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“Jeongin’s asking if we’re gonna be there soon,” Seungmin said as he read the message in the groupchat.
“Everyone’s waiting for us,” he continued.
“They just want the snacks,” Jisung said and glanced at the bag of candies and snacks Hyunjin was carrying.
“Probably,” Hyunjin shrugged.
“I just said we’re going in the elevator and we’ll be there in a few minutes.”
It was a Saturday night and their whole group had planned to hang out, all eight of them. Felix, Jisung, Hyunjin and Seungmin had been appointed to go get the snacks. Or, technically, Felix and Hyunjin were supposed to get them but no one had been surprised when Jisung and Seungmin wanted to go with them. Felix was happy to hang out, excited about the snacks and hoping they wouldn’t end up watching horror videos in the middle of the night. That had happened a couple of times and Felix always ended up sleeping in Seungmin’s bed the next few nights, Seungmin didn’t complain though. (And they did share a bed often anyway, Felix just preferred it happening when he wasn’t scared because of some creepy videos.)
He was holding Jisung’s hand and swung them back and forth as they waited for the elevator to come. It took quite a long time to arrive, which was weird because the building didn’t have that many floors.
When it finally did come, Felix let go of Jisung’s hand and walked in. He didn’t particularly like elevators so he distracted himself with the mirror, fixing his hair as they started moving.
Hyunjin was telling Seungmin and Jisung about the choreography they (he, Felix and the whole dance class) were currently learning when the elevator suddenly halted. The whole box shaking and letting out some weird noises. They all went quiet and waited for the doors to open, were they already at the third floor? Felix was staring at the doors through the mirror, his chest squeezing oddly suddenly.
Felix was sure they waited for almost a minute for the doors to open, and when they didn’t, he spun around to face his boyfriends.
“Are we…” he started but trailed off.
“Stuck? Looks like it,” Hyunjin said and tried pressing the buttons on the control panel. Felix’s whole body started trembling, they were trapped in a metal box. Tears blurred his vision and he tried blinking them away.
“What if we just… Help it a little?” Jisung said and Felix looked at him, what was that supposed to mean?
He stomped the floor a few times until he jumped. Felix's heart jumped, too. Why on earth would Jisung think that was a good idea? Or would even work?
“No! Don’t!” he yelled, panic evident in his voice. They all now turned to look at him. He must've looked like a mess because all three of them frowned.
“Oh, baby, are you okay?” Hyunjin said, his expression turning into a worried one. He moved away from the control panel and stood next to Felix, rubbing his arm.
“You’re really pale,” Jisung said, frowning.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. I just don’t like this,” Felix said, taking a deep breath. Jisung nodded but didn’t say anything. Hyunjin was still rubbing his arm and Seungmin took a step towards the control panel.
“I’ll press the emergency button,” he said, apparently it was the only button Hyunjin hadn’t tried yet
While Seungmin talked to a lady through the intercom, Felix’s heart started hammering in his chest even faster. His fingers curled around the handrail, squeezing it hard. Tears welled up in his eyes and his lips were trembling as he tried to hold back the sobs. He could hear the lady telling them to just stay calm, help was coming but it could take some time. Felix didn’t like the sound of that.
Felix felt his panic rise even more, it was choking him. He hated the whole situation.
They were in a small box, it felt too small. Now, Felix wouldn’t say he was claustrophobic, but there was something about the elevator that just made it feel too small. What if they ran out of oxygen? Could that happen? He didn’t know but the thought itself made his chest hurt even more and his body was now shaking hard, it wasn’t a small tremble anymore.
They had gone up a little already, what if the elevator suddenly drops? What if the people aren’t able to get them out? What if something’s so wrong with the elevator that they’re never getting out? Will they die in the elevator?
Felix’s head was a mess, his thoughts going haywire.
“There’s no service, I can’t contact the others to tell them it’s gonna take a while,” Jisung spoke, looking at his phone. Felix inhaled sharply, making Hyunjin look at him.
“Felix,” Hyunjin started and Felix couldn’t hold in the tears anymore. They rolled down his cheeks as he let out a sob. Breathing felt a little hard, he was gasping for air between his sobs but it felt like his lungs weren’t working.
“Come here,” Hyunjin said and pulled him in a hug. Felix gripped Hyunjin’s shirt tightly, tears now falling rapidly down his cheeks.
“We’re getting out soon,” Seungmin said, his voice soft and calm. Felix couldn’t quite understand it, how were his boyfriends so fine with the situation when he himself felt like he was dying.
“My chest hurts,” he choked out.
“Huh?” Hyunjin said, his voice high. He pulled back a little and looked at Felix.
“Feels like I can’t breathe.”
“Hey, it’s okay. We’ll be out soon,” Jisung said. He moved closer to Felix and started rubbing his back.
“You’re really shaking,” he whispered.
