Hyunwoo likes routine. He thrives in environments that schedule his every waking moment. He likes to be able to anticipate his entire day's activities without question. High school was ideal for him, every moment planned, but university has been a bit of an adjustment.

In order to cope with the loss of certainty Hyunwoo has created his own schedule. Everything is written in neat characters in the planner he carries everywhere he goes, the planner that's not a planner at all but a journal. He has spent hours painstakingly drawing out monthly, weekly, and even daily calendars, detailing his activities down to the half hour, leaving extra pages in between days to record any deviations so that they can be accounted for in future schedules.

It hasn't escaped his notice that lately he's been adding extra appointments. Hyunwoo calls them appointments because he thinks it would be a bit too creepy to schedule his stalking. No, it's not stalking. It's observation, the study of a magical creature known as Lee Minhyuk.

Being in the same program at the university means that Hyunwoo doesn't have to go out of his way to see Minhyuk. They share almost all of their major-specific classes, but it's so different seeing him outside the classroom. The furrowed brows and furious scribbling of notes Hyunwoo usually sees during lectures is such a contrast to the way Minhyuk's lips pucker around his straw when he's sipping his iced coffee in the corner table of the cafe while he reads his literature assignment or the way his long neck stretches, baring his throat when he throws his head back, laughing at whatever joke Jooheon is sharing with him.

Minhyuk is captivating. Everything he does, every move he makes is so elegant and interesting, even when it's something as simple as scratching at his temple with a fingertip between questions during a test. Minhyuk is tall and ridiculously thin, so thin that at first Hyunwoo had worried he wasn't getting enough to eat, but he quickly realised that it's merely the result of a high metabolism and an active lifestyle.

The feature that had originally caught Hyunwoo's eye was Minhyuk's hair. The first day of fall semester his sophomore year Hyunwoo had been arranging his things on his desk in Music Composition class when a flash of silver flickered across the room. Hyunwoo looked up to see a blinding smile, perfect teeth with just the tiniest gap between two front ones, almost matching the gap between Hyunwoo’s own, and the shiniest silver hair he'd ever seen. It shimmered in the light like actual silver and brought out the golden glow of Minhyuk's skin. Hyunwoo was a goner.

It's been over a year since that day, and Minhyuk's hair has gone from silver to blond and back to his natural black. Though he knows where Minhyuk will be at any given minute of the day, in all this time Hyunwoo has barely shared more than ten words with Minhyuk. It's not that he doesn't want to talk to Minhyuk, it's just that he's very intimidated. Sure, Minhyuk seems friendly, but what if he doesn't want to be friends with Hyunwoo? He's pretty sure he couldn't handle that kind of rejection, but with Valentine's Day coming up tomorrow Hyunwoo has decided that it's time for him to at least make an effort to communicate with Minhyuk.

This is what leads him to a bookstore just off campus that Minhyuk frequents. Hyunwoo is hoping for some kind of natural interaction. He's imagined it in his head, how he can play it off like he just happened to be here at the same time as Minhyuk, and maybe they'll talk for awhile about their favorite books. Eventually talking might lead to Hyunwoo asking Minhyuk if he wants to get coffee (though he won't mention that he knows exactly what to order for Minhyuk or how he came by such knowledge). Coffee might lead to dinner, Hyunwoo might walk Minhyuk home, and if everything goes the way it does in his mind Hyunwoo might lean in to kiss Minhyuk gently on the cheek and tell him that he'd really like to take him out for Valentine's Day as well.

Hyunwoo stands at the end of an aisle for over twenty minutes, his gaze focused somewhere beyond the shelf of books in front of him as he mentally rehearses his responses to possible questions Minhyuk might ask. He's too preoccupied to notice Minhyuk and Jooheon slipping out the door until it's already too late. He's missed his chance, and now he has to think fast if he wants to catch up with Minhyuk and try again.

Pulling out his planner, Hyunwoo checks to see where Minhyuk usually spends his Monday afternoons, and it's not creepy, okay? Well, it's not totally creepy. Okay, it totally is creepy, but it's a good thing Hyunwoo has been keeping track because he's able to catch up with Minhyuk at a diner a few blocks over where he and Jooheon are tucked into the corner booth, sharing a big basket of sweet potato fries dipped in sriracha mayo.

