Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

To say the school was easily-manipulated was an understatement.

The somewhat incessant irreversible darkness within it, the flickering lights that never seemed to be fixed no matter how many students complained about them, the creaky hallways that were never redecorated, the old building that was too ‘historic’ to renovate. It was all somewhat a representation of the student body that roamed inside it.

Stuck in the same cycles of gossip. The same process of leaders rising and falling. The same cycles of fluctuating popularity, of cutthroat groups of teenagers. The same pillars of torment and worship keeping certain people up and tearing others down.

But, on the outside, where only the surface could be seen, it was undeniably beautiful.

The building was old, so very old, and big enough to fit hundreds of kids inside. It was like a castle, made up of continuous corridors and staircases, classrooms round inside their towers and turrets and large stained windows glistening when the sun hit them right.

The ceilings were high, all curves and shapes and patterns swirled into the tops of the skirting, large stone structures towering high with barely-noticeable lightbulbs dotted elegantly against the walls, all covered by soft, faded lampshades that made the place look candle-lit.

When certain corridors were empty, if a student chose to look up to the ceiling and shout to the sky, their voice would echo all the way up and all the way down, bouncing against the paintings and ricocheting off the doors and humming pleasantly all down the huge hallway. Fortunately, it was rare for a student to find themselves alone in a corridor and the constant gaggle of voices that flurried through them was enough to keep away the echoes.

The floors were pure marble, clinking satisfyingly with every touch of high heel and expensive loafer. The grounds extended wide, covered by carpet of lush green grass and old stone pathways that wound and wound around what were now endless unconventional routes of paths that sometimes led the right way to class, sometimes didn’t.

It was a school a few centuries behind. The lessons and students and teachers all modern, but stuck in the same human-like patterns of high-school drama and rigid hierarchy and a system that seemed so strong, but crumbled from within on a daily basis. Just like the materials in the building.

Sometimes it seemed like the building was the one doing the manipulating, like it was cursed with olden structures that twisted young minds into olden traditions and whispered between the walls, spreading rumours and knotting and un-knotting friendships day after day.

But it was clear the building was a mere victim, forever cursed to watch as teenagers created their own little jungle, sometimes a kind and fabulous and celebratory place to be, and sometimes the opposite.

Whoever had decided that the glorious stone of the building was only to be preserved had only cursed the place to brew more cracks from within. It was stunning look at, terrifying to be inside.

And yet the students managed.

They swarmed down the hallways with books clutched to their chests. They adjusted their ties to appropriate length and pulled their socks up to their knees. They avoided or loved the popular kids depending on their rank. And, most importantly, they survived.

All the curses and the words and the lessons, they survived, because the last decaying bit of life in the building was enough to keep them going.

The building may have seemed only dark from the inside, but there were small little lanterns of light.

One of those lanterns was a student by the name of Kim Seungmin. Although, the bright of his light was intoxicating and thrilling and tempting, he was also the type of light that whenever someone got too close, they found themselves getting burned.

Seungmin was, by high-school standards, one of the higher ranks. The whole school knew his name, the whole school knew how wickedly smart he was, the whole school was simultaneously scared and enamoured by him.

Well, almost the whole school, but Seungmin wasn’t much fazed by that.

He was generally what would be considered tall, with dark brown uniform that fit him perfectly, his hands usually covered by silk gloves and a pair of thick round glasses perched on the end of his nose. He carried a shoulder-bag full of various books and notebooks, his expensive pens stashed in the right pocket.

But what the world seemed to love most about Seungmin was his fiery red hair, usually styled up and away from his forehead, showing off the soft features of his face and the usual glare of his eyebrows. The entire school knew his face, and most had fallen for it at some point or another.

However, Seungmin knew the true power he wielded came from his mind.

Seungmin was whip-smart with a sharp tongue and sharper words, his wit and snark quickly climbing him ranks in the school. If someone got Seungmin’s attention, really got his attention, then it was considered a feat that the whole school would know about by the end of the day.

So, Seungmin tended to keep his emotions to himself, to keep his reactions to a minimum. He detested drama and he liked that most of the attention on him was motivated by an under-lying whisper of fear. It made things easier and more convenient for him, especially when he wanted to avoid what he considered petty conflicts.

Seungmin only had one person who posed an inconvenience to him and his status, and he spent equal time glaring at and ignoring the person, feeding the school’s rumours of their over-dramatized rivalry but also refusing to confirm them.

However, despite Seungmin’s extensive knowledge of all things school-related and what seemed to be excellent control of the student body, he had no idea of just how much things were about to change.

Seungmin didn’t even know any change was coming at all. Seungmin tended to avoid change. He didn’t like it.

But that was exactly what Monday morning brought.

Seungmin walked in with his usual glare fixed on his face, one hand wrapped around the strap of his bag and the other pushing back his hair. He ignored the eyes on him, walking to his class through the endless dark swirl of the corridors and enjoying that people had learnt pretty quickly to stay out his way.

Well, there were a select few people that were allowed to get in Seungmin’s way and it was only a matter of time before he found himself crashing into both of them.

The walls seemed to shriek as they all clattered into each other and Seungmin pulled back with a firm shake of his head.

“Sorry, hyung!” Jeongin was the first of them to speak, quickly reaching down to pick up the books he’d dropped as Changbin wrapped a strong hand around both his and Seungmin’s arm and pulled them to the edge of the hallway and out the way of the gaggle of students barraging straight towards them.

“It’s okay, Innie,” Seungmin muttered, making quick work of brushing off his blazer and pushing his glasses back up his nose, “Excited to see me, were we?”

Jeongin grinned his signature young grin, “You have no idea.”

Despite himself, Seungmin found himself smiling back, his seemingly old heart clicking into motion at the sight of his friend.

Jeongin was in the year below Seungmin, but his fast brain and cheeky tongue usually put them both on the same wavelength. Jeongin was also pretty popular in the school, his irresistible fox-like eyes and gorgeous head of platinum white hair turning the heads in every corridor he walked down.

His usual uniform consisted of chequered light brown blazer that fit a little too tight for comfort, his belt snappy around his waist and black shoes more heel than anything else. He frequently wore sparkly silver hairclips and an endless assortment of rings that he seemed to rotate in their design.

But, above all else, Jeongin radiated happiness, which meant that students naturally radiated to him.

“Jeongin just found out exciting news,” Changbin spoke up, his arms already reaching out to help Jeongin put his books back into his bag. Jeongin usually forgot to zip up his bag which meant that, on the frequent occasion he’d go zooming into someone, his books usually fell out and had to be put away again.

When it wasn’t Seungmin, it was mostly Changbin who was on Jeongin-watch-duty. He was, without a doubt, the muscle of the school. His short height seeming to deter absolutely no one if the way his muscles practically bulged out his blazer was anything to go by.

He had an intimidating face with a jawline as sharp as a knife and eyes that could pierce like daggers. His uniform was usually black, and even the teachers seemed too terrified to tell Changbin to remove his piercings.

But what Seungmin did know, that most students didn’t, was that Changbin was actually a giant baby. He liked acting cute to get his way and could write lyrics with more emotional depth than some students could probably hope for in their whole lives.

Seungmin liked to keep Changbin close, he was a good friend and a good ally who knew how to keep a level head when things got overwhelming.

Seungmin only watched Changbin pack Jeongin’s books for a couple of seconds before his eyebrows raised, his gaze swivelling to Jeongin at the words he’d just heard, “Exciting news?”

“Yep!” Jeongin chirped, “Chan-hyung said I’m one of the first people he’s told, which means that we’re some of the first to know.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but feel a little impressed by that. He knew it was the usual running-order of the school, but part of him was still surprised whenever he was the first to know something, or the first person that people looked to when something new happened. Seungmin often forgot his rank, not until someone reminded him.

None of them were surprised, however, that Chan was the first to know.

Chan was in the oldest year, and was possibly the most well-known student in the whole school, a single face sitting on top of the chain.

But, where the school did diverge from usual student-body norms, was that Chan wasn’t the typical mean-girl bully that usually sat on the throne. Chan was a dark-curly-haired, dimpled god with a gorgeously carved-out face and a smile that lit up the building.

He was also one of the nicest people Seungmin ever had met and had basically the entire student body under his wing. But he did seem extra enamoured by Jeongin’s cuteness and Changbin’s musical abilities and everything that Seungmin seemed to have going on. So, whatever Chan found out through secret king-of-the-school privileges, they were usually next. With just one exception.

“Oh yeah?” Seungmin couldn’t help but say, carrying on their conversation as he raised a brow at Jeongin, “What new gossip did Chan-hyung let you in on this time?”

Jeongin’s grin narrowed, his eyes mischievous, “There’s going to be a new student.”

“Oh,” Seungmin blinked, having admittedly not been expecting that, Seungmin had mostly been expecting a break-up or something along those lines, “A new student? We haven’t had one of those in a while.”

“I know, the school usually hates anyone transferring during term time,” Jeongin started explaining, “But apparently Chan-hyung knows the new kid personally, so he managed to pull some strings.”

“A new student that Chan-hyung knows and managed to get into the school?” Changbin said, a laugh stuttering from his chest, “That poor kid is going to be swarmed within an hour.”

“Well, that’s just it,” Jeongin carried on, his eyes sparkling with excitement, “Apparently, Chan-hyung has tried to keep this under wraps, the new student starts today.”

At the words, Seungmin’s eyes widened. Now that was definitely some interesting news.

The school was so strict and rigid in its systems, so stuck in the darkness of its usual ways that new students usually wreaked unintentional havoc, both in the systems of the school and in the student body.

Rumours were bad enough when everyone knew each other, a new face on the scene meant endless new opportunities for chaos, especially when the new face had direct ties to the one who sat at the top of the whole school.

“Well, this has the potential to be very interesting,” Seungmin said lowly, Jeongin and Changbin offering their agreement before suddenly they were all distracted by a single whisper making its way all the way down the corridor like a bolt of lightning.

Seungmin whipped round, all heads following him to try and see what had gotten people talking. His eyes landed on a face that made him scoff before he quickly schooled his gaze away, looking to the very entrance of the corridor where someone had just walked through.

Someone who Seungmin had never seen before.

Seungmin knew every face in the student body, every face except the one now making its tentative way down the silent corridor.

It was the new kid.

Usually, Seungmin tried to keep his reactions to himself, tried not to give people something to talk about, but he couldn’t help taking one look at the new boy’s face and letting his mouth fall open, the entire school gasping with him.

The new boy was beautiful.

-

The school grounds always seemed extra spooky in the mornings.

It was ironic, considering how highly-regarded the school grounds were as being beautiful and luscious and the perfect environment for shaping young minds. But there was something about seeing it first thing in the morning, about knowing what it led to. It made the whole place seem so edgingly haunted.

The towers hung high in the sky, silhouetted against the grey of the clouds with their sharp edges like nails in the air and their shadows casting darkness that seeped for miles. The trees were always suspiciously bare, hardly growing leaves even in the summer and even the flowers seemed to grow with resentment, sticking out the ground in their reds and navies and glaring at all who dared to walk past.

There truly was some beauty in it, but such a morbid beauty that it had a habit of becoming melancholy.

But Lee Minho, highly-regarded as the school’s It boy, barely noticed it.

His expensive shoes clacked down the stone path as he walked straight towards the school entrance, his bitchface activated and gait casual as he went. He walked dead-centre down the path, not even having to blink as hoards of students quick made the point of getting out his way.

He had to resist a smirk. He barely had to lift a finger and yet he already had so much control.

Minho was in his usual white blouse with a few top buttons undone, dark red tie loose and hanging elegantly over his chest. He wore a dark plaid jacket with tight dark trousers, his belt curved perfectly round his waist and his shoes pointing like knives.

Sparkly earrings hung from his ears and cutthroat eyeliner twisted like cat-tails from his eyelids. His hair was jet-black and styled away from his forehead, showing over the perfect chisel of his face.

Minho only had to look in a mirror once to know he had a face that super-models would die for.

But it wasn’t just Minho’s face that had seas of students parting for him.

He allowed himself a smile as he finally entered the school, feeling two familiar presences behind both his shoulders before the three of them were off and down the corridor, all throwing a wink to Chan who saluted them on their way past.

Hyunjin and Jisung followed in step beside Minho, both smiling and chatting to a few students on their way along. They both looked equally stunning.

Minho was observant enough to see that Hyunjin had switched his hairstyle that day and had two cherry-red hairclips keeping his long black mane out his face. He wore a cropped black sweater over his tie and blouse, his trousers pulled up to his stomach and, when he moved the right way, occasionally giving show to his belly button piercing.

