Jiyong couldn’t quite word how he felt about the entire situation – all he knew was that every time he so much as looked at Seunghyun he felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest. He never felt like that. Hwayoung had been the closest thing he’d ever felt to it, but it hadn’t been anything like this.

Cuddling into the covers, Jiyong had to will himself to get out of bed. It was cold, and his bed felt particularly warm today. Still, even though it was the weekend, Jiyong knew that he would have to roll out of bed eventually, so now was as good a time as ever. He groaned as he sat up, stretching and yawning before pushing himself up and onto the tile floor, which was far too cold for his tastes. He frowned, pulling on socks before walking out into the kitchen.

Absently he made himself a bowl of cereal, hair mussed and eyes barely open as he lazily started eating. When he noticed a letter that looked like it had been slid under the door he raised a brow, cereal bowl still in hand as he picked it up.

“… The is this?” he mumbled to himself, noticing that it was addressed to him and opening it.

“Dear Jiyong,” he started, leaning back against the counter. He set his cereal bowl down, instead focusing on the letter as he smiled. “Meet me at the café tonight. After ten. I’m giving you plenty of time to get ready because I know you. I’ll see you later. Seunghyun. This is too cheesy,” he mumbled, though the smile on his face completely betrayed his words. He glanced at the clock, putting the letter back in its envelope.

He had really slept in – it was well into the afternoon and he was only now eating breakfast. There was no doubt in his mind that he had enough time to get ready. After setting the note safely onto his desk he got into the shower, taking his time as his thoughts wandered.

Usually cheesy things like this irritated him, made him roll his eyes or otherwise laugh at them. But from Seunghyun it just made him giddy – in a way that scared him, and there was still a slightly nervous feeling in his mind that he was trying his best to get over.

He hadn’t had butterflies in a long time.

When he was done with his shower he made his way into his room quickly, towel wrapped around him as he looked at his closet.

He had never had so much trouble figuring out what to wear in his life.

After tossing half of his closet onto the ground, Jiyong still had no ideas. He wanted to show off. He wanted to look good for Seunghyun.

“, I sound like a girl,” he whined softly, leaning back against his bed frame with an irritated huff. Eventually he just grabbed a pair of skinny jeans and a shirt that he wore all the time, slipping into them and throwing on a pair of boots as well. He rolled his eyes at himself, instead just focusing on fixing his hair.

Despite the troubles with deciding on an outfit, he was still ready far too early.

Considering the fact that the note he’d received had specifically said to get there after ten, Jiyong spent the next few hours doing busy work. Either he was working on his homework, jotting down lyrics for a song, or flipping through the channels on television, though he didn’t particularly watch anything. There was an anxious feeling tugging at him, and he wasn’t sure what to do about it unless he left early, which he was forcing himself not to do.

Finally it hit ten o’clock and he literally ran out the door, complete with hat, scarf, jacket, and headphones once again blasting music into his ears. Control wasn’t something that Jiyong was particularly known for, so walking slowly as he went to the café wasn’t easy.

This was just a date, and he was eager, anxious, and absolutely terrified.

He wasn’t shaking because of the cold – he had no clue what Seunghyun was planning, but the little voice at the back of his head wouldn’t stop telling him that it was going to be something great, something that he wasn’t ready for.

Jiyong was nervous, even though he would never admit that.

When he finally made it to the café he noticed that it looked like most of the lights were out, and he raised his brow as he looked inside. Not only did he not see Seunghyun anywhere, the entire place looked deserted. He glanced at the sign with the shop hours on it.

“They close at nine tonight… So why did he say after ten?” he mumbled to himself, looking around for a few minutes. There was absolutely no sign of Seunghyun, and Jiyong was about to just it up and leave before he reached down and tried the door handle. When it swung open, Jiyong shrugged, sticking his head inside and looking around.

“Seunghyun, are you… here?” he called out, though his question devolved into something of a surprised murmur when he looked around.

