Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The apartment was quiet except for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the rain tapping gently against the windows.

Felix stood in the kitchen with his phone balanced carefully between his shoulder and ear. His free hand held a pair of chopsticks, stirring the instant ramen that had been sitting in the pot for far too long. The noodles had already gone slightly soggy, clinging together in a way that made them look more like a single mass than individual strands. He did not seem to notice or care. His gaze drifted toward the window above the sink, where rain tapped gently against the glass.

“You’re still going to the reunion, right?” Chan’s voice came through the speaker, warm and slightly staticky from the connection.

Felix leaned his weight against the counter, the edge pressing into his hip as he stared blankly at the rain-streaked city outside. Water traced crooked paths down the window, blurring the distant lights into soft golden smudges. “Mm. Probably.”

“Probably?” Chan repeated, and Felix could hear the exaggerated disbelief dripping from every syllable. “Don’t do this to me, Yongbok. I spent three weeks organizing this.”

Felix huffed out a quiet laugh at that, the sound barely more than a soft exhale through his nose. He finally reached over and turned the stove off, twisting the dial with more force than necessary. “You say that like the college forced you.”

“They kind of did,” Chan complained. “Apparently alumni relations become your problem the second you answer one email politely.”

Felix smiled faintly, the expression tugging gently at the corners of his mouth. The kitchen light cast a warm yellow glow across the apartment, softening every edge and corner until the space felt almost like a painting. Fabric swatches lay scattered across the dining table in small piles of different textures and colours, resting beside several unfinished costume sketches that still had pencil marks waiting to be erased. A measuring tape hung loosely over the back of a chair, the metal tip brushing against the wooden floor whenever the air shifted. Near the couch sat a half-open portfolio case, and along one corner of it, a dried paint smudge had hardened into a dark stain that no one had bothered to clean yet.

Felix’s eyes lingered on it for half a second before he looked away.

Chan kept talking on the other end, his voice filling the quiet spaces of the apartment. “Innie said he’ll come if Seungmin stops pretending he’s too busy for human interaction.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Exactly. Which means Jeongin’s definitely coming.”

Felix laughed softly under his breath and finally poured the ramen into a bowl. The noodles slid out in one heavy clump, steam rising briefly before disappearing into the warm kitchen air. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the drawer and leaned against the counter again, not yet ready to move toward the couch.

“You should’ve seen the group chat earlier,” Chan continued. “Ji somehow turned a reunion discussion into an argument about whether Minho loves him enough to share fries.”

“Does he?” Felix asked, already knowing the answer.

“No.”

Felix snorted quietly. For a moment, things felt light again. Familiar. The way conversations used to feel back when they all lived within walking distance of each other and seeing someone’s face required only a short trip down the hall.

Then Chan said casually, “Hyunjin said he might come late.”

Felix’s hand paused around the chopsticks.

Only for a second.

“Mm,” he hummed.

The silence that followed stretched just a little too long.

Chan noticed. Chan always noticed.

“…You okay?”

Felix blinked, forcing himself to move again, to stir the ramen even though stirring would not make it any less soggy. “Yeah. Just tired.”

“Still overworking?”

“Says you.”

“I’m serious, Lix.”

Felix carried the bowl toward the couch, stepping carefully around piles of fabric and sketchbooks that had migrated from the table to the floor over the course of the week. His bare feet made soft sounds against the wooden floorboards. “Opening week is hell.”

“You haven’t slept properly in days, have you?”

Felix did not answer. He could not answer honestly without worrying Chan, and he did not have the energy to lie convincingly right now.

Chan sighed heavily through the phone. “At least come to the reunion. One night won’t kill you.”

Felix sank onto the couch with the bowl balanced carefully in one hand. The cushions dipped beneath his weight, soft and familiar from years of use. A folded dark cardigan rested beside him on the empty cushion, smelling faintly of detergent and something warmer underneath; sandalwood, maybe, or the lingering trace of a cologne that had long since faded.

His fingers brushed against the sleeve unconsciously.

“I said I’d come,” Felix murmured.

“Good.”

Rain continued tapping softly against the windows, each droplet adding its own small sound to the quiet symphony of the apartment. Inside, the apartment felt strangely suspended in time, not lonely exactly, but quiet in a way that settled deep into Felix’s chest and stayed there.

Chan spoke again after a moment, his voice softer this time.

“It’s weird, huh?”

“What is?”

“That it’s already been almost four years.”

Felix looked down at his ramen.

Four years.

Four years since graduation, since the last time they had all gathered in the same room without the excuse of a formal event. Four years since crowded hallways and shared dorms and sneaking into art studios after hours when the security guards had already made their final rounds. Four years since promises whispered sleepily under blankets about the future they were terrified to lose, whispered into dark rooms with nothing but the sound of breathing to fill the space between words.

The thought made something ache quietly beneath his ribs.

“We’re getting old,” Chan groaned.

Felix smiled faintly. “You’re literally twenty-six.”

“That’s basically retirement.”

“Ridiculous.”

“I learned from Changbin.”

That earned another soft laugh from Felix. Chan sounded pleased by it, and Felix could picture him grinning on the other end of the line.

“Anyway,” Chan continued, “Professor Lee asked about everyone.”

Felix tucked one leg beneath himself on the couch, settling deeper into the cushions. “Yeah?”

“Mhm. Apparently, he still talks about your costume showcase like it changed his life.”

Felix groaned softly, covering his eyes with one hand for a second. “Please don’t remind me.”

“You almost cried during that presentation.”

“I did cry during that presentation,” Felix admitted, because there was no point in denying something Chan had witnessed firsthand.

“You cried because Hyunjin showed up with flowers.”

Felix fell quiet again.

The words landed softly, but they landed precisely where Chan had not meant them to go. The silence that followed felt different from the previous ones, heavier, weighted with the kind of memory that still carried warmth even after years had passed.

Felix stared toward the rain-covered windows, watching the water trace endless paths down the glass and smiled faintly. The reflection of the kitchen light flickered across the wet surface, distorting and reforming with every new droplet.

“Yeah.”

But his voice came out quieter than before.

The truth was, Felix still remembered it vividly. Standing backstage shaking from stress while trying to fix a torn sleeve seconds before the showcase started, his fingers fumbling with a needle and thread while his heart pounded loud enough to drown out the noise of the crowd. Being exhausted and overwhelmed and certain everything would go wrong; certain he would walk out there and forget every decision he had made.

Then turning around and seeing flowers shoved awkwardly into his face by paint-stained hands.

Thought these looked like you.

Simple but so unbearably sincere that Felix had not known what to do with himself afterward.

Felix swallowed hard and set the ramen aside on the coffee table.

Chan cleared his throat gently. “Anyway. Everyone’s excited to see you.”

“Mhm.”

Another pause settled between them. Not awkward, exactly.

Finally Chan sighed. “Go eat before your ramen turns into glue.”

“Too late.”

“Disgusting.”

Felix smiled a little, the expression small but genuine.

“Goodnight, hyung.”

“Night, Lix. And seriously-”

“I’ll come to the reunion.”

“Good.”

The call ended with a soft click, and silence returned immediately afterward.

Felix stayed curled on the couch for a long moment, phone resting loosely in his hand while rainwater traced crooked paths down the glass windows. The apartment looked lived in. Comfortably so. A stack of art books sat near the television stand beside several fashion magazines and loose fabric samples that had never been put away properly. Tiny paint marks dotted the floor near the dining table legs, stains that never fully came off no matter how much scrubbing happened over the years. A soft blanket was draped messily across the couch cushions, tangled in the way that meant someone had fallen asleep under it recently.

Felix stared at them absentmindedly. Then looked away again.

He sighed softly, leaning his head back against the couch. The ceiling above him held faint shadows where the light did not quite reach.

The ramen had gone cold.

The apartment remained silent around him. The rain continued its gentle assault on the windows, and the refrigerator hummed in the background, and somewhere in the distance a car horn blared briefly before fading away.

Felix glanced toward the clock again.

11:42 PM.

Rain continued pouring outside, the sound wrapping around the apartment like a blanket.

____

Eventually Felix had fallen asleep curled sideways on the couch, his body folded into the cushions in a way that would probably make his neck hurt in the morning. One sock had slipped halfway off his foot, hanging loosely from his toes, while the blanket twisted around his legs like someone had been fighting with it before finally surrendering to exhaustion. His phone had disappeared somewhere between the cushions, buried so deeply that he would probably need to go digging for it tomorrow. The ramen he never finished sat cold on the coffee table, the noodles swollen and pale inside the murky broth.

Rain still tapped steadily against the windows, filling the apartment with soft white noise. And Felix slept there, waiting without even realizing he had done it again; the same habit he had carried with him since college, the same quiet vigilance that refused to leave even when his body desperately needed rest.

The front door unlocked at 12:17 AM.

A quiet metallic click echoed through the hallway, followed by the soft sound of the handle turning. Cold air slipped briefly into the apartment as the door opened, carrying the faint smell of rain and wet pavement before disappearing just as quickly.