His makeup was minimal to allow his natural beauty to emanate, but he still rocked his usual red lip and blush. Hwang Hyunjin’s beauty had clawed him to the top of the ranks in the school and his contagious laugh and endless charisma and perfect charms had kept him there.

Jisung was similar, striding along the other side of Minho with his plaid red skirt swaying with his steps. He also wore a white blouse with a short black tie, his blond hair tucked neatly under a red beret and his legs covered by grey tights. His eyeshadow was sparkly and bright, his lips glossy and smile wide.

Despite his obvious good lucks and irresistible cheeks, Jisung had mainly gained his popularity for his humour. He’d been known as ‘Lee Minho’s and Hwang Hyunjin’s cute friend’ for about a day before he had a name solidly carved out for himself. He was fun and charming and flirty and had the whole school wrapped around his finger.

Minho’s good lucks and commanding presence meant he had almost the whole school in a similar position. Almost.

Minho didn’t have to think about the one student who he’d failed to attract until he turned into a corridor and he saw the very face that opposed his standing nearby.

But Jisung didn’t seem to notice, his hand coming out and pulling Minho to stand at the edge of the corridor with him and Hyunjin. Minho frowned at where they’d chosen to stand, but didn’t complain.

“Now if what Chan-hyung said was correct,” Jisung spoke up like the three of them had already been having a conversation, pulling out his phone to check something, “Then the new kid’s first class should be just down here, which means we can get a look at him.”

Minho blinked for a second before he remembered. Ah yes, the new kid.

Minho, Hyunjin and Jisung being the absolutely irresistible and intimidating group that they were, had managed to befriend Chan pretty quickly after entering the school. Which was not only a popularity boost, but also the perfect in for the school’s latest developments.

The newest development being the apparent new kid.

Minho liked to assume that only him, Hyunjin and Jisung were aware a new student would be crossing the threshold that day, but he wasn’t that optimistic or stupid. Chan also had another group of students he trusted, much to Minho’s absolute chagrin considering who one of those students was.

“Do you think the new kid will be cute?” it was Hyunjin who spoke this time, his perfectly-plucked eyebrows drawn together, “And smart? Because if I have the opportunity for a new boyfriend, then he has to be smart.”

“If he’s friends with Chan-hyung, he’s probably the whole package,” Minho answered, giving Hyunjin a wink before folding his arms and leaning against the wall behind him, “He’s also your age, Jinnie. Sounds like a nice opportunity for you.”

Hyunjin’s face pulled up prettily, a smile curving on his red lips, “How kind of you to say, Minho-hyung.”

“Don’t be fooled,” Jisung spoke up, bumping his shoulder with Hyunjin’s, “Minho-hyung is probably looking for a boyfriend too, don’t let him compete with you.”

“Minho-hyung is way too stubborn for that,” Hyunjin said pointedly, Minho raising an eyebrow at him, “And besides, we all knew who he really has his eye on.”

On the last few words, Hyunjin wiggled his words teasingly, his hands coming out to bat playfully at Minho’s face. Jisung joined in, eyes twinkling with mischief and gaze knowing as he giggled.

“Stop that, you brats,” Minho scoffed, shoving them away, “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Sure, you don’t,” Jisung said as he pulled back, already shaking his head, “You keep telling yourself that, hyung.”

At the words, Minho just scoffed and rolled his eyes, shifting his gaze away from Hyunjin and Jisung trying to inconspicuously giggle together. His eyes naturally strayed to the one he knew they were talking about, the one person in school who’d had actually managed to gain and hold Minho’s attention.

Minho’s eyes narrowed on the boy stood on the other side of the corridor, chatting with his own friends.

Kim Seungmin.

Just thinking the name had heat boiling in Minho’s chest, his eyes locking onto and piercing into the boy.

The moment Seungmin had entered the school, the air had seemed to shift for Minho, and it hadn’t shifted back.

Seungmin was the one person who dared to stand up to Minho, who didn’t worship him, who fought his way up the ranks completely separate from Minho and his friends.

Seungmin was fierce and strong and smart and everything Minho detested. Their rivalry burnt hot under the floorboards of the school, the flames eating at the walls and the fire swallowing student after student. The whole school knew they hated each other and practically fed off the glares they threw one another.

There were same days that Minho thought people were actually excited about the way Minho and Seungmin interacted, that they were waiting for something neither Minho or Seungmin had predetermined yet. But Minho knew it was all in his head, it had to be in his head.

Minho and Seungmin were rivals. Always would be. Nothing more and nothing less.

Hyunjin and Jisung were just giggly idiots who loved to tease, there was no meaning behind their suggestions. Minho felt nothing more than a low burn of anger for Seungmin, and it would never be anything more.

But Minho couldn’t deny that his ears had been perked by the idea of a new boy, by the idea of someone new and exciting to shake things up. Minho felt like he needed a change, a push in the right direction, maybe the new boy could bring that for him.

It was after a couple of minutes in his head that Minho realised he’d been staring at Seungmin the whole time, his eyes tracing over the annoyingly perfect way Seungmin wore his uniform and the obnoxiously captivating way he held the room whilst he spoke.

Minho set his face into a glare and scoffed as he turned away. He swore he could hear knowing laughter from a few of the groups of students around him.

But Minho ignored it, tuning back into Hyunjin and Jisung’s conversation and almost startling at what they were talking about.

“So yeah, Changbin-hyung and Seungmin and Jeongin definitely know about the new kid,” Jisung was saying, “Whilst Chan-hyung was listening to some of my music last night he said that he’d told a few other people, and it has to be them. I don’t know anyone else he’d tell.”

Minho couldn’t help but a feel a burn of something at the idea that Seungmin might know about the new kid, at the potential of Seungmin getting to whoever the new student was first.

“Wait, Chan-hyung wants to keep this kid under the radar but he’s already got us and Changbin-hyung’s group curious about him?” Hyunjin said incredulously, shaking his head with a wince, “Yeah, that kid doesn’t stand a chance. It’s bad enough that he’s new, but if he starts having conversations with us and people notice then they will definitely start talking about him.”

“I don’t know,” Jisung shrugged, “Chan-hyung’s pretty smart about this stuff. I feel like unless this kid gets himself involved in some big scandal, he’ll just have to survive being known as the new kid for like a week and then he can filter into the crowd.”

“A big scandal?” Minho couldn’t help but say, grinning when Hyunjin and Jisung turned to look at him, “That sounds fun.”

“Hey, no torturing the new kid!” Hyunjin pointed a finger in Minho’s face, “Chan-hyung would kill us.”

“Yeah, apparently him and Chan-hyung really good friends,” Jisung nodded at Minho, “So, it’s probably best you actually try and keep this on the down-low for once.”

“Spoil sport,” Minho pretended to huff, but nodded along with Jisung all the same. Minho may have been able to acknowledge that he did have a little taste for drama, but he also wasn’t malicious and wasn’t about to going mess with something important to his friend.

It was only then that a sudden chatter rippled down the corridor like a wave, all students suddenly whispering to one another and turning to look like parrots at the end of the hallway. Minho frowned slightly, his eyebrows crinkling in confusion as he leaned around Jisung to try and find what everyone is looking at.

Minho’s eyes landed on the boy.

And his jaw dropped.

It was the new boy, a face that students had never seen before, and a face that was absolutely beautiful.

The boy was fairly short, with a petite build and slim waist that was accentuated by the elegant brown skirt he was wearing. He also wore a cropped blazer and a white blouse with a ribbon tied in a bow under the collar in the usual place of a tie. His white socks were pulled up to his knees and his shoes were a pair of short black heels laced up neatly at the front.

But easily the most noticeable thing about him was the perfection that was his face.

He was all big gushy eyes and full heart-shaped lips. His nose was cute and button-like, his cheeks dusted with a faint layer of glitter and his eyelashes practically glowing with the shine of mascara. His hair was dark and falling round his shoulders, braided on one side to keep it out his face.

And, if Minho looked hard enough, he swore he could see the windows casting sunlight on a gathering of freckles splattered across the boy’s cheeks.

Minho had to suppress a gasp.

He could feel Hyunjin and Jisung doing the same from beside him, both their jaws dropped and eyes wide, just staring at the beautiful specimen now stood looking terrified in the hallway.

It was then that Minho realised every pair of eyes in the corridor was on the boy and didn’t seem to show any sign of straying anytime soon. Maybe, Chan should have warned them that the new kid was literally the most beautiful kid on the planet.

Well, almost the most beautiful kid.

There was only one other face that Minho could compare it to, and that was the same face he found himself swivelling to when he felt another pair of eyes shifting away from the new boy and landing on Minho.

Minho turned and found himself making eye contact with Kim Seungmin.

Seungmin was staring right at Minho and Minho stared right back, both their jaws locked and eyes blazing. Seungmin had evidently also been enraptured by the new boy and had caught Minho doing the same. Fury scorched like inferno between them, denial cruising silently through the air.

They couldn’t both be enamoured by the same thing. They didn’t have anything in common like that.

And Minho knew with absolute certainty that neither of them wanted the new boy to be friends with both of them.

A familiar lick of flames sizzled under Minho’s skin, his gaze still piercing into Seungmin’s.

The entire corridor turned to stare at them, looking at the new boy and then at the staring contest between Minho and Seungmin and then back to the new boy again, seeming to all realise the same thing at the same time.

No words were exchanged, but the message was clear between Minho and Seungmin, automatically catapulted to the whole school.

Game on.

“So much for staying under the radar,” Hyunjin muttered from somewhere besides Minho.

Chapter Text

The next morning of school brought a fresh sky of grey.

But it wasn’t a dull grey, the first dredges of spring meant there was some life to it. The occasional flash of sun peeking out through the clouds, illuminating the blossom trees in the school courtyard that had just started to bloom.

There wasn’t any pink blossom anywhere around the school, only white. On windy days it carried through the air like dust, covering the paths in scatters of white feathers and almost giving the impression of soft snow.

But the day wasn’t windy yet, just a cold chill of breeze floating its lazy way through the air. It felt like the world wasn’t awake yet, like the building hadn’t quite moaned and groaned its way out of sleep.

And yet, all the students were trudging in through the doors.

The outside hung still hung with its looming sense of foreboding, the faint taste of something elusive in the air that never seemed to go away. It only got worse inside the school, seeming to suffocate and invade even more with every whisper passed between students, every rise or fall in the ranks system, every delicious change in status that the building could chew up and spit out.

It couldn’t be explained, but the darkness seemed just a little bit darker inside the school grounds.

Even as the day continued, all the students knew the sky would remain grey even if the sun shone.

It didn’t matter how many white blouses entered the premises, how many bright berets were worn and adjusted, how many blazers were squared on shoulders and books touched to chests and pens put to paper. The school didn’t brighten young minds, it just dampened them.

And yet the little lanterns, the small moments of brightness, could still be found.

Minho was sat on a wall just outside the school, his early morning classes waiting for him in a bit but not yet urgent enough that he had to run inside. The wall he was sat on was tall enough that his legs dangled over the edge, kicking back and forth in the air and heels grazing against the brick.

Hyunjin and Jisung were draped over each other next to him, their voices fading into the breeze as Minho just stared at the blossom tree in front of him, at the petals flowing gently in the light wind, at the stems clinging tightly to the tree branches, at the occasional petal getting tugged away and shredding in the air.

A blackbird perched its way on one of the branches, its feathers black as night and eyes as dark as coal. It simply rested for a moment, gaze seeming to pierce the air before it was gone again, its cry echoing scathingly in the air.

Minho hummed to himself.

There was a new feeling stirring in his chest, something that felt ominously like a warning tingling in his skin. He’d been on edge ever since his staring-stand-off with Seungmin yesterday and he was yet to feel himself relax.

No matter what he did, Minho couldn’t shake the feeling of Seungmin’s eyes stinging right into his.

They’d glared at each other before, many times, but something about it had felt different yesterday. Their rivalry before had been an intangible thing, had never had a solid footing, was simply built for rumours and myths with no real evidence to bring it roaring to life.

But now… now both Minho and Seungmin had both set eyes on the new kid, and they’d both been impressed by what they saw.

It wasn’t often something like that happened.

But Minho desperately tried to ignore it. The new kid wasn’t supposed to be getting any attention, Minho had promised that much to Chan, but it seemed no matter how hard he tried, Minho couldn’t get neither him nor Seungmin out his mind. Something about it didn’t seem right.

