with a slight chuckle. His hand went to the back of his neck to rub it. ‘A sign of nervousness’ Junmyeon thought. He could read Jongdae like an open book. So to help the other out he quickly thought of something they could do. He had quickly taken the rest of the day off the moment he got the basket and read all the instructions. A feeling in his gut told him that it was important to keep the afternoon free.

“HAHAHAHA, omg you did anticipate me saying yes? Well well well mr. cocky” Junmyeon teased. Jongdae just made it so easy for him at the moment.

“Yaaaaaah Jun cut it out” Jongdae said, pouting again.

“Alright alright. Well since you haven’t thought of planning anything for our glorious valentine’s day date I suppose I just go back to work” Junmyeon said and turned around. He smiled when he felt Jongdae tug on the sleeve of his cardigan.

“No don’t. I’ll think of something I truly will. We could go to the zoo? I know you like animals. Or maybe go see a play at the local theater? I know how much you like Shakespeare. Perhaps they have a show on that. I’ll happily watch it with you even though the bard with the beard bores the out of me. We could have dinner afterwards, or I’ll make you something myself.” Jongdae rambled. He went on and on and on about possible date ideas and Junmyeon thought it was endearing.

“Gosh you’re adorable dae!” Junmyeon almost squealed. “I’ve already cleared my afternoon for you so don’t worry. Besides anything you want to do with me is fine. It’s the company that’s more important than the activity” he continued. Jongdae’s smile was the brightest of any smile he’d ever seen. However this one was able to lit the entire universe in a black out, that’s how blinding it was. A set of gorgeous straight white teeth, with a set of lips that curled up at the corners and adorable crinkles next to his eyes. Happy Jongdae was a happy Junmyeon. Never did Jongdae look more attractive than in this moment of pure bliss and happiness.

“Well alright let’s go to the zoo then” Jongdae said and grabbed Junmyeon’s hand to guide them out of the building. They both had a fondness for animals, so they had invested in a card for both of them that would grant them free entry to the park every day of the year. Junmyeon had a lot of good memories there and to go there on his very first, albeit strange, date seemed fitting.

*****

Junmyeon and Jongdae had entered the zoo easily. It wasn’t as busy as they expected it to be and there wasn’t even a line when they had neared the entrance. Mindful of onlookers Jongdae had let go of his hand. He caught himself thinking that he missed the warmth and safety of Jongdae’s hand in his. But he did understand it as well. Being gay wasn’t accepted as well as they would’ve liked. So if they could prevent causing a scene or being on the receiving end of disgusted looks then they would. He knew how much Jongdae struggled with that and how scared he had been to come out to him and his friends.To Junmyeon it didn’t matter who Jongdae loved, or who he would end up with, as long as he found happiness then he’d be more than content. Perhaps this was better for Junmyeon as well because now he knew how much he missed holding onto his date’s hands. Handholding wasn’t something that was unfamiliar to them, so he felt comfortable doing it. Junmyeon kept surprising himself by how calm he was with all of this. Any other person would have freaked out, or start to overthink everything, overanalyze and just constantly be worried. He didn’t do that. Perhaps being a bit bi-curious played a big part in that. Or perhaps it was the person who was involved in this. Junmyeon started thinking about any of the other males he knew, and whether he would do this for any of them. The conclusion was pretty clear; no he wouldn’t. The reason for that conclusion was even more clear; because they weren’t as special as Jongdae.

“Jun, where do you want to go first?” Jongdae asked courteously. That was Jongdae at his best. Always polite and considerate of others and putting them first. He probably had the best manners of anyone he’d ever had the pleasure of meeting. Junmyeon still remembered that time when Baekhyun and Chanyeol had been harassed by a strange man. Jongdae had stood up for them and no matter how angry the man got he had maintained his poised image. There was no way that he would crack. Every profanity the man spit at him he would counter in a polite manner and turned it into something positive. When the man had grown tired of argueing and left Jongdae had turned to the group of friends and excited said that he ate the man’s swear words. It was one of Junmyeon’s fondest memories that involved Jongdae.

“I really don’t mind. We have enough time to see everything so let’s take a stroll alright?” he suggested to which the younger agreed. For a while they walked side by side in silence. Looking at the different animals on display. They saw a giraffe, a few elephants, an orangutan, creepy spiders and snakes (to junmyeon’s discomfort), beautiful fishes and a group of penguins. They admired the beauty of nature and sometimes grumpily complained that some of the habitats were too small for the animals to live in. They read the information boards near all the enclosures, and tried to learn as much as possible. It didn’t matter that they had read them a thousand times before, made the same complaints about the habitats or saw the same animals. Both of them regarded this as a whole new experience. They laughed together, learned together and even though it was hardly possible they grew closer together. For with each passing moment Junmyeon discovered new things he loved about Jongdae. Now he knew the younger loved him he also looked at him in a different light. It allowed him to see a simple thing like Jongdae’s features in a completely different way. What was once just an admiration of his handsome face was now seeing how perfectly sculpted it was. He saw, for example, that Jongdae’s jaw was strong looking and sharp but that it didn’t harden his face like it did with so many other people. And neither did his high cheekbones. Little things like this seemed so beautiful to him now. He wondered how it was possible that he never noticed these things before but just saw the younger man as handsome. These thought were a sign that their friendship had shifted a bit. Yet Junmyeon wasn’t worried. He made a decision, jongdae made a decision and both of them were men of their word. So he would do everything in his power to see this through.

