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Jiwoong is so in love with Matthew he might lose his mind.

He´s basically been in love with the younger ever since they met about a year ago, and just the simple thought of him was enough to bring a stupid smile to Jiwoong´s face – like right now.

“God, he´s so cute.” Jiwoong sighs while looking at the new picture Matthew posted on his Instagram story. He immediately hits the like button.

“Dude, he posted that 5 seconds ago and you´re already liking it? A way to make it obvious,” Gyuvin, Jiwoong´s quite younger yet somehow closest friend, laughs. “Why don´t you just date him already?”

“Because Gyuvin-ah,” Jiwoong sighs. “Matthew doesn´t like me in that way. I´d do anything to make him mine, but it´s kind of hard to do that when I´m deep in the friendzone, no?”

Gyuvin stares at him for a second before replying. “Right, okay… then just make him fall for you? It´s really that easy hyung.” He says like his solution is the most obvious and simple thing.

Jiwoong laughs. “What are you even saying? How exactly am I supposed to do that?”

Gyuvin's face lights up like he just got the best idea of his entire life. “Oh, you´re in luck today my dear friend!” He jumps up from the sofa and is gone in a split second. Jiwoong is left there extremely confused for about a minute before Gyuvin returns from his room with a notebook in his hand.

Jiwoong furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “What´s that?”

“This my dear hyung,” He throws the notebook in Jiwoong´s lap. “Is what will get Matthew to fall in love with you.”

Jiwoong´s still extremely confused. Gyuvin never really makes any sense, but right now he´s making even less sense that usual.

“A notebook… will have Matthew fall in love with me? What is this, like Death Note but Love instead? Do I just write his name in here and poof he´s suddenly my boyfriend?”

“You´re not funny.” Gyuvin rolls his eyes. “No, you idiot. Open it. It´s a list I made back when I was trying to win Ricky over. It´s got all my best tips and tricks in there, you should really be thanking me on your knees that I´m giving it to you” He says with a proud smile on his face.

“What, you´re a love and relationship professional now?” Jiwoong scoffs.

“Well, it worked didn´t it! I did all the things on my list and in a matter of 2 weeks Ricky asked me on a date.” He scoffs, almost sounding offended.
Jiwoong rolls his eyes but opens the notebook to go through the list anyway.

How to get the finest man alive (Shen Ricky) to be my boyfriend in 5 steps:
1. Constantly compliment him – his hair, his outfit, his make-up, his jokes, EVERYTHING!!
2. Buy him his favorite drink every morning.
3. Ask to hang out ALONE! and do his favorite activities together.
4. Flirt with him and call him pet names – not in a joking way, be serious about it.
5. Physical touch!! but in a very gay I like you please hold my hand and be my boyfriend type of way and not in a we´re bros who hug way

“This is your list?” Jiwoong looks at the younger boy confused. “There´s absolutely no way Ricky fell for you just because you did these things.”

Gyuvin makes that smug proud expression Jiwoong absolutely hates. “Well, there is, because he did! I swear, it might not sound like much, but I guarantee you if you do the things on my list properly Matthew will be your boyfriend in the span of a month.”

Jiwoong seems to contemplate the thought for a minute. Sure, the list looks like something a middle schooler wrote, but at the end of the day Jiwoong really has nothing to lose.

Best-case scenario: Matthew really does end up falling for him and Jiwoong gets the love of his life to be his boyfriend OR,
worst-case scenario: it doesn´t work but Jiwoong still gets to spend time and low-key flirt with Matthew.

“Fine,” Jiwoong scoffs. “I´ll give your list a try.”

Gyuvin looks way too proud.

*******************************************

Jiwoong is sitting at a booth in the corner of Matthew´s favorite coffee shop, staring at him while he does whatever schoolwork he´s got on his computer.

Matthew’s not really paying attention to Jiwoong, too focused on his work, only occasionally taking a sip of his iced matcha latte.

“You look good today, Matthew.” Jiwoong speaks up, almost surprising himself by how random and sudden that was.

Step 1: compliment him.

Matthew raises his eyebrows looking at Jiwoong for a split second before looking back at his computer screen. “I know.” A little smile tugging at his lips.

Of course, he´d say that. What did Jiwoong even expect? He already compliments Matthew like this every other day, it´s not like he´s never told him he looks good before. Maybe he´ll have to try harder.

Jiwoong clears his throat before continuing.

“No seriously, you look so handsome today. I mean you always look handsome, but today especially. And you look so adorable when you´re focused on your work, you get all pouty I could seriously just kiss you-“
What?? Say something else quickly!!

“Oh, and I love your shirt, your arms look so nice. Have you been going to the gym without me?”
Oh my god. What am I even saying.

He´s so awkward. Why is he so awkward?! He´s supposed to be a master at this flirting thing – if that´s what you can even call this, but he doesn´t even know how to properly compliment Matthew without being a mess.

