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Jaemin checks his phone for the seventh time in the last twenty minutes, hoping against hope that this time, he’ll find a text explaining the absence of his date, who was supposed to meet him here for lunch. The glittery, pastel-pink, heart-shaped decorations, which had seemed so cute when Jaemin walked into the cafe, are starting to feel like they’re taunting him now. He resolutely suppresses the urge to cry, determined not to draw attention to himself. If he doesn’t think too hard about it, he can pretend that no one has noticed him sitting here alone – on Valentine’s Day, no less – for the better part of an hour.
Unfortunately for him, this theory is quickly proven incorrect. He’s still staring at the messaging app that’s devoid of any notifications when he hears someone approaching his table and clearing their throat hesitantly. For a few wild seconds, he thinks that maybe he hasn’t been jilted after all, but when he looks up, he sees his classmate, Lee Jeno, who is decidedly not his date, smiling shyly at him instead.
Jaemin is reasonably familiar with Jeno – it’s hard not to be, considering he had a fledgling crush on him back in their freshman year, not to mention Jeno is fairly famous around campus for being one of the stars of the hugely-successful university swim team. They have a few mutual friends, too, so they’ve technically hung out as part of a larger group before, but Jaemin wouldn’t say they know each other particularly well. He’s still pretending everything is fine, though, so he buries his confusion and smiles back.
“Hey, Jaemin,” Jeno says with a little wave, seeming oddly relieved to be noticed. His eyes are very brown, Jaemin thinks, a very warm and comforting shade of brown that he could probably get lost in. “Would you mind if I join you?”
Jaemin hesitates. “Um –” There’s a part of him that still wants to hold out, still wants to believe that he hasn’t been stood up, but on the other hand, Jeno’s eye smile is incredibly sweet and he doesn’t really feel like seeing it disappear. “Yeah, sure, go ahead.”
Jeno beams at him and settles into the other seat. “I don’t mean to intrude,” he says earnestly. “It’s just, I’ve been waiting for someone and they haven’t shown up yet, and you look like you’re waiting for someone too, so I thought we could keep each other company.”
“Don’t worry, you’re not intruding,” Jaemin says reassuringly – it feels unnecessarily hostile to point out that there’s nothing to actually intrude on. “Who are you waiting for?”
Unexpectedly, Jeno ducks his head, turning a bit red. “Just Karina,” he says, and he seems almost embarrassed. Jaemin can’t fathom why – everyone in their year knows who Karina is, and personally, he thinks she has to be one of the most effortlessly beautiful people in the world. He’s seen her and Jeno walking around campus together, too, and they’re easily the most visually striking pair he knows of.
His throat feels inexplicably tight, all of a sudden, and he clears it in an attempt to cast away the image of the two of them side-by-side. “And Karina is...your girlfriend?”
Jeno’s expression turns incredulous. “Oh my god, absolutely not,” he says hurriedly, his cheeks turning even redder. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you don’t know who she is! She’s my twin, definitely not my girlfriend. I was just – I don’t have anyone to spend Valentine’s Day with besides my literal sister, which is a little mortifying to admit to someone like you.”
Jaemin is pretty sure he’s the one who should be mortified right now. “You don’t need to apologize, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have assumed –”
“It’s fine!” Jeno rushes to cut him off, his expression so sincere that Jaemin’s heart hurts a little. “It’s not like you know me very well anyway, it makes sense that you wouldn’t have known.”
That makes Jaemin’s chest ache even more, but before he can linger on why that might be, the second part of Jeno’s earlier statement registers in his mind. “Wait, what do you mean ‘someone like me?’”
Jeno’s face seems like it’s going to remain permanently flushed at this rate, and Jaemin secretly thinks that he wouldn’t mind if it did, because Jeno looks incredibly cute this way. “Oh, just, you know.” Jeno smiles bashfully. “You’re really attractive, and you seem like a really sweet person, too. I’m sure you must have people falling over themselves to be your valentine.”
The part of Jaemin that’s delighted by the compliments spends a few moments warring with the part of him that’s utterly miserable about being rejected by his supposed date for the day. The miserable part ends up winning. “Apparently not,” he says with a self-deprecating laugh, “since I’m currently in the process of being stood up.”