Making the decision back at the conference hall wasn’t an easy one for Junmyeon, and he never would’ve gone for it if he wasn’t curious to how it would be to be in a romantic relationship with a man. It was something that he had thought about frequently starting from when he was a senior in high school. He’s a people person and it was easy for him to love someone regarding a person’s gender. So far he had only been romantic with girls, and they did have his preference but he did always have an open mind towards men. He used to think that when the right man would come along he would be able to jump into a romantic relationship with that someone, but that opportunity never came. So when he knew that it was Jongdae that declared his feeling to him those thoughts came back to him. ‘Is jongdae that man, the one i’d be willing to jump in the deep end for?’ and yes, yes he was. Junmyeon knew because he had never loved a man as much as he had loved Jongdae. It didn’t matter that it was out of a friendship point of view. Love, to Junmyeon, was love. It comes in many different forms yet it’s always the same concept. Yet due to his lack of experience with males he didn’t want Jongdae to get his hopes up too high. Which is why he had asked the younger if it was okay that he might get hurt, that there was a possibility that Junmyeon couldn’t come through. However that possibility seemed rather small to Junmyeon. He still felt the necessity of applying a safety net in this particular situation and he was happy that he did. For if he didn’t he probably would’ve felt pressured to initiate skinship, or to kiss Jongdae at the end of their date. Now he was at ease and both of them could be themselves because there weren’t any expectations they had to hold on to. It made being together now so much easier. Junmyeon was convinced this was the best decision he had ever made.

*****

Only now Junmyeon realised how eerily silent the park had become. There had been a few people when they got in but it’s like everyone had suddenly disappeared. He didn’t trust it one bit but since it wasn’t possible that Jongdae had prepared something he let it go. They were getting really close the the tiger enclosure and he felt excitement bubble in his chest. He wondered how the little cubs were doing and how big they had gotten.

“Dae~ let’s go see how big the tiger cubs have grown. I am curious. It’s been a little since we’ve visited them” Junmyeon mentioned but Jongdae just shook his head. He walked to a bench and then sat there, patting the spot next to him, urging Junmyeon to take a seat as well.  He thought it was a little weird but who was he to question Jongdae wanting to take a rest. So he walked over to the bench and sat down. Jongdae immediately took one of his hands in his own, and the back of it with his thumb. A gesture that warmed Junmyeon’s heart and made him feel all mushy inside his chest.

“This is the bench” Jongdae said absentmindedly.

“What bench?” he asked. He had no idea what the younger was talking about.

“The one I sat on after I realised I loved you more than just a friend” his date explained. Jongdae suddenly looked at him fondly.

“When did you? W-wait.. That time when we all came here?” Junmyeon spoke. “I do remember how much you wanted me to see the tigers but I just thought that it was you being excited.” he continued. He felt stupid now that he couldn’t even decipher his best friend’s heart when the signs had been so clear.

“Yup that time” Jongdae spoke smugly. “Chanyeol, Yixing and Baekhyun had made some sort of plan because apparently I was way too obvious. So they kept teasing me mercilessly until I sort of realised it on my own. I got spooked and panicked. Then I sat down here with Yixing to calm down.”

“Was that why Baekhyun suddenly came over to me talking about how wonderful having with Chanyeol is?” Junmyeon asked horrified. It wasn’t a conversation he wanted to remember, EVER. Jongdae started laughing loudly. He was bent forward, clutching his stomach and wheezing of laughing so hard.

“Omg was that how he distracted you?” Jongdae asked in fake disbelief. Both boys knew that it was exactly how Baekhyun would distract someone. And they hated to admit it but it always worked.

“God I hate them so much” Junmyeon said defeated. “So, this is the bench that started it all?” he asked of Jongdae.

“Yeah this is the bench that started it all, or well.. The zoo in general really which is why I arranged for us to come here.” Jongdae mentioned casually. Junmyeon scoffed.

“You didn’t even arrange anything. You said so before” he countered.

“Look around Jun. Do you see anyone?” Jongdae inquired. Junmyeon did look around and no he didn’t see anyone. However it could just be that it was a slow day? The weather was a little bit cold and it was a work day.

“I faked not knowing what to do with you so it would be a complete and total surprise. Sorry I had to deceive you on our first date” the other said. He had a big mischievous grin on his face. Then he stood up and offered his hand to Junmyeon. He took it happily, albeit warily.

“Where are we going?” Junmyeon asked nervously. Jongdae knew how much he hated surprised, or not knowing what they were about to be doing. He was someone who planned, who liked knowing what was going to happen and who couldn’t handle insecure situations all too well.

“To the tiger enclosure. Trust me Jun” Jongdae comforted.

“So what did you do? Pay the zoo to only grant the two of us entrance?” Junmyeon asked.