I could just kiss you – seriously?? He can´t help but repeat what the hell is wrong with you in his head repeatedly.

“Thanks, hyung.” Matthew´s laugh snaps Jiwoong out of his thoughts. “And I might have gone to the gym with Gunwook-ie a couple of times – sorry!” He sheepishly smiles before returning to his work once again.

Jiwoong is seriously done for.

*******************************************

Okay, so Jiwoong´s off to a bad start. He´s realized that when it comes to Matthew he simply just sucks at flirting or complimenting him, so he might as well cross off Step 1 and a part of Step 4 from his- Gyuvin´s list.

He´s not going to give up that easily though.

Step 2 on Gyuvin´s list: Buy him his favorite drink every morning.

Jiwoong doesn´t really understand how that´s going to help make Matthew fall in love with him, but he likes doing things for the younger boy anyway so he´s not complaining.

He wakes up earlier than usual and quickly texts Matthew if he has time to meet before his first classes. He runs to the coffee shop and grabs Matthew´s favorite coffee and a bagel for breakfast.

Matthew replies as soon as Jiwoong leaves the coffee shop. He arrives first at the park they agreed to meet at and sits down, putting the drink and bagel next to him while waiting for Matthew. After about 5 minutes Matthew finally shows up. Jiwoong excitedly stands up, taking the coffee so he can hand it to him right away.

“Sorry I´m late hyung!” Matthew says, slightly out of breath as soon as he walks up to Jiwoong. “I went to get coffee first!” he smiles.

Jiwoong just blankly stares at him. “Oh.”

“What´s that? Wait- did you already get me coffee?” Matthew looks up at him wide eyed.

“Uh yeah, I just… I don´t know. I thought I´d surprise you with it I guess.” Jiwoong awkwardly chuckles. “Um, but it´s fine! I should have told you I´ll get it for you, I know getting it is the first thing you do in the mornings. Guess I just forgot.” He smiles before putting the coffee down on the bench.

Matthew looks almost apologetic, as if he´s done something wrong, but before he can speak Jiwoong continues.

“I also got you a bagel! You can at least take that, since you know, you already have your coffee.” He says, handing the paper bag to the younger.

Matthew smiles as he takes the bag. “Thank you hyung, I´ll enjoy it.”

Why is nothing going the way it´s supposed to?

*******************************************

Kim Jiwoong is many things, but a quitter is not one of them.

Sure, this list thing hasn´t been really going the way he expected so far, but now he plans to mush the last 3 steps together and he´s confident it´s going to work out.

He´s trying to rush through the list – which Gyuvin explicitly told him not to do a few days ago when Jiwoong was updating him on his failures.

“You need to take your time hyung. If any step fails, just do it again until it works. It´s only been like 5 days since you started this.”

However, Jiwoong is an impatient and very in love man. Sure, he could take his time to work through everything on the list until it´s done perfectly and the way it´s supposed to be, but he suddenly has this burst of confidence and passion where he feels like he has to confess soon, or he might explode.

He goes through his plan in his head one more time before taking his phone to text Matthew.

Step 4: Call him pet names

Step 3: Hang out alone, do his favorite activities together

Matthew: omw <3

Jiwoong can´t help but grin at the thought of him and Matthew watching a movie and cuddling together, despite them doing it multiple times already.

He wants to surprise Matthew with dinner, so he starts working on it while waiting for him to arrive. About 15 minutes later he hears the doorbell. He opens the door and immediately pulls the younger into a hug.

“My Matthewww, I missed you.” He pouts, pulling him into the apartment.

“Hyung, you saw me yesterday.” Matthew chuckles, pulling away from Jiwoong and going straight to the kitchen. “You´re making dinner?” He looks at the older with a big smile.

“Mhm.” Jiwoong hugs him once again. “Thought we could eat and then have a movie night – starting with Howl´s Moving Castle of course”.

“Sounds perfect.”

-----------------

After dinner, the two move to the living room cuddling up together on the sofa right away. Jiwoong puts on the movie, but he really can´t pay attention to it at all.

His mind is going 100 miles an hour and he can´t seem to calm down. He thought he was fine when Matthew came over, he didn´t feel nervous at all, but now that they´re sitting here and cuddling his heart can´t help but beat so fast.

Sure, he´s always a little nervous while cuddling with Matthew, just because he has a huge, gigantic crush on him, but today something just feels different. He almost feels like he has to risk his friendship with Matthew and just confess, because he simply feels like he might explode if he doesn´t.

“Jiwoonie hyung, what´s wrong? You´re not paying attention to the movie at all.” Matthew looks at him, pouting, and Jiwoong wants nothing more but to kiss him.

“Sorry baby, I´m fine.” He gives him a reassuring smile. “Just thinking.”

“About what? Do you want to talk about it?” Matthew sits up, pauses the movie, and looks at Jiwoong.

Jiwoong´s brain seriously might explode. He´s looking at Matthew and how adorable he is, and he needs to tell him how he feels right now. Damn Gyuvin and his list, he needs to do this his own way.