“Wait, what?” Jeno’s eyebrows furrow in confusion before his expression shifts into something close to anger, like he’s genuinely perplexed and upset by Jaemin’s date not showing up. “Are you serious?”
Jaemin fights hard to keep tears from welling up in his eyes – he refuses to cry over some jerk who apparently doesn’t respect him enough to even offer him the courtesy of formally canceling the date. “I mean, I’ve been sitting here for close to an hour and he still isn’t here, and he hasn’t contacted me either, so I don’t think there’s really any other explanation for it.”
Jeno looks absolutely furious on Jaemin’s behalf now, which Jaemin finds kind of endearing. “That is so...” Jeno trails off, his eyes suddenly lighting up unexpectedly. “Hey, was there anything you were interested in eating or drinking here?”
Jaemin hesitates, afraid to assume that the reason Jeno looks extremely determined is that he wants to do something to fix Jaemin’s current predicament. “I guess I thought it might be cute to split a few of those heart-shaped sandwiches and mini-cakes they have on sale, but other than that, there wasn’t anything specific.”
“Okay,” Jeno says with a nod. “Give me a second.”
“Wait –” But Jaemin has no time to complete his thought, because Jeno is already out of his seat and approaching the counter, typing furiously on his phone on the way there.
Jaemin watches, feeling a little stunned, as Jeno purchases a few sandwiches and a cake and carefully brings them over. “Here,” Jeno says, pushing the plates towards Jaemin. He fiddles with the napkin in his hand as he continues, “I, um, I realized that I probably should’ve asked you what kinds of sandwiches and cake you wanted when I got to the counter, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to get their most popular sandwich. And I remember you mentioned once that you don’t like strawberry-flavored things, so I didn’t get the strawberry-frosted cake. But, uh, well, I hope you like carrot cake and cream cheese frosting?”
“It’s my favorite,” Jaemin says, still somewhat in disbelief that Jeno just went and bought him a bunch of heart-shaped food to share like it was nothing. It’s only compounded by the fact that Jeno apparently remembers his off-handed mention of his dislike of strawberry flavoring, presumably from one of their group hangouts. He offers Jeno the most sincere smile he can, trying to pour all his gratitude and appreciation into it. “Thank you so much, Jeno, really. You didn’t have to.”
Jeno just smiles back, clearly trying to downplay it. “You said you wanted them, so it was really the least I could do.”
Jaemin’s heart flutters, and he spends a few more seconds smiling at Jeno in a daze before finally snapping out of it when Jeno hands him a napkin and a fork. He moves the plates so they’re in the middle of the table and gestures for Jeno to dig in too. “I also said I wanted to split them, so make sure you at least eat some of it. Or else I’ll just have to feed you myself.”
He says it jokingly, but instead of being amused, Jeno’s expression turns so soft that Jaemin feels more than a little shy under his gaze. “I mean, if feeding me will keep a smile like that on your face, then by all means, feel free.”
Unable to deal with how flustered he feels when Jeno is looking at him like this, Jaemin hastily changes the subject. “So, um, what made you pick carrot cake out of all the flavors?”
Jeno rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “You can’t laugh.” Jaemin nods in agreement, burning with curiosity now – he hadn’t expected Jeno to actually have a real reason. “You have that little bunny pin on your backpack,” Jeno says, and part of Jaemin wonders why he remembers that completely insignificant detail, but most of him is absolutely preening at the fact that Jeno has noticed him enough for it to stick in his mind. “I guess it just made me associate you with bunnies, so carrot cake seemed like the right choice.”
Jaemin carefully takes a bite, and has to hold in a moan. It has to be one of the best carrot cakes he’s ever had – just the right level of sweetness, not too dry, and balanced perfectly with the cream cheese frosting. “It definitely was,” he says, already going for another forkful. “This is so good, oh my god. Try some!”
“If you insist,” Jeno says with a grin, and Jaemin has the pleasure of watching Jeno’s eyes go wide as he tastes the cake for the first time. “Oh, wow,” he says, sounding a bit breathless. “That is really good.”
“Told you,” Jaemin says playfully, and is gratified to see Jeno’s eyes glittering with amusement in return. “It kind of makes me want to finish dessert before we start lunch.”
