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There's still cocoa power under Changbin's fingernails.
He taps his hand on his desk over and over, his eyes flickering every once in a while to the classroom door. He jumps every time it opens and another student walks inside.
"Changbin," Jisung whines again, from behind him, "Why are you ignoring me?"
His pulse is uneasy. He can hear it hammering in his ears. There's a swarm of butterflies in his stomach, fluttering and fluttering...
He decides he hates Valentine's Day.
Changbin's kitchen still smells of melted butter. There are still streaks of flour in his hair. His parents are still mad at him for breaking the oven. He doesn't know how long it'll take for him to get the stains out of his shirt.
"What the hell have I done?" Changbin mutters under his breath.
The door slips open. Changbin's breath stutters when Seungmin enters. His nose is red from the cold, his hair is falling over his face, his eyes are bright - there's a calmness to the way Seungmin walks that makes Changbin nervous, and he's never nervous.
Seungmin nods to his friends and makes his way to his desk. Changbin doesn't dare breathe.
"What's this?" Seungmin breathes, softly, from behind him.
"You have a valentine!" Changbin hears an excited Jeongin shout.
"I do?" Seungmin sounds relaxed, amused. Changbin sinks lower in his seat.
There's a crackle of paper. Changbin can't help himself - he glances behind him, watches Seungmin look inside the bag and read his note. He bites into one of the chocolate muffins, and there are dark crumbs by his mouth.
"Oh," Seungmin murmurs, "It's nice."
Seungmin's ears have turned a little pink, and Changbin smiles a tiny, secret smile to himself.
Maybe Valentine's Day isn't that bad, after all.
Then Jisung starts kicking the back of his chair and Chan gives him a pointed look from across the room, and Changbin changes his mind.
♥
"So," Jisung drawls, with a glint in his eyes, "How was your Valentine's Day, Changbin?"
They sit in Chan's basement, their honorary hideout. This had been their space since they became friends at the beginning of high school. It's a place for them to make music, to drink coffee, and to laugh together.
Changbin isn't laughing now. He narrows his eyebrows at Jisung, his arms crossed.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Jisung leans forward on his knees, smiling widely.
"Kim Seungmin has a valentine."
Changbin remembers Seungmin happily biting into a muffin, his cheeks a little flushed, and his face softens.
"Changbin wouldn't know anything about that." Chan taunts.
"Hey!" Changbin whines. "I expected this from Jisung, but not from you-"
"Sorry." Chan smiles. "The look on your face is too cute."
"What look?" Changbin ducks his head.
He can't help it, really. One look at Seungmin's face when he works, his eyebrows knitted together and his mouth pursed in concentration, and Changbin is a goner. Seungmin laughs at something his friends say, his mouth wide and his eyes crinkling, and Changbin wants to explode.
His lyrics have become softer lately, and his shoulders have been less tense.
Changbin sighs.
"Am I that obvious?"
"Yeah, you are," Chan grins, "There's flour in your hair."
"Hey, Chan?" Changbin asks, innocently. "Have you talked to Jeongin yet?"
"That's low, Changbinnie." Chan mutters, and shuts up.
Jisung, however, is a force to be reckoned with.
"I think you should tell him it was you."
"I'd rather die." Changbin deadpans.
"He might like you." Jisung nudges Changbin with his foot. "You never know until you try. Take it from me, I have the best boyfriend."
"There's no need to rub it in our faces." Chan grumbles.
"Really, Binnie. You should just tell him you like him. You already gave him the chocolate, you're halfway there-"
"I agree." Chan pipes up. "Why not?"
Changbin sighs loudly. It's going to be a long night.
♥
Changbin packs his bag deliberately slow.
He plays with the strap, glancing behind him every now and again to check Seungmin is still there. Chan gives him a thumbs up when he leaves, and Jisung winks a few times.
"I hate them." Changbin mutters under his breath, but he doesn't mean it. "I hate them for making me do this."
The last students leave.
Changbin curses his heart, which is thumping erratically. He can't believe he's about to walk up to Seungmin's desk and confess, but he's been doing a lot of things lately that he wouldn't usually do.
