---

It's a random Saturday afternoon over at Jongin's family home, and Jongin's currently laying down starfish-style on his bed--just scrolling through Instagram on his phone when Kyungsoo comes back from the kitchen and plops down next to him.

"Hey, look at this," Kyungsoo says before whipping out his own phone to show Jongin a text he got from the group chat that they're in with their other friends. "Gosh seriously, I can't go one in' day without them saying that you and I must be like secretly dating or something..."

Jongin feels his stomach drop at that and quickly looks away while frowning, already knowing that them dating will probably just stay in his dreams.

So, he simply replies with a hum before he goes back to scrolling through his phone--though this time he's not really focusing on anything. But then, Kyungsoo slightly nudges his arm to get his attention, and like the lovesick man that he is, Jongin instantly gives him his attention again.

At most, he just expects Kyungsoo to rant a bit more about all of the teasing that their mutual friends give him in that damn group chat that Jongin had to mute himself. But instead, Kyungsoo surprises him with his next words.

"Ya know what...I kinda wanna mess with them now," Kyungsoo says before looking away and lifting an eyebrow as he begins mentally scheming. And Jongin in his own bottom lip at that because he loves when Kyungsoo gets that look.

After a good moment, Kyungsoo then jumps up from his bed to stand and looks down at him. "Okay, get this! What if--" Kyungsoo suddenly falters a bit as Jongin gazes up at him and starts rubbing the side of his neck. "--um, what if we...um--" His voice gets quieter. "--fake dated each other for a day?"

Jongin chokes on his spit and raises his eyebrows as high as they can go at that and Kyungsoo lets out an awkward laugh before continuing. "'Cause like um, i-if they think we're actually dating then--then the teasing would stop and uh..."

"...Huh?" Jongin finally responds after a moment.

"N-nevermind, um forget I said anything," Kyungsoo replies, before adjusting his round, black glasses and looking away.

Jongin frowns at Kyungsoo's expression and instantly drops his phone as he gets up to stand too. Kyungsoo then looks back up at him, and Jongin's heart starts beating faster as they stare at each other for a good moment.

There's so much that he wants to say (and well, confess) but instead he ends up asking, "Are you sure about this, Soo?"

"I--of course!" Kyungsoo replies, looking so adorable as he furrows his thick eyebrows up at him. "I've been thinking about this on and off for a while anyway."

Jongin's eyebrows raise again at that while his cheeks get warmer. "Y-you have?"

And this time, Kyungsoo's ears get noticeably red as he blushes too. "Y-yeah. I mean--like, ya know how I tend to overthink well, everything. So, being with you, um, or well fake-being with you--it--it wasn't an exception, Jonginnie."

Jongin tries to control his amazed expression and Kyungsoo continues. "But, I only wanna do this if you're comfortable with doing this too. Um, we don't have to fake kiss or fake hold hands and all that if you don't wanna. It could just be you and me like we always are but um, with a different albeit fake title for a day? Um, tomorrow when we hang out with the others to be exact ehe?"

"...But what if I wanted to do all those things though?" Jongin mumbles.

Kyungsoo tilts his head a bit, seeming to not have heard. "Hm?"

"Nothing. Um..." Jongin begins running a hand through his hair, pushing it back as he thinks of the pros and cons. And unsurprisingly, it only takes a few more seconds to come to a decision. "So...do you wanna start now then? Um, fake dating me and all?"

And he can't help but feel a bittersweet punch to his gut as Kyungsoo grins with delight at that. "Wait, so you'll do it?"

Jongin nods. "Anything for you, Soo."

And at that, Kyungsoo cheers and practically jumps on him as he hugs him and ends up taking a surprised Jongin down with him onto his bed. The two of them end up laughing at that but as Kyungsoo apologizes and then gets off of him, Jongin thinks back to what he just agreed to and instantly feels both elated and conflicted.

---

Either way, they continue on like usual after that for the rest of Kyungsoo's visit; with them just playing some couch co-op video games, laughing, raging, and playfully shoving at each other for a few hours. Kyungsoo also stays for dinner, and everything feels like the complete usual until Jongin sees Kyungsoo off at his car.

It's always been his thing to just wave at Kyungsoo as he gets in his car, but this time, Kyungsoo asks if he can walk with him to it. So, with a quick Sure, Jongin dons on his slippers from the shoe-rack near the front door, and walks out with Kyungsoo to the latter's car.

It's a pretty cold mid-December night, so he ends up shivering a bit as they walk, and Kyungsoo frowns and takes off his soft, blue knit scarf to give to him.

"Wha--? No-no, I'm good, Soo," Jongin says, waving the scarf away with a smile. "I'll just have some hot cocoa once I get back inside, I swear hehe."

Kyungsoo gives a half-smile. "Ha, you said that the last time, Nini, but okay."

He then keeps walking towards his car and heads to the driver's side while Jongin almost trips over himself in shock before walking faster to catch up with Kyungsoo.

"Did--did you just call me 'Nini', Soo?" Jongin asks breathlessly. "You haven't called me that since elementary school!"

Kyungsoo doesn't respond and simply unlocks his car to get in just as Jongin reaches the driver's side too. "Wait, go around so we can talk," Kyungsoo then says, doing a twirling motion with his left index finger.

He then closes his door and Jongin mumbles to himself Talk about what? as he complies and goes around the car to the passenger's side. Once he unlocks the door and gets in, Kyungsoo asks if he can close the door and Jongin notices that the car's heat is already on now as he does just that. But more importantly, he notices that Kyungsoo's rubbing his hands up and down his thighs now--something he only really does when he's overthinking something.