Jeno’s smile turns mischievous. “Well, there’s nothing stopping us, is there?”
Between the two of them, the cake disappears quickly, but they manage to keep themselves under control when they get to the sandwiches by striking up a conversation as they eat. Jaemin is delighted to learn that Jeno, for all his famed athletic prowess and popularity on campus, is actually quite reserved and incredibly dorky, and also has a sense of humor that matches Jaemin’s well. Talking to him is unbelievably easy, especially once Jaemin starts feeling comfortable enough to tease him a little, and in what feels like the blink of an eye, almost two hours have passed and their plates are finally empty.
With the food already paid for, they leave the cafe together, still chatting away. “I think this was the most dessert I’ve had in one sitting in years,” Jeno says, huffing out a quiet laugh as they make their way down the sidewalk. “I’m usually not a cake person, to be honest. But this one was really amazing.”
“You can say that again,” Jaemin says with a little laugh of his own. “Seriously, thank you so much for buying the food, and for sitting with me. This was really nice.”
“No need to thank me, I promise,” Jeno says, and the way his eyes disappear into little crescents as he smiles has Jaemin’s heart racing. “I really enjoyed it too.”
Jaemin is suddenly overcome with the urge to press their lips together and taste the sugary sweetness of the last traces of cake in Jeno’s smile. But he shoves the images away – Jeno being willing to cheer him up after a failed date doesn’t necessarily mean he’s interested in anything other than friendship, even if it is Valentine’s Day. “So...will you be meeting up with Karina now?” he asks to give himself something else to think about. “I guess I kind of interrupted your plans with my failed romantic endeavors.”
Jeno shakes his head, looking faintly amused. “Nah, I texted her while I was buying the food and told her to go hang out with her friends or something instead. So I’m pretty much free to do whatever for the rest of the day.” His smile flickers momentarily, his expression turning slightly nervous. “I-If you would want to spend more time with me, I mean.”
There’s still a part of Jaemin that’s hurting, that’s torn up about being cast aside for unknown reasons by someone who he had genuinely been looking forward to being with today and had asked him out in the first place. That part of him really just wants to go home, curl up under the covers, and binge watch romcoms for the rest of the day. But the rest of him is caught up in the giddy rush of being on the receiving end of Jeno’s undivided attention, and that part of him ultimately wins out. “I would love to,” he says, and the radiant smile Jeno sends his way is enough to convince him that he’s made the right choice.
Jeno brings him to a park he’s never been to before, a secluded spot with a little play area for children, a small clearing barely large enough to fit half a soccer field, and a walking path that weaves through the surrounding woods. “I come here for my morning runs,” Jeno explains as they wander along the path. “It’s kind of out of the way, so it’s never too crowded.”
“It’s beautiful,” Jaemin says, admiring the way the late afternoon sunlight filters through the bare tree branches and illuminates the path with golden rays. “It must be even nicer in the spring, when everything is blossoming.”
“Yeah, all these trees become covered with little pink and white flowers,” Jeno says with a smile. “I admit that I usually don’t take the time to really enjoy the view, though.”
He looks adorable with the dusting of pink decorating his cheeks, and Jaemin can’t resist taking a leap of faith. He swallows hard and says, “I guess I’ll just have to come back with you and make sure you finally get to enjoy it, then.”
Jeno’s eyes seem to shine brighter than ever. “I’ll look forward to that.”
Their arms brush against each other as they continue walking, and Jaemin desperately wants to take Jeno’s hand and lace their fingers together, but he can’t work up the nerve to go through with it. He settles for pressing closer to Jeno’s side instead, thankful that he can use the chilliness of the day as an excuse to share body heat.
“So, where to now?” Jeno asks. “I picked this spot, so next we should go somewhere you want to go.”
Jaemin bites his lip, wondering if he should say what he really wants to and risk Jeno feeling uncomfortable at the implicit romantic vibe of the destination. Jeno appears to be fully committed to making him happy, though, if his earnest expression is anything to go by, so Jaemin decides to go for it. “Well...you know the scenic cable car that opened a few months ago? I’ve wanted to ride it for a while now, but I haven’t gotten the chance yet.”