However, Minho soon found his ears perking up at the mention of the very thoughts in his mind. He turned to where Jisung was sat next to him, chatting animatedly to Hyunjin who had his head in Jisung’s lap, Jisung’s hand stroking absentmindedly through his hair.

“So, the new kid,” Jisung was saying, his usual look of excitement bright on his face, “He’s cute, right?”

“Really cute,” Hyunjin nodded along, tilting his head back to look at Minho, “Someone certainly seemed to think so.”

Minho just scoffed and diverted his gaze, looking back to the blossom tree as he huffed, “Come off it, Jin. I was just surprised is all.”

“’Just surprised’ is something that Lee Minho can cover up very well,” Jisung immediately countered, using his fingers to create air quotes around the words, “You were borderline in shock.”

“Was not,” Minho grumbled back, still not looking at Jisung and knowing that no matter what he said, neither Jisung nor Hyunjin would probably believe him.

And they’d probably be right not to. Minho admittedly had been in shock at the new kid.

“I just wasn’t expecting him to be so good-looking is all,” Minho carried on, trying to play off his words with a shrug, “Chan-hyung definitely didn’t warn us about that.”

“No, he most certainly did not,” Hyunjin nodded along, “But maybe we should have expected that. Chan-hyung is certainly a looker himself, and he has hot friends.”

“Now that we can agree on,” Jisung grinned, starting to count on his fingers as he listed friends, “Chan-hyung has all of us, the new kid, Changbin-hyung, Jeongin and… Seungmin.”

On the last name, Jisung swung round to look at Minho, eyebrows raising when Minho unintentionally tensed.

“Don’t say that name,” Minho muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Why not, hyung?” Hyunjin said, following Minho’s movements with his eyes, “You certainly seemed to find Seungmin pretty hot when you were staring at him yesterday.  You both managed to look away from the new kid long enough to stare at each other.”

“We were glaring, not staring,” Minho said, somehow unable to put conviction in his voice, “And it was only because the new kid caught me off guard, that’s all.”

“Hmm, sure,” Jisung hummed in the annoying way only he knew how, Minho was about to snipe back when Jisung’s head suddenly perked up at something he saw, his hand flailing out to point, “Hey, speak of the devil!”

At the words, Minho quickly turned to look at where Jisung was pointing. He took a second to see what Jisung was talking about, spotting Chan and the new boy walking up the entrance path together.

Minho couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. It was later than Chan would usually arrive in the morning, probably his attempt to avoid the usual morning rush that he usually thrived off. Chan was probably trying his best to keep as much attention off the new boy as possible.

But Minho seriously doubted that diverting attention would be easy when the new boy was wearing a cropped white blouse and a pleated black skirt, fishnets covering his legs underneath and a pair of red slip-ons on his feet. There was a black beret pulled over his hair, his fingernails painted to match and long earrings dazzling from his ears.

“Oh, wow,” Hyunjin whispered just loud enough for Minho to hear, “He’s even more beautiful than I remembered.”

Minho was inclined to agree.

But then Jisung surprised them both, one of his hands quickly cupping his mouth and his voice sailing across the courtyard.

“Hey, Chan hyung!” Jisung yelled, his other hand beckoning wildly, “Come chat to us!”

At the words, Hyunjin bolted upright, immediately grabbing onto Jisung’s shoulder and hissing at him, “What the hell are you doing?”

Jisung just shrugged, “I’m introducing us.”

As much as he probably should have stopped it, Minho couldn’t help but feel a little excitement at the situation, his easy smile finding its way onto his face and his morbid curiosity tingling inside him.

Chan looked surprised for a second but was quick to smile at Jisung and then throw an arm around the new boy, tugging him over.

“Hey guys!” Chan said when he was close enough, signature dimples on his cheeks and his hair flopping in his face, “Didn’t know I’d find you here today.”

“We were just waiting for class,” Jisung said smoothly, smiling down at where Chan and the new kid had chosen to stand in front of the wall, “We were kind of hoping you’d introduce us to your friend.”

Minho couldn’t help but smile internally. Jisung was certainly good at what he did.

“Ah, yes,” Chan said like he’d just remembered, one of his arms immediately pulling the other boy back into him and encouraging him to take a step forward. The boy smiled shyly.

A part of Minho wanted to narrow his eyes at the way Chan was touching the boy. It was clear they were close, very close. Minho didn’t know why he was affected by that.

“Guys,” Chan carried on, turning to smile at his friend, “This is Felix.”

At the words, ‘Felix’ lifted up an adorably small hand to wave, a light pink dusting over his cheeks.

“Oh my god, Felix you’re adorable!” Hyunjin was quick to squeal, both his hand clutching the sides of his face as Minho made a show of rolling his eyes, “I’m Hyunjin! It’s so lovely to meet you.”

“It’s, um, it’s really nice to meet you too,” Felix said with a voice that had even Minho startling at how deep it was, Chan grinned at him knowingly, “You’re…. you’re, um, you’re cute too.”

Hyunjin positively melted.

Jisung just laughed at him, silencing Hyunjin’s squeal with a hand over his mouth as he turned to Felix with a wink.

“I’m Jisung,” Jisung said, a mischievous smile on his face that made Minho realise he was probably about to do something stupid, “But you can call me anytime.”

Yep, stupid.

Chan was quick to step forward and throw an arm protectively in front of Felix. Minho observed the action, barely even noticing Chan telling Jisung to shut up as Felix giggled shyly to himself, the sight almost adorable enough to have Minho melting. And Minho didn’t melt for anything.

A part of Minho couldn’t help but feel that it was that no wonder him and Seungmin had both had the same idea yesterday. They couldn’t really blamed for both finding Felix cute when the whole world probably found Felix cute.

But that led to Minho finally introducing himself.

“Completely ignoring those two idiots,” Minho said, jerking a thumb at Hyunjin and Jisung as Felix turned to look at him, only just able to cover up his surprised reaction at the sight of Minho’s sharp face, “I’m Minho, the only one stronger, smarter and better-looking than Chan-hyung.”

“Okay, that is not true!” Chan immediately screeched, but Minho was too busy smirking knowingly at Felix and the way he was staring back at Minho.

It was suddenly clear that Minho finding Felix good-looking was not a one-way street. Felix was apparently walking in the other direction, and blushing bright pink as he did so.

Minho couldn’t help but feel endeared, ignoring the loud argument Jisung, Hyunjin and Chan were now having about whether Changbin out-muscled Chan to instead nod at Felix. Felix nodded back, his lips flickering up into a smile and freckled nose curling adorably as he did so.

Something seemed to pass between them at the movement, a silent moment of thrill that tingled pleasantly against Minho’s skin. He startled slightly at the feeling, his chest warming in a way that seemed so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Minho’s chest only warmed around one person and it was usually in the complete opposite context to this, it usually felt like a burning warmth and not a calming one. But still, Minho’s heart squeezed against his ribs, his breath almost stopping in his throat.

It was just the way Felix looked, the perfect curve of his nose and the cute dip of his smile, a clear playful personality hiding under the exterior.

Minho only ever noticed such details in one person, was only ever so observant when it came to plotting his enemy, to mapping out his rival.

But Minho couldn’t help but feel something almost similar as he nodded at Felix. It was almost like some unspoken agreement had just happened between them. It felt like Minho had just silently promised to keep an eye out for Felix.

And if the way Felix was smiling pleasantly and suddenly turning to giggle into Chan’s shoulder was anything to go by, Minho was certainly planning on keeping that promise.

-

Seungmin walked towards the school with what felt like the whole world weighing on his shoulders.

It was a gloomy morning full of white blossom, fluttering blackbirds and a seemingly extra grey edge to the sky.

Seungmin was later than usual that day, much to Jeongin and Changbin’s enjoyment as they both tottered behind him, chattering about how Seungmin wanting to leave a little later meant they’d had a bit more time to sleep.

Seungmin couldn’t help but be a little jealous, he’d barely gotten any sleep.

He’d been plagued with dreams of the school, of the never-ending rumours that wisped through the place, of the constant whispers that seemed to follow him everywhere he went, of the fact that Seungmin couldn’t even look at someone without starting a whole new scandal about something completely irrelevant.

Seungmin and Minho’s relationship (or lack of) may have not been completely irrelevant, but that didn’t mean Seungmin always wanted it on display.

There were times, Seungmin had to admit, that he liked having a public image. But it was like playing with fire; the danger of it gave him a rush, but it teetered on a very fine ledge between thrill and pain.

Seungmin usually started the fires. He didn’t often find himself caught in the middle of them.

But Seungmin couldn’t deny that’s exactly what it had felt like. His and Minho’s eyes locked onto each other across the corridor, the entire student body erupting into whispers around them, words flying about the new boy and Seungmin and Minho’s reaction to him.

The flames had built and built and built, every word adding more fuel to create a bigger storm. And now Seungmin had to wake up and walk straight into the fire.

Seungmin could only hope and pray that it would be a temporary scandal. It was obvious that Minho usually liked to create a little drama, but Seungmin certainly didn’t, and he was sure that the new boy wouldn’t be very appreciative of it either.

And, most importantly, Chan would kill everyone involved if anything happened to the new boy, and Seungmin wasn’t particularly fond of that idea either.

So, Seungmin just tried to keep a level head as his expensive shoes clacked down the path to the school, his newest beret pulled low over his face and his hands white-knuckling his books to his chest.

He was usually so confident, so put-together. It felt unusual to almost be preparing for war.

The only thing Seungmin was looking forward to was the possibility of catching a glimpse of the new boy again. One look at that freckly, perfect face and Seungmin was convinced it would all be okay again. Seungmin would get his confidence back, people would be scared of him again, everything would go back to normal, albeit a fresh face in the crowd.

Seungmin should have known not to be so naïve.

He was soon pulled out his thoughts by his ears pricking up at the conversation happening from either side of him. Changbin and Jeongin were chattering loudly, now inevitably having landed on the topic of the famous new boy.

“I’m just saying,” Changbin was chattering, pointing a finger at Jeongin, “I happened to hear the new boy speak at lunch and, wow, he’s got a voice like an ancient god.”

“I heard him whispering to someone in the corridor,” Jeongin nodded along, “I could totally listen to him whisper all day. He should consider a career in ASMR or something.”

“Or rap,” Changbin said, tilting his head, “He’s definitely got a voice for rap.”

At the words, Seungmin couldn’t help but pout a little. Apparently, a perfect face wasn’t enough for the new boy, he had to have a perfect voice too. Seungmin suddenly wished he’d managed the stick around the new boy long enough to hear him speak.

All the more reason to try and track him down.

“You should totally try and make friends with the new kid, Minnie-hyung,” Jeongin said, his voice cheerful as he leaned forward to catch Seungmin’s eye, “You’re in the same year. You must have some of the same classes as him.”

“I think I do,” Seungmin said, “But he wasn’t in any of them yesterday.”

“Shame,” Changbin hummed, throwing Seungmin a grin, “I feel like you two would make a good pair. Imagine the things the school would say.”

“The things the school are already saying are bad enough,” Seungmin was quick to mutter, not missing the way Jeongin and Changbin both raised eyebrows at him.

“I mean that partly is your fault,” Jeongin said pointedly, “You and Minho-hyung ogling at each other from across a corridor was always going to attract attention, especially when you managed to drag the new kid in with you and tangle him in some kind of crossfire that must have confused the hell out of him.”

“If he didn’t know about the famous Minho vs. Seungmin rivalry before then,” Changbin said, “He definitely knows now.”

“There’s no rivalry,” Seungmin huffed, deliberately shoving into Changbin and making him miss a step, “It’s just people saying things. And we were not ogling each other.”

“It certainly looked like ogling to me,” Jeongin said with a shrug, “And it probably did to the new boy… and every other student who goes here.”

“Alright, I get it,” Seungmin couldn’t help but pout, “Maybe I will try and talk to the new boy today, set a few things straight for him.”

“Yeah, you should do that,” Changbin said with a wink, “And tell him I want to borrow his voice for some tracks.”

Seungmin shoved him again, “I am not doing your dirty work for you and your stupid tracks.”

Changbin groaned, but didn’t say anything to that, too busy starting a shoving war between him and Seungmin that didn’t stop until Jeongin suddenly called out.

“Hey, look!” Jeongin said, pointing to the walls built just outside the entrance to the school, “Look who’s already here.”

Seungmin followed Jeongin’s point, trying to make sense of a few heads all stood around each other before he realised exactly what he was looking at.

The new boy, tucked under Chan’s arm, stood talking to Hyunjin, Jisung and… Minho.

Seungmin didn’t know how it happened, but all of a sudden all his apprehension and lack of confidence washed away, replaced with what felt almost nauseatingly similar to jealously.