Hyunwoo takes a seat at the counter and asks the waitress to bring him a soda before settling in to wait for the perfect opportunity to approach Minhyuk. He fiddles with the straw in his stupidly oversized cup. He stirs the ice around with it and chews on the end until it's crimped too tight with tooth marks to drink out of. He listens to Jooheon's rowdy laughter and occasional outbursts and Minhyuk's much softer, raspy giggles. He tries his hardest not to turn and stare at the pair, only stealing occasional glances over his shoulder when Minhyuk is too busy talking to take notice. Then a group of obnoxious teenagers who had been sitting at the table behind Minhyuk leaves. In the relative quiet Hyunwoo manages to make out Minhyuk's actual words, and his heart sinks a little bit.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow night?" Jooheon asks. It's a harmless question, one he probably poses several days a week, but Hyunwoo's pulse races as he perks his ears up to listen closer.

"Probably nothing I guess." Minhyuk sounds sad. It's so out of place because he's usually a brilliant ray of sunshine who does his best to keep everyone around him smiling.

"Nothing? You mean Mr. Muscles still hasn't asked you out?"

"Shhh," Minhyuk shushes Jooheon, though Hyunwoo can't figure out why. "No," he groans. "I thought he liked me, but he must not be interested. I guess maybe I misread the situation."

"Really? You think? I was sure he liked you. I mean, he's always staring, but his eyes are naturally intense. Maybe that's what I was seeing."

"Yeah... Aaaaah! Jooheon, what do you think I should do? I asked Kihyun, but you know how he is. He just laughed at me and said it was my problem."

"Typical," Jooheon chuckles, but then he sighs and apparently pats Minhyuk rather hard because Hyunwoo can hear the impact of his palm against Minhyuk's shoulder. Even from so far away the sound is louder than their voices. "Did he tell you to deal with it?"

"What do you think? Ugh, this ! It's the actual worst, and now I'm gonna be alone on Valentine's Day because I've wasted my time waiting around."

"You realise you sound like a girl, right? Waiting for Mr. Muscles to ask you out, refusing to make the first move, whining about being alone on Valentine's Day... I mean, I'm gonna be alone on Valentine's Day and you don't see me complaining."

"That's because when you say alone you mean you'll be online playing Overwatch with Changkyun so technically not alone."

"Come on, Changkyun is just a friend, and he's on the other side of the planet. How is that not alone?"

Minhyuk shrugs. "It's the way you guys normally spend time together, and it’s exactly where you want to be."

"Okay," Jooheon concedes. "So, what are you gonna do since you'll be all alone on Valentine's Day?"

"I don't know," Minhyuk sighs loudly. "I guess I'll just chill out in bed, eat pizza, and play video games until I pass out."

It's a sad way to spend Valentine's Day, even Hyunwoo has to admit, and he's tempted to do something about it until he remembers Mr. Muscles. It's not Hyunwoo he wants, and despite wanting to be with Minhyuk, he doesn't want to be with someone who settled for him.

Hyunwoo leaves some money on the counter to pay for his drink before quietly sneaking out the door and heading home. He's had enough of contemplating social interaction for one day.

Sleep does not come easily for Hyunwoo. He lies in bed for over an hour, tossing and turning. Hyunwoo knows he's being an obnoxious roommate. Between the sounds of the mattress moving and the heavy, frustrated huffs and groans he wonders how Hoseok is getting any rest at all, and he finds out Hoseok isn't when he hears, "Dude!" from the other side of the room. "What is with you tonight?"

"I'm sorry," Hyunwoo says, voice barely louder than a whisper. "I can't seem to turn my brain off." He slaps his hands over his face to block out the blinding light when Hoseok unexpectedly flips on his desk lamp.

"Wanna talk about it?" Hyunwoo peeks out through his fingers, still squinting against the light. "Come on, you can tell me. Maybe I can help."

