Minho and Kibum weren't the type of people others would expect to start dating; they were opposites in most ways, and they always seemed to be ready to burst into a random argument like gasoline and matches together. However, when things were good, then they were alright together. They had been a couple for such a long time that it seemed like a waste to break up over some petty arguments, even if they happened every day.

It was Valentine's Day, and Kibum expected big things from Minho. He knew his boyfriend would go to extreme lengths just to impress him or give him something memorable, even if it wasn't for a birthday or anniversary. Little days like this were still important to Minho since he never wanted the elder man to accuse him of slacking in their relationship. Not only that, he was also very competitive when it came to sports and showing affection in grand ways. He ℎ𝑎𝑑 to be the one that gave the best gifts, think of the best romantic destinations, and more along those lines. He wouldn't be satisfied with himself or his efforts unless it was the best compared to Kibum's work.

“Where are we going for this Valentine's Day? A hot air balloon ride? Horse-riding? Skiing?” Kibum asked once Minho had returned from work; most people would be too tired to even think of doing more activities after a 9 - 5 work day, but Minho wasn't one of them. He always had so much energy, it surprised Kibum more often than not.
“None of those things. I'll need you to put on a suit, and while you do that, you can keep thinking of where we might go,” Minho grinned, flashing his teeth with a cheeky glint in his eye, and his boyfriend scoffed. However, inside, he was awfully excited.

Minho had spent majority of his free time at work getting everything set up, and a lot of the arrangements frustrated him quite a bit since they didn't work out how he planned. Still, he refused to give up. This would be one of the most unforgettable Valentine's Days ever! He was sure of it!

“Are we going to eat at that restaurant that overlooks the whole city?” Kibum asked as he got dressed, occasionally peeking out at Minho who adjusted his tie and his jacket.
“No. Try again,” He said, spritzing some more cologne on around his neck, fixing his hair afterwards.
“That seafood restaurant right next to the beach?” Kibum tried.
“Nope,”
“Ugh, a karaoke bar!”
“Now why would I make you get dressed up for a karaoke bar?” Minho chuckled as he approached the elder man who had finished dressing, fixing his tie for him. Although the thought was sweet, Kibum still swatted his hand away to do it himself.
“I don't know, but I wouldn't expect anything else from you,” He answered. Minho's face took on a smug expression; he was so unpredictable when it came to surprises apparently, and he was absolutely thrilled by it.

“Minho~ won't you even give me a hint?” Kibum began nagging as they climbed into the car, and the taller man laughed out in a delighted way. It was always like this.
“You'll catch onto it soon. I'm sure of that,” He responded as he pulled out of the driveway.

For the first ten minutes of them driving, Kibum couldn't figure out where his boyfriend was taking him. He thought of all sorts of things - a museum, a gallery, restaurants, shopping - but they were all thwarted as Minho drove past all the malls and restaurants and other guesses Kibum made. In a way, it was frustrating since he couldn't seem to gain control of this situation somehow, but on the other hand, it was exciting him endlessly. He constantly needed to be surprised and stimulated mentally in a relationship or workspace or else he'd grow bored quickly. Lucky for him, Minho's competitive streak hadn't seemed to end even four years into their relationship, so Kibum never felt bored or underwhelmed with his boyfriend. What also worked in his favor was that he didn't have to do much to keep Minho happy; the younger man was always the one doing the heavy-lifting so to speak, but it seemed to satisfy himself as well as Kibum, and they were both sure this was why they got along well when it came to gifts or trip ideas. As for day-to-day life, they often bumped heads, especially when it came to how they wanted their house to look; Kibum's cosmetics took up the whole bathroom (face masks, face creams, lip balms, hair products, his hairdryer, his shower caps...) and Minho's sports equipment was always all over the house. Truly, they could be like oil and water at times, but they loved one another dearly regardless of that.

“Are you kidnapping me?” Kibum asked when they passed the city limits. No wonder he couldn't guess the correct place! It wasn't even in the city!
“Don't you think I've had you kidnapped for four years now?” Minho laughed, “but it's not a long drive, thankfully, so you don't have to worry so much about not knowing where we're headed,”

Kibum was nearly trembling with excitement when the car began to slow down, but his face fell when they turned down a dirt road.
“I hope your idea wasn't hiking or walking along a road like this for some reason. I'm wearing a suit, Minho! Not to mention these Dolci & Gabbana shoes!” Kibum said as he grew agitated. He never really knew what his boyfriend had in mind when it came to surprises, so he couldn't be sure what it was that Minho was planning right now.
“Would you just trust me? When have I ever taken you hiking in general?” Minho laughed - he would love to hike, but he knew the elder man was less than fond of the idea.
“Hm...but I still don't like the looks of this,” Kibum grumbled to himself. Any guesses he had when they left the city were now gone out of the window, and if anything, he was even more confused than before.