Seungmin’s chest bristled, he didn’t get jealous.

But Seungmin couldn’t deny it. His skin was tightening, his jaw was setting, his chest was flooding with a familiar tingle of rage that boiled at the sight of Minho locked in conversation with the new boy.

The new boy wasn’t supposed to get to Minho before Seungmin did. Minho wasn’t supposed to get to the new boy before Seungmin did.

Seungmin was suddenly hit with the very awful feeling that he didn’t know who he was more jealous of.

But Seungmin quickly shook it away. He didn’t care that the new boy was talking to Minho. He didn’t care about anything Minho did. All Seungmin cared about was that this could create more problems for the new boy, that was the only reason that Seungmin noticed them in the first place.

At least that’s what Seungmin told himself.

Fortunately for him, the last few minutes to class were creeping up on them and Seungmin could only watch as the other group all stood up together, walking into the school with Seungmin, Jeongin and Changbin quietly following a few feet behind them.

Seungmin tried not to stare, he really did, but every time Minho inched even a little bit closer to the new boy he felt his chest sting, his heart flinching with a feeling Seungmin still couldn’t identify.

But it wasn’t long before the classroom doors were swinging open and beckoning students inside.

Changbin, Jeongin, Jisung and Hyunjin were the first to get dragged away in opposite directions, leaving Seungmin to watch as Chan and Minho walked either side of the new boy before both eventually filtering away and leaving the new kid to walk alone.

Seungmin didn’t like to think of himself as opportunistic, but he was extremely opportunistic.

“Hey!” Seungmin called out, attracting the attention of a few more students than he definitely intended, “New kid!”

The kid himself was definitely not pleased with the term of address, turning around with a scowl and watching as Seungmin jogged over to him.

“I have a name, you know?” the boy said, Seungmin immediately forgetting every snarky response he’d ever given at the sound of the boy’s voice.

His voice was deep.

But Seungmin was nothing if not put together, and he was quick to let himself fall into an easy smile, bumping his shoulder with the new boy’s and starting to lead them away down the corridor together. Seungmin had a very good feeling that they both shared the same morning class.

“Well, I kind of hoped you had a name,” Seungmin said easily, smiling when the boy just narrowed his eyes at him slightly, “It wouldn’t do for me to just keep calling you ‘new kid’, would it?”

“No, it would not,” the boy responded, no longer sounding as annoyed as a hint of playfulness trickled into his voice, “I’d prefer that you called me Felix.”

“Felix,” Seungmin repeated back, smiling wider around the name, “It’s nice to meet you, Felix. I’m Seungmin.”

“Well, Seungmin,” Felix was quick to say, Seungmin following the movements of his hand as he tucked a piece of hair into his beret, “What brings you to be chasing me down the corridor this morning?”

For a moment, Seungmin just blinked at the question. He supposed he couldn’t answer I saw you talking to the kid I really hate so now I’m inexplicably jealous, could he?

Instead, Seungmin just shrugged as casually as he could, “We don’t get a lot of new kids here,” he said, “I heard about you from Chan-hyung and got curious.”

“I guess that’s fair,” Felix said, a shy smile playing on his lips as he looked at Seungmin, “Chan-hyung told me he had some friends that would be willing to show me the ropes around here.”

“Well, Chan-hyung was right,” Seungmin couldn’t help but say, smiling back at Felix, “I’d love to get to know you better, Felix, and help you get to know the school. Things work a little weirdly round here.”

“Does that mean you can tell me…” Felix started to say, his gaze shifting away as he stared down the corridor they were walking down, face crinkling in a way that looked almost uncomfortable, “Does that mean you can tell me why, ever since I started talking to you, everyone has been staring at us?”

Seungmin startled at the words.

He quickly tore his gaze away from Felix, letting his eyes roam the corridor and realising that Felix was right. Every student they walked past was staring between Felix and Seungmin with a mixture of surprise and confusion. A few students pulled their phones out, immediately starting to text and whisper with their friends.

Seungmin had gotten so used to the stares that he’d forgotten they probably weren’t very normal to a new kid like Felix. Although, Seungmin doubted that Felix wasn’t stared at a lot at his old school, a face like his probably meant Felix was followed around for miles.

But even Seungmin could admit the stares that day were a little more overboard than usual. Seungmin knew exactly what it was; Felix had only joined the school yesterday and in that time had managed to attract the attention of the whole school, and also start talking to the popular kids.

Felix had also started something inexplicable between the school’s most famous rivals, but Seungmin wasn’t ready to get into that yet.

“Kids tend to stare a lot round here,” Seungmin simply answered Felix’s question with a shrug, “There’s only one way to really deal with it.”

“Oh yeah?” Felix raised an eyebrow, a light pink dusted over his cheeks, “What’s that?”

Seungmin turned back to another group of staring students, at the way they were typing into their phones. He was suddenly hit with a rush of adrenalin, hints of excitement starting to coil dangerously in his chest. Seungmin couldn’t help but secretly, inexplicably hope that rumours of him walking Felix to class would get back to Minho.

Seungmin wanted Minho to know that he wasn’t the only one who got to talk to the handsome new boy. Seungmin wanted Minho to know that he had made a claim too.

“Just let them stare, Felix,” Seungmin smiled lowly to himself, casting a confident glance at Felix, “Just let them stare. You never know who might be watching.”

Felix looked puzzled, but didn’t say anything to that, just continued to let Seungmin walk him to class.

Seungmin made sure to continue chatting to him on the way, sitting next to Felix in the classroom and helping him with his work and hiding his pride when more words were whispered between students about them. Seungmin was sure that by lunchtime the whole school would know that Seungmin and Felix had spent their class together.

Minho may have gotten the first word with Felix, but Seungmin had gotten the better one, and Seungmin almost wished he could see Minho’s face when he found out.

Chapter Text

The school’s canteen had always seemed a little off to Seungmin.

It was such a large room, filled with ever-changing groups of hungry students, and yet it never seemed to be bright or happy in any way.

The ceiling was high, ridiculously high, higher than it was anywhere else in the school. The windows stretched long and large and lengthy and yet the glass seemed too thick and too stubborn to let any sunlight through.

The walls were thick and stone, a muddy brown colour with cracks running elegantly along the edges and creeping further into the room. The floor was pure marble, made up of chequers that clinked and clanked with every step, extremely slippery for students who didn’t have grip on their shoes and an eyesore of an illusion that sent students into a dizzy daydream whenever they stared at it too long.

The tables were long and rickety, not a single one without a wobbly leg or a creaky noise that never seemed to get fixed. The benches below them were heavy and loud, usually requiring a group of students to pull them out from under the table and then haul their heavy legs over to sit down.

Lunch rooms were supposed to be fun, bright spaces, a supposed break from the suffocation of the classrooms. But the school’s canteen was dark, sometimes seeming more hard work and gloomier than the actual learning they had to do.

And, like every other room in the school, rigid systems were kept firmly in place.

Every friendship group had their own table, every student had their own seat, every pair of legs had the same path that they always walked to get to their seat and the same people that they sat next to every day.

Seungmin was no exception to this rule.

He sat at the table in the very far right corner with Changbin, Jeongin and a few others, at the very end of the room away from the door and next to the windows. Minho and his friends sat in the opposite left corner, right next to the door and away from the windows. If all heads ducked the right way and all students stopped moving, Seungmin could look all the way diagonally across the room and make eye contact with Minho if he wanted.

Seungmin never did.

There were only a couple of exceptions to the seating rule. The first one was Chan. He was so well-liked by everyone and so simultaneously highly respected and feared that people had generally accepted he could sit wherever he damn well pleased.

Almost half the week, Chan sat at Seungmin’s table. For almost the other half the week, he sat at Minho’s table. For the rest of the time, he floated wherever he wanted, seemingly able to make conversation with anyone and anything.

The only other exception to the seating chart was Felix.

Although, Seungmin supposed Felix was only going to be a temporary exception. He had been attending the school for a week now and simply hadn’t been there long enough to cement his status and solidify his presence in a single friendship group yet. Seungmin figured it would only be a matter of time before the unofficial systems of the school kicked in and Felix was locked up tight inside a group with very few options to change or stray.

Even though, by all of the week’s current developments, Felix definitely seemed to be moving to a particularly high position in the popularity chain, which meant that he’d probably have some more flexibility in the hierarchy than others.

But, as Seungmin settled himself at his table for lunch that day, having spent all his morning classes taking too many notes to even think about Felix, he realised he couldn’t see Felix in the canteen anywhere.

Seungmin placed his lunch on the table in front of him, munching it absentmindedly as he let his eyes roam over the room. It didn’t take long for Seungmin to realise that Felix hadn’t found himself a seat in the room, because he wasn’t actually in the room.

Seungmin furrowed a brow, pausing around his mouthful. If Felix wasn’t eating in the canteen like the rest of the school then where was he eating? And was there a reason he was avoiding lunch with everyone else?

A slight swell of discomfort started to settle in Seungmin’s stomach. Over the week Felix had spent at the school, Seungmin knew the rumours had gotten a little out of hand. The fact that Felix was new and was having seemingly regular conversations with both the school’s most famous rivals, with those rivals being the ones to initiate the conversations no less, it was certainly a talking point.

Seungmin felt a little bad that he hadn’t considered that yet. He’d initially liked that the rumours were spreading, it meant Minho was definitely aware that Seungmin was also getting to know Felix, but Seungmin didn’t like thinking that the whole thing might be making Felix a little uncomfortable, especially since it was probably hard enough for Felix already considering that he was new.

But Seungmin was soon pulled out those thoughts and out of his canteen-searching by the bench being pulled out across from him.

“Hello my little Minnie-minnie,” Changbin cooed as he sat down, winking when Seungmin glared playfully up at him, “Looking for someone, were we?”

“No,” Seungmin denied, shoving another mouthful of food into his mouth, “I was just day-dreaming.”

“Oh, so you won’t like to hear my news then,” Changbin grinned, looking at Seungmin with something mischievous twinkling in his eye, “My news that Chan-hyung told me about where a certain someone likes to spend his lunch time.”

Seungmin eyes widened, “You know where Felix is?”

“So, you were looking for Felix!” Changbin said, wagging a finger in Seungmin’s face, “I knew it!”

“Just answer the question,” Seungmin said with another huff.

“Chan-hyung told me that Felix is trying to lay low,” Changbin obliged, Seungmin ignoring the squeeze in his chest, “He’s found this secret spot at the back of the library, a table between a few bookcases or something. Apparently, that’s where Felix goes for some peace over lunch.”

“Huh,” Seungmin couldn’t help but say, mulling over the words in his mind, “Do you think Felix is hiding?”

“Maybe he’s just shy,” Changbin shrugged, “Or he just needs some time. It can’t be easy being the new kid.”

“No, it can’t,” Seungmin agreed, looking down to his food with a new feeling coiling in his stomach, “Do you think… do you think Felix would want company? In his secret spot?”

At the words, Changbin looked up from where he’d been picking at his food, his eyes surprised for a moment before they turned thoughtful.

“I don’t know,” Changbin answered honestly, “I doubt anyone would enjoy eating lunch alone, but I also don’t think that he’d want to be pressured into making friends or being forced to make conversation with people he’s not sure about yet. I guess if you want to approach him in his spot, just be careful and respectful about it.”

Seungmin nodded along, allowing himself a small smile as he processed the words, “Thank you, hyung.”

“No problem,” Changbin said, gesturing at Seungmin with his chopsticks, “What’s got you so obsessed with new kid anyway?”

“It’s nothing, hyung,” Seungmin shook his head, diverting his gaze so that he could catch a glimpse at Minho all the way at the other end of the canteen, “It’s really nothing.”

-

The next day, when Seungmin managed to slip out his class and go to lunch early and walk himself straight to Felix’s secret library spot, the last thing Seungmin expected to see was Minho already sat there waiting.

But there Minho was.

He was sat at the corner of the table, tapping his fingers against the wood with an unopened pot of food next to him. He looked up at the sound of Seungmin’s footsteps and, for a second, the two of them met eyes.

Seungmin could have sworn his heart stopped.

The secret library spot was almost exactly as Seungmin had pictured it, surrounded completely by high towering bookcases all covered in dust and old books that had clearly seen better days. The table in between them was rather large, with six wooden chairs dotted around and a small lamp in the centre.

A giant window overlooked the table, seemingly the only window in the whole school that was actually able to let through sunlight. Seungmin could see blossom trees waving in the distance, the gentle glow of the sun casting shadows across the table and bathing the area in a tender yellow light.