Hoseok is actually one of the sweetest people Hyunwoo has ever met. He's always eager to offer assistance when he can, even to strangers, and he will bend over backwards to make his friends happy. Hyunwoo considers himself lucky to have someone like Hoseok in his life, but there are some things he just doesn't want to share with his roommate.

One of those things is his affinity for a certain music major and the fact that he himself might be a creepy stalker (okay, he definitely is a creepy stalker... not the dangerous kind or anything, but it's hard to control himself when Minhyuk is so... so Minhyuk).

So Hyunwoo shakes his head and politely tells Hoseok, "Thank you, no."

"You know," Hoseok says, "the best way to shut your brain off is to turn your body on."

Hyunwoo doesn't respond for a moment, letting the words sink in before answering, "You're not really my type."

Hoseok's eyes widen as he realises what he said, "No, no. I didn't mean it like tha- Hyunwoo? Did you just make a joke?"

One side of Hyunwoo's mouth twitches up in a shy smile, and he looks away from Hoseok. "Maybe," he shrugs, and yes, he's a little proud that he said something amusing without being totally awkward about it.

"Nice job!" Hyunwoo blushes, but Hoseok doesn't seem to notice as he's already continuing his original thought. "What I meant was you should go to the gym. Get your body moving, your blood pumping, your muscles working. Trust me, you'll forget all your troubles after a nice, long run on the treadmill."

Hyunwoo is sure he won't be able to sleep no matter how exhausted his body is. His mind just doesn't want to let go of Mr. Muscles, and the longer he contemplates the mysterious, unknown person, the more he thinks Hoseok fits the description perfectly. All he really has to go on is a nickname, but if anyone would be nicknamed Mr. Muscles it would be Hoseok. His crush is crushing on his roommate. In Minhyuk's words, this . It's the actual worst.

"I'll go with you," Hoseok offers, already throwing the covers back and rolling out of bed.

"Go where?" Hyunwoo mumbles, still in his head, not really paying attention.

"The gym," Hoseok chirps, and now he's pulling on a pair of track pants and a black muscle shirt. "You really are out of it, buddy."

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am." Hyunwoo is distracted by the way sleeveless shirt exposes Hoseok's arms and the bulge of his biceps, how the fabric stretches tight across his chest and back because it's probably at least a size too small. Now he's certain of it; Hoseok is Mr. Muscles. Suddenly Hyunwoo can't bring himself to move. His head feels fuzzy, his eyes ache, and his arms are too heavy to lift off the bed. "I don't think I need to go to the gym, Hoseok. I'm really tired now."

"Oh," Hoseok sounds like he's trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. "That's okay. I can just go by myself, you know, since I'm awake now." He smiles at Hyunwoo, and it's warm and sugary. Hyunwoo feels guilty for turning him down, especially since he was the one keeping Hoseok up to begin with.

"I'm sorry. I guess I wore myself out with all that rolling around."

"No big deal, man." Hoseok pulls the laces on his shoes tighter, making Hyunwoo wonder if he can even feel his toes. "I meant to go on a run earlier, but there was this girl at the library with huge brown eyes that sparkled like starlight and..." He trails off, sighing and staring at the wall above Hyunwoo’s bed. "Anyway, somehow I forgot all about running so now I can make up for it." He ruffles Hyunwoo's hair with his fingers and turns toward the door.

"Hey, Hoseok. Go to the gym, please. I know you like to run out in the open, but it's too late for that. Be safe, okay?"

"Yeah, of course." That smile again, his lips spread even wider and his cheeks lifting to narrow his eyes to tiny slits. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Don't wait up," he says with a cute, breathy laugh. Hoseok snatches his keys off the bookshelf and hangs his headphones around his neck, and then the door is closing behind him at the same time Hyungwoo's eyes fall shut.

The light filtering through Hyunwoo's eyelids as he wakes up is tinted pink and red, and when he crinkles his nose against a little tickle he feels something stuck to his face. He lifts his hand to pull two post-it notes from his forehead.

"Happy Valentine's Day, roomie. Please enjoy some chocolate for breakfast."

Hyunwoo glances at their shared nightstand where Hoseok has left a gigantic heart-shaped box of chocolates. Another note on top of the box informs him that Hoseok has already snagged all of the caramels for himself.