“You’re fine. You’re fine,” Hyunjin kept repeating in his ear as Felix tried to breathe. His gasps were so loud, his heart was beating so fast and his ears were buzzing. Was this a heart attack? Is this how he’s going to die? He sucked in a strained breath.
“Hey, Seungminnie, do you have any slow music on your phone?” Jisung suddenly asked, Felix barely heard it. The hand rubbing his back left as Jisung moved to stand next to Seungmin. Hyunjin started petting the back of Felix's head gently and hugged him tighter, while Felix desperately clung to his shoulders.
Felix was looking at Jisung and Seungmin, who were looking at Seungmin’s phone. Did Seungmin give an answer to Jisung? Were they looking for music now? Felix couldn’t remember.
As if it wasn’t enough that his legs were shaking like crazy, they were growing numb as well and he wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to stand anymore. Breathing got even harder and it made him panic.
Was this it? Were they actually dying? Had they ran out of oxygen already?
He pulled his head back to look at Hyunjin, he was looking back with furrowed eyebrows. But he looked fine? Felix whipped his head to the left, looking at Jisung and Seungmin, they looked fine too.
But why couldn’t he breathe? He sagged against Hyunjin when his legs finally gave out.
“Oh, hey, Lix, let’s sit down,” Hyunjin said, holding Felix tightly.
“M-my legs, t-they’re not holding. I c-can’t breathe,” Felix sobbed in panic.
“It’s okay, we’ll sit down. Listen, Seungminnie’s put on some music,” Hyunjin spoke and slowly lowered them on the floor. Jisung and Seungmin sat down as well and the elevator was filled with soft piano music.
“I r-really can’t breathe,” Felix stuttered when he was finally sitting, his back against the mirrored wall. Hyunjin was sitting on his right and Seungmin sat on his left, taking his hand and squeezing it. Felix would’ve squeezed back but he couldn’t find the strength to do so.
“Do it with me, take a deep breath,” Seungmin said and breathed in deeply. Felix followed him. They repeated it a few times until Felix felt like he was more in control of his breathing again.
“I really like this song, I just found it a few days ago,” Seungmin said. Hyunjin was now holding Felix’s other hand and playing with his fingers. Felix didn’t realize they were intentionally trying to distract him.
“It’s pretty,” Jisung commented as they all listened to the song. Felix found himself nodding, it really was. He rested his head on Seungmin’s shoulder and let Hyunjin keep playing with his fingers. He focused on breathing in and out slowly and calmly. He felt like he would completely lose control if he didn’t keep his focus on his breathing.
But after a few more songs Felix’s thoughts began wondering again. How long had they already been in the elevator? When were the people coming? Why weren’t they already there?
“H-how long have we been in here? Why isn’t anyone letting us out? Are we gonna die? I feel like I’m dying,” Felix rambled, panic getting the best of him again.
“They’re coming, the lady said it would take a while. It’s been twenty minutes,” Seungmin said. Felix inhaled sharply, tears blurring his vision again. Twenty minutes was a long time, shouldn’t they already be there?
They were never getting out!
“We’re dying,” Felix wailed. He let go of Hyunjin’s hand and pulled on the collar of his shirt, it felt suffocating. All he could think of was his pounding heart. It was beating so fast and he felt like choking once again, he was taking quick panicked breaths.
“Lix, we’re not. Listen to me, just take a deep breath,” Seungmin spoke and Hyunjin left his side. Jisung saw that as an opportunity and quickly moved.
“A little slower, yeah, like that,” Seungmin said and squeezed his hand.
Hyunjin was rustling with the snack bag while Felix managed to calm down again with the help of Seungmin. His breaths were shallow but at least he wasn’t gasping anymore.
“Do you want something to drink? We have Coke and Sprite,” Hyunjin spoke, taking the bottles out of the bag. Felix swallowed, a drink sounded good.
“Sprite, please,” he said and Hyunjin opened the bottle.
Felix’s hand was shaking as he took the bottle from Hyunjin and his lips trembled when he drank. Another set of tears rolled down his cheeks. Seungmin took the bottle from him and Jisung wrapped his arm around Felix’s shoulders, Felix rested his head on Jisung.
“Are you cold?” Jisung asked, voice quiet.
“No… I’m just… I feel so, so… Scared? I can’t stop shaking,” Felix said, taking a deep breath afterwards as his panic spiked again. He was unable to stop the trembling.
“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Jisung said and held him tighter. None of them talked for a while, the music being the only source of noise. Hyunjin opened a bag of chips and started munching on them, while also asking for kisses from Seungmin. Felix thought he looked very cute, Hyunjin smiled widely when Felix voiced his thoughts. Then they were all quiet again.
-
Jisung had started to play some game on his phone and Felix was focused on watching him. Still crying a little and sniffling every now and then. Jisung wasn’t that good at the game and it made Felix feel frustrated, which fortunately distracted him.