The place was also quiet, so far from the canteen’s incessant chatter and the corridor’s endless whispers. The library had a way about it; it seemed that no matter how loud the students in were, they never seemed to go above the volume of a whisper.

Part of Seungmin guessed that it was the size of the place. The library was easily the largest area of the whole school with three floors and endless spiral staircases and bookcase beyond bookcase beyond bookcase harbouring what was rumoured to be every book the world had to offer.

But the library was also old, permanently coated by a thick layer of dust with wooden floorboards that looked like they could give up any second and a looming sense of decay in the air that was enough to send any homework-focused student to sleep.

However, the little spot Felix had found… it was lovely. It was a neat little corner tucked away, a place the darkness and age hadn’t touched yet. It was almost like the less students were around to spread their misery, the more life the building retained.

Seungmin could definitely see why Felix enjoyed sitting there.

But Seungmin also supposed that Minho was a new addition to the place. It seemed Seungmin wasn’t the only one clued in to the secret spot, and not the only one wanting to make an impression on Felix.

However, that didn’t mean Seungmin was about to give up what he’d found.

Seungmin straightened his blazer, dusting off his shoulders and adjusting his tie before striding confidently over to the table.

There were three chairs on each side, Minho sat in the very left corner. Seungmin went and sat on the same side, but leaving a seat empty between them. He briefly considered sitting opposite Minho, but then realised that would mean making Felix choose who he wanted to sit on the same side as. Seungmin didn’t want to risk Felix choosing Minho.

That was if Felix even showed up.

Seungmin couldn’t help but feel that he might be about to hurt things more than help them by making Felix spend a lunch time sat with two people who clearly wanted nothing to do with each other. But then footsteps started coming towards them and Seungmin realised it was too late to do anything about it.

He felt more than saw Minho tense from beside him and Seungmin couldn’t help but look, out the corner of his eye, as Minho turned in Seungmin’s direction and the sun perfectly illuminated the handsome edge to his face.

Seungmin cursed to himself under his breath and looked away.

It was only a few seconds before Felix was emerging from behind a bookcase, not looking where he was going as he walked with his nose in his book, making it all the way to the table before he looked up, caught sight of Minho and Seungmin and instantly startled.

As much as Seungmin felt bad about clearly scaring Felix, Seungmin couldn’t help but admire him. He was wearing a black long-sleeved blouse tucked into a plaid red skirt, black knee-high socks leading down to some dainty shoes. His hair was tied back by a ribbon, his lips painted pink and freckles sparkling and a yellow coat over his nails.

As the sunlight caught him, Felix looked absolutely ethereal.

He also had a really confused look on his face.

“Oh,” he eventually said after a few seconds, running a hand over the back of his neck as he scurried to his seat on opposite to the side Seungmin and Minho and pulled out the middle of the three chairs. Seungmin smiled at the seat choice, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

Felix didn’t say anything else as he placed down his book and pulled a pot of foot out his bag before chucking it on the floor. His chair squeaked as he sat down, his gaze cast down and shoulders tensed in a way that was clearly guarded.

Seungmin frowned a little, watching out the corner of his eye as Minho did the same.

“Hi,” Seungmin was the first to break the silence, his voice carrying softly in the air, “Hello, Felix.”

“Hi, Seungmin,” Felix said softly back, managing a small smile at Seungmin before he turned and directed it at Minho, “Hi, Minho-hyung.”

Seungmin resisted a scowl as Minho said hello back, a smug undertone to his voice that had something obnoxiously unpleasant boiling under Seungmin’s skin. But Seungmin pushed it down, keeping the smile on his face.

Felix was quiet as he opened up his food, pulling his book back towards himself and letting his eyes fall back down to it as he began to eat.

Minho and Seungmin started to eat too, sending each other a look that seemed to last a second too long before darting their gazes away.

Seungmin couldn’t help but think that Minho looked so much gentler, so much less intimidating when he wasn’t surrounded by the entire student body, when he didn’t have his guard up and a smirk plastered almost instinctively on his face and the darkness of the school boding down on him.

But then Minho spoke again and Seungmin realised he was allowing himself to get distracted.

“So, what are you reading?” Minho said, gesturing at the book Felix was staring intently at.

From what Seungmin could see, it was a red-bound book with golden font traced delicately up the spine. The pages in the book seemed a little faded, small illustrations printed up the margins and the page numbers curled creatively like branches.

Felix blushed a little, shrugging as he answered.

“It’s a book of fairytales,” Felix answered quietly, almost like he expected to be judged for the answer, “I like the ones about fairies. I think they’re nice.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but smile fondly thinking that Felix must see a fairy every time he looked in the mirror.

“That’s really cute,” Seungmin said before he could stop himself, Felix looking up quickly to meet his eyes in what looked like surprise, “It’s been so long since I’ve read a fairytale. It’s been so long since I’ve read anything nice to be honest, this school seems to love assigning us long, boring books.”

“Yeah, that’s probably what I’m supposed to be reading,” Felix responded, his voice sounding a little lighter, “I’m new so I’m basically behind on everything. But stories like this, they’re so much more interesting than work.”

“Then don’t stop reading,” Minho was the one who spoke this time, his voice carrying an edge that Seungmin probably wouldn’t have heard if he hadn’t spent so long listening to every curve of Minho’s voice, “This school has a way of bashing the light out of students. Don’t let yourself be next, Felix.”

At the words, Felix looked a little taken aback, his grip tightening on his book. Seungmin almost jumped in, wanting to snap at Minho to stop being so creepy and negative. But then Felix nodded in what seemed like understanding, his lips pursing.

“I won’t, hyung,” Felix said to Minho, gaze soft, “Thanks.”

Minho just shrugged like he was trying to come off as unbothered, but Seungmin could see the slight upward curl of his lip, the smile that was trying to work its way up his face. Seungmin almost found himself smiling along.

After that, they lapsed back into silence, but it wasn’t an awkward silence. It almost seemed peaceful as Felix buried his nose back in his book and Minho and Seungmin went back to their lunches.

Felix hummed to himself as he read, Minho tapped his fingers in a pattern against the table, the sun floated gently past the window. For possibly the first time since he’d entered the school, Seungmin felt himself relax, felt that he could officially let some of his walls down.

There were no students to stare at them, no need for Seungmin to constantly watch his actions and control his words, no possibility of a million words flying if Seungmin so much as looked as Minho.

Seungmin was suddenly given the freedom to look at Minho as much as he wanted.

It felt weird, to feel free in the presence of Minho, to allow himself some peace when his enemy was sat next to him, able to attack at any moment. But Seungmin knew Minho wasn’t about to attack, Minho looked just as relaxed as Seungmin was.

The rest of the lunchtime passed peacefully, Felix seemed so much more comfortable around both of them by the time it was over and Seungmin… Seungmin had allowed himself to be at peace around Minho.

Seungmin didn’t know if he wanted to know what that meant. Or if he wanted to see where it was going to go.

-

The day after that, Minho had to admit he wasn’t even a little bit surprised to see Seungmin back at the spot.

It had certainly been a shock to see Seungmin show up the same day Minho had decided to show up, but Minho had long since decided that Seungmin of all people wasn’t going to get in the way of anything Minho wanted, and so Minho had sucked it up.

The lunch hadn’t turned out to be that bad after all.

Minho had found out that Felix liked fairytales. Minho had found out that Felix looked adorable when he was concentrating on clumsily trying to read and eat at the same time. Minho had found out that Seungmin looked surprisingly good when he sat in the sun. Not that Minho would ever say that last part out loud.

All things considered, the lunch had been surprisingly calming and successful.

Minho didn’t know how long he could count on things carrying on that way. Seungmin was clearly a lot calmer without the student body surrounding him, but that didn’t mean Minho and Seungmin suddenly liked each other, it didn’t mean they suddenly weren’t both ticking time bombs able to explode and set one another off at any moment.

Minho found himself surprisingly desperate as he hoped that things would stay peaceful between him, his enemy and the beautiful new kid who had definitely been made aware of their rivalry, but didn’t seem to have come to his own judgement on it yet.

A little bit of hope was found in the fact that Felix seemed to be a kind, open-minded person who saw the good in people. For all that Minho was and for all that he had carved out in the school, Minho had come to realise that Felix would never judge him on any of that stuff. Felix seemed like he wanted to get to know him and Seungmin for himself first.

And Minho and Seungmin were more than happy to let Felix get to know them.

The next lunchtime rolled around surprisingly quick, Minho and Seungmin sat in the same seats on the same side as each other with a seat between them. Felix was his seemingly fashionably late self, leaving Minho and Seungmin to sit in a tense silence.

But then Felix appeared from behind a bookcase and the whole place seemed to fill with a pleasant aura. Minho relaxed into his seat.

“Hey,” Felix said softly as he walked over, placing his bag down before dropped himself into his seat, pushing some stray hairs out his face.

Felix’s hair was un-styled that day, long brown strands flopping into his cheeks and framing his face nicely. He wore a similar brown blazer to Seungmin, but his was cropped and had much more frilly sleeves, matching with his blouse and slacks that he’d apparently decided to wear that day.

“Hi,” Minho made sure to say back, flashing his signature handsome smile. Felix blushed as he smiled back.

“Hello,” Seungmin also said, his voice slightly tight in a way that Minho wanted to be smug about, but somehow couldn’t bring himself to be.

Felix didn’t seem to notice, pulling out his lunch absentmindedly and throwing it on the table before reaching back in his bag and pulling out a comic book. Minho furrowed a brow at the colourful pages and drawings, recognising the familiar characters drawn all over the paper but unable to read the English title.

“You like superheroes?” Seungmin spoke up, leaning across the table to peer at the comic.

Felix angled it so that Seungmin could get a better look, “Yeah,” he smiled, “Yesterday it was fairies and today it’s heroes and villains. I like to mix things up a bit.”

“Sounds interesting,” Minho said, waiting until Felix turned and angled the paper towards him, Minho couldn’t help but smile at how cute Felix looked doing it.

“It is,” Felix nodded along, pulling the comic back towards himself, “I’m still completely behind on all my work, but at least I have this.”

Minho felt a laugh bubble in his chest at the proud tone to Felix’s voice, at how he seemed more pleased with himself for reading comics than he did for his school work. Minho couldn’t help but feel endeared, shaking his head at Felix and his smile.

“Well, enjoy,” Seungmin also smiled, going back to his lunch as Felix bobbed his head at him.

“I will,” Felix said, opening the pages and pulling his lunch towards himself as he buried himself in the comic. Minho went back to his own lunch, contenting himself to lapse back into the same silence they’d had yesterday.

The silence stretched on calmly, broken only by the turning of Felix’s pages and the sounds of Seungmin eating. Minho let himself drift into his mind, staring at the sun out the window and wondering what it felt like not to be trapped into the confines of the school, not having to follow rigid hierarchy and fight for his status and wear a mask just to survive his school days.

Minho had risen to the top because he’d thought it was easier to be there than to be at the bottom. But sitting there in a secret spot in the library, not having to play a role in front of Seungmin, Felix looking like so much more than the shy new boy who dreadfully feared rumours being spread about him, it felt so much nicer to Minho than having to play a role all the time.

Minho could maybe even admit that it was almost tolerable being around Seungmin when he was just being… Seungmin. When he wasn’t the popular boy with the scowl on his face and the perfect grades and an almost unchallengeable control on the whole school.

But Minho also knew that, outside the library, it couldn’t continue. Minho and Seungmin would fall back into their roles and solidify themselves in their hatred once more. It was safer to hate each other, safer to keep the act going in the school, that way they wouldn’t risk falling from fame and being cursed to the bottom.

They both know how ruthless the school was, and they both knew how ruthless they had to be to battle that.

But then there was Felix… Felix who seemed scared of it in a whole different way, who didn’t turn his fear into anger, who seemed to rather avoid the whole thing than to let himself get sucked in.

Felix had joined the school as an exception, as his own bright self, and seemed endearingly determined to stay that way. Felix had every opportunity to cement himself in a high rank from his very first day in the school, and yet he hadn’t done so.

Felix who read fairytales and comic books, who had the face of an angel and the voice of a god, who was friends with Chan and had started something new between Minho and Seungmin on his first day at school.

Felix who was leant across the table trying to get Minho’s attention.

Minho quickly blinked, straightening up in his seat and shaking his head to clear his vision. He stared at Felix, taking a second to process the sight before he realised Felix was holding a pot out to him. A pot of what looked like homemade brownies.

“Want one?” Felix said, a nervous smile playing over his lips, and Minho almost felt himself melt, “I made them last night.”