"Morning class cancelled. Turned off your alarm. See you after lunch."

Ah, the kid is a really great roommate.

With his morning class cancelled Hyunwoo's only lecture of the day is at 12:55. He decides to take an extra long shower and put a little more effort than usual into his appearance. He rubs a bit of gel between his fingers and runs them through his hair, leaving it shiny and messy. Then he pulls on his favorite jeans, soft and worn and ripped in all the right places. He chooses a plain, white tank top and steals a grey sweater from Hoseok's wardrobe before slipping his feet into his trainers, leaving them untied and tucking the ends of the laces inside.

Hyunwoo checks himself in the mirror and sighs. His thick, eyebrows give him a powerful look, like he's deep in thought even when his mind is blank. His eyes are a dark brown, almost black, and his lips are plump and shiny. He looks alright, better than usual but still not as good as Hoseok. He probably won't ever be as handsome as Hoseok. He'll just have to live with it.

Lunch is a bagel and a cup of coffee that he buys from a vendor near his class. He spies a display of Valentine's candies and grabs a box of them as well, more caramels for Hoseok. He shoves them in his backpack, very nearly forgetting all about them almost immediately.

He sits on the floor outside his classroom, picking at his bagel and reading over his notes until he hears a familiar laugh floating down the hallway. Hyunwoo keeps his head down as Minhyuk and Jooheon pass him, in the midst of some kind of tickle fight as they make their way to the vending machines at the end of the hall. The light teasing and laughter give Hyunwoo the sensation of bubbles bursting in his chest, light and tingly.

It's when Minhyuk brushes by him on his way into the classroom that Hyunwoo finally glances up from his notebook, and he sees the tightness of Minhyuk's smile, the tension in his shoulders, the stiffness of his movements. Hyunwoo wants to be the person Minhyuk goes to when he's feeling frazzled like this. He wants to be the one to quiet Minhyuk's noisy mind and ease all of his worries.

During class Hyunwoo hardly hears the teacher as he turns it over and over in his brain. He only sees two options. The first is to let it go, to push his feelings aside and hope that Minhyuk finds someone who makes him happy, and maybe in time Hyunwoo's feelings will fade and he’ll be able to move on. He labels this the slow torture option because he's not sure he can let go so easily.

The second is to make a move, to tell Minhyuk his feelings. He calls this the Band-Aid option because even if he gets turned down he won't spend the rest of his life wondering what if. Hyunwoo spends the entire second half of class trying to screw up the courage to rip the Band-Aid off.

The teacher dismisses them five minutes early, claiming she has a date to prepare for and wants to beat the traffic. Hyunwoo takes a deep breath as he zips his backpack. It’s now or never.

Minhyuk is taking his time packing up, carefully stacking his books and notebooks before dropping them into his messenger bag. Jooheon bounces impatiently beside Minhyuk’s desk as he whines that Minhyuk is slower than Christmas and to hurry up because he’s starving. Jooheon notices Hyunwoo approaching before Minhyuk does. He stops moving, squinting at Hyunwoo with his mouth hanging open.

“Uhhhhh… I’m gonna just… go ahead,” Jooheon says. “Meet me later. Or don’t, whatever.” Minhyuk looks up, confused, and his eyes grow as wide as saucers when he sees Hyunwoo lingering, hesitantly looking between his feet and Minhyuk. Jooheon slaps Hyunwoo on the back hard enough to make Hyunwoo cough. “Good luck, Mr. Muscles,” he whispers as he passes, and it’s Hyunwoo’s turn to be confused. He doesn’t have time to fully process the words before Minhyuk is rising from his desk.

“H-hi.” Brilliant, Hyunwoo. A+ for conversation skills. Minhyuk doesn’t seem to mind, showing Hyunwoo the bright smile that so beautifully highlights his teeth.

“Hello, Hyunwoo. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh, uhm, yeah. You too. Happy Valentine’s Day.” Silence. Minhyuk waits while Hyunwoo inhales shallow breaths, unable to get enough air into his lungs to speak again.

“Did… you need something?”

