"I can't believe I'm doing this. Can you believe I'm doing this?" Jongin asked the shorter boy standing across the kitchen table from him. He saw Baekhyun smile as he continued with chopping the vegetables.

"Yes, I can. What I can't believe is I'm asking you for advice." Baekhyun answered.

"Why not? I know Chanyeol from way, way back so I can definitely help you out." Baekhyun threw him a dubious look but laughed right after, obviously teasing him.

"Where is Kyungsoo again?" The boy asked.

"I asked Luhan to distract him at least until later this afternoon. It's hard planning a surprise for him. He knows everything that goes on around here."

"He wouldn't be Kyungsoo if he didn't." Baekhyun paused. "But after helping you out, you promise to help me okay?”

"I promise." Jongin said. It was Valentine's Day. He wanted to do something for Kyungsoo and what could be more special than cooking for him? Cooking something that is actually edible. He was a loser when it came to these things but he just wanted to show how grateful he was for having his boyfriend in his life. It was all kinds of cheesy but it was what he felt.

Of course to stop himself from completely mutilating the food and to go through with the plan he has to have accomplices. That's why he asked Luhan to get Kyungsoo away from the dorm and Baekhyun to come over and help him out with the cooking. He couldn't really ask Chanyeol or Sehun because, let's be honest, they are Chanyeol and Sehun. He wasn't too sure of Baekhyun's skills in the kitchen but he was the safest bet.

"So after this," Baekhyun pointed at the food on the table, "What do you plan to do?"

"After we cook, I'll bathe and wear nice clothes, maybe the light blue shirt because Kyungsoo absolutely loves me in that one, and then I wait for him to come back so we can eat." He explained.

"And then what?" Baekhyun asked. Jongin looked blankly at Baekhyun. What does he mean and then what? He shot his friend a questioning look.

"I meant after eating, what do you plan to do next?" The shorter boy eyed him expectantly.

"Uh. Pledge my eternal devotion?" Jongin saw Baekhyun's brow lift. "And perhaps do the dirt-"

"Stop!" Baekhyun held out his palm towards Jongin's face. "Stop please."

Jongin can see him redden in embarrassment that he had to laugh. "Calm down, I was just joking. But yeah, that was pretty much my plan."

"Oh, okay." Baekhyun continued with the vegetables.

"You sound... disappointed or something."

"No. I just thought you can do something more? Cause, I don't know." Baekhyun shrugged. "Maybe something more romantic?"

"Have I told you I am not a particularly romantic person? I'm the grab and go type."

"I don't believe you. Somewhere inside you is a romantic bone or else Kyungsoo wouldn't have fallen for you. Honestly? I don't know you too much but I know him." Baekhyun said confidently.

Was there really? He really doesn't know what being romantic entails. "But I'm not the hearts and flowers and chocolates kind of guy."

"You don't need to be." Baekhyun looked at him encouragingly. "I know you'll think of something."

"Why do I feel as if I'm the one getting love advice?"

"Sorry." Baekhyun smiled shyly and bowed his head over the carrots he was peeling.

"I'm starting to understand why I thought you were perfect for Chanyeol the first time I met you." Jongin said as he looked at his adorable friend wearing Kyungsoo's red apron.

The shorter guy looked up. "Why?"

"Because you are the hearts and flowers and chocolates type. And that's exactly what Chanyeol needs."

Jongin watched as Baekhyun blushed. He saw the boy's eyes drift off, a small smile tugging at his lips. He was probably thinking of Chanyeol. Does he look like that when he thinks of Kyungsoo? He's not sure but what he knows is he wants Kyungsoo to look that way when he thinks of Jongin. Baekhyun's right, there's got to be something more he's capable of.

He paused as an idea struck him. Jongin took out his phone. He would need Sehun's help after all.

Surprisingly this side of the public park was empty, well, except for him and Chanyeol who was busy blowing air into the tiny balloons they brought. Sehun felt that he has no more breath to give but Chanyeol was still going at it enthusiastically. His friend finished with one balloon and looked at him. "Are you sure this is legal? I mean, tying these things to a public swing? Did you even get permission?"

"You sound like Kyungsoo-hyung. Why do you worry so much? Yes, I'm sure it's fine." Sehun answered although he was not. It's just that it's his first Valentine's with Luhan and he was excited. He has been dreaming of this first Valentine's since forever and it was finally here. And where better to celebrate it than where it all began? The swing was their place, his and Luhan's. It was where they met, where he fell in love and where Luhan proved his love for him.

"Where is Luhan?" Chanyeol asked, breaking into his musings.