A warm feeling nuzzled in Minho’s chest as he leaned forward to take one of the brownies, Felix’s whole face lighting up as he did so.

“Thanks,” Minho said, Felix just nodding eagerly as he turned to offer the pot to Seungmin.

Minho couldn’t help but notice the look on Seungmin’s face as he reached out to take a treat, the surprised but endeared smile curling on his lips and the shiny look in his eyes. Minho almost found himself taken aback; he’d never seen that kind of look on Seungmin’s face before.

A part of Minho couldn’t help but wonder if he even knew anything about Seungmin at all. But then Minho remembered, he knew a lot more about Seungmin than people probably realised. Being Seungmin’s rival meant Minho needed to know exactly what made Seungmin tick, he needed to know what every expression on Seungmin’s face meant, what every tone in his voice was trying to communicate, what every one of his actions was intended to achieve.

Minho had spent so long analysing and observing Seungmin, but he’d never seen Seungmin let his walls down before. Minho didn’t know if he liked that or not.

But then Minho was pulled out his thoughts by the sight of Seungmin bringing the brownie to his lips, taking a bite.

“Wow, Felix,” Seungmin said, his voice almost entirely free of all the constraints usually riddled within it, “These are amazing.”

Felix just blushed and shrugged, struggling to push the lid back down on the pot of brownies, “They’re my favourite recipe,” he said quietly, “I thought you might like them.”

“Well, I definitely do,” Seungmin said, enough confidence in him that Minho finally gave in and lifted his own brownie up to his mouth, wanting to taste it.

And that may have been the first moment in Minho’s life that he was able to admit that Seungmin was 100% right, the brownies were amazing.

Minho couldn’t help but look up at Felix, at the way he was still clumsily trying to close his pot, the sunlight from the window reflected delicately over his face. Felix was almost as sweet as his brownies were, almost as ethereal as the little spot he’d found himself in the library.

Not for the first time, Minho found himself staring in awe at the new boy.

His heart almost did a full swoop in his chest when he realised Seungmin was staring at the new boy too.

If Minho and Seungmin were already rivals, he had absolutely no idea what would happen to their relationship if they both went after the same boy. A part of Minho was excited by the idea, another part of him absolutely dreaded it for reasons he couldn’t figure out.

But thankfully Minho was able to get dragged out his head by another bite of the brownie, the sugar coating his tongue and spreading warmly all through him as he relaxed into his chair.

“These really are great, Felix,” Minho said, his heart squeezing when Felix just smiled shyly at him in return.

The three of them continued to munch in silence, Minho unable to keep his eyes off the endearingly proud look on Felix’s face. A sense of happiness floated by them, seemingly radiating off Felix and his endless patience and kindness.

Even the air between Minho and Seungmin seemed to settle.

But then there was another set of footsteps approaching, another face appearing from behind the bookcase, a signature lopsided smile and pair of dimples that started walking towards them.

“Channie-hyung!” Felix called out at the familiar face, Minho unable to not notice how the smile on his cheeks was bigger than Minho had ever seen it.

“Hey, sunshine,” Chan said in English, walking over to lean with a hand on the back of Felix’s chair, his other hand ruffling Felix’s hair before he turned and made eyes at Minho and Seungmin, “You got company?”

“Yeah, Minho-hyung and Seungmin joined me yesterday,” Felix nodded eagerly.

“Did they, huh?” Chan said almost knowingly, his gaze flashing at the two boys with the curve of a smile on his lips.

Minho narrowed his eyes, remembering that it was Chan who’d told Jisung about Felix’s secret spot, and Jisung who had told Minho.

Pieces started to form a picture in Minho’s mind. If Chan and had told his two music buddies, Jisung and Changbin, about Felix’s library spot then he must have known the news would undoubtedly reach Minho and Seungmin. Chan had set them up.

Seungmin seemed to come to the same realisation at the same time as suddenly he and Minho were whipping to face each other, staring at one another for a second before quickly darting their gazes away. Chan chuckled quietly and Felix just stared between them in confusion.

Minho tried to tell himself he wasn’t almost blushing.

If Chan had heard all the rumours about Minho and Seungmin and their fascination towards Felix, then Minho should have realised he’d go and do something about that. Chan was too smart like that; clever enough to figure out a way to get Minho and Seungmin to get along around Felix and keep them away from the eyes of other students and the risks of new rumours at the same time.

Minho wanted to make a snarky comment at Chan, but he wasn’t about to risk anything around Felix. Seungmin seemed to be thinking the same, and Minho was suddenly hit with the thought that maybe the two of them were too damn similar.

But before Minho could contemplate it some more, Chan’s eyes were landing on the pot of brownies on the table and his face lit up.

“Ah, my fairy has been baking again!” Chan exclaimed, dropping himself into the chair beside Felix but keeping his hand on the back of Felix’s chair, “I’m flattered, Lix, but you know I love your cooki-”

“Cookies, yes,” Felix was interrupting him before Chan could finish his sentence, not even sparing Chan a glance as they all watched him shove another hand in his bag and pull out another pot, “Here you go, now stop complaining.”

At the words, he shoved the pot in Chan’s direction and Chan gasped like a little kid at Christmas, ripping off the lid to reveal three freshly-baked cookies sitting prettily in the pot.

“I knew there was a reason I loved you,” Chan said, not hesitating to pick up a cookie and shove it in his mouth.

“You’re disgusting,” Felix deadpanned, blinking a second before he turned back to Minho and Seungmin, “Maybe I should go back to talking to people who actually appreciate me for more than my baking.”

Minho couldn’t resist a smile at the words, glad that, even if Felix was joking, he seemed to have realised that Minho and Seungmin were appreciative of him. Minho didn’t know what that meant for the weird dynamic in the strange relationship between the three of them, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to care. Even if Chan was grinning at them like some sort of trickster chesire cat.

Chan spent the rest of the lunchtime with them, Minho unable to keep his eyes off the way Chan’s hand stayed on either Felix’s chair or Felix the whole time. Felix also seemed a lot more relaxed around Chan, his shyness fading away and allowing Minho and Seungmin to get a look at his full personality, the one separate from his apprehension around new people and his fear of rumours.

Minho’s mind eventually supplied that Chan had probably showed up on purpose; was using his smarts to provide a way for Minho and Seungmin to get to know Felix properly. Minho realised then that Chan was trusting them with something really important to him.

They couldn’t screw it up, no matter how much they wanted to screw each other over in the process.

But Minho couldn’t ever imagine hurting Felix, not when he was such a cute and sweet boy that had somehow gotten Minho and Seungmin to sit peacefully in a room together.

Minho didn’t even have to look at Seungmin to know he felt the same.

-

The next lunchtime rolled around a little differently.

Seungmin was the first to arrive this time, happily dumping his heavy bag on the ground and flopping into his seat with a sigh. It had been a long day of stares and words and whispers and Seungmin was frankly happy to be able to sit somewhere without a million eyes on him.

After Minho, Seungmin and Felix had all been absent two lunchtimes in a row, the rumours had been flying more than ever and Seungmin was starting to feel suffocated by the whole thing. The knowing glances and sly grins from Changbin and Jeongin were also certainly not helping.

But Seungmin was happy to be back in the library, wondering what brightly-coloured book Felix would bring that day and secretly hoping he’d have something delicious and homemade to give out.

However, as expected, Minho was the next to arrive.

He didn’t say anything as he stalked to his seat, Seungmin unable to stop himself raising a brow at the way Minho looked just as stressed as Seungmin did. Seungmin hadn’t seen Minho at all that morning but he knew that they both heard the same rumours, they both listened to the same whispers, they were both hit incessantly by the same words.

It seemed it hadn’t just been a long day for Seungmin.

They continued in tense silence as they waited for Felix, neither daring to say a word or even look at each other as the seconds ticked by.

The sun didn’t seem to be shining as brightly through the window that day, instead displaying a big grey cloud that indicated they were in store for some spring showers. Seungmin frowned a little at the sight, staring at the blossom tree out the window that was now stripped bare with its white petals spread all over the ground.

The more Seungmin watched, the more he felt his apprehension hitch up.

If he listened hard enough, he swore he could practically hear the wind trying to whisper to them, trying to spread more rumours, trying to cause more chaos, trying to add more drama to their already historically catastrophic lives.

Seungmin felt himself tense, a spark coming to life and whirring in his brain when Minho started tapping his fingers against the table.

It was with annoyance curling under his veins that Seungmin realised if Minho was bored enough to start tapping the table, then they’d been waiting longer than usual for Felix to show up.

Felix was late.

Or he’d finally made his judgement on them and wasn’t coming.

A nasty feeling started to settle in Seungmin’s stomach, sinking in him like a stone. He gritted his teeth, running a hand through his hair in an attempt not to worry. Minho’s taps on the table started to feel like miniature bombs in his mind.

What possible reason did Felix have to not show up?

Seungmin tried to tell himself that he was being stupid, that Felix was probably just running late, that he’d only known Felix a week anyway and should stop getting so uptight about him. But Seungmin couldn’t deny how tightly-strung he felt, how the rumours and Felix’s absence were making him want to snap.

Felix had seemed so carefree yesterday, so sweet. What had changed?

Minho continued to tap his fingers against the table, his own stress practically vibrating across the wood and sizzling straight to Seungmin. Something suddenly snapped in the air between them and Seungmin couldn’t take it anymore.

“Would you please stop that?!” Seungmin snapped at Minho, admittedly a lot harsher than he’d intended to, “I can barely think with all that stupid tapping!”

Minho’s hand stilled like ice against the table, his gaze whipping round to pierce daggers at Seungmin.

Seungmin tensed, but stood his ground, refusing to look away as their gazes clashed together between them, battling in the air and aiming silent weapons at each other that said more than words ever could.

Silence cracked like a whip between them and, for a second, Seungmin was convinced Minho was going to start tapping again just to wind him up, but Minho just continued to glare. Neither of them moved, practically frozen by their hatred for each other and the one question that they absolutely hated that they had in common.

Where the hell was Felix?

Seungmin was almost ready to voice the question until they were both suddenly snapped out of their silent battle by frantic footsteps coming towards them.

They both turned just in time to see Chan appear from behind a bookcase, his eyes anxiously running over them and a worried look twisting on his face.

“Where’s Felix?” Chan said, his voice more panicked than he was probably willing to let on, “Is he not here?”

Seungmin was shaking his head before he could stop himself, feeling his chest squeeze when Chan’s face dropped, “Hyung, what’s going on?”

“It’s nothing,” Chan said in a way that suggested it was definitely not nothing, “Just tell me if he comes here, okay?”

With that, Chan turned to leave, his body fast and jerky as he made to run off. But Minho’s voice cut through the air, stopping Chan in place.

“Hyung, why are you looking for Felix?” Minho said, his voice so different to the usual snark Seungmin normally heard dripping from it, “Is he okay?”

Chan just turned at look at them both, an almost sad look on his face, “I don’t know,” he said honestly, “Felix has a tendency to hide when he’s upset. I have to find him.”

With that, Chan was gone, his footsteps echoing away and his figure disappearing back behind the bookcase. Seungmin let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding, staring at the spot Chan had just been standing in.

A moment passed for both Seungmin and Minho to process whatever had just happened, and then they were both turning to look at each other.

They made a single second of eye contact before they were both springing out their seats without having to exchange a single word. They quickly shouldered their bags tucked in their chairs, not hesitating to give one each other another glance before stalking off together.

Whatever had happened that lunchtime didn’t matter anymore.

None of it mattered when they had to find Felix.

Chapter Text

Seungmin supposed he should have been a lot more worried about how it would look to other people when he walked out the library shoulder-to-shoulder with Minho.

But neither of them had the time to think about it, both of them whipping their heads around in either direction before stalking down a corridor together. A spark of determination was burning between them, melting away all their apprehension and uneasiness around each other and replacing it with a gnawing need to find Felix.

Their footsteps echoed down the corridor, both of them striding down the centre with looks like thunder on their faces. Every student they passed stared at them in shock, quickly moving out the way like the red sea to let them pass.

Whether students were shocked that Minho and Seungmin were together or shocked at the sheer determination on their faces, Seungmin didn’t know, but he was suddenly hit by a thought.

Minho and Seungmin walking around together was only going to set alight more rumours and if that’s what Felix really was most afraid of, then Minho and Seungmin were certainly not being as helpful as they thought they were.

The whole point of the secret library spot with Felix was to keep things lowkey. The reason Chan had sneaked him into the school was to keep Felix as far out the spotlight as possible. Minho and Seungmin really needed to get out the habit of rushing into things and dragging Felix back into exposure.