“I… well, I mean…” Ugh! This is going so much worse than Hyunwoo had planned. Didn’t he just practice this yesterday in the bookstore? What was he supposed to say if Minhyuk asked him this? He can’t remember. He’s drawing a complete blank.” Do you?” Well, that’s definitely not part of the plan.

“I’m sorry, do I what?” Hyunwoo knows this question wasn’t even on his list. He’s so unprepared. He just stands and stares at Minhyuk, and as the seconds creep by the silence becomes more and more uncomfortable. Hyunwoo’s mouth is too dry, and his palms are too wet. He swallows and his lips as he wipes his hands on his jeans. “Do I… need a date for Valentine’s Day?”

Minhyuk continues to stare at Hyunwoo, an impish grin tattooed on his face. Hyunwoo thinks maybe he should be a little afraid, but then Minhyuk’s smile melts into something warmer.

“Hyunwoo, would you like to spend Valentine’s Day with me?” Minhyuk doesn’t stutter or stumble over his words. He’s so confident. He reads Hyunwoo so well, realising that Hyunwoo is far too nervous to ask the question himself and taking the burden off of his shoulders. Hyunwoo wonders if this is how it would (will?) be to have a relationship with Minhyuk, having someone who can anticipate his needs and share his concerns. The thought makes him feel light, like he’s floating. “Is that a yes or a no?”

“Mhmm,” Hyunwoo hums and nods, and Minhyuk’s face shines with happiness as he looks up at Hyunwoo.

“Really?” Really? Does he really have to ask?

“Yeah, really.”

“But… you were at the bookstore yesterday… and the diner too. You never even spoke to me. I thought…” Minhyuk pauses and shakes his head, the smile that had faded slightly now returning to its original intensity. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. I don’t have any other classes today. If you’re free we can start our date now?”

“Eager,” Hyunwoo says under his breath, and Minhyuk must have superhuman hearing because he laughs as he stands and hooks his arm with Hyunwoo’s.

“I am,” he whispers, gently guiding Hyunwoo toward the door. “I’ve had my eye on you for awhile, Mr. Muscles.” Minhyuk squeezes Hyunwoo’s bicep as he says the nickname, and Hyunwoo’s head tilts to the side.

“I’m Mr. Muscles?” Again, the words are barely audible. How is it possible that all this time while Hyunwoo has been observing (okay, stalking) Minhyuk he’s never noticed Minhyuk observing him?

“Of course. Have you seen yourself?” Minhyuk giggles and steps back, appreciating the amount of skin revealed by Hyunwoo's ripped jeans. “Who did you think I was talking about?”

“Not important,” Hyunwoo says as a smile curls his lips. “What do you want to do tonight?”

“Hmmm,” Minhyuk hums. He’s pretending it’s a tough decision, but Hyunwoo can see in his grin that he has a plan. Hyunwoo honestly doesn’t care what they do as long as they get to do it together.

“I’ll play you for the last slice of pizza,” Minhyuk says with a wink. Hyunwoo is about to just tell him to take it since Minhyuk has kicked his for the last six races in Mario Kart, but Minhyuk leans closer to whisper in his ear, “Not the game… I’ll wrestle you for it.” Hyunwoo doesn’t have time to answer before Minhyuk shouts, “Readysetgo!” and grabs his wrists, twisting his body to push Hyunwoo back onto the bed.

Hyunwoo, realising that he has a chance to actually win the last slice of pizza, lifts his legs to bracket Minhyuk’s hips with his thighs and rolls over, swapping their positions. Minhyuk’s body shakes beneath him with silent laughter, not even fighting back as Hyunwoo holds him down. “I changed my mind. You can have it. I’m not hungry for pizza anymore.”

“W-what are you h-hungry for?” Hyunwoo asks. His face is warm, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tries to read Minhyuk’s expression, Minhyuk who he has pinned against the mattress by both hands his hands and hips, Minhyuk who looks ravenous, like he hasn’t had a meal in days and Hyunwoo is exactly what he’s been craving.