They turned into what looked like a large estate. Coming down from the hill that led towards it, Kibum could see what looked like long rows of crops of some sort. It reminded him of a vineyard.
“Surprise! It's wine-tasting! You mentioned a few times how you've wanted to try it, so I thought it would be perfect for Valentine's Day,” Minho said as he unclipped his seatbelt before he hopped out of the car to open Kibum's door for him. For a rare moment, he was stunned speechless; he had nagged his boyfriend about it a long time ago, and he thought Minho had already forgotten that conversation. To know the other one was saving it for the right time made Kibum tear up just a little bit, but he quickly calmed himself with a few deep breaths before he climbed out of the car to hold onto Minho's one awaiting arm.

They first went to the reception area which was a rather confined space. Clearly, not many people were expected to be in here at once.
Minho gave his name, and the woman behind the marble counter directed them towards a separate area where there were several tables set up, a few couples already sitting at some. There were many glasses of wine being served, but what surprised Minho was that all the glassware was so dark, he couldn't tell the color of the wine!

“Are the glasses supposed to be so dark?” He whispered to Kibum whom he knew would know best about this topic.
Kibum shook his head with a knowing smile, “yes. It's to prevent bias from tasters. Some people will have a negative opinion on red or white wine just because of past experiences,”
One of the waiters, so to speak, brought a tray of various glasses when the couple sat down.
“What's a ‘vertical tasting’?” Minho asked once the waiter had left after giving them the necessary info, the unknown term to Minho being one of them.
“Oh, Minho, did you do any research before coming here?” Kibum laughed as he squinted at his boyfriend with an affectionate gaze, “it's when the same type of wine is used in the tasting from this winery, just from different years,”
“Oh,” Minho felt awkward. He didn't know there was so much he had to know before coming here. He thought it was simply drinking some wine and leaving! However, it seemed that not even the tasting would be simple.
“There are five steps to tasting wine. Well, since it's a blind tasting, there are only four steps. We call them the ‘four S’ steps. Normally, it'd be see, swirl, sniff, sip and savor, but since we can't tell much about the appearance, we'll just follow from the swirl step,” Kibum explained as he picked up one glass for himself and then for Minho, swirling the liquid around in the glass before pressing his nose against the cool rim to take a small whiff. After, he took a sip, no more than a mouthful, and let the liquid lay on his tongue for a little bit to immerse himself in the flavor. This wasn't just about drinking wine - they had to give feedback after they had tried all the wine, so Kibum wanted to be sure about his thoughts.
Minho followed his boyfriend's movements.
“What do you think of it?” Kibum asked. He knew Minho wasn't using a fine comb like he was when it came to flavor, but he was still curious nonetheless.
“Well...it's a little sweet,” Minho offered, and he felt his cheeks turn red when Kibum laughed. It was more out of affection than anything else.
“I agree. I can't taste the usual fruitiness that should come with a wine. It also leaves an awfully sweet aftertaste, and I can only really taste the alcoholic side to it rather than the refreshing sweetness that should come from the grapes. It doesn't have a deep enough taste to it, so I'm sure it hasn't matured to its full potential yet. There isn't a very good connection when it comes to the balance of alcoholic bitterness and sweetness,” Kibum explained, and Minho felt even more flustered than before. The elder man had given such a thorough explanation and had examined the wine so carefully; Minho had just drank it!
“But I guess the smell should've tipped us off first,” Kibum murmured, thinking about the sweet smell.

They tasted the wine from the other glasses, and with each sip, Minho realized what his boyfriend was talking about. Some had richer flavors, but bitter aftertastes, others had bitter tastes when they first hit the tongue but nice aftertastes...it was rather surprising for Minho to realize there were so many different factors to a bottle of wine. Each glass was from a different year but the same type of wine created here at the vineyard, and it fascinated Minho how they could all vary in tastes simply because of their age.

After they had scored each glass of wine, they left the vineyard.

“So, did you like it? My gift was great, wasn't it?” Minho grinned as they traveled back to the city; although he didn't really know what was going on at first, he still had a good time. Seeing Kibum so passionate about something truly did make him happy.
“I suppose,” Kibum felt a smile pulling at his lips when he heard his boyfriend immediately starting to protest.
“You haven't seen my gift yet. I'm sure it'll really blow your mind,” The elder one hushed his boyfriend, and Minho fell silent. He knew it was fishy when the elder insisted on driving them back home, but he didn't question it.

