Jiyong huffs out a sigh and runs a hand through his white strands. He’s been staring at the computer screen for the past 15 minutes now without getting a word written and a deadline coming closer with every passing minute. It’s a Friday night pushing closer to 8pm and all Jiyong wants to do is go home, put on some trashy movie and cuddle with his cat while eating leftovers out of a can. He declined the offer of his colleague earlier to meet them at some club for drinks and he silently wonders if he’s getting old after all.

A few years ago he frequented clubs a lot, getting drunk on a daily basis with random hook-ups to spend the night, enjoying life to its fullest. But lately he craves for something more, for more stability and security in his life, a stable relationship, someone to come home to. His thoughts flicker to someone briefly but he quickly brushes the upcoming frustration away. Some things should stay in the past, as well as feelings he decided to bury years ago.

The blonde is about to stretch out his tired limbs when suddenly the screen of his phone lights up, announcing a new message. With a side glance, he catches the name flickering across the screen and he quickly reaches for it. It’s a weird coincidence, that Jiyong just thought of him and now he’s messaging him.

With a swipe of his thumb he opens up the message and pulls his bottom lip between his teeth to chew on it.

From: Choi Seunghyun

“Do you have any plans tonight? There’s something I wanna talk with you about.”

From: Kwon Jiyong

“I have a date with my couch and cat so no. But I’m still stuck at work :(“

From: Choi Seunghyun

“Then you better finish whatever article you’re brooding over and meet me at Se7en’s in an hour okay?”

Jiyong snorts but sends a quick “Okay ” right back. He is curious what the other man wants from him, they haven’t seen each other for months and to be honest, he’s a little nervous. He knows he needs around 15 minutes to walk to the café Seunghyun suggested. He also knows that he can’t leave before he finishes this article. With a groan, he pushes questioning thoughts aside and starts to type.

Jiyong enters the café a little over an hour later, wet to the bone. It started to snow right after he left the building and of course he forgot his gloves, scarf and hat. He shrugs out of his coat and sends a smile to the owner who is standing behind the counter. Dongwook waves at him and gives him a sly smirk.

“Your date is waiting.”

The blonde can feel the heat shooting in his cheeks and with a quick glance around the room, he spots the brunette sitting in a cozy corner, two drinks already sitting on the table in front of him. Jiyong hurries to the corner without correcting Dongwook and slips into the chair across from Seunghyun.

“Sorry I’m late,” he mumbles while dropping his coat onto the chair next to him before smoothing out his shirt and hair. He must look funny because the amused smile on the older man’s lips is both sending butterflies to Jiyong’s stomach as well as making him nervous. Is his make-up smudged? Does he sport panda eyes? He dabs at his face a few times, unsure of how to feel but Seunghyun makes no comment so he starts to relax a little.

“It’s okay. I guess the sudden snow surprised you on your way here,” he states. Jiyong rolls his eyes and throws him a dirty look, making Seunghyun grin and shake his head. “I ordered already because I thought you might need it.”

Jiyong eyes the steaming mug and takes a sip, lips curling up around the rim at the sweet gesture and seriously, he really has to ignore the swarm of butterflies slowly going crazy in his stomach. The warm liquid starts to slowly warm him up from the inside.

“Thank you,” he murmurs and takes another deep sip before he settles back in his chair, taking in the man in front of him. He’s wearing a burgundy checked suit with a cream silk dress shirt underneath, clearly coming from work himself and Jiyong has to hold it in not to drool over the sight. Focus! “What did you wanna talk about?”

Seunghyun leans back into his seat as well and crosses his legs. He rubs his thumb over his chin and casts his eyes away from Jiyong briefly before he starts to speak. “The museum is hosting a party next Friday and you know me, I hardly can pass on that invitation. There’s just a little....catch.” He pauses and his lips. “You can only come if you bring a date.”

Jiyong blinks. What?

“In short: I want you to be my date to the party and in exchange for saving me from endless shame and teasing, you can get anything you want from me,” Seunghyun finishes. The wheels in Jiyong’s head start to slowly turn as he proceeds what he just heard. Seunghyun basically asked him on a date, even if it may not be because of reasons Jiyong actually hoped for.

“Next week Friday is-” Jiyong’s fingers curl around the hem of his shirt as he realises the date. “Valentines day.”

