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Now
Minhyuk would have been considerably less nervous if he hadn't already seen his date half-naked. (But one does not simply forget a body like that, especially not if it's packed only in a speedo, and that really doesn't help at all.)
He selfconsciously plucks at the sleeves of his sweater, the oversized fabric hiding his lanky figure (how could he possibly compare to the body of a Greek God). He wonders why he had agreed to come at all. (Was this a pity date, orchestrated by Hoseok? Oh god, what if he doesn't like coffee?)
Minhyuk stares at his watch, contemplating whether or not it is too late to run away when someone approaches his table.
"M-Minhyuk?"
--
A few months earlier
Minhyuk doesn't know how exactly Hyungwon convinced him to get out of bed on a Sunday morning at 7AM, or why he's sitting in the swimming hall on the cold hard bleachers. They're the only two spectators, because no one else is crazy enough to watch a regular swim practice at this ungodly time. ("You have to come. One person is a creeper, two people is an audience." Hyungwon says, dragging Minhyuk along by his arm. "When have you ever cared about being a creeper." Minhyuk whines. "You literally stalked Hoseok for months.")
Hyungwon shrugs, ignoring Minhyuk's comment as he pushes him inside. Minhyuk yawns, too tired to struggle so he just lets Hyungwon drag him to the seats.
"Remind me again why we're friends."
"Because I brought you coffee and we're about to look at hot half naked men getting wet." Hyungwon grins, waving two cups of coffee in front of his best friend.
"Mmmyeah that sounds about right."
Minhyuk takes the cup from Hyungwon as he sits down, eyes trained on the water. Slowly the swimmers trickle into the pool hall, shivering in their school issued speedo's. The coach raises his eyebrows as he sees the 'audience' but says nothing, instead turns to the guys that stand huddled together. Hoseok, Hyungwon's boyfriend walks in last, talking to a guy Minhyuk could only describe as Godly. Hoseok and Hyungwon exchange a look, before they hurriedly join with the others.
Minhyuk's eyes wander to the Godly Stranger.
"He's hot, right?" Hyungwon quips next to him, and Minhyuk's face flushes red as he quickly averts his gaze, pretending to look at a poster for meditative yoga hanging from the opposite stands.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh I'm pretty sure we all know we're talking about that honey glazed hottie over there."
"Hyungwon!" Minhyuk hisses, ears burning.
"He's totally your type, too."
Minhyuk starts sputtering in denial, but fuck, he totally is. From the broad shoulders, the tanned skin and the toned arms and abs to the soft and small face, the short cropped dark hair and the kind eyes, Minhyuk would be lying if he said that the physical attraction to him wasn't almost instantanious.
Minhyuk furrows his brow in suspicion. "Wait. Is this why we're here?"
"Nah. I'm here to ogle my boyfriend in speedo's." Hyungwon says, his eyes trained on Hoseok's butt (which, admittedly, looks great in the little swim shorts). "What you do with this time is entirely up to you."
"His name is Hyunwoo, by the way."
--
So this is how Minhyuk ends up tagging along with Hyungwon every Sunday morning, watching a bunch of guys swimming laps in the cold pool hall and Definitely Not checking out Hyunwoo.
Hyunwoo is a great swimmer. He's fast, reaching the opposite side of the pool with just a few strokes of his Amazingly Gorgeous Strong arms (nope, not getting lost there). He pulls himself up from the pool (water dripping from his plump, red lips down his clavicle. His nipples are hard (the water is cold), which is Definitely Not Distracting at all--
"Why don't you just ask him out, once?" Hyungwon says next to him, breaking his transfixed staring. "Before your staring burns a hole in his speedo's."
"I-I wasn't staring." Minhyuk stammers.
"Minhyuk please." Hyungwon rolls his eyes. "You're talking to the Master Stalker here. I know staring when I see it."
"Ah fuck me." Minhyuk buries his face in his hands. "I don't even know if he's straight or gay or anything."
"Oh, he's gay. Or bi, at least. He hooked up with Hoseok once." Hyungwon says casually, as if his boyfriend and Minhyuk's crush sleeping together is the most normal thing in the world.
"Wait what?"
"Luckily for him and his testicles, that was before my time. Anyway, they're still pretty close, so leave the intell up to me." Hyungwon gives a thumbs up.
--
Hyunwoo is in his senior year (which would make him one or two years older than Minhyuk). Apparently he got into college with a full Sports Scholarship. Aside from swimming he also plays football. (Good with balls. Always a plus.)