However, they didn't return to the house. Instead, they turned down the road to a richer suburb within the city, which made Minho glance at his boyfriend quizzically.
“This isn't the way home...” He gently reminded Kibum as if he were trying to remind an old person of their whereabouts.
“Yah, don't you think I know that? Idiot...” He replied with a click of his tongue, and if he wasn't driving at that moment, he would've given Minho a slap to the back of the head too.
“We're here!” He exclaimed after a few turns down some streets, and Minho looked up at the large house that seemed to loom over him. In a way, it was sort of like a mansion. Considering the area they were in, it wasn't that farfetched for him to think that way.
“Here...?” He questioned, but Kibum had already jumped out of the car.

Minho climbed out too, and his boyfriend quickly grabbed his hand to drag him up to the front door. It was taller than Minho himself (which said a lot), made of varnished and polished wood with various swirly carvings. It seemed rather welcoming, even if it was just a piece of dark mahogany wood.

Kibum swung open the unlocked door and tugged the younger man inside - Minho was about to ask why they were breaking into someone's home, but his lips sealed themselves when the lights and many people hopped out from different spots in the foyer and living room which was just beyond an archway.
“Surprise!” They all yelled at the same time, people popping up from behind the couches and around corners, and some even threw confetti at the couple.
“Wha-?” Minho glanced at his boyfriend confused - all their friends were here, but he still couldn't really seem to figure out why. This was definitely a surprise! Minho felt like he had been the one that went through the most surprises tonight, what with the complexity of the wine tasting and all.
“It's our new house! I bought it just last week, and I couldn't wait to show you. Tonight seemed like the best time,” The two had been discussing getting a bigger place for a while now since their current house seemed much too small and cramped for them lately, but Minho didn't think his boyfriend would pick out a spot all on his own! Of course, it was pretty from the little bit Minho had managed to grab a glimpse of, and he trusted Kibum's judgement when it came to these things more than his own, but he still gaped in awe at how sneaky the elder man could be when he was in the mood.

“Wow...” Minho mumbled to himself as he looked around the large foyer which was painted a beige, and smiled to himself as he saw the red and pink and white decorations and balloons in celebration of Valentine's Day. Kibum really thought of everything, didn't he?
“Jinki and Jonghyun will be here a little later since they're on a date of their own,” Kibum said as he got some champagne for Minho and himself, taking a small sip. Now that he had been wine tasting, he had the craving for a good bottle of matured red wine, but he didn't think he'd need it tonight...unfortunately.
“And Taemin?” Minho asked.

The youngest of their friend group, he always kept more to himself and was rarely seen going on dates or even leaving his apartment for that matter. His friends were the closest things to a relationship of some sort since they always invited him out whenever they wanted to try a new restaurant or go see a new movie. He often turned them down, but when he did come with, he had a blast as well as everyone else.

“He said he's okay with staying in tonight. He acts more like an old man than all of us combined, Jinki included!” Kibum laughed softly as he slid his one arm around his boyfriend's waist.
“Do you still think your gift was better than mine?” Kibum hummed out afterwards, and Minho flashed him another cheeky grin, “yes! Wine tasting is a rare delicacy,”
“This house cost at least four times the fee for the wine tasting!” Kibum laughed, “but I'm sure when you see the rest of the house, you'll change your mind for sure,”

He walked around the large house probably suited more for a family of four, showing Minho all the different rooms. The kitchen was modern and much bigger than their current one, three bedrooms and one main suite, two bathrooms, and a wide backyard. To Minho's surprise, he noticed a basketball hoop towards the end of the yard.
“Was that always there?” He asked. Basketball was always one of his favorite sports, so to see something like this made him happier than the big kitchen or big bedroom.
“No. I had it put there. Come on, let's not be rude and ignore our guests to play basketball...” Kibum chided gently with a playful smile, then pulled Minho away before he really could go out to shoot some hoops.

There was also a nice, spacious living room, and once again to Minho's surprise, a merged gym room and man cave. Even though Kibum was a man himself, he'd never be caught here. This was far too different from the things he liked, which was drinking wine while looking out over the city, or relaxing with a face mask while styling his hair.

“Now you can say my gift was the best,” Kibum said with a smug look plastered all over his face, triumphant that he had planned something so meticulous. It was difficult since Minho was always around and therefore could hear Kibum's conversations and planning over the phone, but he had somehow managed to pull through without his boyfriend catching on.
“Pft. I'd never admit that. I could never lose to you,” Minho shook his head, but the sparkles and twinkles in his eyes made it obvious he was absolutely thrilled with everything he had seen tonight.

𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛! Kibum thought to himself, sipping some of his champagne to celebrate his victory.