If Jeno is at all put off by the idea of visiting an attraction primarily frequented by couples with Jaemin on Valentine’s Day, he doesn’t show it. In fact, he almost seems more excited about it than Jaemin, his face splitting into a wide grin. “Oh, really? That’s great, because I’ve been wanting to go too!”
It’s hard to remain anxious in the face of Jeno’s infectious enthusiasm, so Jaemin lets himself relax and offers Jeno a bright smile. “Let’s go, then.”
The route to the pier where the cable car departs from is quite a long distance to cover entirely by foot, so when they pass a bike share rack on the way, Jeno brings up the idea of renting bikes if Jaemin is up for it. “It’ll be a lot quicker, so we might have time to walk around the boardwalk and see the sunset, too.”
Walking around the boardwalk and seeing the sunset with Jeno sounds like something freshman-year Jaemin would fantasize about, and now, here he is in his senior year with Jeno himself suggesting it. “That sounds good,” he says, stubbornly ignoring the fluttery feeling in his stomach. “I don’t mind biking for a bit.”
So they bike the rest of the way, and it’s obvious that Jeno is holding back and going more slowly than he’s probably used to for Jaemin’s sake. The rational part of Jaemin knows that it’s just common courtesy, but the other part of him that feels like he’s been repeatedly swept off his feet by his own personal Prince Charming all day is giddy with happiness. It’s pretty incredible, he thinks, how Jeno has managed to completely wipe the disappointment of his previous failed plans from his mind and replace it with pure, genuine joy. There have been moments that felt somewhat romantic or meaningful, but more than anything else, today has been fun, and he’s really looking forward to the rest of it.
When they reach the pier, they find that it’s extremely crowded – which makes sense, Jaemin supposes, since it is mostly geared towards people in relationships, and it’s the one day of the year that specifically caters to those people. Still, it makes him rethink their plan a bit – what if they end up having to share the car with other people because of the high demand? It’s not that he thinks anything is likely to happen between them, really, but he would still prefer for them to have privacy.
Jeno seems to be thinking along the same lines, because he turns to Jaemin and says, “Maybe we should buy tickets for a later time. We just walked and biked a lot, so we could have an early dinner and come back after. And anyway, the view will probably be even nicer once it’s dark and all the city lights are on.”
Jaemin feels like he should point out that the experience will also come off as a lot more romantic that way, but Jeno is the one who raised the suggestion, so he’s happy to go along with it. “That sounds good. Do you want to look for a restaurant, and I’ll pick up the tickets?”
“Sounds good,” Jeno says, squeezing Jaemin’s arm briefly. It was just for reassurance, Jaemin knows, but his arm tingles with warmth where Jeno’s hand made contact with his sleeve. “Let’s meet back here when we’re done?”
With a nod of agreement, Jaemin heads to the ticketing area while Jeno wanders off towards the waterfront restaurants. The line to purchase tickets from an agent is significantly shorter than the long queues for the ticket machines, so Jaemin joins the former, and it only takes twenty minutes or so to return to the spot they agreed to meet at.
Jeno is already waiting when Jaemin arrives, and his face lights up when he spots Jaemin walking back. “Here,” Jaemin says, handing both tickets to Jeno. “I have a bad habit of losing stuff like this, so it’s probably best for you to hold on to them.”
“I’ll protect them with my life,” Jeno vows solemnly, his eyes twinkling as he pockets them. His expression turns a bit shy a moment later. “So I, uh, I found a pretty nice place, except it’s kind of expensive. But, well, since it’s Valentine’s Day, they have a special, which makes it a lot more affordable.”
Jaemin raises an eyebrow at Jeno’s evident beating around the bush. “And what’s the catch?”
Jeno offers him a smile that feels almost apologetic. “The special is for couples only.”
“Of course it is,” Jaemin says, a blush rising in his own cheeks against his will. He meets Jeno’s eyes hesitantly. Jeno looks both nervous and strangely hopeful, and Jaemin gains a little confidence. “I mean, I – if you wouldn’t mind it either, I would be fine with – with pretending.”
“Yeah,” Jeno says in a rush. “Yeah, I would be totally fine with it too.”