Seunghyun his head to the side but nods.

“So, let me get this straight,” Jiyong starts slowly. “You want to hire me to be your date to a Valentines party?”

“First of all, there is no way that we can get this ‘ straight ’,” Seunghyun muses with a boyish grin that makes his eyes crinkle and Jiyong wants to die right on the spot, he looks so cute yet handsome and it’s truly unfair. “Second of all, yes that’s exactly what I wanna do. Okay maybe not hire you because that would be a little too strange. It’s more of an asking for a favor, from friend to friend.”

Jiyong arches a perfectly groomed brow while wrapping his cold fingers tightly around the hot mug. He can’t remember a time when Seunghyun actually asked him for a favor. Maybe it’s also given to the fact that it’s been a while since they last saw each other but Jiyong can’t help the way he still feels about the older man.

Being childhood friends, they grew up in the same neighbourhood, went to the same school before eventually parting ways when Seunghyun moved away for his studies. Jiyong stayed in the same place, went to college and is now working as a journalist for a local agency. They lost contact somewhere along the way, with both of them being busy with their own lives and careers. That’s until Seunghyun moved back just a few months prior because he landed himself a job at a local art museum as curator. He invited him to the opening of the first exhibition he planned and who was Jiyong to say no? It was weird at first, seeing each other for the first time after 6 years but after some time their awkwardness faded and they fell back into their natural banter, enjoying each other's company.

That’s why Jiyong is a little torn at this very moment. He knows that if he agrees to this, his old feelings he harbored for the older man will resurface with such force that it will be impossible to store them away so easily again. It’s not like Jiyong ever denied his serious crush on his friend, except for he never told him how he felt because he’s a coward and rather want to have Seunghyun as a friend than make their relationship awkward with a failed confession.

On the other hand, Jiyong is weak. So weak that he finds himself nodding slowly and at the proposition and Seunghyun’s eyes light up, an emotion Jiyong can’t quite decipher flashing through his eyes.

“Really? You will come with me?” he asks just to be sure and Jiyong wants to scream at him, that he would most definitely always say yes to whatever the other man would ask him to do because he is so embarrassingly smitten with him even after years of no contact. But he holds back and simply nods, biting the inside of his cheek.

Seunghyun lets out a little breath of relief and hangs his head in a grateful manner.

“Seriously, I thought you’d say no for some odd reason,” he confesses. Strangely, the statement makes Jiyong's heart clench uncomfortably. Why would he think that?

“We are friends, of course I wouldn’t let you down,” he mumbles. The smile Seunghyun sends his way doesn’t quite reach his eyes and once again Jiyong finds himself confused by the mixed behaviour the other man sends off.

“You could’ve said no and I wouldn’t have been mad at you, you know. Don’t feel obligated just because I don’t wanna get teased at work,” Seunghyun says softly but Jiyong just shakes his head. He wonders if the other man even knows how charismatic he is,

“I’d love to be your date,” Jiyong says. And somehow the way he words it feels like Seunghyun just asked him to a normal Valentines date and not because he is in need of a plus one to a party of art people because strangely enough, there is a condition to bring someone.

“Great, I will pick you up Friday night then. Dress to impress.”

Jiyong chuckles and hangs his head. What did he get himself into?

When Jiyong comes into the office on Friday morning, Seungri walks past him with a grin on his face. “I didn’t know you have a secret admirer,” he chirps but before Jiyong can ask him what the hell he’s talking about, the younger is already in the elevator. Mildly confused, Jiyong makes his way to his office when he spots the bouquet of flowers sitting on the table through the glass windows.

His eyes widen in surprise as he takes in the white and yellow daisies wrapped in dark pink paper. Once he is close enough to reach them, he searches for a card but he finds none. He still smiles as he takes a seat, wondering who would be as attentive as to send him flowers, especially his favourite ones. It’s no secret he loves daisies so the possibility of getting this fact right is not that small. Still, the tiny flicker of hope they could be from a certain tall and handsome art curator remains for the rest of Jiyong’s shift.

Seunghyun picks him up at 20:30 and Jiyong’s mouth goes dry at the sight of him. The older man decided to wear a black suit with a checked dress shirt and a matching, simple black tie. The bright pink pocket square perfectly manages to break the stoic