And Seungmin wasn’t entirely sure what they were doing. If Chan, someone who knew Felix really well, hadn’t found Felix yet then Seungmin didn’t know why he or Minho were convincing themselves that they had a chance. If Felix didn’t want to be found, then Seungmin and Minho were probably two of the last people capable of tracking down his hiding spot.

As more and more students turned to stare at them, Seungmin realised he definitely had to put a stop to whatever it was the two of them were doing. It was bad enough that Felix was upset, he didn’t need everything made worse for him by Seungmin and Minho storming the whole school together and creating more rumours that they’d never be able to get back.

So, Seungmin waited until they were passing an exit onto a courtyard behind the school, not giving any warning before he was grabbing onto Minho’s wrist and yanking them both out the corridor and into the cold spring air.

The door banged shut behind them and Minho whipped round.

“What the hell are you doing?” Minho hissed, taking a step forward so he was barely a foot from Seungmin, “I thought we were looking for Felix!”

“We are,” Seungmin said just as firmly, keeping his gaze locked onto Minho’s, “But are we really going to achieve anything by storming through the corridors? We weren’t the ones who found his library spot, it’s obvious he knows how to hide and we’re not going to make him want to show his face if we stomp around and give everyone even more reason to talk about us.”

For a second, it almost looked like Minho was going to rip Seungmin a new one for the words, but then he seemed to process them. His teeth came out to chew on his lips as he looked away, frown lines prominent on his forehead.

“I just don’t like the idea of Felix upset and alone somewhere with only Chan-hyung looking for him,” Minho admitted through gritted teeth, “I don’t like this situation anymore than he does, but I can’t just walk around and put on a pretty face pretending nothing is wrong.”

“I know,” Seungmin said, nodding solemnly at Minho’s discarded gaze, “But we have to be careful. He’s new. He’s already on people’s radars. We shouldn’t make this harder on him.”

Seungmin was surprised when Minho actually agreed with him, his eyes reluctantly landing on Seungmin’s before flitting away again, flashing with irritation Seungmin hoped was aimed at the situation more than anything else.

Luckily, they were tucked behind the school, right next to the huge arching tower of the library. Not many students came to sit behind here. It was quiet and a small area, covered by the grey cloud still looming over the school.

That’s when Seungmin let his eyes trail away and he almost gasped at what he saw.

“Minho,” Seungmin whispered, briefly registering how weird it felt to say Minho’s name without any kind of snark on the word, “Look.”

At the word, Seungmin lifted a finger, pointing to a row of empty benches stretched abandoned around the back side of the library. The bench at the far end wasn’t empty. It was positioned under a large window with a small figure sat hunched on it.

Seungmin briefly registered that, from Felix’s side of the table in his secret library spot, he could probably see the bench outside the window.

It seemed Felix really was cataloguing places to hide in the school. The thought was half-endearing to Seungmin, but it also half broke his heart.

“Oh my god,” Minho said, his gaze following Seungmin’s finger to where Felix’s slightly shaking figure was on the bench, “He was right under our noses the whole time.”

Seungmin blinked at the implication of the words, at the idea that Felix really couldn’t stray too far from them.

But then Minho was quickly striding forward away from Seungmin and towards Felix. Seungmin was quick to follow, whatever Minho had said could be thought about later, right now he needed to focus on Felix upset and alone and probably in need of cheering up.

It was only when they got closer that Seungmin realised just how nice the little courtyard was. It was clearly hidden well in the school, accessible only by a few doors in the corridor that students never used, but Seungmin couldn’t work out why.

The blossom trees in the area were bare, but their petals were creating a fresh blanket of white all over the ground, not like the petals that had been stamped on and squashed all round the rest of the school. The benches were a soft wood probably older than the school itself, but it gave them a rustic feel that Seungmin couldn’t help but admire, the chipped edges and faded browns looking soft in the outside sunny-springtime hue.

And the quiet… it was so quiet. Even quieter than the library.

No chance of listening ears, no chance of prying eyes, just another little corner Felix had come along and carved out for himself.

Seungmin couldn’t help but marvel that Felix clearly was something special.

But Felix’s light in that moment was dim, his eyes dull and body slumped as he sat on the bench, gaze cast on the ground and nails digging into the wood he was sat on. He didn’t have a book in his hand, juts his bag thrown on the ground next to him and two tears dripping silently down either one of his cheeks.

Something squeezed in Seungmin’s chest.

Felix didn’t say anything as Seungmin and Minho carefully sat down either side of him, didn’t even turn to look at them. But he clearly knew they were there if the way he drew his hands into his lap was any indication.

For a few seconds, none of them said anything. The silence broken only by Minho’s harsh breath as he turned and stared stubbornly at the ground, Seungmin hit with the realisation that Minho couldn’t stand to see Felix crying. Seungmin had to hold back a comment. He’d never known Minho to be so attuned to and affected by another’s emotions.

But then Felix was sniffling and bringing a hand up to his face, using the too-long sleeve of his light beige cardigan to wipe the tears off his cheeks. He briefly pulled his beret further down his face, trying to hide from them.

Seungmin was about to break the silence, but Felix beat him to it.

“If everything I’ve heard is true,” Felix said, his voice empty and gaze held firmly on the ground, “Then you two shouldn’t be voluntarily sitting on the same bench as each other.”

Seungmin was taken aback by the words for a moment, realising he hadn’t yet thought about the fact he really was sharing a bench with his supposed enemy. He also didn’t realise that Felix had heard that much about them yet.

“You shouldn’t believe everything you hear,” it was Minho who spoke, his voice carefully gentle.

“I didn’t need to hear anything to know I shouldn’t be expecting to see you two anywhere near each other, I noticed it the first moment I set eyes on you,” Felix snorted, a sad smile playing over his lips, “But there was something else. The way you looked at each other was weirdly similar to the way you looked at me. I don’t even know why I was surprised that you both showed up at the library.”

“That bit technically wasn’t our fault,” Seungmin said, trying not to flinch when Felix slowly turned to look at him, “It was Chan-hyung who hinted that we’d find you there.”

“I know,” Felix said, turning back to look down at his lap, “Chan-hyung means well, but it’s still hard, you know?”

At the words, a heaping scale of upset leaked into Felix’s voice, his voice twisting and throat cracking painfully. Seungmin winced. Minho leaned forward and placed hand slowly on Felix’s shoulder.

“What’s hard, Felix?” Minho said, and Seungmin felt like he could only watch helplessly as another tear started to make its way down Felix’s cheek.

“It’s hard being new,” Felix whispered, “I’ve always hated the idea of people talking about me, and this week it just hasn’t seemed to stop.”

Seungmin scowled sadly, meeting eyes with Minho over the top of Felix’s head. A look of guilt passed between them, a look of guilt for the way the two of them seemed to have been trying to one-up each other with Felix more than they’d actually been considering Felix’s feelings.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Seungmin eventually said, leaning forward to place his own hand gently on Felix’s knee, “I can’t even imagine how difficult it must be to be new here. But it’ll get easier, something else will happen, the rumour mill will move on. You’ll be like the rest of us soon enough.”

“I hope so,” Felix said, sniffling as he lifted another sweater paw to wipe his eyes, “I thought I’d be able to blend in so easily at this school. But the moment I stepped in it felt like everyone was staring at me and I haven’t been able to shake that feeling since.”

“It’s probably because you’re a head-turner,” Minho said, a lightness to his voice that Seungmin didn’t know he could achieve, “But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, Felix. You’ll get used to being at this school, you’ll make some friends, and then people will realise how sweet you are and everything will get easier.”

Felix seemed to process the words for a moment, a deep breath smoothing over him before he sat up properly, Minho and Seungmin’s hands both slipping off him. Seungmin watched as he turned to glance at Minho, letting his eyes rest on Minho’s face before he turned to Seungmin.

“Are you guys…” Felix started saying, hesitating to brush his hair out his face to carry on, “Are you guys my friends?”

Seungmin couldn’t help but smile, his hand reaching out to brush a stray tear from under Felix’s eye.

“I think we’re your friends,” Seungmin said, still smiling but also trying to be careful with his words so that he didn’t accidentally end up talking for Minho and starting something new.

But Minho took it nicely, a smile also appearing on his own face as he playfully flicked Felix’s shoulder.

“We didn’t stalk you in the library to not be your friend,” Minho said, “I’m not trying to speak for the darling little Seungmin over there, but I think it’s safe to say we were both a little fascinated by you the moment you walked in the door.”

Felix giggled a little at the words, Seungmin feeling himself freeze as he tried to decide whether he should freak out about Minho admitting that they were both fascinated by Felix, or about the way Minho’s voice had sounded when he’d said darling little Seungmin…

Either way, Felix’s little laugh was enough to make Seungmin’s heart sing.

“Thanks guys,” Felix said with a shy smile, ducking his gaze back towards the ground, “I’m sorry for all this. I didn’t intend to hide today, it’s just so many people were staring at me as I walked to the library and I just… I just got scared I guess.”

“You don’t have to apologise,” Seungmin spoke, trying not to let his voice reveal just how upset he got at the idea of people constantly staring at Felix. Seungmin was used to the stress of the stares, that didn’t mean he liked that they happened, or that everyone else had to be used to them too, “And none of it was intentional, but any part I played in anyone giving you any trouble here, I’m sorry for that.”

“I’m sorry too,” Minho was quick to say and, for the first time, Seungmin felt like Minho wasn’t actually trying to one-up him when he agreed with Seungmin.

“You guys don’t have to apologise,” Felix shook his head, “This school has a weird dynamic. I’ve accepted that now, I just have to get used to it.”

“Well, if there’s anything we can do to help,” Seungmin said, waiting until Felix looked at him before reaching out and carefully tucking some hair behind his ear, “Let us know. Since we’re friends and all, we have to help you out.”

The corners of Felix’s lips pulled up gently as he smiled at the words, a faint pink painting over his cheeks. Seungmin’s chest warmed, his hand in Felix’s hair moving down to squeeze Felix’s shoulder and then tracing all the way down his arm to end up clasped in Felix’s own hand.

Seungmin’s skin tingled with a feeling he barely recognised.

“And if anyone keeps spreading rumours or giving you trouble,” Minho said, his eyes flashing mischievously as he looked at Felix, “Then let me know, I’ll take care of them.”

Seungmin didn’t know how he was expecting Felix to react to that, but it certainly wasn’t the snort he let out, his face pulling into a grin.

Seungmin couldn’t help but laugh too, the tingling in his skin only getting stronger when Minho started pouting at them.

“What exactly are you going to do, Minho-hyung?” Felix said teasingly, “I’ve met your friends, Hyunjin and Jisung, they’re both crazy but I hardly think they’re muscle men.”

“Yeah, you’d be better off coming to me for Changbin-hyung,” Seungmin nodded along, somehow not taking offence when Minho narrowed his eyes at him, “What Changbin-hyung lacks in height, he makes up for in broad shoulders.”

“I think Chan-hyung’s weird kangaroo strength might be a useful contribution,” Felix said, “He can also jump like really, really high so I don’t know if that’ll come in handy.”

“Okay, now you two are just being difficult,” Minho huffed, the curve of his lips giving away his amusement when Seungmin and Felix both started laughing again, “I take it back, Felix. We’re not friends. We can’t be friends if you don’t think I could take anyone in a fight and win.”

“No, don’t be like that, hyung,” Felix said through his giggles, using his hand that wasn’t still holding Seungmin’s to reach out and tickle under Minho’s chin, “I’ll bake you more brownies.”

“Okay, you’re forgiven,” Minho said instantly, pretending to bite Felix’s hand, “But only for the brownies.”

“That’s what they all say,” Felix grumbled as he pulled his hand away, but there was a pleased look on his face, his eyes back to their usual shine.

Seungmin was about to make his own comment when suddenly all three of them jumped at the sound of a huge rattle thrumming all through the building. Seungmin winced, turning back to the school with a frown as the shrilling sound of the school bell ricocheted against every wall.

Lunchtime was officially over.

The last thing Seungmin really wanted to do was go to any of his classes, but he didn’t even want to begin to think of the things people would say if him, Minho and Felix all skipped class together. Seungmin ever skipping a class in the first place would be a mystical feat in itself.

Seungmin often theorised that if he wasn’t popular, he’d get picked on for being too much of a goody-two-shoes.

But Seungmin didn’t have to say anything as Felix was suddenly sighing and reaching down to tug his school bag towards himself, his posture once more slumped and defeated.