Jaemin’s heart stutters in his chest as he tentatively reaches out and takes Jeno’s hand like he’s wanted to do for the better part of the afternoon. “Well, lead the way, then, Jeno-yah.”
Jeno’s lips curl into a delighted smile, his fingers interlocking with Jaemin’s readily. “Gladly, Jaemin-ah.”
They walk into the restaurant holding hands, and Jaemin’s heart is beating so fast that he’s certain Jeno can feel his racing pulse where their wrists are pressed against each other. He does his best to not look too disappointed when Jeno has to let go a few moments later to point out his name in the reservation book. The disappointment is fleeting, though, because the next thing Jaemin knows, Jeno is gently guiding him towards their table with a hand pressed lightly against Jaemin’s lower back. He even pulls Jaemin’s chair out for him with a flourish, and Jaemin thanks him with a playful, feather-light kiss to his cheek that leaves Jeno practically glowing with delight.
Pretending to be a couple over dinner is both easier and more fun than Jaemin could have imagined. Their table has a view of the waterfront and the sunset beyond, so they take a series of pictures of each other and selfies together in front of the stunning background. As they wait for their food, they have a competition to see who can give the other the most overly-sappy compliments – Jaemin wins, much to his satisfaction – and when their food arrives, they take turns feeding each other, giggling like a pair of teenagers the whole time.
Jeno insists on paying for the meal – “You already paid for the cable car, and I’m technically the one who asked you to dinner!” – and they make their way outside together. Just as Jaemin is about to be sad that their pretense has come to end, Jeno takes his hand again. Jaemin meets his eyes in surprise, and although Jeno’s cheeks are flushed, his smile never wavers. “It’s cold,” he says easily, and since Jaemin used the same cliche excuse earlier, he just smiles back and squeezes Jeno’s hand gently.
There’s half an hour left before their scheduled time to ride the cable car, so they walk hand-in-hand along the pier, stopping every so often to take pictures. Jeno very endearingly starts jumping up and down in an attempt to appear in Jaemin’s scenic photos, and Jaemin is equally amused and apologetic when he informs Jeno that he’s not likely to show up in any of them. It doesn’t appear to bother Jeno too much, though, because he seems perfectly content to press himself against Jaemin’s side as Jaemin swipes through the pictures without any complaints about them. Jaemin gives in to the temptation to lean back against his chest just the slightest bit – he figures that if Jeno is going to be more touchy, there’s no reason for him to resist doing the same. And there’s something very comforting about being surrounded by Jeno’s warmth and his fragrant, spicy cologne, so Jaemin allows himself to enjoy it.
When it’s finally time for their ride, Jeno dutifully hands Jaemin his ticket, and they board the cable car together, seating themselves across from one another. Remembering the kind of things Jeno finds funny, Jaemin glances around the immobile car and says, deadpan, “It’s pretty fast.”
Sure enough, Jeno bursts into laughter, looking both amused and incredulous. “It gets faster ahead,” he points out lightly.
Jaemin rattles off something he remembers seeing on one of the posters on the wall in the waiting area. “It goes up to 4.5 meters per second.”
Jeno’s eyes widen in legitimate surprise – he must not have noticed the sign earlier, though Jaemin wonders what could have possibly captured his attention instead. “It is fast.”
And indeed, the car eventually reaches its maximum speed, and then they’re gliding through the air as the city lights twinkle like stars around them. The music inside the car is soothing and relaxing, and Jaemin almost feels like closing his eyes and meditating – but then he wouldn’t be able to see Jeno, who has his phone out and the camera open.
“It’s brighter on the left, so look to your right,” Jeno says, taking a few pictures in succession. Jaemin obediently does as he’s told, oddly compelled to do whatever Jeno wants him to. “Okay, now look to the other side.” Jeno seems pleased with how the photos turned out, so Jaemin smiles at him before directing his attention to the view, taking in the boats in the waterway below and the lights of the city surrounding them.
When he glances at Jeno again a few moments later, he finds that Jeno is intently watching his screen, his camera pointed directly at Jaemin. “What are you filming right now?” Jaemin asks, suddenly feeling very shy, because there’s really only one answer and it’s making his heart feel like it’s about to explode.
