9

The morning sun spilled lazily across the dining room floor, drenching the space in that golden, sleepy kind of light that made everything feel a little too quiet. The long oak table sat mostly empty — just two bowls, two glasses of orange juice, and the occasional metallic clink of cutlery breaking the silence.

Felix sat with one leg pulled up on the chair, hoodie sleeve half-covered his hand as he absentmindedly stirred his cereal. Across from him, Hyunjin sat shirt half-tucked, damp hair pushed back like he hadn’t bothered to dry it all the way after his shower. He was eating slowly, like the food was there more out of obligation than hunger.

Neither of them spoke.

Not because they were uncomfortable — just used to this soft, easy kind of quiet.

Then, without lifting his eyes from the plate, Hyunjin finally spoke.

“You wanna go out tonight?”

Felix blinked, spoon pausing midair.“…What?”

Hyunjin set down his fork and leaned back in the chair, stretching an arm over the backrest. His voice stayed casual.

“Club night. Chan’s going. Few others too. It’s kind of a send-off. He’s flying back to Australia tomorrow.”

Felix straightened in his seat, suddenly more awake than he’d been all morning.“Oh. Wow, already?”

“Yeah. Doubt I’ll see him again for a while,” Hyunjin muttered, sipping his coffee. “So figured I’d actually show up.”

There was a pause. Then Felix grinned, the cereal completely forgotten.“I’m in. I love clubs.”

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been to a lot of them?”

Felix shrugged, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.“Enough to know I’m better at dancing than you.”

Hyunjin huffed a quiet laugh. “Bold of you to assume I dance.”

“That’s the thing,” Felix said, poking at his bowl, “you look like you don’t dance, but then you probably get on the floor and end everyone.”

Hyunjin’s mouth curved up into a small, smug smile. “You’ll see.”

“Wait—” Felix squinted, suspicious. “Is this one of those boring VIP lounges where no one’s allowed to move or breathe unless they’re wearing black and silent?”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes.

“It’s a regular club. Loud music. Cheap perfume. Too many lights. You’ll be fine.”

Felix grinned wider. “So, what’s the dress code?”

“Not your weird cat hoodie, that’s for sure.”

“Excuse you.” Felix gasped, hand to his chest. “That hoodie’s iconic.”

Hyunjin tossed a grape from his plate across the table.Felix caught it with a smirk and popped it into his mouth.

There was a lull again — but this time it felt lighter. Like both of them were pretending not to look forward to the same thing.

Hyunjin reached for his phone lazily, then glanced at Felix over the screen.

“Be ready by nine. And wear something decent. We’re not going grocery shopping.”

Felix leaned back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. “I’m gonna outshine you. Just wait.”

Hyunjin didn’t look up, but the smirk didn’t go unnoticed.“You already do,” he muttered, quiet enough that it might’ve been meant for himself.

-------

Felix stood in front of the mirror, eyes narrowing at his own reflection.

He looked fine. Better than fine, actually — black button-up tucked neatly into his jeans, collar loose just enough to show a glimpse of skin. His hair framed his face perfectly, and the soft eyeliner brought out the golden flecks in his irises. But something still tugged at him. Something small and sharp that whispered not enough.

He adjusted his sleeves. Fixed the chain around his neck. Exhaled hard.

“It’s just a party,” he muttered to himself.

A knock interrupted his spiral — two soft raps before the door creaked open.

Felix turned as Hyunjin stepped inside, dressed in all black and looking like sin and secrets wrapped in silk. His eyes roamed over Felix slowly, not in a rushed, accidental glance — but in a drag, like he was memorizing something he already knew too well.

“Wow,” Hyunjin murmured.

Felix blinked. “Too much?”

Hyunjin didn’t answer.

He crossed the room in just a few strides, stopping behind Felix, letting his presence fill the space like smoke. Then — arms looped gently around his waist, tugging him flush against a solid chest.

“No,” Hyunjin whispered, lips brushing the shell of his ear. “Perfect.”

A kiss landed just below Felix’s jaw. Featherlight.

Felix swallowed, his pulse skimming just beneath the surface of his skin. “I thought we were leaving—”

“We are.”

Another kiss. Slower this time. Just under the ear.

“But that can wait.”

Hyunjin’s voice was soft — too soft for how heavy his hands felt, how they gripped at Felix’s hips like they belonged there. Felix let his eyes close, just for a second, leaning into the warmth curling at the base of his spine.

“Hyunjin…” he whispered, but the rest of the sentence got lost in the way Hyunjin’s nose brushed along his neck, inhaling slowly like Felix was something worth craving.