He must not have noticed it because he’d always been focused on other things, but the tint in the window made it look like no one was inside. What he was met with was a stage that was lit up with the stage lights, full of blankets and pillows and candles. Jiyong just stared at it, taking a step forward as he unwrapped the scarf from his neck. “I… Seunghyun?” he called again, though he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the stage. He took off his coat in a daze, attempting to throw it onto a chair nearby, though he failed as it landed on the floor with a soft thump.

“Yeah?” he heard from behind him, Jiyong turning to see Seunghyun walk up. Seunghyun rested his hand on Jiyong’s shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze as he smiled at him.

“How… What is all of this?” he asked, gesturing to the café. Seunghyun smirked.

“This is the place we have in common,” he replied, still grinning as he walked off toward the stage. “My manager said I could… borrow the café for the night, as long as I got out before we opened and made sure everything got cleaned up.” Jiyong was still just staring, though he finally took a few steps forward.

“No, I mean…” Jiyong gestured to the stage. “This.” Seunghyun shrugged, taking a seat on the edge of the stage.

“You told me you’ve been singing for years. So I figured, first date –”

“Second date.”

“First legitimate date, should be based on something you loved.” Seunghyun smiled, shrugging as he grabbed a pillow and played with it. Jiyong watched him for a second, just taking in the atmosphere of the café as it was before walking up to the stage and sitting next to Seunghyun.

There was a silence, Jiyong not even looking up as he let his legs swing over the edge. His foot hit Seunghyun’s and he watched him out of the corner of his eye, Seunghyun smiling softly.

“You’re wearing your glasses,” Jiyong said, finally looking over to the other man fully. Seunghyun nodded.

“Yeah…”

That was all Seunghyun said in response, the two just falling into a silence until Seunghyun stood.

“Do you want cocoa or coffee?” Seunghyun asked, looking back to the other man. Jiyong cocked his head, thinking for a moment.

“Coffee. So I can stay up longer,” he replied, brow raised as he looked at Seunghyun. Seunghyun raised both brows, opening his mouth to speak but deciding against it and just turning to make a couple mugs of coffee. Jiyong fell back into the pile of pillows, sighing happily.

“You know, this place is pretty cozy like this. I think the pillows should stay. I can perform lying down,” Jiyong said in a singsong tone, legs still dangling over the side of the stage. He looked up at the ceiling, eyes narrowed as he hummed in thought. After a while, Seunghyun walked back over, handing a mug of coffee to Jiyong as he sat down next to him.

“What are you thinking about?” Seunghyun asked, and Jiyong pointed up at the ceiling.

“There should be stars up there,” he mumbled, gesturing around before looking at Seunghyun. “Stargazing all the time,” he added, laughing softly. Seunghyun raised a brow.

“Is stargazing a thing I should be aware of?” Seunghyun asked, and Jiyong shrugged, glancing back up at the ceiling.

“I used to do it all the time when I was a kid with my sister. Whenever I’m homesick or I miss her, I tend to blank out looking at the sky. So I guess it’s kind of a thing, yeah.” Jiyong laughed. “I’ve always kind of wanted to just lay on a roof and bull with someone while stargazing, to be honest. I’ve just never had a chance to.” He pushed himself up on one elbow, taking a sip of the coffee before looking back at Seunghyun. “I’m sorry if I’m being stupid or cheesy or anything. I just… This has kind of made me feel romantic.”

“I can be kind of romantic too, if you couldn’t tell,” Seunghyun teased, sipping his coffee and looking over Jiyong. “I have a question for you.”

“Shoot,” Jiyong replied immediately, absently playing with the rim of his mug as he watched Seunghyun move.

“Before I decide against it, or get too distracted,” he mumbled, shooting Jiyong a sideways glance and a bit of a smirk, “you obviously had a girlfriend. For years, like you said. I’m… not that. And here you are, sitting in a candlelit café, drinking coffee and talking about romance with me. Why? Why me?” Jiyong sat up, head down and blushing softly.