Hyunjin stepped inside carefully, rain clinging faintly to dark fabric that had long since lost its ability to repel water.

He closed the door behind him with a quiet sigh, pressing the heel of his hand briefly against his eyes before slipping his shoes off near the entrance. The exhaustion hit him all at once the second he stopped moving, the way it always did when he finally allowed himself to pause. His shoulders ached from standing in front of canvases for hours. His head throbbed somewhere behind his left eye. His tie felt suffocating after fourteen straight hours spent dealing with gallery organizers who apparently enjoyed changing layouts every thirty minutes just to watch him adjust. His bag hanging from his shoulder suddenly felt unbearably heavy.

Hyunjin loosened his tie slowly while standing near the doorway, rainwater still dampening the edges of his black coat. Water droplets clung to his hair, darkening the strands near his temples. The apartment remained dim except for the kitchen light left on; warm, familiar, casting soft golden shadows across the floor. Everything about this space felt like relief pressed directly into his chest.

His gaze lifted automatically toward the couch.

And immediately softened.

There Felix was. Asleep exactly where Hyunjin knew he would be, curled beneath the blanket with his cheek pressed against the couch cushion. Blond hair fell messily into his eyes, catching the dim light and turning almost white in some places. One hand rested loosely against his chest, rising and falling with each slow breath. The other dangled sleepily off the edge of the couch, fingers relaxed and slightly curled.

Waiting. Again.

Something inside Hyunjin melted instantly. It happened every time. Every single time, no matter how exhausting the day had been, no matter how irritated or overwhelmed or emotionally drained he felt walking through that front door. The second he saw Felix waiting for him, something in him settled quietly back into place. Like his body finally remembered how to breathe properly after holding its breath all day.

Hyunjin stood there for a long moment just looking at him. The apartment lights painted soft gold across Felix's sleeping face, catching against the freckles scattered faintly across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Even after all these years, Hyunjin still had moments where simply looking at Felix physically hurt him, filled with too much tenderness trapped inside one person at once.

His gaze drifted slowly across the apartment and Hyunjin finally moved. Slowly. Quietly. He set his bag beside the dining table before shrugging off his damp coat carefully over one arm. The exhaustion still clung heavily to him, but softer now somehow. Warmer. He crossed the apartment silently until he reached the couch, then lowered himself automatically into a crouch beside it, exactly like muscle memory, exactly like years ago in college when Felix used to fall asleep in art studios waiting for him to finish projects.

Some things never changed.

Hyunjin looked at him for another second before finally speaking softly. "Lix."

Felix stirred immediately. Hyunjin took his hand, warm fingers sliding carefully between Felix's. "Hey," he murmured quietly.

Felix blinked up at him slowly, still trapped halfway between sleep and consciousness. His voice came out rough and small. "You're late."

Hyunjin laughed softly under his breath. "Sorry."

Felix made a sleepy sound that barely counted as a response before shifting slightly beneath the blanket. Hyunjin brushed messy blond hair away from his forehead carefully, the movement automatic after so many years. His fingers lingered briefly against warm skin before Felix leaned unconsciously into the touch. God. Hyunjin loved him so much it felt unbearable sometimes.

"You stayed awake again," he murmured softly.

Felix's eyes drifted shut halfway once more. "Tried not to."

"You failed."

"Mhm."

Hyunjin watched Felix fight sleep for another few seconds before finally leaning forward slightly and pressing a gentle kiss against his forehead.

Felix sighed softly at the contact and blinked his eyes open again slowly. "You look tired," he mumbled sleepily.

Hyunjin smiled faintly. "So do you."

"Long rehearsal."

"Long meeting."

Felix's nose scrunched faintly. "Did you eat?"

Hyunjin almost laughed. There it was. Even half asleep, Felix still worried first. "Eventually," Hyunjin answered vaguely.

Felix narrowed his eyes immediately despite barely being conscious.

Hyunjin's expression softened all over again. He reached out, thumb brushing gently beneath Felix's eye. "You should sleep properly."

Felix caught his wrist lazily before he could pull away. "Come here first."

Hyunjin did not even hesitate. He shifted carefully onto the couch beside him, immediately pulled into warmth and tangled blankets and the familiar scent of fabric softener mixed with Felix's shampoo. Felix curled against him, like this was the most natural thing in the world; because it was. Hyunjin wrapped one arm around his waist instinctively while Felix buried his face tiredly against his shoulder.

Hyunjin stayed there for a while after Felix curled against him, just sitting quietly on the couch with Felix half asleep against his shoulder while rain softened the edges of the city outside.

Felix's breathing slowly evened out again, warm against Hyunjin's neck. Asleep. Again. Hyunjin carefully adjusted the blanket higher around Felix before glancing toward the untouched ramen still sitting abandoned on the coffee table. Cold. Completely untouched. His eyebrows pulled together immediately. Of course. Felix had done it again, somehow surviving entire production weeks entirely on caffeine and promises of I'll eat later that never seemed to materialize into actual meals. Hyunjin sighed quietly through his nose, the sound carrying more fondness than frustration.

"Unbelievable," he murmured.

Felix made a sleepy protesting sound against his shoulder without actually waking up, and Hyunjin smiled faintly despite himself before carefully shifting out from underneath him. The second the warmth disappeared, Felix frowned unconsciously in his sleep, his fingers twitching slightly as if searching for something that had suddenly moved away.

"You're okay," Hyunjin whispered. Felix relaxed again almost immediately, his features smoothing back into peaceful sleep.

Hyunjin stood slowly from the couch, rolling his shoulders once to ease the stiffness settled deep into his muscles after another fourteen-hour day. Everything hurt; his neck, his back, his head, the spaces between his knuckles from gripping brushes too tightly. But underneath the exhaustion lingered something softer now. The quiet relief of finally being home. He grabbed his discarded coat from near the entrance before disappearing briefly down the hallway to freshen up.

____

The shower lasted barely ten minutes, just enough to wash away rainwater and gallery dust and the exhaustion clinging heavily to Hyunjin's skin. He let the hot water run over his shoulders until the tension began to loosen, then stepped out into the steam-fogged bathroom. By the time he walked back into the apartment wearing loose sweatpants and a faded black shirt, the atmosphere felt softer somehow, more intimate and domestic in the quietest way.

Felix was still asleep on the couch; one hand tucked beneath his cheek now. The television continued murmuring quietly in the background while rain tapped gently against the windows.

Hyunjin moved toward the kitchen quietly, opening the fridge with a soft sigh. Immediately greeted by: three takeout containers stacked unevenly, strawberry milk with only a sip missing, iced coffee Felix definitely forgot about three days ago, half-cut fruit wrapped loosely in plastic, and various ingredients shoved together carelessly on the lower shelves. Hyunjin stared at it silently for a long moment and smiled to himself.

Lix is never allowed to grocery shop alone again.

Eventually he settled on reheating leftover soup and rice from two nights ago, along with the side dishes Felix actually liked instead of the ones he simply tolerated. He knew exactly where everything belonged; which bowls Felix preferred, how much spice Felix could handle before complaining, which drawer held the good spoons versus the everyday ones. Years ago, Hyunjin used to think intimacy meant confessions and grand gestures and words carefully arranged to capture feelings too large for casual conversation. Now it looked like remembering which side of the fridge Felix always forgot leftovers on and making sure the soup was warm enough before carrying it to the couch.

The microwave beeped softly. Hyunjin plated the food carefully, arranging everything so it looked appetizing even at nearly one in the morning, before carrying it toward the couch.

"Lix," he called quietly.

No response. Felix remained deeply unconscious beneath the blanket, his breathing slow and even.

Hyunjin laughed softly under his breath before crouching beside the couch again. "Baby."

This time Felix stirred with a sleepy groan, his eyes blinking open slowly, unfocused and heavy. "Hm?"

"You need to eat."

Felix frowned instantly, the expression pulling at his features like a child being woken for school. "Wanna sleep."

"I know."

"Tired."

Hyunjin's entire chest melted at the sleepy whine in Felix's voice. "I know, angel."

Felix blinked up at him blearily, clearly still barely awake. His gaze drifted over Hyunjin's face, taking in the damp hair and fresh clothes. "You showered."

"Mhm."

"You smell nice."

Hyunjin smiled helplessly. "Thank you."

Felix yawned, his jaw cracking with the force of it, before attempting to curl deeper into the couch instead of sitting up. Hyunjin caught him immediately, a gentle hand on his shoulder guiding him upright.

"Nope. Food first."

Felix groaned into the blanket like his life was ending, the sound muffled. "Cruel."

"You'll survive."

Despite the complaints, Felix still let Hyunjin guide him upright slowly. Sleep clung visibly to him; heavy eyelids that kept drifting shut, messy hair sticking up in three different directions, warm cheeks flushed from the heat of the blanket, movements slow and liquid with exhaustion. Cute. Dangerously cute in a way that made Hyunjin want to abandon the entire food plan and let him sleep instead.

Hyunjin settled beside him on the couch before handing him the spoon. Felix stared at it blankly for several seconds, his brain clearly still booting up. Then he looked at Hyunjin, then back at the spoon, then back at Hyunjin with an expression of genuine despair.