After what felt like forever, the elevator dinged and the doors slowly slid open. The noise startled them all and Felix snapped his head up. Cool air streamed in and Felix took a deep breath
“Everyone okay?” a man greeted them on the other side. Felix heard his boyfriends answer but ignored the question himself.
He tried to scramble up but his legs were still numb so he didn’t succeed. Nothing was stopping him now though, he was finally getting out of that hellhole. He crawled out of the elevator, his body barely holding up and once he was safely in the hallway, a good few meters away from the elevator, he collapsed on his stomach. Tears of relief started falling down his cheeks.
“You really were stuck in there!” someone shouted, it sounded a lot like Jeongin. Felix turned his head and, indeed, it was Jeongin. He, Chan and Minho were standing in the hallway.
“Wait, what are you doing here?” Hyunjin asked as he, Jisung and Seungmin walked out of the elevator, thanking the man.
Chan started explaining how they had been waiting for the four of them to come. They had expected them fairly quickly, since Seungmin did text they were going in the elevator already and said it would only take a few minutes. Once it had been fifteen minutes since the text, they had tried texting and calling them but couldn’t get ahold of them. They all had started searching for them and found out the elevator was stuck. Jeongin, Chan and Minho had stayed waiting to see if they really were in it, while Changbin had stayed in Chan and Minho's room just in case they arrive.
“That being said, I’m gonna text him we found you and that we're coming,” Chan said, taking his phone out.
Felix was still faceplanting on the floor, Jisung was squatting next to him and rubbing his back. Jeongin looked at them, tilting his head
“What’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?” he asked, which ended up directing everyone’s attention to Felix and Jisung. Felix already saw the frowns on Minho’s and Chan’s faces.
“I’m fine,” Felix answered, his voice a little rough.
“Can you stand?” Hyunjin asked.
“I don’t know,” Felix sighed and let Jisung pull him into a sitting position. Hyunjin and Jisung together proceeded to help him up. His legs were a little shaky still but at least they didn’t collapse under him anymore.
“Woah, you don’t look so good. Have you been crying?” Jeongin asked and Felix felt tears well up in his eyes again. Why was he being such a crybaby? Hyunjin squeezed his hand and Felix just nodded, hoping they’d understand he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Let’s go to our room, shall we?” Chan said and headed towards the stairs. Jeongin skipped after him and Minho and Seungmin followed.
“Wait, get on my back, baby, I’ll carry you,” Hyunjin said when Jisung tried to start pulling them after the others.
“No, what, you can’t carry me up the stairs.”
“Yes, I can, and I will,” Hyunjin said.
Felix didn’t refuse again. If Hyunjin was willing to carry him, then let him. He was feeling exhausted anyway. Felix buried his face on the nape of Hyunjin’s neck and sniffed loudly. He smiled, Hyunjin smelled good. Felix almost felt like he could fall asleep on Hyunjin’s back, he was tired but relieved. Hyunjin and Jisung were talking quietly as they started climbing up the stairs, Felix just listened.
-
“What the hell happened?” Chan asked, whispering loudly. He looked behind them, checking how close Felix, Hyunjin and Jisung were.
“Lix freaked out, like, really badly. He had like a panic attack? Kept crying and shaking like crazy, he couldn’t even stand! His legs just gave out, fortunately Hyunjin had him in his arms,” Seungmin spoke frantically, his voice quiet enough so the trio behind them wouldn’t hear him.
“He was so panicked, I was so worried. I know Hyunjin and Jisung were, too,” Seungmin continued. Chan could see the pain on Seungmin’s face and hear it in his voice.
“It was horrible seeing him like that, I felt helpless. I didn’t know what to do to make him feel better.” Chan couldn’t even imagine what it must’ve felt like.
“But we did manage to distract him and calm him down a little,” Seungmin continued, breathing out slowly.
“That sounds awful,” Minho said and Chan nodded.
-
They settled in Chan and Minho’s room, Changbin greeted them happily and, of course, asked what had happened. Seungmin started to explaing and Felix escaped in the bathroom, not wanting to hear anything about their experience. He washed his face with some cold water, wanting to get rid of all the tear tracks. His eyes were puffy and red, it wasn’t the best look on him. He stared at himself in the mirror for a while until taking a deep breath. He was safe now (maybe he had been safe all along?) but he still felt a little uneasy. He shook his head a little, clearing his head, before exiting the bathroom and joining his friends.
All of their dorm rooms were in the same floor and apparently, while the four of them had been away, the others had carried some extra blankets and mattresses from the other rooms. Said blankets and mattresses were now covering the whole floor. Jisung was laying on them and Felix plopped himself next to him. Jisung instantly wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Their friends around them were arguing about the snacks, Jeongin blaming Hyunjin for eating almost half a package of chips already. Felix laughed quietly and focused his attention on Jisung.
“Hi,” he whispered and smiled. Jisung pecked his lips quickly.
“You okay?” he asked cautiously, Felix nodded.
“I am now.”