“Yeah that’s exactly what I did. Only for an afternoon so they wouldn’t suffer a complete loss of income but yeah I did just that” the other answered easily. He acted like it was nothing to rent the entire zoo for a few hours. “The place holds memories for the both of us so I felt that this was the perfect place to go to after I confessed”

“What would you have done when I didn’t agree to this?” Junmyeon had to ask.

“Then… well then I would’ve came here anyway. Kind of had to then” Jongdae chuckled. He stopped walking and told Junmyeon to close his eyes and that he wasn’t allowed to open them until he said it was okay. Junmyeon hated this part the most, but he obediently closed his eyes and followed his date slowly but surely. Jongdae kept guiding him slowly, telling him where to step and when to watch out. He trusted the other blindly, literally so. He thought he would’ve felt unsafe but Jongdae was holding his hands and kept conversing with him. Junmyeon realised that they have always been like this. Unconsciously relying on each other, trusting each other without a single doubt and keeping each other safe. It only secured him further into knowing he made the right decision. His heart fluttered when Jongdae guided him to a stand, walked behind him and put both his hands in front of his eyes. Then they took 3 more steps forward before he heard he could open his eyes. When he did Jongdae’s hands remained in front of his face.

“Yah, let me see dae I am curious” Junmyeon whined cutely. What jongdae had mastered he could do too he thought. He heard Jongdae chuckle behind him and hug him closer to his chest. Junmyeon’s heart skipped a beat at the closeness. He could feel the other’s toned chest against his back, his breath on his neck, and crotch against his behind. The latter made him flush a faint red at the thought.

“Ok… 1… 2… tadaa” Jongdae whispered in his ear.

When the hands were removed from in front of his eyes he could see their three friends standing neatly in a row next to a small table with 2 chairs. On that table was a basket of sandwiches, muffins and scones. There was a small vase with 4 white roses, and a candle finish off the look. Chanyeol, Yixing and Baekhyun were all dressed in a black suit and had a white towel wrapped around one of their arms. Junmyeon laughed at how ridiculous they were looking in that outfit and with a goofy grin on their faces.

Jongdae came up behind him again and hugged him, his strong arms wrapping themselves snuggly around Junmyeon’s waist. He leaned back into his date and closed his eyes for a moment, revelling in the warm and comfortable feeling. He was overwhelmed with joy at the surprise, at seeing their 3 best friends standing there, at being with the most perfect guy in the world. He had never imagined a valentine’s day with Jongdae would be this special and romantic. He turned himself around in Jongdae’s grip and without thinking he kissed him square on the lips. Junmyeon broke it off when he heard Baekhyun squeal and he realised they weren’t alone.

“YEOLLIE LOOK WE DID IT. WE CRACKED THE OTHER ONE TOO” Baekhyun yelled in his boyfriend’s ear. Yixing was nearly crying and clapping his hands like a seal whilst Chanyeol was trying to calm Baekhyun down. Junmyeon and Jongdae both laughed at the ridiculousness of their best friends. Then he took the younger’s hands in his.

“Dae, thank you so much for arranging this, for showing me when you realised you fell in love with me, for creating this new memory with me, and most of all for loving me in the purest and most perfect way.” he started. He felt so overwhelmed with emotions that he teared up as well. Jongdae had let go of one of his hands to wipe at his eyes and then cupping the side of his face. Junmyeon leaned into it before he went on with what he had to say.

“I also have a confession to make. I may have lied a little bit. When I was younger I used to wonder about my uality and whether or not I would be able to love and spend the rest of my life with a man. I then told myself that if I found the right one I would be able to, and right now I think I have found the right one. I just didn’t want you to get your hopes up right away, so I hid this from you. Slowly but surely I will figure out that I can see you in a different light than just my best friend. I was already able to just now when you gave me a back hug. I keep seeing new things about you, dae. Things I used to be oblivious to. You might need to have a patience for me to figure it all out, but I know we can do this. We can do anything. I love you so much Dae” Junmyeon finished. He was crying now. Too overwhelmed with everything that happened today. He was experiencing an emotional rollercoaster but it didn’t matter. He was accompanied by his best friend, and together with him he would be able to overcome everything.

“See, look how precious and beautiful they are” Yixing sniffled. His head was buried in Baekhyun’s hair and Baekhyun was in return wetting Yixing’s shirt with tears. Chanyeol just rolled his eyes at both of them.
 

“Psssk…” he huffed.

“Jealous are we Yeol?” Jongdae teased before kissing Junmyeon for a second time. Junmyeon smiled into the kiss and thought to himself ‘This is definitely something I could get used to.’

*****

A/N: SURPRISE~  yes yes yes I wrote a 2nd part to this. When I wrote the initial one shot I got quite a few request asking for a sequel and now I have gotten round to writing one. Did I do just as well as with the 1st one? I truly hope I did. This one was so challenging because I had to write Junmyeon going from straight to gay, or well at least bi. I've never done such a thing before so I hope that I've done it well, and made it believable. I also wanted to throw the whole bunch in there and create some funny moments to release the quite serious tension of Junmyeon figuring out. THANKS for all the love, for requesting this 2nd part and for reading it. A thousand times thank you <3