“Honest answer?” Jiyong asked. Seunghyun just nodded. Jiyong sighed. “I don’t know. You were there for me. You sacrificed your time to help me with class, to help me after Hwayoung broke up with me… You talked to me. Even though I had girls at the open mics following me and telling me how much they wanted to be with me, you were the one that sat with me and listened to my stupid stories, and then joked right back to me. That kind of means a lot to me. We just click.”

Seunghyun watched Jiyong talk, setting down his coffee and turning so that he was facing Jiyong fully. He couldn’t help but take in every movement that Jiyong made, from the way he fidgeted with his shirt to the way he kept looking at him for a second before quickly glancing away. He nodded in understanding, not really having much to say to that.

Well, to be honest, Seunghyun had a lot to say. He wanted to say how sweet that was, and how he felt the same way. He wanted to say that he liked doing all those things with Jiyong. He wanted to say that that meant a lot to him, too. Instead, he raised his brows, taking in a deep breath.

“But I’m a man.”

“I don’t care.”

“Oh.”

That was the end of that conversation, a usually difficult thing to accept taken care of in a couple of sentences. Seunghyun couldn’t help himself – his answer was to lean forward and kiss the other man, which took Jiyong by surprise for a second before he smiled into the contact.

“Good answer?” he asked, not pulling away and instead simply talking into the kiss. Seunghyun laughed softly, hand moving to play with the hair at the nape of Jiyong’s neck softly.

“Good answer,” he replied, the kiss remaining slow and not too deep. Both of them were smiling for the moment, too enamored with the simple feeling of all of this to do much of anything else. When the kiss deepened the smiles faltered though, Jiyong’s hands both sliding up into Seunghyun’s hair and gripping it loosely. He heard a soft exhalation of pleasure slip into the kiss, tongues tangling together as Seunghyun laid down next to Jiyong, still facing the other and still connected in a kiss that had now deepened.

Before Seunghyun could say anything, Jiyong let his legs twine with Seunghyun’s so that they were as close as they possibly could be, and Seunghyun groaned into the kiss, pulling back slightly.

“Jiyong, slow down,” he mumbled, trying desperately to mask the arousal in his tone. He failed, and when Jiyong bit down on his lip, his hips nearly involuntarily rocked against the other man’s and a moan slipped out, unhindered and quite loud. For a moment he almost let Jiyong keep going – the contact felt nice, the kiss was electric, and there was a pleasant heat between them. If he tried to deny it, his body would immediately prove that he was lying, the contact making it slowly more obvious just how attracted he was to Jiyong.

“Ji, stop,” he said suddenly, pushing Jiyong away even though there was a hesitancy in his words. Jiyong looked at him, cheeks flushed and breath heavy as he frowned.

“Why?” he asked, words no more than a mumble. Seunghyun leaned in close.

“Because you are not doing anything for my self-control and if you don’t stop, I’m going to rush things. You look too good tonight. So cool it,” Seunghyun murmured into Jiyong’s ear, the other man staring at him as he pulled away. Seunghyun looked up at the ceiling, settling against a pillow as he sighed happily. “Maybe I’ll ask if we can put some stars up,” he mumbled, voice still tinged with arousal despite the obvious attempt to cover it up.

“Seunghyun,” Jiyong started, rolling over onto his stomach and holding himself up with his elbows. Seunghyun looked at him.

“Hmm?” he hummed, Jiyong twiddling with his fingers.

“Well… You did all of this for me. Why? It’s not like I’m anything special, just a guy who likes singing and goes to school.” Seunghyun chuckled, shaking his head.

“You’re you, that’s enough for me,” he replied, and Jiyong looked at him with a flat expression.

“I gave you a long answer and you tell me that?” he exclaimed, rolling his eyes and burying his face in a pillow. “That’s not fair.” Seunghyun leaned over, turning Jiyong’s head so that they were facing each other before he pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

“Honest answer?” he asked, and Jiyong nodded, slight pout on his lips. “Because on my first night working here, I saw a guy walk in by himself and put on a fantastic show, and I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t talk to him. Better?” he finished, smirk apparent as Jiyong nodded.