Minhyuk’s fingers wiggle under Hyunwoo’s hands, not enough to break free but enough to remind Hyunwoo of their position. “C’mere,” he whispers, and Hyunwoo instinctively leans closer, moving slowly, his own eyes open so he can see when Minhyuk’s scrunch up in a smile just before he raises his head off of the pillow to join their lips together. It’s soft and warm, and Hyunwoo can’t help that his eyes finally slip shut. Minhyuk pulls away, too soon in Hyunwoo’s opinion, letting his head fall back with a happy sigh.

“You taste even better than I imagined,” Hyunwoo murmurs, dropping his forehead to Minhyuk’s shoulder, “and your lips are softer too.”

“Hmmm…” Minhyuk hums. “It’s still Valentine’s Day. We have all night if you wanna do that some more.” Hyunwoo nods, a hesitant smile lifting the corners of his lips, but he doesn’t move until he feels Minhyuk’s fingers in his hair, coaxing him to tilt his head up and kiss Minhyuk again.

Kisses give way to touches as strong, calloused hands languidly exploring Minhyuk’s sensitive skin. Minhyuk brings Hyunwoo’s fingers up, one into his mouth and scraping his teeth along the rough skin across the tip. “Guitar?” he asks before swirling his tongue around the digit.

“Yes,” Hyunwoo moans, and Minhyuk huffs out a laugh.

“I love how responsive you are.” Releasing Hyunwoo’s hands, Minhyuk wraps his arms around Hyunwoo’s shoulders and nuzzles into his neck. “I think this is probably as far as we should go tonight.”

“Tonight?” Hyunwoo sounds dazed as he buries his nose in Minhyuk’s silky hair, and Minhyuk giggles again. It’s a sound Hyunwoo has heard thousands of times, but it’s never sounded better than it does when he can feel the warmth of Minhyuk’s breath against his skin.

“Yes, tonight, silly. You didn’t think this was a one time thing, did you?” Minhyuk rolls Hyunwoo off to the side, pushing himself up onto his elbow as he traces a fingertip along Hyunwoo’s arm. “Hyunwoo, I’m not the one time type; I’m the relationship type. So… Do you want to be with me?”

Hyunwoo is sure his fear is written in thick, black Sharpie across his face. He’s probably showing that deer in the headlights look that he gets whenever he’s expected to make a decision or voice an opinion. “M-more than anything, but I don’t think I’m ready for… more. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“Awww, sweetie.” Minhyuk cups Hyunwoo’s face with his hand, gently caressing Hyunwoo’s cheekbone with his thumb. “You really are too pure for this world aren’t you? Don’t worry about disappointing me. I’m patient. We’ll take things slow and wait until you’re ready to do more .” Minhyuk’s hand slides down Hyunwoo’s body to rest on his hip, and he squeezes as he asks, “So is that a yes or no?” His bottom lip slips between his teeth, the only indication that he’s in any way uncertain about how Hyunwoo will respond.

Hyunwoo isn’t uncertain at all. This is the most definite answer he’s been able to give Minhyuk all night because it’s just so obvious to him what his response should be. Not trusting that his voice won’t crack or waver, Hyunwoo looks Minhyuk in the eye and nods, firmly.

Minhyuk’s eyes crinkle at the corners, and his nose scrunches. Hyunwoo only gets to see it for a moment before Minhyuk twists his hands into Hyunwoo’s shirt, burrows into his chest, and squeals.

“I hope that’s a happy sound,” Hyunwoo comments with equal parts amusement and concern.

“The happiest!” Minhyuk exclaims, detaching himself from Hyunwoo’s shirt only to slide his fingers in Hyunwoo’s hair, taking advantage of his grip to pull Hyunwoo in for another kiss. By the time Minhyuk releases him, Hyunwoo is breathless, panting as he leans into Minhyuk to ground himself. Minhyuk the back of Hyunwoo’s neck until he’s calmed down. “So my plan for tonight was bed, pizza, and video games until I pass out, but I think I’d prefer plan B.”

“What’s plan B?”

“Cuddle until we pass out.” It’s a dream come true, really, and Hyunwoo couldn’t possibly be any more content. Minhyuk starts a movie on Netflix and wiggles his way into Hyunwoo’s arms, mumbling, “G’night, Mr. Muscles,” and Hyunwoo sighs in return, relaxed. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”