Their eyes met in the mirror. Hyunjin’s gaze was dark. Focused. That lazy smirk gone — replaced by something deeper, unreadable.

Felix turned to face him — and before he could say another word, Hyunjin’s hand cupped his jaw, thumb brushing his lower lip.

“You’re nervous,” Hyunjin said softly.

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“I’m not—”

Hyunjin leaned in and kissed him. Firm. Slow. The kind of kiss that didn’t ask for permission because it already knew the answer. And when Felix kissed back — hungry, impatient — Hyunjin chuckled into it.

“I knew it,” he whispered.

He stepped forward. Felix stepped back. Until his knees hit the edge of the bed, and he sat, breath short, eyes wide.

Hyunjin stayed standing for a moment — looking down at him like he couldn’t decide what to ruin first.

"We’ll be late,” Felix managed to say, barely above a whisper.

Hyunjin’s smile returned — lazy, sinful, soft.

“So let’s make it worth it.”

Hyunjin dropped to his knees.

Just like that.

Felix’s breath caught.

There was no teasing in Hyunjin’s eyes now — just heat, sharp and focused, like the rest of the world had melted away and all that mattered was Felix in front of him, chest rising and falling too fast, thighs twitching under the weight of Hyunjin’s gaze.

His hands slid up the insides of Felix’s legs — slow, deliberate — thumbs pressing into tense muscle as he parted them wider.

“Still nervous?” he murmured, kissing just above the waistband of Felix’s jeans.

Felix’s hand gripped the edge of the bed. “No.”

It was a lie, and Hyunjin knew it.

“Good,” he whispered anyway, dragging the zipper down with excruciating care.

The fabric gave way, exposing soft skin and the obvious strain beneath Felix’s briefs. Hyunjin leaned in, nose brushing along the outline of him, his breath hot, lips ghosting over the cotton until Felix gasped.

“Please,” Felix whispered, head falling back.

That broke Hyunjin’s restraint.

He hooked his fingers under the waistband and tugged everything down — jeans, briefs, pride — until Felix was bare and trembling, legs spread around him like a prayer waiting to be answered.

Hyunjin looked up, eyes locked on Felix’s flushed face, then lowered his mouth.

The first touch of his tongue was silk and heat — and it made Felix jolt like he’d touched a live wire.

The second made him moan — short and choked, like the sound had surprised him.

Hyunjin sucked him in deeper, one hand holding his hip steady, the other curling around the base. His mouth moved slow at first, wet and warm and devastating, drawing Felix in with maddening precision. But then — he sped up. Pressure building, lips tighter, tongue relentless.

Felix’s thighs trembled.

“Fuck—Hyunjin—”

Hyunjin only hummed around him, sending vibrations through every inch of Felix’s spine. His grip got harder, rougher, dragging Felix closer to the edge of the bed until he was flush against his mouth, hips pinned, unable to run from it.

Felix’s hand flew to Hyunjin’s hair, fingers tangling in the soft strands. “Too good—it's too—”

Hyunjin pulled back just enough to speak, lips glossy, voice dark.

“You gonna come already?”

Felix flushed deep, panting. “Shut up—”

Hyunjin’s smirk returned — but only for a second. Then he swallowed him whole again.

This time rougher.

No mercy, just need. Felix’s moans grew louder, fingers pulling, hips stuttering in the air, breath breaking in sharp, ragged bursts.

“Hyun—Hyun, I’m—!”

Hyunjin didn’t stop.

Felix shattered.

Back arching, thighs closing in around Hyunjin’s shoulders as he cried out, high and broken, pleasure ripping through him like lightning.

Hyunjin held him through it — swallowing everything, hand gripping Felix’s thigh so hard it left faint marks. He didn’t pull back until Felix collapsed against the bed, boneless, flushed and gasping, eyes barely able to focus.

When he finally did, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then leaned forward, crawling up onto the bed, caging Felix in with his arms, brushing hair from his forehead before the smirk returned.“Still wanna go dancing?”

Felix blinked up at him, still wrecked.

“…What time is it?”

Hyunjin kissed the corner of his mouth. “Early. We’ve got time.”

Felix’s hands slipped around Hyunjin’s neck, tugging him down until their lips met again — slower this time. Tender. His voice trembled against Hyunjin’s mouth when he whispered:

“Then take your time.”

------

The club was loud.

Lights flickered, music pounded through the floors, and bodies moved in tangled rhythms under colored beams that never stayed in one place. Felix stood by Hyunjin’s side as they entered, the door shutting behind them like a final thud — sealing them into a world too alive, too unfamiliar.

He swallowed.