"Too sleepy," he announced.

Hyunjin actually laughed quietly this time. "Seriously?"

Felix immediately leaned sideways against his shoulder again, tucking his face into the curve of Hyunjin's neck like that answered everything. Like the conversation was over because he had decided it was over. Hyunjin looked at him helplessly for one fond second before sighing.

"Open your mouth."

Felix obeyed immediately without a trace of shame. Hyunjin fed him slowly, lifting spoonful after spoonful to Felix's waiting mouth while Felix fought sleep between bites, his eyes fluttering closed after each swallow.

Felix mumbled halfway through: "You ate?"

"Yeah."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

Satisfied, Felix relaxed further against him immediately, his entire body going soft and heavy. By the time the bowl was empty, Felix was practically asleep sitting upright, his head resting heavily against Hyunjin's shoulder while his hand loosely clutched the fabric of Hyunjin's shirt.

"Bed?" Hyunjin asked softly.

Felix only hummed in response, a tired sound that could have meant yes or maybe or nothing at all.

Hyunjin carefully took the bowl from his hands before standing briefly to wash the dishes. He finished his work in the kitchen, dried his hands on a dish towel before walking back toward the couch. Felix blinked sleepily at him immediately, his eyes tracking Hyunjin's movement across the room.

"There you are," he mumbled.

"I was gone for ten minutes."

"Too long."

Hyunjin smiled softly before leaning down, his hands finding Felix's shoulders. "Come here."

Without hesitation, Felix lifted his arms toward him instinctively, trusting and completely certain Hyunjin would catch him. So Hyunjin did. One arm slid beneath Felix's knees while the other wrapped around his back, lifting him princess style exactly the way Felix secretly loved but would never admit to loving out loud. Felix immediately curled closer against his chest with a sleepy sigh, his head finding its familiar resting place against Hyunjin's shoulder.

"Comfy," he murmured.

Hyunjin looked down at him quietly, at messy blond hair and sleepy freckles scattered across warm cheeks, at warmth tucked trustingly against his chest with complete faith that Hyunjin would carry him carefully.

He carried him carefully down the hallway toward their bedroom, his bare feet soft against the wooden floor. The room remained softly lit by the small lamp near the bed, casting warm golden light across unmade blankets and shared clothes draped over chairs. Felix's moisturizer sat abandoned beside Hyunjin's sketchbook on the nightstand, and a stack of books leaned precariously near the pillow on Felix's side. Their life existed everywhere in this room too; woven into every corner and surface, impossible to separate now.

Hyunjin laid Felix carefully onto the bed, lowering him gently until his head touched the pillow, before pulling the blankets up and tucking them around his shoulders. Immediately, Felix reached toward him sleepily, fingers stretching out in search of warmth. Even half unconscious, even drifting already toward dreams, he always reached. Always.

Hyunjin's chest physically ached at the gesture.

"I'm here," he whispered softly.

Only then did Felix relax properly into the mattress, his hand falling still against the sheets.

Hyunjin climbed into bed beside him a moment later, pulling the blankets over both of them. And the second he settled down onto his side, Felix instinctively moved closer; legs tangling together beneath the covers, face tucking against Hyunjin's neck, one hand resting lazily against his waist. Like puzzle pieces finding their place after being separated for too long, like bodies remembering what brains did not need to think about anymore.

Hyunjin pressed one final kiss into Felix's hair and breathed in the familiar scent of Felix's shampoo, felt the steady beat of Felix's breathing against his chest, and closed his eyes as exhaustion pulled him in.

• · ─ ·🍓✶🥟· ─ · ·

Their life together moved with an easy kind of warmth now, shaped carefully around shared routines, familiar habits, and years of understanding each other without needing many words. The apartment always felt alive in small ways; Felix's fabrics draped over chairs beside Hyunjin's paint-stained jackets like they naturally belonged together. They had built a home that looked exactly like them: creative, comfortable, a little messy, but full of life.

Most mornings started slowly because neither of them enjoyed waking up early. Felix usually stayed curled beneath blankets until the very last minute while Hyunjin stood in the kitchen making coffee with sleepy hair falling into his eyes. Sometimes Felix would wander out still half asleep, wrapping himself around Hyunjin's waist while waiting for breakfast. Other mornings, Hyunjin would find Felix sitting on the counter talking endlessly before his brain had fully woken up. Their schedules stayed busy, but they remained woven into each other's days naturally. There were always messages left behind somewhere, sticky notes on the fridge, coffee prepared before the other woke up, reminders to eat lunch, photos and texts sent during work breaks.

Felix's work filled their apartment with colour. Costume sketches covered tables, fabric samples appeared in random corners, and loose thread somehow followed him into every room. He worked passionately, throwing himself into every project with so much excitement that even his exhausted rambling at midnight sounded animated and bright. Hyunjin loved listening to him talk. Sometimes Felix would pace around the apartment explaining rehearsal disasters while Hyunjin cooked dinner quietly beside him, smiling every time Felix got dramatic over tiny details. Other times Felix would sit cross-legged on the kitchen counter while Hyunjin painted nearby, both of them simply existing comfortably in the same space for hours. They had become very good at sharing silence too, the kind where Felix rested his head on Hyunjin's shoulder while scrolling through his phone, or Hyunjin sketched quietly while Felix worked beside him on costumes. Just being near each other was enough.

Evenings were usually their favourite part of the day. No matter how exhausting work became, they always found their way back home eventually. Some nights were loud and playful, filled with teasing arguments over dinner choices or dancing around the kitchen while waiting for food to cook. Other nights were softer; both of them exhausted, curled together on the couch beneath blankets. They took care of each other instinctively now. Hyunjin remembered exactly how Felix liked his ramen prepared when he felt sick. Felix knew which teas helped Hyunjin relax after stressful gallery events. Hyunjin automatically carried extra hair ties because Felix constantly lost his. Felix kept snacks in Hyunjin's bags because he knew he skipped meals whenever he got too focused.

Love existed in hundreds of tiny details between them. A hand brushing against a waist while passing by. Forehead kisses during rushed mornings. Quiet smiles shared across crowded rooms. Automatic touches that happened without thought.

• · ─ ·🍓✶🥟· ─ · ·

Sunday mornings in their apartment always arrived. Rain from the last night still pressed gently against the windows that morning, turning the city outside silver and blurred while muted daylight slipped through partially closed curtains.

Felix woke first. Barely. His eyes opened slowly against the pale morning light before closing again almost immediately as warmth settled deeper around him. Hyunjin's arm rested securely across his waist, heavy and comfortable beneath the blankets while one of his legs tangled loosely with Felix's. The room smelled faintly like fabric softener and Hyunjin's shampoo. Home. Felix stayed still for a while, sleep lingering warmly inside his body as Hyunjin's breathing brushed steadily against the back of his neck.

This version of Hyunjin might have been Felix's favourite. Not gallery Hyunjin with elegant black coats and composed smiles. Not work-focused Hyunjin sketching endlessly beneath warm studio lights. The Hyunjin only he gets to see: warm and clingy. His dark hair fell messily across the pillow now, soft waves curling near his neck after a full night's sleep. Even unconscious, Hyunjin somehow remained beautiful in a completely unfair way. Felix smiled faintly to himself before relaxing deeper into the warmth surrounding him.

Felix shifted slightly beneath the sheets, intending to turn over carefully. The second he moved, Hyunjin tightened his hold instinctively. Still asleep. Still entirely unconscious.

"Mm," Hyunjin mumbled quietly against his shoulder before pulling him closer.

Felix immediately laughed softly beneath his breath. "Jinnie."

Another sleepy sound.

"I need to move."

Hyunjin buried his face further into the blankets with a faint frown pulling across his features. "No."

Felix's smile widened instantly. "You're awake enough to be dramatic already?"

"Yeah," Hyunjin murmured sleepily.

Felix carefully turned within Hyunjin's arms until they faced each other properly beneath the blankets. The sight waiting for him nearly destroyed him emotionally on the spot. Hyunjin's eyes remained half closed with sleep, dark hair falling softly across his forehead while his expression stayed completely relaxed. His oversized grey sweatshirt hung slightly loose around his collarbones; sleeves pushed carelessly toward his elbows sometime during the night.

Beautiful. Soft.

Hyunjin opened one eye slightly before immediately pulling Felix closer again without hesitation. His hand slid warm against Felix's waist while he leaned forward just enough to press a sleepy kiss against Felix's forehead. The kind of affection built so deeply into routine neither of them even thought about it anymore. Felix melted instantly anyway. "You're clingy," he murmured quietly.

"Morning privilege."

Felix laughed softly, the sound muffled slightly against the pillow. Hyunjin's fingers traced absentminded shapes near Felix's waist while Felix watched him slowly wake up piece by piece. Hyunjin finally opened both eyes properly several moments later and immediately smiled; small, sleepy, entirely for Felix.

Eventually Felix rested his head more comfortably against the pillow.

"Chan-hyung called yesterday. He said Professor Lee keeps asking if we're attending."