Seungmin is at his desk, his pen scratching against paper. He doesn't look up when Changbin stares at him, so Changbin takes a moment to admire him. Seungmin leans over the desk - from his seat, Changbin can see the gentle slope of his mouth, and the curves of his cheeks.
He wanders to Seungmin's desk, attempting to be casual, and trips over a chair leg.
"Are you alright?" Seungmin looks up at him with wide, concerned eyes, and Changbin cries internally.
"Great." He stutters.
"You're Changbin, right?" Seungmin asks.
"That's me." Changbin laughs nervously.
"Did you need something?"
"I-" Changbin flushes, his courage wavering as he looks into Seungmin's calm, gentle face, "You-"
This is his chance to tell Seungmin how much he likes his smile. He could say I like everything about you he could say you make the day brighter he could say I think you're the cutest thing but he just gapes at Seungmin instead.
"It's okay," Seungmin smiles reassuringly, "Whatever it is, you can tell me."
"Um." Changbin says.
Seungmin blinks.
"It's nothing, it was just, er, about the homework, I'll just-" Changbin steps backwards, his cheeks pink, "I have to go."
"Okay." Seungmin says gently. "See you later!"
Changbin stumbles over his feet on the way out of the door.
All in all, it was a disaster.
♥
Whenever he's overwhelmed, Changbin likes to go to the school roof.
It's relaxing, looking out over the city and feeling the sky pass by. He sits there now, on a cold but sunny afternoon, skipping the last classes to watch the clouds. The breeze ruffles his uniform slightly.
He looks down at his notebook, scrawling a few lyrics.
"You like it here too?"
Changbin jumps in surprise at the sudden noise. He looks up to see his classmate, Minho, smiling down at him awkwardly.
"Sorry I scared you. I always come here when I need a break," Minho sits down, glancing at Changbin shyly. "You too?"
"Yeah." Changbin sighs, in relief, grateful to be understood.
"Want some coffee?"
"Sure." Changbin takes the cup from Minho, and the moment the warmth slips down his throat he smiles. "Ah, I needed that."
They sit in a comfortable silence for a while, Minho looking out into the sky and Changbin writing in his notebook.
"I confessed to someone. Hwang Hyunjin." Minho admits. "Then I ran away. I don't usually talk about my feelings, you know, it's always so-"
"Yeah." Changbin smiles at his notebook. "I know."
"I just couldn't hold it anymore, you know? He's so cute. " Minho pulls a face. "So pretty."
Changbin looks up from his notebook.
"How did you do it?"
Minho smiles.
"You just stop thinking so much, and open your mouth."
Changbin considers this. The sky, the ink on his fingers, Minho's encouraging grin... it puts everything in perspective. All he can think about his Seungmin's laugh. Minho leans forwards and pokes his cheeks.
"You're cute. Whoever it is, they'll like you back."
Changbin scowls.
"I'm not cute." He grumbles.
"You are ." Minho laughs. "And so am I."
♥
Changbin stays on the roof until the sun sets. The sky dims, falling into shades of orange and red, and that's when Changbin sighs and stands up and shakes off the dirt from his uniform.
The school is quiet on an evening. He makes his way through the corridors, and pauses near his classroom, looking through the window.
Seungmin is working late, as usual, his tongue between his teeth as he works. Changbin looks at him fondly, affection blooming in his chest. As if sensing him, Seungmin looks up, and Changbin's heart skips a beat.
They gaze at each other through the glass for a moment until Seungmin smiles sweetly at him.
There is only so much a human heart can handle.
"Fuck it." Changbin mutters to himself.
He pushes the door open, slipping inside. His heart is in his throat, but Changbin walks to Seungmin's seat with a newfound confidence. He has a determination that he's been missing all along. It's the same courage that had made him burn chocolate in his kitchen.
"Hi." Seungmin smiles. "We keep meeting like this. Is everything okay?"
"The thing is-" Changbin says quickly, "The Valentine's chocolate, it was-"
"Was it you?"
Changbin ducks his head.
"Yeah." He mutters. "Is it really that obvious?"