Hyunjin glanced at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Felix said quickly, even though he wasn’t sure he was.

Hyunjin didn’t press. Just kept walking, his hand brushing Felix’s as they moved through the crowd. A few heads turned — Hyunjin always drew attention, even when he wasn’t trying.

They reached the back corner where four guys were already gathered around a high table, a few drinks scattered across it. Laughter rose over the music.

“Hyunjin!” One of them — the tallest — called, flashing a grin. “Took you long enough.”

Felix recognized him vaguely. Bang Chan. He’d seen him before. But the other three — no idea. Just strangers with familiar energy: loud, easygoing, close-knit.

Felix suddenly felt like an extra in a scene he didn’t belong to.

Hyunjin gave Chan a brief hug, then turned toward the others. “This is Felix.”

Felix offered a small nod. “Hey.”

They each acknowledged him with polite nods, casual hellos, nothing too warm — not cold either. Just... surface level.

“This is Changbin,” Hyunjin pointed, “I.N, and Seungmin.”

Changbin raised his glass. “Nice to meet you.”

I.N offered a small smile.

Seungmin just gave a lazy two-finger salute before sipping his drink.

Felix stood awkwardly by Hyunjin’s side, clutching his jacket sleeves.

“Want something to drink?” Hyunjin leaned in to ask.

“Yeah. Just… something light?”

Hyunjin smirked. “Got it.”

He stepped away to the bar.

Felix exhaled.

Chan leaned slightly toward him, tone light. “First time clubbing with us?”

Felix nodded. “Yeah. I don’t really… know anyone.”

“You will,” Chan said simply. “They’re not as scary as they look.”

Felix gave a small smile, appreciative but still tense.

A few minutes later, Hyunjin returned, holding two glasses. He handed one to Felix and took a sip from his own. “Try this. You’ll like it.”

Felix did — it was sweet, with a citrusy punch that dulled some of his nerves.

They didn’t talk much after that. Music was too loud anyway. The others were chatting among themselves, throwing jokes around, slipping off toward the dance floor. Chan waved them off, saying he’d join later. That left Felix and Hyunjin sitting near the bar, shoulders touching occasionally — close enough to feel the heat of each other.

“You don’t have to stay stuck with me, you know,” Felix said, his voice barely audible over the bass.

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. “I brought you here. I’m not gonna ditch you.”

Felix looked away, lips quirking. “I’m not a kid.”

“No,” Hyunjin said, eyes lingering, voice lower. “You’re not.”

That tension — the one always simmering between them — suddenly felt stronger. And Felix’s throat went dry.

“I think I need another drink,” he muttered, pushing off the stool.

Hyunjin followed.

-------

Felix didn’t even realize when the shift happened.

One moment he was clutching his drink like a lifeline, and the next he was laughing—actually laughing—at something I.N said that probably wasn’t even that funny. It was the alcohol, for sure. The second drink had tipped him over that quiet, shy edge.

Now he was loose. Bright-eyed. Moving with the music, hands in the air as he swayed beside Chan, who was dancing like he hadn’t in years. Changbin had somehow made friends with a group near the DJ booth. I.N and Seungmin kept yelling the lyrics to each other like a competition.

And Felix?

Felix was glowing.

Hyunjin stood off to the side, one hand in his pocket, watching it all with a calm detachment — drink untouched, eyes trained on one person only.

Felix was talking to Seungmin now — or trying to. It was mostly just giggles and arm grabbing and swaying to the beat while he kept bouncing from one person to another.

Then his eyes found Hyunjin.

Again.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” he asked as he approached, slightly slurring. His cheeks were flushed, his lips loose. “Too cool for fun?”

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. “You’ve had enough drinks, haven’t you?”

Felix gave a dreamy grin. “Maybe.”

Before Hyunjin could respond, Felix leaned into him — not just a brush of the shoulder this time, but a full body lean, his arms looping around Hyunjin’s waist like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Warm,” Felix mumbled into his chest.

Hyunjin blinked, stunned for a beat. Then he slowly lowered his glass and slid one arm around Felix’s back, steadying him.

“Felix,” he said near his ear, voice low, “you’re drunk.”

Felix nodded. “Yeah, but it’s nice.”

Hyunjin couldn’t help it — he chuckled. “You’re so clingy when you drink.”

“I’m clingy when I like someone,” Felix whispered before he could think better of it.

Hyunjin froze.

Felix didn’t notice. Or maybe he did and just didn’t care anymore. He was already pulling Hyunjin toward the dance floor. “Come on. Dance with me.”

“You’re gonna fall over.”

“Then catch me.”