“About you.” He finally replies. “How adorable you are. How much I like you.”

To Jiwoong´s surprise, Matthew blushes.

“Really?”

Jiwoong feels like Matthew´s getting closer, but he also thinks it could be his mind playing tricks on him.

“How often do you think about me?” Matthew asks, and no, yeah- he´s definitely gotten closer to Jiwoong. Too close. If Jiwoong just leaned forward a bit, he´d be able to kiss Matthew.

“Um, like. Every day? I don´t think there´s a moment where I´m not thinking about you.”

Jiwoong knows he´s got to be extremely read in the face now, but it kind of helps to see Matthew is blushing quite a bit himself. He´s feeling so hot and confused. Why is Matthew so close? Why is he blushing?

“Hm. Do you ever think about kissing me?”

Jiwoong freezes. He feels like he might throw up. Does Matthew know that Jiwoong likes him? Is he making fun of him right now? No. No, Matthew wouldn´t do that. But then why is he asking him that, why is he so close-

Matthew suddenly backs away, looking somewhat embarrassed and disappointed. “Never mind. Sorry, I-“ he sighs “I guess I got the wrong idea?” He gets up to leave, but Jiwoong quickly grabs his hand.

“What idea?” He asks, confused and hopeful. Does Matthew like him back?

Matthew sits back down, slightly shaking.

“I don’t know I just… I thought you liked me. Like, romantically. I´ve honestly thought you have for a while, but I didn´t want to say anything in case I was getting the wrong idea, but then these last few days you´ve been acting kind of weird, and doing some things from that list Gyuvin has, and-“

“Wait, pause.” Jiwoong almost yells, apologizing at a startled Matthew. “Sorry, it´s just. You know about the list?”

Matthew looks at Jiwoong in almost an obviously? way.

“Well, yeah. I helped him make that list when he was trying to get with Ricky. It was honestly a joke, and I don´t think he ever even used it, but we always joked about how we´d use the list to help someone else get into a relationship just to see if it works and yeah. So, I asked him if he gave the list to you, and he said yes so I just, I don´t know… Assumed it was so you could get with me? But it was obviously stupid of me to assume and I-“

“Oh my god.” Jiwoong puts his head into his hands. “I´m actually going to kill Kim Gyuvin.”

He looks back at Matthew, taking a second to really make sure that he´s real – that this is real.

“I do like you, Matthew. Hell, I like you so much you are all I think about. I never shut up about you, it´s why Gyuvin gave me the list. He said I should use it to get you to fall for me because I thought you´d never look at me romantically.” he´s almost on the verge of tearing up.

Matthew looks somewhat surprised, but mostly relieved. He basically jumps onto Jiwoong´s lap to hug him.

“I like you too Jiwoon hyung. I like you so so so much. How could you ever think that I don´t like you?”

Jiwoong´s definitely tearing up now.

“Can I kiss you, Matthew? Please?” He whispers, looking into Matthew´s eyes with so much love.

“Yes. Please do.” Matthew breathes out, and that´s all it takes.

In a matter of seconds their lips are pressed together in a slow, but passionate kiss. Jiwoong holds Matthew´s face with one hand, pulling him in deeper, and puts his other hand on his waist.

The kiss goes from slow, to messy and steamy almost too quickly. All the suppressed feelings taking over both. It´s not until they´re out of breath and basically rubbing against each other that they pull away, a string of saliva between their lips.

Step 5: Physcial touch

“Fuck” Jiwoong´s the first to speak up. “You have no idea how long I´ve wanted to do that for Matthew.”

Matthew smiles, pressing a quick kiss to Jiwoong´s lips. “Me too hyung. I´ve wanted you for so long.”

Jiwoong suddenly pinches himself, just to make sure this is all real.

“What are you doing?” The younger laughs at him.

“Just had to make sure I´m not dreaming. It´s just the thought of you sitting in my lap after a make out session is usually something I dream about and not something that actually happens.”

Matthew laughs again, and it´s like music to Jiwoong´s ears.

“It´s real Jiwoonie hyung.” He kisses Jiwoong for a bit longer this time.

“Wait, how come you never seemed phased from my flirting? Terrible flirting but flirting nonetheless.” Jiwoong asks, taking Matthew´s hand into his and intertwining their fingers.

“I was definitely phased hyung,” He scoffs “You were just too much of an idiot to notice!”

Jiwoong smiles, pulling the younger even closer to him. “I guess I was an idiot. But I have an idea or two of how to make it up to you.” he smirks.

They kiss, and it´s messy and passionate just like before, but that´s the way they want it. Jiwoong pulls away and starts slowly leaving kisses all over Matthew´s neck, making the younger gasp softly.

“Wait, hyung.” Matthew suddenly speaks.

“Hm?”

“If Gyuvin knew that I liked you too, why did he make you go through that list instead of telling you?”

Silence.

“I´m going to kill him.”