"I asked Kyungsoo-hyung to distract him for a while." He answered. He was actually surprised when Luhan went readily with their friend since he said that he wanted to spend the whole of today with Sehun. He was still wondering why when his phone rang.

"Yo, Kim Jongin. What?" A pause. "Okay. I never thought I'd see the day... Fine, fine. I'll send it right now." He laughed as he disconnected the call.

"What was that about?"

"The I'm-too-cool-to ask-for-help Kim Jongin asked for my help." He answered as he browsed through his phone. He attached some files and hit send. "How the mighty have fallen."

"Fallen in love more like." Chanyeol laughed but quickly sobered. "Hey, you promised to help me with this Valentine's thing for Baekhyun after I help you set this up. Don't forget."

"Of course. I'm quite in demand today, I see." Sehun joked.

"It's because this is practically Oh Sehun Day. You're the only one among us who comes up with these kinds of things." The taller guy said while holding up the different colored balloons.

Sehun just smiled. Yeah, he was a hopeless romantic and he was proud of it. "So what will happen next after you show Luhan this?"

"I wrote something." Sehun put his hand in his pocket to make sure the slip of paper was there. Just in case he forgets some lines. He felt like he spent a decade writing the thing.

"A letter?"

"More like a... poem." He answered.

"That's cool. I wish I could do something like that for Baekhyun." Chanyeol said with a drop of his shoulders. "But I can't. I'm poor with words."

"I was poor with them, too." He remembered his first poem and he cringed inwardly. "But then with this, I think it's not really about flowery or big words. It's about the feelings behind each one. So I may not sound like Shakespur or whatever his name is but if I could tell Luhan what's in here,” He touched a hand to his chest. "Then that's good enough for me."

"Wow, our maknae really has grown up." Chanyeol patted his hair.

Sehun rolled his eyes at him. He liked to believe that he grew up a long time ago. Everybody thought otherwise, but oh well.

He tied the last balloon and ribbon on the metal brace. He stepped back to look at his and Chanyeol's handiwork. It was cute and happy and looks like something from a little girl's fairy party. He laughed. He amazes himself sometimes.

Chanyeol smiled at him. "It looks like Luhan, to be honest."

"I know. He'll probably strangle me when he sees this." He can imagine his boyfriend's reaction, Luhan and his aversion to overly public displays. Nothing can be more overly public than this. Sehun grinned some more. It's a different Luhan though when they're alone. He can't wait.

"So I helped you and we're done. It's your turn now." Chanyeol nudged his shoulder.

"What exactly do you have planned?"

"Baekhyun and I talked and he said we could just make it simple. Like a quiet dinner at home and movies after."  Chanyeol pouted. "Even if Baekhyun says that it's enough I still want to do something more. He makes me so happy, you know?"

"Believe me, I know the feeling." It's the same with Luhan. Everything's not nearly enough. "How about you go to your special place?"

"We kind of do that every day."

"Buy his favorite food?"

"Almost every other day."

"Do something he likes?"

"All the time." Chanyeol answered. "What else?"

"Shucks, man. No wonder Baekhyun thinks everything is enough. You're like the perfect boyfriend."

Chanyeol rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. "You really think so?"

"Yes. Let's just make it simple then. Why don't you just tell him how much you love him? I bet he'll never get tired of hearing that."

"But every time I say it, my heart beats so loud and fast that I don't actually know what I'm saying beyond I love you. I always feel that I don't make sense half... most of the time. My emotions always get ahead of me. I think the only reason Baekhyun understands me is because he's used to me."

"So let's practice." Then Sehun thought of a great idea. "Let me have your phone so we can record it and you can practice again when you go home. So when the time comes, you'll be perfect."

Chanyeol hesitantly handed his phone to Sehun. "Okay but don't laugh."

"I won't." He trained the camera on Chanyeol. "Just pretend that I'm Baekhyun and say what you want to say. In three, two, one." He hit record.

"My Baekhyun. That's weird. Do I sound weird?" Sehun rolled his eyes at the taller boy and motioned for him to continue. "Okay, okay. Again. Here. My Baekhyun, I just want to say you are the most wonderful and amazing and talented and awesome person in the world. And I thank God every day, every second actually, that I found you. Thank you because there are a million others who are better out there but you... you chose Park Chanyeol. And how lucky is that?" Chanyeol took a shaky breath. "My Baekhyun deserves the best and there are a whole lot of becauses but the most important one was you loved me for what I was and what I am. Baekhyun-ah, let's always be together okay? This speech would probably need a lot of editing and I would most likely erase it all together after. But I'd try again and again and again until I find all the perfect words to say how much I love you. Happy Valentine's."

