you’d been in a long-distance relationship ever since starting college. your boyfriend was consumed by his line of work, and you were drowning in midterms and exams that kept you up night after night. between the two of you, finding time to call felt almost impossible.

most nights, the only time you were both free was when one of you was about to fall asleep. you texted anyway, clinging to those quiet moments. with Valentine’s Day coming up, you wanted him to visit more than anything—but his schedule was packed, every hour accounted for.

the news left you in a gloomy fog. for the rest of the week, you resigned yourself to planning a Galentine’s with your roommates, completely unaware that they were keeping a secret from you.

when the day finally came, your class ended at 2 PM. the second the clock hit the hour, you were out of the lecture hall and heading straight back to your dorm. your boyfriend, Riki, sent you a picture of himself with a simple “good night,” the time difference already pulling you apart again. you replied the same way, never noticing that the background of his photo looked… familiar.

when you walked in, you didn’t notice him at first. you went straight to your roommates, already talking about where to go eat. but when you turned around—

there he was.

Riki sat on your bed, smiling like he’d been waiting for this exact moment.

your jaw dropped, and you lunged at him, clinging to him like a koala. “what the heck—Riki!”

he laughed softly as you peppered his face with kisses. your roommates lingered just long enough to savor the moment before quietly grabbing their things and leaving the dorm, giving you two the space you’d been craving.

“you said you were busy,” you muttered, still wrapped up in his arms.

“I was,” he said, smiling at you like you were his entire world. “But... how else was I supposed to surprise you?”