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MJ hadn't really planned to socialize the night of Valentine's.
But there was something about the city that excited him, so he found himself walking out of his house and calling a taxi to take him into the city.
He craved something honey with rice so he window shopped the restaurants as he strolled the lit pathways, trying to decide which restaurant would be the best to satisfy his hunger.
It was Valentine's after all, and some places would be full of couples fawning over each other.
After half an hour of walking along streets, he decided his feet were tired and walked into a Japanese restaurant and found himself seated in the corner. It was cozy, so he didn't mind.
As he predicted, many pairs of people were inside. He was happy to see a couple of happy same sex couples chilling in the restaurant, as well as some friends catching up on what seemed to be mutual singleness.
MJ was barely handed the menu for five seconds, before he flicked it back politely and asked for Honey Chicken and Rice with just water as his drink. He smiled at the waiter as he walked away, before relaxing in his seat and observing the other restaurant occupants.
He was scouring the room when his eyes fell upon a nervous looking boy in the opposite corner of the restaurant. Like himself, he was too seated on a two person table, facing the restaurant instead of the door. He looked like he was waiting for a date, possibly afraid of who he might meet or what would happen.
A blind date perhaps?
MJ rested his elbow on the table, finding this stranger to be entertaining to watch, wondering how his night would end.
His date walked in and found the boy, sitting opposite to him and smiling. MJ was glad she had come, the other boy looked relieved. MJ smiled and drank the water he had poured into his glass, not even noticing it being put on his table.
He momentarily wished he could read lips, wondering what they were talking about, then he realised he could use his imagination.
"Oh I'm so glad you arrived!"
"Aw you're so cute!"
"You look gorgeous by the way."
"Why thank you, you look handsome in your lil suit."
MJ smiled to himself. They seemed genuinely happy.
He soon received his meal and politely thanked the waiter before paying attention to his meal as he shovelled it into his mouth.
He looked up again, halfway through his chicken and rice, and noticed the man was alone again, this time he looked even sadder than before.
MJ slumped his shoulders, seeing this other man so sad. He watched the other put his head in his hands, rubbing the bottom of his palms into his eyes.
MJ quickly inhaled the meal and waited for the man to get up, before paying for his meal after the guy and hopping outside.
Without much planning, he knew he had to do something to make this guy happy again. That would be his Valentine's present.
He was about to call out to him, when he noticed a shop next door was closing soon.
He jumped in, noticing they sold flowers, and grabbed the first pretty one he saw and quickly bought it before running back outside and chasing after the dude.
"Hey!' he called out, catching the man's attention before he could cross the road.
He reached him, breathless, and held up the singular red flower vine.
"Hey... so you may not have a date tonight, but I'd like to be the one you spend it with."
The guy was surprised. He reached over and tenderly grabbed the stem, rolling it between his fingers and smiling.
"Did you know, in flower language, you just confessed your love to me?"
MJ froze. "Oh?"
"Red tulips. A declaration of love." He smiled back up at him. "I tried to give my date a rose. But she wasn't my date." He sighed.
MJ approached softly. "What happened?"
"She was my date's friend... giving me the news that her friend had already found a Valentine. She was nice about it, but I'm still sad."
MJ put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "I'm Kim Myung Jin. Call me MJ."
The other boy sighed, then smiled. "I'm Park Jin Woo. Call me Jin. No wait... Jinjin."
"Jinjin." MJ murmured. "It's cute. I could use it."
"I like MJ. It's catchy." Jinjin cocked his head as he looked at the other.
He put the tulip into his coat pocket and then motioned for MJ to follow him. MJ slid his hand off Jinjin's shoulder and followed him to wherever he was heading.
They reached a house. MJ politely followed Jinjin inside and took a seat on the couch.
"I'll join you in a second, hope you don't mind I've brought you to mine."
MJ shrugged. "What's better than a Valentine's at home?"
Jinjin came back, two glasses in his hands. He was smiling, flustered.
"So you're serious about being my Valentine's? I thought that was just your way of making another lonely friend on a night like this."
MJ laughed. "If I can be honest, I was watching you in the restaurant. I jumped out when you did and wanted to make you smile again."
Jinjin subtly jumped back out of sight and peered into the fridge, not sure how to react to what he just heard. "What kind of drink do you like?"
Jinjin soon joined MJ on the couch, after pouring their drinks and setting them up with popcorn in the bowl.
"What would you like to watch?" Jinjin asked, turning Netflix on. "Something funny, scary, or romantic?" He pretended to feel sick just hearing himself say the word.
"How about something funny?" MJ smiled. "Do you have any spare blankets we could use?"
"Sure! I'll be right back. Now don't eat all the popcorn while I'm gone. Do you wanna choose the movie?"
Jinjin splayed the blanket out into the air and lay it across MJ, before running around and lying under the other half.
MJ pressed play a movie that seemed good to him, before he pulled the blanket up to his chin, and felt Jinjin shuffle closer. MJ was in the corner, laying out, and Jinjin was cross legged to the right of him, shoulder to shoulder with the other man. He was content.
They were laughing through the movie, comfortably sitting close. At one point, they both reached in for the popcorn, and laughing at how cliche it was.
Jinjin lay his head on MJ's shoulder, snuggling in with a soft humph. MJ grinned and tilted his head to lay on the other boy's head, smiling and eating more popcorn. At some point in the movie, their fingers were intertwined comfortably together.
The movie finished before they knew it, the credits rolling and suggestions popping up on the bottom.