Hyunjin laughed. A real one. “God, you’re such a brat.”

But he followed.

And they danced — not the wild kind of dancing everyone else was doing, but close, quiet movements. Felix’s arms around Hyunjin’s neck. Hyunjin’s hands at his waist, fingers warm against the fabric of his shirt. Their faces inches apart.

“Hey,” Felix mumbled.

“Hmm?”

Felix looked up at him. His smile was lazy. “Thanks for bringing me.”

Hyunjin stared at him for a long moment. “Don’t thank me yet. We’re not home.”

-------

The city lights blurred past the tinted windows, soft streaks of gold and blue washing over the backseat.

Felix was curled up against the car door, his cheek pressed to the cold glass, hoodie bunched around his neck. His eyes fluttered open and shut in lazy intervals, like staying awake was the most exhausting task on earth.

Hyunjin glanced over.

That pout was back.

“Stupid seatbelt,” Felix mumbled suddenly, tugging weakly at it. “It’s choking me.”

Hyunjin reached across, clicking it loose slightly so it sat lower. “Better?”

Felix didn’t answer — just hummed like a cat getting head pats.

Hyunjin chuckled under his breath. “Drama queen.”

Felix turned to face him, blinking slowly. His eyes were heavy-lidded and pink at the corners, his lips pushed out just enough to look unbothered and adorable at the same time.

“You’re mean,” he whispered.

Hyunjin raised a brow. “How am I mean?”

“You didn’t dance with me much.” Felix sniffled, turning away again like that fact genuinely hurt his feelings. “I was the only one who didn’t know anyone there.”

Hyunjin’s smile softened. He reached out and ruffled Felix’s hair gently. “You didn’t seem lonely when you were clinging to me like a koala.”

Felix swatted his hand away weakly. “Because you’re warm,” he murmured. “And you smell nice…”

That made Hyunjin blink.

Felix yawned into the sleeve of his hoodie. “You’re like... like a villain who’s secretly really soft, you know?”

Hyunjin looked out the window, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning too wide.

“Is that your drunk opinion of me?” he asked.

Felix nodded against the window. “You're so cold all the time. But then you do stuff like…” His voice faded as his eyes slipped shut again. “Like make me breakfast... or dance with me… or let me hold your hand…”

Hyunjin’s gaze flicked down to their hands.

He hadn’t even realized Felix had reached over and grabbed his — fingers loosely tangled in his own, resting between them on the seat.

The car was quiet for a while.

Then, in the smallest voice possible, Felix whispered, “I like it when you’re soft.”

Hyunjin looked at him. Really looked at him.

Drunk. Pink-cheeked. Sleepy. Honest.

Dangerously honest.

He swallowed.

“I’ll try to be soft more often,” he whispered back.

Felix didn’t respond.

He’d already fallen asleep.

Hyunjin gently shifted their joined hands into his lap, his thumb brushing slow circles across the back of Felix’s knuckles.

God help him.

He was already too far gone.

-------

Hyunjin pushed open the door with his shoulder, one arm hooked under Felix’s legs, the other steady at his back.

Felix was half-asleep in his arms, cheek resting against Hyunjin’s shoulder, hair messy from the car ride and alcohol. He smelled faintly like vanilla and champagne.

Hyunjin set him down gently on the bed, trying not to wake him as he pulled the covers over his waist and adjusted the pillow behind his head.

He was just about to stand—

Fingers curled around his wrist.

Hyunjin froze.

Felix’s eyes were barely open, lashes fanned against flushed skin, voice no louder than a breath:

“Don’t leave… stay with me tonight.”

Hyunjin looked down at him, heart suddenly far too loud in his chest.

He could’ve said no. He should’ve.

But he didn’t.

He let out a quiet sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed, gently prying his wrist free — only to thread their fingers together instead. He pulled his shoes off, then slipped under the covers beside Felix, still fully clothed, careful not to touch too much.

But Felix didn’t stop at holding hands.

He shifted closer. Head pressed to Hyunjin’s chest. A soft exhale. A fist curled into his shirt like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.

“You’re warm,” Felix mumbled.

Hyunjin smiled faintly, staring at the ceiling. “So I’ve been told.”

Silence fell.

Breathing slowed.

And somewhere between the hush of the room and the weight of the moment, Hyunjin let his hand drift — brushing the small of Felix’s back, keeping him close, like he was afraid he’d disappear if he let go.

Felix whispered something. It was hard to hear. Could’ve been his name. Could’ve been a dream.

Hyunjin didn’t ask.

He just whispered back:

“Sleep, Lixie. I’m not going anywhere.”

------