Hyunjin smiled softly. "You know he's going to cry when he sees you."

Felix groaned. "Please don't manifest that."

Hyunjin's fingers brushed along Felix's side again.

"Ji, Min, and Innie asked me to get ready with them for the party."

"With them?"

"Mhm."

"You can get ready here." Felix smiled.

"I know. But getting ready together feels nostalgic."

Hyunjin's hand settled more firmly against his waist. "You already live with your college boyfriend. How much nostalgia do you need?"

"Are you sulking?"

"Yes."

Felix laughed quietly before lifting himself slightly onto one elbow. For a few seconds he simply looked at Hyunjin properly; sleepy eyes, messy hair, warm skin beneath soft morning light. Then his expression softened gently. "I'll still come home with you," he said quietly.

Hyunjin's entire expression melted. The playful sulking faded into something warmer, deeper, more affectionate. Because underneath everything else, that was always the part that mattered most. Coming home together. Hyunjin reached forward slowly, brushing blond hair away from Felix's forehead before leaning in to kiss him softly there again. "Okay," he murmured.

Felix curled comfortably closer beneath the sheets. No more teasing now. Just warmth.

Eventually Hyunjin sighed softly into the pillow. "Coffee?"

Felix groaned. "Five more minutes."

Hyunjin laughed quietly beneath his breath before pulling him closer one final time. "Fine," he murmured. And neither of them moved for another ten peaceful minutes while rain continued falling softly outside their apartment windows.

• · ─ ·🍓✶🥟· ─ · ·

Hyunjin returned home just as the evening sky softened into gold. The city outside glowed beneath fading sunlight, warm reflections stretching across glass buildings while the familiar rhythm of weekend traffic drifted faintly through the streets below. His workday had lingered longer than expected, though lighter than usual somehow, anticipation sitting quietly beneath every meeting and conversation from the moment he woke up that morning.

Reunion day.

The elevator ride toward their apartment floor felt strangely nostalgic. His fingers rested loosely around the strap of his bag while his tie sat slightly loosened beneath the collar of his white shirt. Exhaustion still lingered softly in his muscles after a full day at the gallery, yet excitement followed underneath it steadily, calm and glowing. The moment he stepped into the apartment, warmth greeted him immediately. Soft lighting spilled across the living room. Music played quietly somewhere near the kitchen. The faint scent of Felix's perfume still lingered in the air like sunlight trapped inside fabric.

Hyunjin smiled instantly. Felix had definitely been home earlier. His gaze drifted toward the refrigerator automatically. And there it was; a pale pink sticky note attached slightly crooked beneath one of their magnets. Hyunjin walked closer, smile growing before he even reached it.

reheated pasta in fridge !!!

eat before someone steals ur soul through stress

also wear pink somewhere or else ♡

— lixie.

A soft laugh escaped him immediately. Of course. Felix somehow managed to sound affectionate and threatening at the same time. Hyunjin's fingers brushed lightly over the little heart drawn near the bottom before he opened the fridge. Inside sat carefully packed pasta Felix had prepared earlier, along with cut fruit in containers Hyunjin immediately recognized as Felix trying very hard to encourage healthy habits.

His phone buzzed against the counter just as he pulled the pasta out.

Love <3: reached jisung's!!!

seungmin already yelled at my outfit twice:(

Another message appeared immediately afterward.

Love <3: also pls actually eat chan-hyung said everyone's bringing alcohol later and i need u alive.

Hyunjin typed back while leaning against the kitchen counter.

currently following instructions perfectly.

Three dots appeared instantly.

Love <3: wow growth.

Hyunjin laughed softly under his breath before placing his phone aside.

The apartment felt unusually quiet without Felix physically there, though traces of him still lingered everywhere so vividly it almost felt like he might wander out of the bedroom at any moment. Hyunjin reheated the pasta slowly while the music continued playing softly nearby. Jazz. Felix always played jazz while getting ready.

The microwave beeped gently. Hyunjin settled at the counter with dinner and opened Felix's messages again while eating. Photos filled the chat now; blurry mirror selfies, Jeongin in curlers somehow despite having short hair, Jisung wearing sunglasses indoors, Seungmin visibly exhausted in the background. Hyunjin smiled helplessly. Another photo arrived immediately after: a close-up of pink jewellery spread across someone's bed.

Love <3: reminder btw.

Hyunjin looked toward the hallway thoughtfully. Pink. Something noticeable. His wardrobe already leaned toward elegant monochrome naturally; deep black fabrics, silver jewellery, tailored silhouettes. Felix asking for pink meant Hyunjin would absolutely include it. Because Felix asked. That alone mattered enough.

Before he could stand, his phone rang loudly through the apartment. Changbin. Hyunjin answered while carrying dishes toward the sink. "Hello?"

"Are you dressed yet?" Hyunjin smiled immediately at Changbin's dramatic tone.

"I just got home."

"So that's a beautiful way of saying absolutely nothing is done."

"The confidence in your assumptions amazes me."

"It's experience."

Water ran softly through the sink while Hyunjin rinsed dishes. On the other end, loud voices echoed somewhere behind Changbin; Minho, probably. "You still at the apartment?" Hyunjin asked.

"Yeah. Minho-hyung started getting ready forty minutes ago and now he's pretending he isn't waiting near the door."

A distant voice immediately responded: "I enjoy punctuality." Changbin snorted. Hyunjin smiled softly to himself. Some things truly stayed the same.

After ending the call, Hyunjin walked toward the bedroom. The moment he entered, Felix's presence surrounded him all over again. Clothes covered the bed in organized chaos. Jewellery cases sat open near the mirror. One of Felix's shirts hung from the wardrobe door. Hyunjin's gaze softened instantly. Felix clearly spent hours deciding what to wear tonight. And somehow Hyunjin still had absolutely no idea what outfit Felix settled on. The thought alone sent excitement curling warmly through his chest again; because seeing Felix dressed up always felt dangerous. Even after years together. Especially after years together.

Hyunjin opened his wardrobe slowly, dark fabrics filling the space elegantly: structured blazers, silk shirts, tailored trousers, long coats Felix loved stealing during winter. His hand paused over one particular blazer immediately; black, sharp tailoring, deep neckline, simple yet elegant. He pulled it free slowly. His eyes searched for pink details next, and eventually, near the back shelf, he found exactly what he needed: a silk scarf in muted dusty rose pink. Felix had bought it months ago with the words pink suits you when you stop pretending it doesn't. Hyunjin picked it up slowly, thumb brushing across the soft fabric. Perfect. Noticeable enough for Felix. Elegant enough for the outfit.

He changed slowly. The black blazer fit perfectly across his shoulders, structured yet fluid in movement. Rolled sleeves revealed silver bracelets resting loosely around his wrists while layered rings caught warm evening light softly each time he moved. The deep neckline exposed a delicate silver necklace resting against his collarbone, elegant and understated. Then came the pink scarf; Hyunjin looped it carefully near the blazer lapel, dusty rose pink against black fabric immediately drawing warmth into the entire outfit. Felix would absolutely love it.

His hair had grown longer recently, dark layers brushing softly near his jawline and neck. After showering earlier, the strands settled naturally with loose volume, slightly tousled in a way Felix always loved touching absentmindedly. The overall look felt elegant yet warm, sharp without feeling distant.

His phone buzzed again.

Love <3: did u remember pink.

Hyunjin immediately snapped a quick mirror photo; capturing the dusty rose pink scarf draped elegantly against black silk, the silver rings catching light, his dark hair falling softly around his face, before sending it.

Three dots appeared instantly.

Love <3:  oh my god.

okay wow

ur literally insane actually.

you look so hottt.

mine tooo

Hyunjin smiled helplessly at the screen. For a moment he simply stood there beside the mirror, phone still in hand, surrounded by the life they had built together.

A horn sounded outside moments later. Changbin and Minho. Hyunjin grabbed his keys before leaving the apartment, locking the door behind him while evening air drifted cool through the hallway. The streets below glowed beautifully after rain, each puddle catching the amber glow of streetlamps like scattered pieces of gold.

Changbin's car waited near the curb, music playing loudly enough for Hyunjin to hear before he even reached it. The passenger window rolled down immediately. Changbin leaned across. "Finally. We considered filing a missing person report."

"I took twenty minutes."

"Thirty-two," Minho corrected calmly from the driver's seat.

Hyunjin slid into the backseat smiling. "Interesting dedication to tracking my movements."

Minho glanced toward him briefly through the mirror before raising one eyebrow before the car pulled smoothly back into traffic while city lights reflected softly across rain-covered roads. Warm music filled the background quietly as they drove.

Outside the windows, familiar streets gradually began appearing; coffee shops near campus, old bookstores, the tiny convenience store Jisung practically lived in during finals week. Memories drifted warmly through the car atmosphere the closer they got. Changbin noticed first. "Feels weird, right?" Hyunjin looked out toward glowing campus lights appearing faintly ahead. Weird wasn't the right word. Meaningful fit better. "It feels smaller somehow," he murmured quietly. Minho smiled faintly at that. "Everything does after graduation."