"So... It's 9pm." MJ opened his phone and checked the time. "You know what it would be the perfect time for?"
Jinjin stood up, taking the glasses with him. "Yeah?"
"Horror movie." MJ grinned wickedly. "Perfect Paranoia Hour."
"Fine. I'm choosing though. There's a movie I've been meaning to watch..." He grinned. "You want another drink?"
MJ nodded, making sure there was enough blanket for the perfect stranger. "This time, we're cuddling."
"It's Valentines, I am a-okay with this."
He flopped back onto the couch, handing MJ his drink and wrapping himself back in the blanket again, before stealing the remote and looking up the Conjuring 2.
Moments later, Jinjin had sunk into the couch, resting his head on MJ's lap.
"I am not ready." He bemoaned, wrapping arms around MJ's leg, as if he had known him for years. MJ liked the attention.
The movie started, and Jinjin relaxed in the starting scenes.
When stuff started happening, MJ could feel him tensing around his thigh.
In some scenes, Jinjin squealed.
There was the bedroom scene which sent Jinjin scrambling onto his knees and sitting in MJ's lap. After some moving, MJ readjusted the blanket to be around them both; Jinjin's hand on his neck, and knees folded to his chest, held with his other arm.
"How could you stay in a house with a thing like that in there?"
"They're crazy." MJ laughed, wrapping arms around the other man. "Now please don't fall off my lap."
Towards the end of the movie, Jinjin refused to watch the film, burying his head in MJ's chest and muttering for him to tell him when everything would be fine.
"But it's the train scene. This is important stuff!" MJ chuckled, "Come on, you. I don't count this as romantic if you're not gonna watch the movie with me."
Jinjin peeled his head away from the comfort of MJ's chest to peer at the TV just as the end started to take shape.
MJ held him until the end of the movie.
Jinjin turned to MJ with a sheepish expression. "Sorry."
"For what?" MJ rubbed his back.
"Cause I'm a scaredy cat." He laughed. "You want another drink?" He tried to get off MJ, but the brunet held him tighter. Jinjin looked back at him, puzzled.
"Don't be sorry. That was fun." He grinned. "And I'm all good for a drink."
Jinjin smiled, and moved to lay in his neck again. "This has been a wonderful Valentine's." He mused, chuckling softly, moving to hold hands with MJ. "I don't know a thing about you, but you've made my night. I shouldn't keep you here longer."
"Aw, you want to kick me out so early?" MJ giggled, leaning in and booping Jinjin's nose with his own. "But if you really want me to leave, please just say so."
Jinjin giggled. "Nah, i don't want you to go. Then I'd have to remember what happened earlier."
"Ah, but my goal for tonight was to make you smile. And look how far I've come. I'm not ditching you now, otherwise my mission would be all for naught."
Jinjin giggled. "I like you."
MJ giggled too. "I like you too."
Jinjin titled his head and kissed MJ's neck, making the other man squeal and move away.
"Not the neck!"
"Sensitive spot?" Jin laughed, going in to kiss his neck again.
"You can't just kiss someone's neck on Valentine's Day." MJ laughed, pushing him away. "A lot of babies are born in November for a reason."
Jinjin ignored him and moved to hold his arms away so he could keep kissing MJ. "I'm just rewarding you for cheering me up?" Jinjin pretended to be innocent, pinning MJ against the couch.
After a moment, MJ had stopped and was looking up at him with puppy eyes.
Jinjin giggled and let go of MJ's hands.
They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, just watching each other with a childlike level of adoration.
Almost like a cat, Jinjin jumped up from on top of MJ with wide eyes, and stumbled away.
MJ raised an eyebrow and stood up. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I just... I really shouldn't keep you here." Jinjin mumbled, scratching the back of his neck.
"No, please tell me." MJ walked up to him, holding his face in his hands. "Come on, it's okay."
Jinjin grabbed his coat and headed outside, with MJ in the lead. They walked out the door and shut it behind him.
It was cold outside, Jinjin was shivering through his coat.
"I dunno." Jinjin finally replied to MJ's question... "I'm not ready to fall for someone." He sighed. "And you're just too sweet."
MJ shook his head. "You shouldn't build a wall you can't keep up." He smiled.
Jinjin shrugged. "If you want to go, here's your chance."
"And why do you think I would want to leave? I've never spent Valentines with anyone before. This was the most random thing I've done."
He stepped closer, seeing his coat pocket again from earlier.
"You don't deserve me." Jinjin laughed.
MJ walked closer to him, wrapping arms around his neck. "Doesn't mean I'm not gonna keep you."
"Can't you take a hint, and leave-"
MJ interrupted Jinjin with a kiss, moving him back to the front door and keeping him there. Jinjin's lips tasted salty and buttery and refreshingly like the mixed drinks they shared. Jinjin's cold hands grabbed MJ's cheeks and held him there, in the perfect moment of passion, with the perfect stranger.
MJ went to pull away after a few moments, and heard Jinjin whine into his mouth. He grinned and kissed him back harder, arms wrapping around his waist inside the warmth of the open coat, pressing the other man closer to him.
Neither Jinjin or MJ had to say it, but they both knew this would be a Valentine's they wouldn't forget.
Not even the next morning, when they awoke from their slumber on Jinjin's bed, opening their eyes to see the most beautiful person across from them, smiling at them with the sun kissing their skin, not unlike their lips on each other last night.
"Mornin', lovebug." MJ giggled.
Jinjin hid his face in the pillow in shyness.
MJ beamed again, glad he would never have to be alone again any time soon.