Sehun felt Chanyeol deserved all the love in the world and Baekhyun was the lucky one. He pushed the stop button, attached the video file and pressed send. There. He gave the phone back to Chanyeol with a wide grin.

"Message sent?" His tall friend looked confused.

"Yeah, I sent the video to Baekhyun."

Chanyeol's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Because you wanted something special to give him and the Chanyeol I just saw... I'm sure that was the Chanyeol Baekhyun fell in love with. There couldn't have been a better one."

"I'm torn between wanting to thank you or maybe kicking your ." Chanyeol looked exasperated but Sehun can see the resigned smile in his eyes.

"Don't you think you should be somewhere else right now?" Chanyeol laughed a little, patted his shoulder and walked quickly away.

"I'm sorry for leaving you to most of the cooking." Jongin said from the kitchen doorway. He was tired. This Valentine's thing was exhausting. "I just had to run out to have these printed." He waved a bulky envelope.

"What are-" Baekhyun started to ask but he heard his phone beep. The shorter boy got distracted by a message. Jongin saw him peer closer at the screen. He heard Chanyeol's voice saying something and when Baekhyun looked up his eyes were bright. "I-I have to go."

Baekhyun started to walk past Jongin but he paused beside him. "About the advice..."

Jongin smiled at his friend. "Of course." He proceeded to take off the red apron from Baekhyun because his friend somehow forgot he was still wearing it. He tidied up his bangs and swiped at the stray onion skin from Baekhyun's sleeves. "There. Good to go."

Baekhyun looked confused.

"Baekhyun. Just Byun Baekhyun. He's all Chanyeol needs to be happy." He smiled at the shorter boy. "You can go now."

Baekhyun let out a laugh. "Okay. I'll believe you since you told me you know Chanyeol from way back. I'm still not sure what kind of advise that was. But thanks."

Jongin walked his friend to the door and leaned on it after Baekhyun left. He still has a lot to do but barely enough time to do it. Kyungsoo would be back in an hour. "You are Kim Jongin. You can do this."

He took out the photographs from inside the envelope he was holding. There were about three dozen of them, pictures of  Jongin looking lovingly at Kyungsoo, Kyungsoo stealing glances at Jongin. Various events, different times. He took out a tape, a pair of scissors, and some string and set out to work. He punched a hole on top of a picture and tied one end of the string through it, the other he taped to the ceiling. Jongin was at it for some time, the single photo he started with slowly being accompanied by the others, dangling like suspended raindrops of memories.

There were still a few more on the table and he was busy taping another one when the door opened and Kyungsoo walked in, hair windswept and cheeks flushed from his walk outside. His eyes, those eternally wide eyes, widened even more as they met Jongin's. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, Happy Valentine's?" Jongin came down from the chair he was standing on. Damn, Kyungsoo was too early! He thought he at least had half an hour left to prepare. He wasn't even able to change into his light blue shirt and the dorm's a mess. He was a mess. He watched as Kyungsoo took in the pictures on the table, the paper debris on the floor, the cut strings strewn over the sofa. Finally his eyes went to the photographs hanging from the ceiling.

Jongin nervously watched his boyfriend walk over to them and looked at the photos one by one. Why was Kyungsoo so quiet? He spoke to fill in the silence. "I cooked for you. Well, Baekhyun did most of the cooking mainly because I still am concerned for your health and I want us to be together longer because what would happen if you get poisoned?" He rambled on. "But I should get points for effort, right? I even got a nick on the finger. Who knew cucumbers can be so lethal? Right. This was supposed to be a surprise but you came home too early. Where is Luhan by the way? I told him to return you not earlier than four." Kyungsoo was still busy looking at the pictures.

"You have to admit those are cool. I had Sehun send them to me and had them developed earlier. And I didn't realize how big your eyes really are. But now I know after staring at them for the last half hour. I’m joking. Joking. You have got to see Sehunnie's hair on the picture to your right. Chanyeol's braces, remember them? And how can Luhan even stretch his face like that?" He laughed a little but he sounded like a nervous frog. He gave up. "Say something?"

Kyungsoo held up a picture of himself in senior year. "This should be burned. But as for the rest, I love it." The shorter boy walked over to him, raised himself on his toes and wrapped his arms around Jongin's neck. "I love you."

Jongun held on to his waist and buried his face against his neck. "I was nervous."

"I know." Kyungsoo said with a laugh. "You are still amazing."

"I know." Jongin said in return. He pulled back a little so he can fit his lips against Kyungsoo's. The kiss was short because he still has something to say and if they continued he wouldn't be able to finish. "I love you. Loving you comes so easily to me. It's just the words don't so I did this... So I can show you, so you'll have an idea how much I do." He leaned closer and hugged Kyungsoo tighter.

