The door swung shut behind him, closing with a soft click. The air inside the room changed, seeming charged with something new. Something familiar.

Felix could feel his breath hitch, goosebumps rising on his skin as his heart sang. “Hyung?” He whispered, hardly daring to believe it.

“Mm.” The rumble of Hyunjin’s voice was centimeters behind him as the elder man stepped closer. “Miss me, Bokk-ah?”

Felix’s hands shook as he stood in the middle of his bedroom, rooted to the spot. His lips trembled as he wet them, his mind racing. “Y-yeah. So much.”

Hyunjin hummed, a small happy sound that had no right sounding so real. “Missed you too.” He whispered in the younger’s ear, his hands finally coming to pull the blond into his arms, his chest a solid presence against Felix’s back.

He was warm. Felix’s eyes fell shut, head dropping back on Hyunjin’s shoulder. He felt like a rag doll, being held up only by the elder’s strong arms. In a moment, his mind fell blissfully empty, free of the haunting thoughts and insecurities plaguing him.

It all fell away with the gentle touch of Hyunjin’s hand, the way the elder held him close, pressing a soft kiss to his neck. “You smell like me.” His voice is low, and amused. Satisfied, like a cat that caught the canary.

Felix blushed, the pink spreading across his body as he tried half-heartedly to pull away. Hyunjin didn’t let him go, hugging him tighter, his hands like a belt around his waist. “I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It’s nice.”

“You’re not mad?”

He could feel Hyunjin shake his head. “I could never be mad at you, Bokk-ah.”

“Never say never.”

“Are you using my own words against me?” He can feel Hyunjin’s smile.

“I wish this was real.” Felix confesses, hands resting on Hyunjin’s.

The elder falls silent, and the room seems to grow darker.

“Who says it’s not?” Hyunjin says eventually, but his half-hearted attempt falls flat.

Felix can feel the sinking mood come back, his shoulder droop, the negativity rushing back into him like it had never left. He doesn’t even feel the tears rolling down his cheeks until Hyunjin turns him around gently, tilting his chin up to look him in the eyes.

“Don’t cry.” he says, wiping the droplets away with his long fingers. His touch is soft against the younger’s skin, the contact burning. “Please don’t cry.”

And Felix crumbles, tucking himself against the other like a puzzle piece clicking into place.

“Shh.” Hyunjin’s rocking them a little, and eventually Felix’s crying quiets down from the racking sobs to quiet sniffles, and he pulls back, wiping at his face.

Hyunjin lets him go, watching him with concern. “Are you alright?”

Felix nods, a helpless smile shining like the sun in the midst of a downpour. “Fine.” He says, the pitiful smile trembling.

“Bokk-ah.” There’s an edge of reproach in Hyunjin’s voice.

“Truly.” Felix swears. “Because you’re here.”

The corners of Hyunjin’s eyes crinkle up in a smile. “Cute.” He says, more to himself.

For the first time in a while, Felix gets to really look at him. His hair is longer than he remembered, but it’s brown again, not the cold blond from the Cube. His eyes are dark, like two chocolates, staring at him like he’s drinking in his appearance as well. The white shirt that hangs loosely off his body has an old logo on it — some company that had gone out of business years ago. The nails on his hands are painted a chipped black, reminiscent of their first meetings.

“Why’re you dressed up so pretty? Going somewhere?” Hyunjin changed the subject, eyes trailing over Felix’s body. They linger at his throat, and the dip of his waist, before flickering back up to his face.

It makes the younger flush, self-conscious. “Am I usually not pretty?” he asks teasingly, hiding the insecurity behind the joke.

“Fishing for compliments?” Hyunjin grins, but indulges. “You’re always beautiful, sweetheart.”

The way he says it makes Felix’s heart skip a beat, and he coughs, breaking their eye contact.

“I’m asking why you dressed up. Got a hot date tonight?”

Felix makes a face. “In jail maybe.” He says, hand coming up to fidget with his necklace.

“You’re visiting a prisoner?”

“Mm. Kim Seungmin.”

“Why?”

Felix shrugs. “I met his brother at work.” He didn’t elaborate.

Hyunjin didn’t need an explanation. As before, he understood without words, nodding. His eyes shone. “I’m so proud of you, Bokk-ah.” He says, drawing Felix into another hug.

They couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other. It was a physical need, to check that the other’s still there, that the delusion hadn’t worn off, that Felix wasn’t back in an empty room by himself.

“Hyung.”

“Mn.”
“Can you tell me a story?” Felix asks, eyes closing as he drank in the familiar scent he had missed so much.

Hyunjin laughs quietly, the sound music to the younger’s ears. “Of course.” He says, one of his hands moving to stroke the blond’s hair. Their height difference is comforting now out of all times, as Hyunjin’s voice surrounds Felix, and his being seems to be all the younger can feel. His scent around him, his voice in his ears, his lips against his temple, his hands holding him close.

Felix shuts his eyes on the rest of the world, and lets himself be whisked away to a land far away, to Hyunjin’s story of a princess and her prince charming. A sweet fairytale that soothes him, told by the gentle voice of his favorite person.

It’s bliss, in a way nothing else is anymore.

“I love you.” He whispers into the safety of Hyunjin’s embrace, and feels the racing heartbeat under the palm of his hand miss a beat.

“I–”

Felix doesn’t let him say it. “Don’t. Not when it’s fake.”

Hyunjin quiets down, falling into a pensive silence. “What if this was real?” He asks finally, voice subdued.

Felix shrugs. “Tell me when we meet again. Next time. For real.”

Hyunjin kisses the top of his head. “Whatever you want.” He whispers. “Anything for you, Bokk-ah.”

And when his voice dips like that, Felix can almost pretend it’s all real.