He dares to glance up at Seungmin, who is grinning widely, his eyes crinkled with happiness.
"No," He says, "I just hoped that it was you."
Seungmin tilts his head, his grin infectious, his happiness making the room bright and full. Changbin can't help but smile back.
"You did?"
"Of course."
"Really?"
"Yes, why don't you believe me?" Seungmin laughs, his cheeks pink. "Why wouldn't I? You're so cool. "
Changbin hides his face behind his hands.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Stop being so- so you. " Changbin whines. "Before I kiss you."
"I wouldn't mind." Seungmin giggles.
"Can I walk you home?"
Seungmin has this small, shy smile, a flustered look in his usually calm gaze, and Changbin thinks he'll die from happiness.
"Sure."
♥
They walk side by side in the dark evening.
Changbin keeps glancing at Seungmin, who's swinging his arms happily, looking out into the night. The streetlights keep catching the tiny smile in Changbin's cheeks. Their back of their hands brush every now and again, and every time Changbin feels his heart jump.
"When did you start liking me?" Seungmin asks, casually, but Changbin can see the tips of his ears are red.
"Ages ago," Changbin sighs. "Seems a bit silly now."
"It's not," Seungmin grins. "You're cute."
"I'm not cute." Changbin grumbles. "Why do people keep saying that?"
"Because you are ."
"Am not." Changbin mutters, but he grabs Seungmin's hand. "When did you start liking me?"
He doesn't look at Seungmin, just brushes the back of Seungmin's hand with his thumb shyly.
"Ah." Seungmin says, "It was, um... I heard some of your music online."
Changbin smiles.
"You're embarrassed. "
"No." Seungmin denies, but Changbin can see the flush in his cheeks when they pass under a streetlight.
They make it to Seungmin's house, and hover by the steps for a moment. Changbin looks down at their hands, still intertwined.
"Well," Seungmin says, "I'll see you tomorrow, then."
"Yeah." Changbin squeezes his hand.
This is the type of moment Changbin will write about when he's out of ideas for lyrics. The smell of the night, Seungmin's eyes, the breeze as it brushes through his hair. A time when he forgets about the cold. For a few seconds in time, he's completely, utterly happy.
"Bye." Seungmin says softly.
Then he leans forward and presses his lips gently to Changbin's cheek. He smells of chocolate and ink, like all the things Changbin likes about him, and Changbin closes his eyes.
"Bye," He murmurs, finally, when the moment is over, "Remember what I wrote to you on Valentine's Day, yeah? Don't work too hard, Seungminnie."
Changbin turns away, ready to leave behind the precious moment and go home, but a hand tugs gently on the sleeve of his arm.
Slowly, Changbin turns back. Seungmin is looking at him as if he's the entire world.
"I really like you." Seungmin says, and Changbin smiles.
He presses a sweet kiss to Seungmin's mouth.
"Yeah." He mutters, embarrassed, "You too."
♥
It's an ordinary, boring Monday morning in class, but Seungmin is leaning over Changbin's shoulder, so maybe it's not so bad after all.
The morning unfolds - Hyunjin chases Minho around the classroom, Jisung keeps cracking bad jokes to Felix, and Changbin scrawls in his notebook while Seungmin watches him.
"Something's about to happen." Seungmin tells him.
Changbin looks up.
"Look at Jeongin." Seungmin whispers.
Jeongin stands awkwardly by Chan's desk, an embarrassed smile on his face. He's telling Chan something, looking terrified, and Changbin's heart softens.
"Ah," Changbin sighs, "Finally."
"I know, right?" There's a laugh in Seungmin's voice. "Remember when we were like that?"
"I don't know what you mean." Changbin scowls.
Finally, Chan smiles at Jeongin, in a hopeful, lovesick kind of way, and Changbin can't help but smile too.
"I saw that." Seungmin teases fondly.
"You saw nothing." Changbin warns.
"I have a boyfriend!" Chan yells, into the chaotic classroom.
"Same!" Jisung shouts back.
"Yeah, but," Changbin murmurs, and tugs a giggling Seungmin into his lap. "I have the best thing of all."