“Better.”

The rest of the night was spent talking about everything and nothing, mostly learning things about each other. It was a normal date, and Jiyong couldn’t ask for more. When Jiyong finally glanced at the clock, he pursed his lips.

“What time did we have to be out of here?” he asked, and Seunghyun turned to look at the clock as well. He frowned.

“In a couple of hours. Cleaned up, and out of here.” Jiyong glanced around.

Some of the candles had gone out at this point, and he saw a few people straggling around outside, a hint of light that meant morning in the air. They had been talking for much longer than he thought, and he stretched as he sat up. Seunghyun had already started grabbing some of the blankets and stashing them in what looked like a linen closet, a few of the pillows just being tossed into a side room. Jiyong watched, putting out the rest of the candles before throwing most of them out.

“Where should I put the candles that are still okay?” he called back to Seunghyun, who leaned out of the side room.

“Oh, those are mine,” he replied with a smile. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take care of the rest.” Jiyong raised a brow but simply set the candles down on the counter until Seunghyun came back to put them in a bag. “Do you want a coffee for the walk home?” he asked, and Jiyong nodded with a soft smile.

“You do too much for me,” he mumbled, glancing out the window as he toyed with his hair absently. Seunghyun chuckled as he finished the coffees, both in to-go cups. He handed one to Jiyong as they stepped out into the cold morning air, Seunghyun locking the door behind him.

“I do what I want. It just happens that most of what I want to do involves making you smile.” Jiyong looked down, finding his coffee suddenly very interesting as he gulped it down in an effort to hide the very obvious blush on his cheeks.

He didn’t usually react like this – then again, he’d never been in this situation before. He’d never really had people saying sweet things to him; he’d always been on the other side of the situation. This was all fantastically different, but maybe that’s why he wanted it so badly. Seunghyun was more than a breath of fresh air. Jiyong never wanted to let him go.

Seunghyun taking his hand snapped him from his thoughts and he smiled, fingers linking easily with the other man’s. He felt Seunghyun give his hand a little squeeze and he returned it, sighing happily and ignoring the cold for now. They could have been in the arctic tundra and he would have been able to ignore the cold – Seunghyun’s hand in his was the only thing he was focused on, the only thing he wanted to be focused on.

There were few words spoken on that walk, the two instead focusing on the coffee in their hands, and it seemed all too soon that they were at Jiyong’s dorm door.

“I wish you didn’t have to leave,” he mumbled to himself, unlocking the door. Seunghyun shook his head.

“You need to sleep. And I need to get home. Besides, I’m not going to rush this,” Seunghyun replied, arms wrapped around Jiyong’s waist to hold him close. Jiyong sighed, but nodded in understanding.

“I know…” A soft kiss later and Seunghyun slipped off, waving as he once again disappeared down the hall. Jiyong smiled happily, opening the door to his dorm and kicking off his shoes.

“Damn, Jiyong. You’re home late,” Taeyang said from the couch, and Jiyong glanced over at him, brows raised.

“You’re actually here?” he asked, then laughed incredulously. “Amazing. I’m going to sleep,” he finished, starting to make his way down the hall to his room. Taeyang stopped him, though.

“You look happy. New girl?” he asked, but Jiyong shook his head. “Get laid?” he added.

“No,” Jiyong replied, smiling happily. Taeyang just raised a brow, shaking his head as he looked back at the television.

“You’re a weird dude. Go to sleep,” he said, laughing slightly as he stretched out on the couch. Jiyong simply nodded, walking into his room and shutting the door behind him. He threw himself onto his bed, head buried in the pillow as he smiled – he didn’t even bother changing clothes. As ridiculous as it sounded, they still smelled like a mixture of coffee and Seunghyun, and he could deal with that.