So, without a thought, Jongin moves to put a hand on Kyungsoo's right arm, and thankfully Kyungsoo stops to look at him.

"What's bothering you, hm?" Jongin gently asks.

"I-I dunno. I just..." Kyungsoo sighs. "I started thinking of this whole thing again and just--are you completely sure you wanna do this? Fake date me, I mean? 'Cause like, what if you find someone beautiful or handsome and fall in love with them tomorrow but--but you gotta be by my side acting like my boyfriend, hm? I-I don't wanna mess up your chance at true love, Nini. Like you deserve the best, not some fake- relationship with me..."

He then looks down at his lap and starts rubbing his thighs up and down again, and Jongin gently pats Kyungsoo's right hand to get his attention again.

"Hey, ya know I wouldn't just say yes if I didn't think this thing through too. And there's no way I'd meet someone by tomorrow and fall in love with them like that."

Not when I'm already so in love with you, he thinks.

"You sure?" Kyungsoo softly replies.

"Oh my gosh, I'm gonna add that to the list of phrases never to use around me again, Soo."

And at that, Kyungsoo finally relaxes and chuckles as he says, Okay, alright.

Jongin smiles back and the two of them stay like that smiling for another moment before Jongin asks, "So, is 'Nini' what you're gonna be calling me all day tomorrow then?"

Kyungsoo pushes up his glasses. "Um, well only if it's okay with you."

Jongin's smile widens. "Heh, if it's you, Soo, then I'm good with practically anything."

And Kyungsoo ducks his head as he blushes. "Gosh seriously, how do you manage to say such cheesy so easily?"

"Wha--But it's true!"

Kyungsoo just chuckles at that and Jongin playfully shoves him while smiling some more. And it's times like these especially that Jongin wishes that he could freeze time and see Kyungsoo's cute heart-shaped smile forever.

But, he can't, and time goes on as Kyungsoo begins calming down from his laughter.

"Heh, so tomorrow then we'll start, okay?" Kyungsoo says. Jongin simply nods his head, and Kyungsoo looks at him for some seconds longer than normal before looking away. "'Kay, well um, g'night then, Nini."

Jongin half-smiles and murmurs a Good night, Soo before he gets out of the car and walks back towards his home. He can't help but take a look back as Kyungsoo starts his car and begins to slowly drive out of the parking spot, and all of those mixed feelings come back to Jongin in full force as he turns back around and heads inside.

---

The next day, during the afternoon again, Kyungsoo comes over to pick Jongin up so that they can head downtown together to meet up with their mutual friends at the movies. This one spy thriller movie came out last week Friday, and with all of them having free time on a Sunday for once, all twelve of them have planned to see the movie together.

And when a miracle like this happens, best believe that even if someone gets sick with a cold, their friend Baekhyun will drag said person's out of bed himself because they all haven't hung out together as twelve in like three ing months. Or well, that's what their friend Chanyeol apparently told Kyungsoo through text earlier as Baekhyun had apparently stopped by his house, dragged him outta bed, and told him to take some tylenol and stop whining like a little . (Kyungsoo and Jongin both had a good laugh at that.)

Anyway, once Jongin gets dressed and ready, they say bye to Jongin's mom who tells them to have fun and stay safe from the living room. Then, they end up chatting about their friends some more as they get in Kyungsoo's car, and Jongin can't help but grin at how excited (and extra fine) Kyungsoo looks today.

Then, as Kyungsoo drives off and they continue chatting, the topic soon goes from their friends and how cool the movie will probably be, to the whole fake dating situation.

"So...um...when we get there um, do you wanna be holding hands?" Jongin asks at one point, while 'casually' turning from looking out of the passenger window to Kyungsoo.

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Kyungsoo simply replies, eyes still on the road.

And Jongin's heart beats faster at that as his gaze moves from Kyungsoo's face to his hands on the wheel, and suddenly he gets those unsaid thoughts of those hands being on, well, certain parts of his own body before he quickly looks away.

"So, when we get out--we're holding hands. Got it," Jongin replies, looking out of the window while his cheeks are raised as he blushes.

"Hehe...Just be natural, Nini. We've got this."

And that's the thing. It's easy for Jongin to be natural about his love for Kyungsoo...he just doesn't know if his poor lovesick heart could handle the reverse happening.

---

Around a quarter hour later, they finally reach a spot in the parking garage near the movie theater and get out after Kyungsoo stops the car and locks it. Jongin then waits for Kyungsoo to walk around the back of the car so that they can walk together hand-in-hand, and Kyungsoo looks up at him with slightly raised eyebrows as he reaches him before he holds out his left hand for him to hold.

Jongin quickly looks away to not show his raised cheeks and grabs onto Kyungsoo's hand before adjusting his fingers so that they interlock with Kyungsoo's.

"You ready?" Kyungsoo then asks with a small smile.

Jongin internally swoons. "Yeah, let's go."

And so, the two of them walk together towards the elevator that'll lead them to the main road and thus the movie theater.

It's chilly as today like it was last night, but both of them have thick jackets on this time (and scarves after Kyungsoo brought over one of his many soft knit ones to lend him) so they stay relatively warm. And as they walk and Jongin feels the warmth of Kyungsoo's hand against his, he can't help but grin even while his heart flip-flops between delight and confliction over this whole thing.

Then, as they reach the elevator and wait for one to come up to the