His favorite food is lasagna. His favorite color is blue. He has a dog named Honey at home. He's had sex with Hoseok at least on one occassion. ("Okay, so questionable taste in men." Minhyuk says, earning him a punch in the arm from Hyungwon.) His ex-count is somewhere between 3 and 12 ("Exes from both sexes. A truly modern man." Hyungwon quips).
--
After a few mildly threatening remarks from Hyungwon, Minhyuk finally asks Hyunwoo out. He waits for him after swim practice (his heart nearly skips a beat when Hyunwoo exits the dressing room with half wet hair, his shirt clinging to him in all the right places).
"H-Hi." ('Great start Minhyuk, great start' he thinks sarcastically.)
"Hey, Minhyuk, right?" Hyunwoo says, sending Minhyuk into mild panic because holy-shit-Hyunwoo-knows-his-name (but also holy shit what did Hoseok tell about him, it better be good) but he tries to look cool and casual as he takes Hyunwoo's extended hand.
"Y-yeah. Hey. Hi. Um.... so...." (Yep. Super casual.) Breathe in. Breathe out. (Should've taken up that meditative yoga after all, damn it) "I was wondering if you maybe wanted to get a cup of coffee with me someday soon?"
Hyunwoo smiles. "Sure."
--
Now
Minhyuk looks up to see a clearly-nervous Hyunwoo standing in front of his table. (Minhyuk has no idea why someone as effortlessly handsome as Hyunwoo would be nervous, but somehow it calms his nerves. Somewhat. Slightly. Barely).
"Hey." Minhyuk says, flashing his brightest smile. (Hyunwoo's face flushes as he sits down opposite of him, and it's the Most Adorable Thing he's ever seen.)
They order their coffees, and Minhyuk starts blabbering. He's a nervous talker, and the more he looks at Hyunwoo's (perfect. beautiful. amazing.) face the more he hears himself stammer on about the most random things (The weather. Pizza. Swimming. Penguins. The political situation in Equador. Gender equality. And whatever-Hoseok-has-told-him-about-Minhyuk, which turns out not be too much at all.)
Hyunwoo looks a little dazed (Minhyuk can't blame him) by the end of the date and Minhyuk is afraid he has scared him off for good (good job psycho) when they say their goodbyes, but the next day Hyunwoo asks him out on a second date via text. With smileys. (He can't have left such a bad impression if he even uses a heart emoticon.)
Hoseok insists on making it a double date, and it's about as embarrasing and awkward as Minhyuk expected it to be as a date with his best friend and his boyfriend/crush's-one-time-booty-call. Hyungwon proves his status as best friend and officially worst-wingman-ever by telling many of Minhyuk's less flattering stories.
Like that one time he got flat-out drunk and went streaking through the halls. "Aw. I wish I could've seen that." Hyunwoo laughs, and Minhyuk doesn't quite yet die from embarrasment. (Or that one time he called a professor daddy, or ripped his pants from front to back after getting caught on a loose nail and he didn't notice until several hours later.)
After they've all had a good laugh in expense of Minhyuk the awkwardness between them disappates. After the date ends Hyunwoo walks Minhyuk to his dorm room.
"Well that was awkward." Minhyuk says, pouting slightly.
"Nah, I think it's cute." Hyunwoo chuckles. Minhyuk blushes deeply.
"I think you're cute." Hyunwoo adds, and he leans in for a kiss.
--
Minhyuk doesn't know how exactly Hyungwon still convinces him to get out of bed on a Sunday morning at 7AM, or why he's sitting in the swimming hall on the cold hard bleachers once again. They're the only two spectators, because no one else is crazy enough to watch a regular swim practice at this ungodly time.
Wordlessly he takes the cup of coffee from Hyungwon's hands. (He starts to say something but the sound of footsteps padding on wet tiles distracts his train of thought)
Slowly the swimmers trickle into the pool hall, shivering in their school issued speedo's. Hoseok, and Hyunwoo walk out last. Hoseok and Hyungwon exchange a look, while Hyunwoo blows a kiss to Minhyuk before they hurriedly join with the others.
They watch a bunch of guys swimming laps in the cold pool hall and Minhyuk Definitely, Shamelessly checks out Hyunwoo's butt in those speedo's. (Yep. Definitely hitting that later.)
While it's still Ungodly Early, Minhyuk has started to look forward to these early morning practices.
(After all, the early bird gets the worm)