The university gates appeared moments later beneath golden evening lights, and suddenly all three of them fell quieter. Campus looked beautiful at night; warm lights illuminated pathways softened by recent rain while familiar buildings stretched across the hillside exactly the way Hyunjin remembered.

The car parked near the alumni hall entrance where lights and music already spilled warmly through large glass windows. People gathered outside laughing together beneath umbrellas while reunion banners hung across the entrance. Changbin exhaled. "Well. Emotional damage begins now."

Minho rolled his eyes affectionately before stepping out first. Cool evening air wrapped around them immediately once they exited the car. Hyunjin adjusted his coat slightly before glancing down at his phone one more time. 

Love <3: almost there ♡.

Hyunjin smiled softly, slipped his phone into his pocket, and followed Minho and Changbin toward the glowing reunion hall together.

____

The reunion hall glowed warmly beneath golden evening lights. Alumni moved through the building in clusters, elegant outfits and familiar smiles filling the atmosphere with nostalgia so tangible it almost felt alive. The warmth of old connections surrounded everyone who stepped inside, carrying them back to younger versions of themselves who once wandered these same hallways with dreams instead of memories.

Hyunjin paused briefly near the entrance steps. Warm lights illuminated pathways he once walked half asleep carrying sketchbooks beneath one arm. Familiar buildings stretched across the hillside exactly as he remembered, windows glowing softly against the dark evening sky while students crossed between classes in the distance.

Changbin nudged his shoulder lightly beside him. "You're doing the emotional staring thing." Hyunjin smiled faintly before finally stepping inside.

And immediately people noticed him. It happened naturally. Conversations paused subtly as they entered the reunion hall. Hyunjin carried adulthood well. Success settled around him quietly now; calm confidence, steady composure, the effortless elegance years of gallery openings and public exhibitions brought naturally. People looked at him the way they looked at someone slightly untouchable. The successful alumnus. The artist everyone talked about proudly afterward. The student professors still mentioned during lectures. Even now, years later, attention followed him easily.

"Wow," Changbin muttered beside him. "You walked in here like a magazine cover."

"I walked through a door."

"Feels like you floated through a door." Minho laughed softly beneath his breath while Hyunjin simply smiled.

Almost immediately, familiar faces began approaching them. A former dance major nearly tackled Changbin into a hug near the entrance. Someone else waved excitedly at Minho from across the room. And then, "Hwang Hyunjin?" Hyunjin turned smoothly toward the voice. Recognition spread instantly across a woman's face before her smile widened brightly. He remembered her vaguely from visual arts electives during second year. "Hi," Hyunjin greeted warmly.

"You look incredible," she said immediately. "It's been forever."

"It has."

Within minutes more people approached: former classmates, underclassmen, people from exhibitions, students from shared electives. Questions and compliments blurred together naturally.

"How's gallery work going?"

"We saw your exhibition photos online."

"You seriously haven't changed."

"Professor Lee still talks about your final project."

Hyunjin answered calmly through all of it, polite and warm in the easy composed way adulthood had shaped him into over the years.

Yet beneath the social atmosphere, something else began happening too. People noticed something missing. Or rather, someone missing. Felix. At first the questions stayed casual.

"Did Felix come tonight?"

"Is Felix parking somewhere?"

"You two still talk to Chan a lot, right?"

Hyunjin answered easily every time.

"He's coming."

"He's with Jisung and the others."

"They'll arrive soon."

Yet slowly, assumptions began unfolding anyway because Felix wasn't beside him. And back during college, people always associated them together. Always.

Hyunjin barely noticed it initially. Changbin appeared beside Hyunjin moments later already looking entertained. "I guess everyone is thinking you arrived single." Hyunjin took another sip calmly.

"Interesting assumption."

Minho appeared on Hyunjin's other side holding two drinks. "To be fair," he said, "Felix usually hangs off him within ten minutes of entering any room."

"That's true," Changbin agreed immediately.

Hyunjin smiled softly into his glass. Honestly? Also true.

Before he could respond, “Hyunjin?” a soft voice pulled him from his thoughts.

He turned politely. Recognition arrived immediately, Soojin from the literature department. Elegant, poised, warm smile. One of the girls who openly admired him during university years without ever fully hiding it. Tonight she looked beautiful beneath the golden lighting, dark hair falling neatly over one shoulder while silver rings caught softly against the stem of her champagne glass.

“It's really been forever,” she said warmly.

“It has.”

“You look incredible.”

Hyunjin smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

“And successful,” she added lightly.

“That too, apparently,” Changbin muttered beside him under his breath.

Soojin laughed softly. Her attention stayed almost entirely on Hyunjin afterward. “I saw your exhibition interview online a few months ago. You carry yourself differently now.”

“I hope in a good way,” he answered calmly.

“Definitely good.” Her gaze lingered carefully on him. “You always seemed untouchable during college too, honestly.”

Untouchable. Minho's expression nearly shifted at that one because everyone who truly knew Hyunjin during university understood how ridiculous that description actually was. Hyunjin spent most of college completely attached to Felix emotionally. Still did.

“I think I was mostly tired back then,” Hyunjin replied smoothly. Soojin smiled. “You seem calmer now.”

“I am.”

“That looks good on you.”

Hyunjin thanked her politely again before taking another sip of his drink. The conversation stayed easy at first; work, art, mutual acquaintances. Then gradually something underneath it shifted. Subtle enough to stay socially acceptable, intentional enough for everyone nearby to notice. Soojin stepped slightly closer while talking. Her attention remained fixed on him even whenever other people joined nearby conversations. Changbin definitely noticed first, his eyes flicked toward Minho once in silent communication. Minho only raised one eyebrow slightly. Neither interrupted.

“You know,” Soojin said eventually, smiling into her glass, “I used to have the biggest crush on you.”

Changbin immediately looked away to hide his snort.

Hyunjin, though, remained relaxed. “That's flattering.”

“I think half the literature department did.”

“That sounds impossible.” She laughed softly.

“You were beautiful in college.”

Hyunjin smiled faintly. The atmosphere around them remained warm and social, yet Hyunjin could feel the assumption underneath her tone growing more confident the longer Felix remained absent, like she interpreted his politeness as possibility.

“You really surprised everyone back then,” she admitted lightly.

“How?”

“When you started dating Felix.” There it was again; not openly cruel, not harsh, just layered carefully beneath the conversation.

Hyunjin tilted his head slightly. “We did?”

“A little.” She smiled carefully. “You just seemed very different from each other.”

Hyunjin almost laughed softly at that. Because yes, they were different. Felix brightened every room he entered effortlessly while Hyunjin preferred quiet observation. Felix spoke openly with warmth while Hyunjin carried calm restraint. Felix glowed. Hyunjin lingered. And somehow, they fit together perfectly anyway.

“That's true,” Hyunjin answered simply.

Soojin visibly brightened slightly, misreading his agreement immediately. “You seem… more refined now, I guess.” Changbin physically inhaled. Minho slowly lowered his drink.

Soojin continued softly unaware, “I always thought you'd eventually end up with someone more your type.”

Hyunjin blinked, honestly puzzled. “My type?”

Soojin smiled slightly, clearly believing he understood her implication. “You know what I mean.”

Actually, he didn't. Because there had never been another image in his mind when he imagined love. It always looked like Felix somehow.

Hyunjin looked back toward her politely. “I'm happy now too.” And before Hyunjin could hear what Soojin said further, the entrance doors opened softly beneath warm golden lights. And Hyunjin saw Felix immediately.

Everything around him blurred gently afterward. The conversations, the music, the movement across the reunion hall; all of it softened into background noise the second Felix stepped inside. Hyunjin's entire expression changed without him realizing. His shoulders relaxed first. Then his gaze warmed so visibly that even Minho noticed instantly beside him. Because there he was. Felix. Beautiful in the most effortless way imaginable.

Soft blond hair framed his face in loose waves, glowing almost white beneath the warm lighting while delicate silver necklaces rested against the open collar of a dusty pink shirt that draped elegantly across his frame. The fabric flowed softly whenever he moved, tucked slightly into dark fitted jeans secured with a black belt that sharpened the entire look beautifully. The pink suited him perfectly; warm, confident, bright. And Felix wore it like he belonged inside every gaze that followed him. His skin glowed under the golden lights, free of heavy makeup except for a soft sheen that caught the warmth of the room. A touch of something subtle highlighted his eyes, making them appear even warmer than usual, though Hyunjin suspected most of that warmth came from Felix himself rather than anything he applied.

Hyunjin could not look away.

Beside him, Soojin continued speaking softly about something Hyunjin no longer processed at all. Because Felix looked up. And saw him too.

The exact second their eyes met across the crowded room, Felix's expression softened instantly. Warmth spread across his face like instinct, like recognition, like home. And Hyunjin physically felt his heartbeat stumble.

Minho slowly lifted his drink beside him, clearly enjoying every second unfolding in front of him. Changbin looked one breath away from laughing because honestly, Hyunjin had spent the entire evening composed and elegant and calmly untouchable. Now he looked completely gone. Completely captivated.