"Those photographs, yes even the one you want burned, they are precious to me because it's where I saw what I was too stupid to see back then. I loved you even from the start, when you called me obnoxious and you wanted me to drown with the fishes. I loved you when you thought I was an idiot. I loved you forever. I love you." He kissed Kyungsoo's forehead. "I love you a lot."

He heard the shorter boy chuckle. "Don't worry too much, Jongin-ah. I know it. I know you love me. You say it with your eyes every time you look at me that's why I love you, too." He paused to look up at Jongin. "That being said, I just have to ask. Who will clean up this mess?"

He laughed and captured a kiss from Kyungsoo's lips until they forgot about everything but the feel of their mouths opening against each other. Jongin broke the kiss to get some air and to say, "I will clean up everything. After."

"After?"

"Yeah." And probably Kyungsoo read what he was thinking because he gasped jokingly.

"What about the food? It will get cold and-"

"After. We'll eat after." He whispered against the shorter boy's jaw.

"After huh?" Kyungsoo nuzzled him in return.

"After."

"Sehun... What the... Is this... Is this even legal?" Luhan said from behind him. Sehun turned to see his boyfriend gape at the colorful balloons and ribbons tied to the swing set.

"Why does everyone ask that?" He went to kiss Luhan's cheek. He was finaly here and Sehun began to feel butterflies in his stomach.

"Maybe because it is a legitimate question?" The older boy peered at him. "Well, is it?"

"I guess so." He said with a shrug. "No guards or anything anywhere."

"Yet." Luhan lovingly poked him in the chest.

"Hey, could you just appreciate it a little? Chanyeollie and I worked hard on it all afternoon." He grumbled.

Luhan cupped his cheek with a hand. "I do appreciate it." Sehun received a light peck on the lips. "Thank you. Is this my gift?"

"No. It's just to set the mood." He answered with a smile. He pulled Luhan towards the swing seat and asked him to sit down.

"What mood are we setting exactly?" The older boy asked.

"The mood where you are too embarrassed sitting on a kiddie swing riddled with balloons that you'll not be too concerned of what I'm about to do next." Sehun replied teasingly. Sehun heard Luhan laugh and he felt that warmth in his chest again, the kind that only Luhan's musical laughter can give. "Is it working?"

Luhan pretended to think about it. "I would never be embarrassed if it's anything to do with you." Luhan smiled at him and Sehun knew he meant it.

"You can change your mind anytime, though." He paused to take out the slip of paper from his pocket. He memorized the poem, committed it to heart, but he needs something to hold on to to stop his hands from fidgeting. "I wrote a poem."

Luhan stopped with his swinging and looked at him expectantly. "Let's hear it then."

"Milk Version 2." He started and he saw Luhan's disbelieving expression. "Kidding, just kidding." He cleared his throat, took a deep breath and read:

The Swing

I gaze into your eyes

A soft invitation in their depths

You reach your hand for mine

Warmth in the upheld palm

I took your hand

With a bump everything sets into motion

Wind caressing our faces

Love caressing our hearts

Let's make it forever

Let's fly together

And never let go

He put his hands above his head and made a heart because after everything that's what Sehun does the best. He waited for his boyfriend's reaction nervously. Luhan stood up, walked to him and wrapped his hands around Sehun's waist. "It was perfect."

"Really?" He put his hand against Luhan's nape when the shorter boy placed his head in the crook of his neck. 

"It was. You're perfect. Now I feel insecure about my gift. It's nowhere near as grand."

He brushed his hand against Luhan's soft blonde hair. "Nothing could be grander than you in my arms. I can't think of anything else that would fit Sehun but Luhan. Nothing else, nobody else." He whispered.

"I can't think of anything that would fit me, too. Only you." Luhan straightened and let go of Sehun to take out his phone. "I was waiting for the right moment to show this to you."

Luhan browsed through his phone and upon finding what he was looking for, handed it to Sehun. He looked at a shot of him walking away, his back to the camera. It was taken on the intersection of their streets where he and Luhan always part for the day. "There's more."

Sehun swiped his finger across the screen and there was another picture of him walking away, on the same street at a different date. "I took them every day after we say our goodbyes.  Every day because I miss you in the hours we're apart. But I can only take your picture when you can't see. It was during the time I thought we're not supposed to be together. I knew you always thought that you loved me first. But Sehun-ah, I've loved you forever, too."

"Happy Valentine's" Luhan hugged him again.

"I love you." He said because really what more can he say? "I love you. I love you. I love you..."