Jeno doesn’t answer right away, continuing to film as a little smile blossoms on his face. Jaemin’s breath catches at the sight. He looks so sweet and happy, and Jaemin is so, so fond of him.
“You, Jaemin-ah,” Jeno finally says, setting down his phone at last, and it takes a moment for Jaemin to remember what he’s talking about. “Of course I was filming you. How could I not, when the city lights look so pretty, illuminating your face like this?” He swallows, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips nervously – Jaemin can’t help but track the movement with his eyes. His voice soft, Jeno continues, “How could I not, when you look so pretty just sitting there?”
“Jeno,” Jaemin whispers, his mouth dry. There’s no way he can hold himself back from asking the question that’s burning at the forefront of his mind. “Did – did you spend today with me just to cheer me up?”
There’s a short pause, and then Jeno says, just as quietly, “I did want to cheer you up, but –” he breaks off, his eyes meeting Jaemin'’s – “but what if that wasn’t the only reason?”
Jaemin shifts to the edge of his seat, leaning a little closer. “Then I would want to know what the other reason was.”
Jeno takes a deep breath, his eyes flickering down to Jaemin’s lips for a moment. “I don’t know if you remember this, but we were in the same orientation group in our freshman year. Obviously, I barely knew you at all, but I thought you were the most attractive person I had ever seen, and as we did all those ice breakers, I learned that you were also really smart and kind and funny.” He offers Jaemin a tiny smile, his expression sheepish. “And I developed a little crush that I guess I never managed to fully let go of. Because when I saw you sitting in that cafe all by yourself, all I could think about was how much I wanted to be sitting there with you.”
“And then you made it a reality,” Jaemin says dazedly, his head spinning as he tries to grasp this new, entirely unexpected revelation. “So you – you really were trying to take me on a Valentine’s Day date?”
“I hope that’s okay,” Jeno says, ducking his head and rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I promise I really did want to make you happy. But I was also being kind of selfish.”
Jaemin shakes his head immediately, reaching out to take Jeno’s hand. “I don’t think you have a selfish bone in your body. Today has been so wonderful, and you’ve been so thoughtful and sweet all day, and – and I’m so glad I got to spend it with you.” He smiles, his heart soaring as he finally fully absorbs that Jeno really likes him. “You aren’t the only one who developed a little crush in our freshman year, you know.”
Jeno’s face is alight with wonder in a way that makes it clear that he didn’t know, his eyes shining with hope as he leans closer. “Jaemin,” he says breathlessly, “I know it’s kind of late, but...will you be my valentine?”
“Of course,” Jaemin says without hesitation. “As long as you’ll be mine, too.”
“Of course,” Jeno echoes, sounding as giddy as Jaemin feels. “Of course I will.”
Jaemin holds his gaze, and the unmistakable affection he sees there spurs him to take one more bold step. “And – and will you let me kiss you, too?”
Jeno’s breath audibly hitches. “Yes,” he whispers, and Jaemin is out of his seat and perched on Jeno’s lap instead in a heartbeat.
He loops his arms around Jeno’s shoulders and flutters his eyes shut as he brings his lips down to meet Jeno’s in the sweetest of kisses. And even though Jeno clearly knew it was coming, he lets out an adorable squeak of surprise as his hands clumsily find Jaemin’s waist, which only makes Jaemin cling to him even more, pressing tiny, chaste kisses to Jeno’s lips repeatedly until Jeno eagerly starts reciprocating.
They kiss for long enough that Jaemin loses track of time entirely, and when they finally break apart, they’re both panting heavily, dopey smiles on their faces. Jaemin laughs quietly, pecking Jeno’s nose gently before resting his forehead against Jeno’s. “I really, really like you, Jeno-yah,” he murmurs. “I could never have imagined that I would spend today like this and end up here with you.” He smiles, his heart full of warmth. “And there’s no one I would rather have been with for any of it.”
Jeno just tightens his hold on Jaemin, hugging him closer and beaming at him. “I’m glad,” he says with a kiss to Jaemin’s cheek, “because there’s no one I would rather have as my valentine either.” He pulls Jaemin in for another kiss that leaves Jaemin breathless, his eyes soft and full of adoration when he draws away. “And just so you know – I really, really like you too.”