Felix moved farther inside the reunion hall alongside Jisung and the others, greeting professors warmly while strands of blond hair slipped softly across his forehead. The dusty pink shirt caught the light beautifully every time he turned. And Hyunjin loved him so much it almost overwhelmed him for a second. The kind of love that settled into bones over years.

Felix's gaze stayed on Hyunjin while he walked through the reunion hall, weaving easily between old classmates.

People turned toward him naturally as he entered deeper into the hall. Some smiled in surprise, some called his name excitedly, and others paused for a second longer than necessary while taking him in properly.

And then he noticed everything. The way Soojin stood slightly too close to Hyunjin. The careful angle of her body. The lingering attention. Felix understood the atmosphere immediately, and amusement flickered quietly across his face before his attention returned completely to Hyunjin again. Because Hyunjin looked entirely mesmerized. His gaze never left Felix for more than a second

Felix almost smiled wider at the sight. God, Hyunjin looked beautiful tonight. Felix recognized immediately that Hyunjin had actually listened to him earlier and added pink because Felix asked him to.

Minho lifted his drink slightly as Felix approached. "You took long enough," he said calmly.

"Professor Lee kidnapped me near the entrance," Felix replied with a laugh.

Changbin pointed immediately toward Hyunjin. "Meanwhile this one mentally left the reunion fifteen minutes ago."

Felix looked at Hyunjin then, and the entire room seemed to disappear for a second. He stepped directly into Hyunjin's space naturally, close enough for the soft scent of rain and cologne to settle warmly between them.

Felix smiled faintly before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss against Hyunjin's cheek. Then he took the drink from Hyunjin's hand naturally and sighed.

"Sorry I'm late, baby."

Soojin froze beside them. Someone near the drinks table nearly coughed into their champagne. Changbin physically turned around laughing while Jisung made the most offended sound imaginable somewhere behind Felix. Hyunjin only softened further, one hand immediately settling against Felix's waist while gently pulling him closer against his side, warm fingers resting securely against pink fabric.

"Did you eat?" Hyunjin asked quietly.

"Jisung bought fries on the way here."

Hyunjin gave him a look filled with deep familiarity. "Only fries?"

"And coffee."

"You're getting actual food in ten minutes."

Felix smiled into the drink he stole from him. "Yes, baby."

Soojin finally recovered enough to speak. "Felix," she greeted, her voice carefully pleasant. "You look… different."

Felix turned toward her with a warm smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Hopefully in a good way." The words echoed what Hyunjin had said earlier, deliberate and calm.

"Different," Soojin repeated vaguely.

Felix tilted his head slightly, blond hair shifting across his forehead. "Well, it's been four years."

“So… you two are still together?”

The question landed strangely, weighted with old assumptions. Felix’s reaction arrived pure confusion.

“Yeah?” The word came so naturally, genuinely puzzled, as if the alternative had never crossed his mind. He blinked warmly around the group. “We live together.”

“Oh,” Jisung said brightly, “people finally figured it out.”

Seungmin raised one eyebrow and murmured, “Interesting. Everyone genuinely believed Hyunjin would someday wake up and lose emotional function.” Felix laughed softly, pressed securely against Hyunjin’s side, while Soojin finally found her voice.

"Aah ...good for you."

"Thank you," Felix smiled.

The conversation around them shifted naturally as Soojin excused herself after that and  others in the group began talking again, but Felix stayed exactly where he belonged; pressed warmly against Hyunjin's side, fingers loosely curled around the collar of Hyunjin's blazer, drinking from Hyunjin's glass without asking permission. And Hyunjin let him. Hyunjin always let him.

____

By the time the reunion started settling into a quieter atmosphere, the hall had softened into something warm and nostalgic. Music still drifted through the venue, though conversations had become gentler now, filled with lingering laughter and tired smiles after hours of reconnecting. Groups of alumni remained scattered around tables crowded with empty glasses and half-finished desserts while professors continued speaking with former students near the stage. Phones flashed every few minutes from another round of group pictures, and somewhere near the center of the hall, Jisung was still loudly insisting one specific photo angle captured emotional truth.

Felix had laughed so hard at that he nearly spilled his drink.

The entire evening had unfolded beautifully after that earlier moment. Their friend group spent hours moving through the reunion together, greeting old classmates, taking endless pictures, teasing Chan about his aggressively organized planning schedule, and sitting around large tables sharing stories from college that somehow grew more dramatic every time someone retold them. Professor Lee nearly cried after seeing all of them together again. Jeongin recorded half the evening. Seungmin pretended to complain about the chaos while secretly saving every group photo immediately afterward. Changbin kept reenacting dance club arguments from third year. Minho looked deeply entertained by everyone the entire time.

And through all of it, Hyunjin stayed beside Felix naturally; one hand brushing against his waist.

Now, hours later, Felix stood alone on the balcony outside the reunion hall. The cool night air curled softly around him while rain-scented wind drifted through the open space overlooking campus. Golden lights glowed below across familiar pathways and buildings, turning the university into something almost dreamlike beneath the dark sky. Felix rested both arms against the balcony railing and exhaled quietly. The alcohol settled warmly through him, light enough to leave him relaxed and pleasantly tipsy rather than tired. His cheeks still carried soft colour beneath the balcony lights, and the pink shirt Hyunjin loved so much moved gently in the wind around him.

Behind him, the balcony door slid open softly. Felix smiled before even turning around. Hyunjin, of course.

Hyunjin stepped outside carrying two glasses of water in one hand. His hair had fallen softer throughout the evening, and traces of exhaustion lingered gently around his eyes after balancing conversations and socializing for hours. Still beautiful. Felix thought it immediately.

Hyunjin walked directly toward him and held out one of the glasses. "You disappeared."

Felix accepted the water with a small smile. "Fresh air sounded nice."

Hyunjin smiled softly beneath his breath before moving beside him against the railing. For a little while, they simply stood there together quietly. Campus stretched beneath them glowing warmly in the distance. The art building stood farther down the hill exactly the way it always had, windows illuminated softly against the night while rainwater shimmered across the pathways surrounding it.

Felix leaned slightly closer against Hyunjin's side. "It still feels smaller than I remember," he murmured.

Hyunjin hummed softly in agreement. "Everything does now."

Felix smiled while looking out across campus again. "Remember when Jisung accidentally locked everyone out of the practice rooms during finals week?" Hyunjin immediately laughed.

"He genuinely believed he was helping."

Felix physically folded against the railing laughing quietly at the memory, and warmth spread through Hyunjin's chest at the sound. He loved him so much.

The wind lifted soft strands of blond hair away from Felix's face briefly, and Hyunjin found himself staring again before speaking quietly. "You looked beautiful tonight."

Felix turned toward him immediately, warmth appearing across his face almost shyly despite everything. "The pink worked?"

Hyunjin smiled helplessly. "You already knew it worked."

"I wanted confirmation from you."

"You walked into the reunion hall and nearly destroyed my ability to function." Felix laughed softly beneath the night sky.

"You're a little dramatic."

"Cause you are glowing."

Felix's expression softened. For a moment, neither spoke. They simply stood shoulder to shoulder looking out over the campus where they met years ago, where their entire lives quietly changed without either of them realizing it yet.

They continued like that for a while, moving from memory to memory naturally while the campus stretched beneath them glowing softly in the dark; the art studio windows where Hyunjin once spent entire nights painting, the little convenience store Chan visited during every exam season, the bench near the music building where Felix fell asleep waiting for Hyunjin after late studio critiques, the rooftop staircase where all eight of them once stayed until sunrise talking about futures they could barely imagine yet. Now those futures existed. And somehow, all of them still found their way back together every time.

Felix sipped slowly from his water before glancing sideways toward Hyunjin again. "You know," he said softly, "Professor Lee kept staring at us during photos."

"He loves us."

"He absolutely does."

"He asked me if we're eating properly."

Felix laughed warmly. "He asked me if you still forget meals while painting."

"What did you say?"

"I said your husband feeds you eventually." Hyunjin nearly choked on his water, and Felix grinned immediately. "That reaction alone made it worth it."

"Yeah?"

"Were they flirting with you earlier?" Hyunjin looked at him immediately, already smiling slightly.

"Unfortunately."

Felix sighed helplessly. "Rude of them."

Hyunjin laughed softly beneath his breath before turning more fully toward him. "You're so possessive."

Felix tilted his head slightly, warm eyes shining beneath the balcony lights. "So what? You're mine."

The words settled gently into Hyunjin's chest. He kissed him before thinking about it properly. One hand lifted naturally to Felix's waist while he leaned closer and pressed a slow kiss against his mouth beneath the cool night air. Felix smiled into it instantly, fingers curling lightly against the front of Hyunjin's blazer while the campus glowed softly around them.

Some things truly never changed.

When they finally pulled apart, Felix rested his forehead briefly against Hyunjin's shoulder with a quiet laugh. "I'm sleepy."

"You drank half of Changbin-hyung's cocktails."

"They were pink."

"That explains everything."

Felix smiled lazily before looking back out over the campus one more time. Then, softer: "Can we go home?"

Hyunjin brushed his thumb gently against Felix's waist. "Yeah," he murmured softly. "Let's go home."

Felix smiled instantly, relaxed and happy in that quiet way Hyunjin loved most.

By the time Hyunjin and Felix returned inside from the balcony, the reunion had softened into its final hours. People stood around in smaller groups now instead of crowds, unwilling to fully let the evening end yet.

The moment Jisung spotted them walking back in together, he pointed dramatically from across the room. "There they are," he announced loudly. "The balcony romantics."

Felix laughed immediately while Hyunjin shook his head.

"You disappeared for thirty minutes," Seungmin added while checking his phone. "Chan almost started a search party."

Chan looked genuinely offended. "I absolutely knew where they were."

"Then why did you ask me if I'd seen them?"

Chan just shrugged.

Minho leaned comfortably against one of the tables nearby, watching the entire exchange with quiet amusement already settled across his face. Felix moved naturally toward the group again, warm from laughter and the lingering night air outside.

Jeongin suddenly looked up from scrolling through the reunion pictures on his phone and gasped. "Oh my god, Hyungs. This one is insane."

Everyone crowded around immediately. The photo showed all of them gathered together beneath the reunion banner earlier that evening, shoulders pressed together while Chan attempted to organize everyone into straight lines that absolutely failed within seconds. Jisung looked mid-laugh, Minho beside him, Changbin pointed aggressively at someone off-camera, Seungmin rolled his eyes while smiling anyway, and Felix stood beside Hyunjin glowing warmly beneath the lights while Hyunjin looked at him instead of the camera.

Minho noticed first. "You're staring at Felix in every single photo."

Hyunjin glanced at the screen once before answering, "Couldn’t help it."

Felix physically hid his face into Hyunjin's shoulder laughing.

"Disgusting," Seungmin declared affectionately.

"Actually insane behaviour," Jisung added. Chan looked deeply emotional about it for reasons nobody questioned anymore.

Eventually the evening began winding down properly. Professors started leaving first, exchanging hugs and promises to stay in touch while alumni slowly gathered coats and bags from scattered chairs around the hall. Professor Lee stopped beside their group one final time before leaving.

"You all stayed exactly the same," he said warmly, eyes lingering across the group with visible fondness.

"More attractive, though," Changbin corrected immediately.

Professor Lee laughed softly.

Felix smiled brightly. "We'll visit campus again soon."

"You better," Professor Lee replied before finally leaving with another wave.

The group slowly drifted toward the entrance afterward beneath warm golden lights. Outside, the rain had stopped completely. Campus pathways shimmered beneath streetlights while cool night air wrapped softly around everyone stepping outside together. The reunion hall glowed warmly behind them now, windows bright against the dark campus surrounding it.

Jisung immediately stretched both arms toward the sky. "I survived."

Changbin laughed loudly while Jeongin leaned against Minho's shoulder smiling sleepily. Felix stayed close beside Hyunjin during all of it, warmth lingering softly against his side while their friends continued talking over one another near the front steps of the hall.

Then came the part nobody liked, actually leaving.

"Aaaand now everyone lives too far away," Jisung complained.

"You literally live twenty minutes from me," Seungmin answered.

"I don’t get to meet you all everyday though."

"Tragic."

Felix laughed softly before stepping forward to hug Chan first. Chan wrapped both arms around him warmly immediately. "You better send the reunion pictures," Felix said.

"I already organized them into folders."

"Of course you did."

Jisung hugged Felix next while pretending to cry into his shoulder. "College nostalgia altered my soul tonight."

Then finally, after another round of promises to meet again soon(which they already do a lot) and one more chaotic group selfie initiated by Jeongin, everyone slowly separated across the campus pathways.

Hyunjin and Felix began walking home together beneath the quiet glow of streetlights. Felix reached for Hyunjin's hand almost immediately. Their fingers slipped together naturally, warm against the cool night air while they walked slowly down the familiar campus streets. Felix swung their joined hands lightly between them as they moved, soft pink sleeves brushing against Hyunjin's dark blazer every few steps.

And suddenly Hyunjin felt overwhelmed with emotion. Because this felt so achingly familiar. Years ago, after long classes and late studio nights and exhausted evenings spent studying, they used to walk home like this constantly. Felix always slipped his hands into Hyunjin's while talking about random things under the night sky, warm laughter carrying softly through empty campus streets while Hyunjin listened beside him feeling like his entire world existed right there. And somehow, almost seven years later, they still walked together exactly like this.

Felix kept talking softly while swinging their joined hands playfully between them, entirely unaware of the way Hyunjin suddenly felt his chest tighten with emotion beside him. The streetlights cast soft gold across Felix's blond hair while cool wind lifted loose strands gently away from his face. Beautiful. Hyunjin looked at him and felt gratitude so deep it almost hurt.

Because this university gave him Felix. Every beautiful thing in his life somehow traced back here; their first conversation, their first friendship, their first apartment, their future. Hyunjin honestly thought he might cry for a second. His eyes stung softly while looking down at their intertwined hands beneath the streetlights, warmth spreading painfully through his chest at the realization that he still loved Felix more every single year somehow. And he knew with complete certainty that he always would.

They crossed another familiar pathway near the old arts building, and Felix looked toward it fondly while still swinging their joined hands lightly between them.

"You know," Felix murmured softly, "I used to wait outside there for you all the time."

Hyunjin's chest tightened again instantly. Felix kept smiling to himself, completely unaware of the way those words settled into Hyunjin's bones like warmth after standing in cold rain for hours. "You always took forever finishing projects," Felix continued. "And every single time you walked out looking exhausted, you'd still smile the second you saw me."

He laughed softly again afterward. "I think everyone in the department knew you were obsessed with me."

Hyunjin physically laughed this time, the sound warm and fond despite the emotion still sitting heavily inside his chest. "That's your conclusion?"

"It's the truth."

Hyunjin turned his head slightly away for a second, smiling helplessly while his eyes burned softly beneath the dim streetlights. Because Felix said things like that so casually, like love came as naturally to him as breathing, like telling Hyunjin that his gaze once meant the world was simply stating a fact rather than offering a confession.

Felix squeezed his hand gently and added with quiet certainty, "I'm really glad younger us found each other."

That did it. Warm laughter escaped Hyunjin immediately, soft and breathless around the overwhelming affection pressing against his ribs. He lowered his head briefly, smiling so helplessly that his vision blurred for a second while Felix looked up at him curiously.

"What?"

Hyunjin shook his head once, still laughing quietly. "Nothing."

Felix narrowed his eyes playfully. "You're emotional."

“You’re tipsy.”

"A little."

Suddenly Hyunjin felt that same overwhelming gratitude all over again for the campus beneath their feet, for the memories lingering in every building they passed, for the nineteen-year-old boy who once stood in this exact spot nervously asking Felix to coffee, for every exhausted night and every fight and every quiet morning that followed. He lifted their joined hands briefly and pressed a soft kiss against Felix's knuckles, letting his lips linger against warm skin for a moment longer than necessary.

Felix blinked once before smiling immediately, bright and gentle beneath the night sky. "There he is," Felix teased softly. "My romantic artist boyfriend."

Hyunjin laughed again, quieter this time, misty-eyed and impossibly fond while walking beside the person he loved most in the world.

• · ─ ·🍓✶🥟· ─ · ·

The apartment greeted them with familiar warmth the second Hyunjin unlocked the front door. A soft click echoed through the quiet hallway before warm light spilled gently across the entryway, illuminating the comfortable little space they had built together over the years. The faint scent of Felix's vanilla candles still lingered in the air from earlier that morning, wrapping around them instantly like something welcoming and deeply lived in.

Felix stepped inside first with a sleepy sigh, already leaning slightly into Hyunjin's side while toeing off his shoes near the door. "Home," he murmured softly, voice warm with exhaustion and lingering alcohol.

Hyunjin smiled helplessly while locking the door behind them. "Very observant."

Felix ignored the teasing entirely and wandered farther inside the apartment at half speed, pink sleeves slipping past his hands while he looked around with visibly fading energy. The reunion excitement still glowed softly around him, though sleepiness had finally started winning after hours of socializing and walking through cool night air afterward.

Hyunjin slipped his blazer off first and draped it carefully over the back of a chair while Felix wandered toward the bedroom already looking ready to fall asleep standing up. "Lix," Hyunjin called softly.

Felix turned immediately, blinking slowly.

"You have to change before going to sleep."

Felix looked down at himself like this information surprised him. "Oh."

Hyunjin physically laughed under his breath before walking over. "Come here."

Felix obeyed immediately, still sleepy enough to lean forward the second Hyunjin reached for him. Hyunjin carefully removed the silver necklaces first, fingers brushing softly against warm skin while Felix stood there relaxed beneath his touch. Then came the rings, Felix held out both hands obediently while Hyunjin slid each silver ring carefully from his fingers one by one before placing them onto the dresser nearby.

"You're very helpful tonight," Hyunjin murmured fondly.

Felix smiled lazily and rested his forehead briefly against Hyunjin's shoulder while Hyunjin’s hands moved gently to the soft pink fabric resting against Felix’s waist, fingers slipping beneath the hem of the knit top carefully while Felix stood there half asleep beneath the warm bedroom lights. Felix lifted his arms when Hyunjin nudged him lightly, still too sleepy to fully process anything beyond Hyunjin’s touch and voice.

The top slid slowly over Felix’s head, revealing warm skin beneath soft bedroom lighting and leaving his blond hair even messier afterward. Hyunjin laughed softly under his breath at the sight before folding the pink fabric carefully over the nearby chair.

"Arms up for the shirt first," Hyunjin said gently, and Felix lifted both arms immediately. Hyunjin helped him into one of his soft oversized sleep shirts. Then Hyunjin's hands moved to the button of Felix's jeans, fingers working easily through muscle memory after years of nights exactly like this. He slid the jeans down Felix's legs carefully, steadying him with one hand on his waist when Felix wobbled slightly from exhaustion. He then helped Felix into a pair of soft cotton sleep shorts, the kind Felix always reached for on nights when he wanted to feel comfortable and warm.

Then Hyunjin guided him toward the bathroom. Felix moved slowly now, exhaustion finally settling fully into him. Still, he stayed close beside Hyunjin the entire time. Hyunjin wet a washcloth with warm water before carefully wiping away the remaining traces of makeup and the tiredness lingering around Felix's face. Felix leaned sleepily against the counter during it, eyes half closed while Hyunjin brushed damp strands of blond hair gently away from his forehead.

"You're taking very good care of me," Felix mumbled softly.

Hyunjin's chest tightened instantly. "I always do."

Felix smiled at that without opening his eyes fully.

Once Felix finally looked comfortable and properly ready for bed, Hyunjin guided him toward the bedroom again with one warm hand resting lightly against his back. Felix practically collapsed onto the mattress the second he reached it, and Hyunjin laughed softly while pulling blankets back for him properly.

"You planned to sleep diagonally, didn't you?"

Felix's voice came muffled into the pillows. "Maybe."

"You occupy ninety percent of the bed."

"You adore me."

Hyunjin's smile softened immediately. "Yes," he answered quietly. "I really do."

Felix looked up at him and reached one sleepy hand toward. "Hurry up," he murmured softly.

Hyunjin leaned down first and pressed a lingering kiss against his forehead. Then he finally left to freshen up himself.

By the time Hyunjin changed into comfortable clothes, soft grey sweats and a loose white shirt, Felix already lay curled beneath the blankets, half asleep now with messy blond hair spread softly against the pillows. One lamp still glowed warmly beside the bed, casting soft gold across the room while Felix blinked sleepily toward the doorway the second Hyunjin entered.

"There you are," Felix murmured.

Hyunjin's entire chest softened immediately at the sound. He crossed the room quietly before sliding into bed beside him, warmth instantly surrounding both of them beneath the blankets. Felix moved closer within seconds, curling against Hyunjin's side like instinct while Hyunjin wrapped one arm securely around him.

Felix rested his head against Hyunjin's chest while sleep slowly pulled at him completely now. "Tonight was nice," he whispered softly.

Hyunjin brushed gentle fingers through his hair. "It was."

Felix smiled faintly against him. Then quieter: "I loved meeting you there."

The words settled directly into Hyunjin's heart. Because tonight had reminded him of everything; where they started, how far they came, how deeply they still loved each other through every changing version of life afterward. Hyunjin's hand stilled in Felix's hair, and without thinking, he shifted slightly beneath the blankets. He tilted Felix's chin up with the lightest touch of his fingers, just enough for their faces to align beneath the warm lamplight.

Felix's eyes fluttered open again, hazy and soft. "Mm?"

Hyunjin didn't answer with words. He leaned in and pressed his lips gently against Felix's. A slow kiss that carried the weight of the entire evening, of every reunion conversation that had tried to pry them apart, of every assumption people had made about their relationship over the years. Felix sighed into it immediately, one hand coming up to rest loosely against Hyunjin's chest, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. The kiss deepened for just a breath, warm and familiar, the kind of quiet affection that existed between people who had memorized each other completely. When Hyunjin finally pulled back, his forehead rested against Felix's for a moment, their breath mingling in the small space between them.

"I love you," Hyunjin whispered.

Felix's smile could have lit the entire room. "I know," he murmured back, teasing even through the haze of exhaustion. Then softer: "I love you too."

Hyunjin kissed the top of Felix's head slowly while holding him closer beneath the blankets. Felix fell asleep moments later still tucked safely against him, his breathing evening out into the steady rhythm Hyunjin had fallen asleep to for nearly seven years. And long after the apartment became completely silent, Hyunjin stayed awake for a little while simply holding him, overwhelmed with quiet love and gratitude for the life they built together.

He lay there quietly, fingers moving slowly through Felix’s soft blond hair while the events of the night replayed gently inside his mind. The reunion hall. Their friends laughing together again after years. Old professors smiling proudly at them beneath warm lights. Walking through familiar campus pathways with Felix’s hand in his own.

And somehow, through all of it, Hyunjin kept returning to one simple thought:

His entire life changed because of this person sleeping beside him.

Back then, university felt enormous and uncertain. Hyunjin remembered arriving on campus carrying sketchbooks and quiet ambition, convinced adulthood meant figuring everything out alone. He remembered long studio nights beneath fluorescent lights, wandering hallways half exhausted after classes, believing success would probably feel lonely and distant and difficult.

Then Felix appeared.

And suddenly life softened around the edges.

Not easier, exactly. Just brighter.

Hyunjin glanced down slightly at the sleeping figure tucked against him, warmth blooming painfully through his chest again.

Felix entered his life so naturally back then. One conversation became shared lunches. Shared lunches became waiting outside classrooms. Then suddenly Hyunjin couldn’t imagine walking across campus without searching for blond hair somewhere nearby.

It happened slowly enough that Hyunjin barely realized his entire world had shifted until one day Felix already existed inside every important part of it.

Every favourite memory somehow included him.

Felix had stood beside every version of Hyunjin that existed afterward.

The struggling artist. The exhausted graduate. The young adult terrified of failing. The man slowly building a career. The person learning how to create a home instead of simply living inside apartments.

Felix loved every version gently into existence.

Hyunjin smiled faintly to himself.

Even during the reunion, surrounded by old classmates and professors and memories, Hyunjin’s attention still found Felix instinctively in every room. The moment Felix walked through those doors tonight, everything else faded into the background exactly the same way it always had.

Some things truly never changed.

And honestly?

Hyunjin hoped they never would.

Felix stirred slightly against him in his sleep then, fingers curling faintly into Hyunjin’s shirt before relaxing again moments later. The movement felt so familiar, so deeply woven into Hyunjin’s everyday life now, that emotion tightened unexpectedly in his throat.

Because this was home.

Not the apartment itself.

Felix.

Coming home after work and finding Felix asleep on the couch waiting for him. Slow mornings tangled together beneath blankets on weekends. Late dinners reheated at midnight because one of them worked too late again. Laundry folded badly because Felix kept getting distracted halfway through

Their life wasn’t built from eventful moments actually.

It was built from this.

Thousands of small ordinary things layered together until love became something permanent and living and impossible to separate from daily existence.

Hyunjin used to think love would feel overwhelming all the time.

Instead, real love felt steady.

Warm hands reaching for him automatically in crowded rooms. Someone remembering how he liked his coffee after exhausting days. Someone staying. Again and again and again.

Hyunjin pressed a slow kiss against the top of Felix’s hair.

Their bedroom smelled faintly like Felix’s shampoo and clean laundry, familiar enough to make Hyunjin’s chest ache with affection all over again.

Seven years.

Seven years of reaching for Felix first. Seven years of hearing laughter fill spaces that once felt empty. Seven years of building a future together quietly day by day.

And somehow Hyunjin still loved him more every year.

Felix still held his hand while walking home. Still smiled at him like sunlight. Still reached for him instinctively in sleep. Still made Hyunjin feel nineteen and completely in love all over again.

Only now they had a home together too.

Now they had shared routines and favourite grocery brands and inside jokes carried across nearly a decade.

Now loving Felix felt less like falling and more like arriving somewhere safe.

Hyunjin’s eyes stung softly again.

Beside him, Felix shifted sleepily before mumbling something unintelligible into Hyunjin’s chest.

“What?” Hyunjin whispered softly.

Felix only moved closer instead, warm and half asleep beneath the blankets.

Hyunjin smiled fondly.

Then he looked around their bedroom one last time.

At Felix’s clothes draped over the chair. At the framed photographs sitting near the bookshelf. At soft yellow light stretching across blankets tangled together after another long day shared side by side.

This life used to feel impossible to imagine.

Now it belonged to him.

Because one day, years ago, a bright blond boy walked into his world and stayed there.

And honestly?

Hyunjin thought meeting Felix might always remain the best thing that ever happened to him.

I love you.

• · ─ ·🍓✶🥟· ─ · ·