Seungmin could only watch as Minho placed a gentle hand on Felix’s back, “You want us to walk you to your class, Felix? We’ll make sure no one stares at you on your way.”

“I’m pretty sure you guys would only make people stare more,” Felix said as he stood up, but managed a weak smile at them still, “But, yeah, I’d definitely still like the company.”

Seungmin took the words as a win, standing up himself and picking up his bag, “Minho-hyung has a notorious death glare,” he said to Felix, “He’ll stop people staring.”

“Oh yeah?” Minho said, throwing his bag over his shoulder as he looked at Seungmin, an undeniable curious edge to his words, “That glare never worked on you.”

The words hit Seungmin in the face, seemingly stuck to his skin for a second before they melted away. Seungmin couldn’t deny them; he never had been intimidated by Minho. He’d just never expected that he’d be in a position where Minho would be upfront about it, or in a position where the two of them would be close enough for Minho to even be upfront.

But Seungmin was, thankfully and literally, saved by the bell.

It rattled again all through the school, reminding the three of them that they had classes to get to.

For the first time ever, Seungmin actually wished he didn’t have to go.

It was made a little better, however, by Felix shyly reaching out and linking an arm with Seungmin, warmth tingling through both their jackets. Seungmin smiled at him, not the least bit surprised when Minho’s arm whipped out and suddenly swiped at Felix’s bag, tugging it off his shoulder and swinging it back over Minho’s.

“Hey, wha-” Felix stuttered out, gaze snapping over to Minho before he suddenly realised what had happened and a firm pout squeezed his lips, “Hyung, you don’t have to carry that.”

But Minho just winked his signature wink, “Can’t have you carrying your own bag can we, darling?”

Whether it was the petname or the wink, Seungmin didn’t know, but Felix blushed a deep strawberry red and even Seungmin couldn’t hold back his laugh.

“Well, come on then, darling,” Minho carried on, bumping an elbow against Felix as he spluttered, “Let’s get you to class.”

With that, Minho was off, his strides firm and walk confident as he strolled back towards the school. Seungmin rolled his eyes and followed after him, tugging Felix along as he seemed to need a second to process all that had just happened.

By the time Minho was holding the door open for them to step back into the school, Felix’s blush had faded to a light pink and Seungmin almost found himself missing the scarlet red. It complimented nicely to Felix’s round lips.

But, unfortunately, Seungmin couldn’t think much longer about Felix’s lips, not when the three of them started to walk down the busy corridors and every single eye seemed to turn their way. Seungmin felt Felix’s grip tighten on his arm, his feet tripping slightly and posture cowering.

Seungmin had to resist the urge to curse, suddenly understanding just how intimidated Felix must have felt and was still continuing to feel as a new kid.

No wonder Felix felt so unwelcome…

Seungmin knew him and Minho weren’t exactly making things better. They never walked together. Ever. And yet they were doing it for a kid the school barely even knew, but Seungmin found himself not caring.

He suddenly didn’t care what the school thought of him and Minho’s rivalry, he just wanted it to stop being the reason that Felix got so relentlessly hounded.

Seungmin was briefly hit with the thought that maybe it wasn’t him and Minho’s rivalry that was causing the problem. Maybe it was their sudden lack of rivalry. Maybe it was Seungmin’s sudden willingness to sit in the same room as Minho and not want to scoff and stalk away.

Maybe it was the fact that they were both willing to walk either side of Felix, both feeling the same amount of protectiveness and mutual respect they’d never felt for each other before.

But Seungmin brushed those thoughts aside. Felix was his priority. It had to be Felix that was his priority. It couldn’t be anyone else…

Felix’s grip tightened on Seungmin the longer they walked, but Seungmin didn’t mind it. He brought up his free hand to place over Felix’s grip on his arm, brushing gently over the knuckles and making Felix look at him.

“It’s going to be okay,” Seungmin couldn’t help but whisper, noticing Minho closing in on Felix’s other side, blocking some of the stares, “Just ignore everyone, yeah? Remember Minho-hyung and I will deal with any rumours.”

Felix didn’t say anything to that, just nodded uncertainly, but there was a slight relieved shine to his eyes, a trusting look that Seungmin almost couldn’t tear his gaze away from.

However, it wasn’t long before they were arriving at Felix’s class, Felix sighing heavily as he stopped a foot away from the classroom door.

“Here,” Minho said, carefully taking Felix’s bag off his shoulder and helping to hook it back over Felix’s, “Have a good class, darling.”

Felix managed a small smile at that, a small thank you leaving his lips as he bowed slightly. Minho just grinned and told him not to worry, stepping out the way so Felix could enter his classroom.

Felix squeezed Seungmin’s arm one last time before letting go, turning to give both him and Minho a smile before he was taking a deep breath and tottering into the classroom.

Seungmin and Minho just watched him go in silence, an empty space between them as they stared at the door for a few seconds. The corridors went quiet around them, most students now imprisoned in their classrooms.

Seungmin didn’t even care that he was going to be late.

That was when Minho turned to him, a slightly wary look in his eyes as he nodded at Seungmin.

“Come on,” Minho gestured his head, “I’ll walk you to class.”

Before Seungmin could even react, Minho was turning on his heel and walking to the direction of Seungmin’s next class. Seungmin didn’t even have time to question how Minho even knew where to go before he was scrambling to catch up.

“You don’t have to,” Seungmin was quick to say, matching his step with Minho’s and adjusting his bag on his shoulder, “You’re going to be late for class.”

Minho just shrugged and gave Seungmin a look that was only slightly guarded, “Doesn’t matter.”

Seungmin didn’t know what to say to that, just let himself lapse into silence as him and Minho walked down the empty corridors together.

It was weird… seeing the corridors so bare. The ceilings seemed to stretch so much higher, the walls seemed to expand so much wider, the floors seemed to clink so much louder underfoot with no crowd of students all trying to wrestle their way in different directions.

Minho seemed so much calmer, so much closer, so unlike the popular-boy image Seungmin had fabricated in his head.

Seungmin found himself speaking before he could stop himself.

“Did you mean it?” Seungmin said, waiting until Minho’s gaze swivelled to him before he carried on, “Did you mean it when you said that you won’t let any more rumours about Felix start around here?”

“Of course, I meant it,” Minho didn’t hesitate to say, his features tightening in what almost seemed like offence, “Despite what you think, I actually do know how to be a decent person.”

“No, that’s not how I meant it,” Seungmin was quick to say, almost startling when he realised he actually meant the words, “I just thought it was sweet… for Felix, I mean.”

Minho just shrugged, his eyes moving back to stare down the corridor they were walking down, “I was kinda hoping you’d do the same. I thought we’d both look out for Felix together.”

The word ‘together’ rang through Seungmin’s head like a bell. He didn’t think he’d ever heard Minho use that to refer to both himself and Seungmin as one. Seungmin realised he didn’t hate it nearly as much as he thought he would.

Something that had long been untouched started to unfurl in Seungmin’s gut.

“Of course, I’ll look out for Felix,” Seungmin made sure to say, quickly shaking away his other thoughts, “You’re right.”

Minho just snorted quietly to himself, a smile playing over his lips, “I never thought I’d get The Kim Seungmin to admit that I was right.”

Seungmin opened his mouth, about to respond to that before he realised he didn’t have anything to say. Had Felix’s presence basically forcing them together meant that Seungmin could now sometimes admit that maybe Minho could be right about things? Had Seungmin finally realised that, or had he known it all along?

“Don’t get used to it,” was all Seungmin could say, the usual snark missing from his voice as he muttered it.

But before Minho could comment on the words, they found themselves stopping outside Seungmin’s classroom door. The classroom door that was now shut with the signature sign that Seungmin was late and was going to have to let himself in and sit down with everyone staring at him.

Seungmin couldn’t help but feel that it was worth it.

“Thanks,” Seungmin said quietly, looking at Minho for a moment before dropping his gaze to the floor, “For walking me to class.”

Minho just shrugged, the slight smile curving at his lips, “Don’t mention it.”

At the words, Seungmin turned and walked to the classroom, reaching out and turning the door handle with Minho’s eyes on his back. He let himself in the room, feeling everyone’s gaze on him not nearly as strongly as the feeling of Minho watching him go to his seat at the front.

The door swung closed and the teacher immediately started scolding, but Seungmin couldn’t focus on anything but the fact that Minho had waited until Seungmin was seated before walking away.

Seungmin couldn’t concentrate all class, too preoccupied with what it felt like to be watched over by Minho.

Seungmin thought he’d hate it, but for some reason he really wasn’t surprised that he didn’t.

Chapter Text

A new day at school started with a change in lilt to the weather.

The spring sky was cloudy and dull, the sun clearly trying to push through the clouds and light up the world with no success. The air hung with a slight biting chill, the sun occasionally flashing through to add some warmth or cast some light, but it never lasted long. The sky stayed a barely shimmering grey and the bare blossom trees swayed ominously in the breeze.

But Minho knew that even if the sun was shining with the power of an inferno, it still wouldn’t be enough to light up the school.

He was walking down one of the corridors, the morning misery of the place suffocating his skin and tingling unpleasantly up his arms. He’d forgone a blazer that day, instead wearing a black button-up with red plaid trousers. He had chains hanging from his belt, his black boots sleek and heeled and making satisfyingly intimidating clinks as he stalked through the school.

Minho didn’t know if it was his mood or something else, but the school seemed extra dark that day.

Ever since walking around with Seungmin and Felix, Minho hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that the world seemed brighter with them around. The school seemed that much more bearable when he walked with them next to him. Walking alone wasn’t satisfying anymore.

Minho told himself that he was being stupid, that he was letting his emotions and the rumours get the best of him, but he couldn’t shake it. And that was very unusual; Lee Minho was notorious for being able to shake and stomach anything. He was the attractive stoneface, the school It Boy with a smirk always loaded and ready to go, a zero tolerance for the people he didn’t like and endless charm for the people he did.

But Minho hadn’t felt intolerant or charming when he’d walked with Felix and Seungmin. He’d just felt like… himself.

Minho didn’t know if he was willing to admit that scared him.

But he didn’t let it show. He stalked through the school on another morning of faux confidence and forced calm, Hyunjin and Jisung were either side of him, students moving out of the way for the three of them and making sure not to get in their way.

Minho may have been starting to have certain feelings about his rank, but he did still find it satisfying how easy it was to bend the school to his will.

Sometimes it was like the corridors moved just for him, like the doors stayed open just for him, like the staircases and the decorated walls and the shiny marble walls existed just for him.

Minho had always felt secure in the control he had over the school. Maybe that’s why he’d always felt so frustrated at his lack of control over Seungmin. Maybe Minho had never actually wanted that control, maybe he was just too scared to be without it.

Maybe Seungmin made Minho want to face his fears. Maybe Felix was the missing link to make them finally face each other and what it was they really hated.

Maybe Minho was getting more and more tempted to just run away from it all.

Minho had a big reputation to risk and everything to lose. Were two boys really worth that?

Minho knew that if he ever voiced that question out loud, Jisung, Hyunjin and Chan would probably all slap him. Seungmin and Felix too. Maybe also Changbin and Jeongin for good measure.

So, Minho kept his thoughts to himself, deciding that a day without new gossip or rumours or drama was probably what they all needed.

If only the rest of the student body was willing to fall in line with that.

Minho was just turning a corner when his eyes fell on a large group of students all gathered in a small circle chatting together. There were grins on their faces and sparkles in their eyes, but they all froze the moment they caught sight of Minho, the chatter dying like a deprived flame between them.

Minho didn’t have to be a genius to work out that they’d probably had his, Seungmin’s and Felix’s names on their lips.

Minho didn’t blame them. He saw the appeal behind rumours. That didn’t mean he was happy about it.

He swept past the group without a word, feeling Hyunjin and Jisung tighten to either side of him. Neither of them said anything, but Minho could tell they both had the urge to talk.

Minho waited until they were turning into a new, quieter corridor before he was the one to break the silence.

“If you hear any rumours about Felix today,” Minho said, his voice firm and steady as he cast glances at Hyunjin and Jisung either side of him, “Shut them down.”

Jisung’s eyebrows pinched together in confusion, a surprised look appearing on his face, “Rumours about Felix?”

“Shut them down?” Hyunjin joined in, his voice equally as confused.

Minho nodded, “Felix is having a hard time being new,” he said, “I told him I’d look out for him.”

If it was possible, Jisung’s eyes widened even more, “You’ve been talking to Felix?”

Minho just gave him a look, “Yes, I have,” he said, “Don’t act surprised, you’re literally the one who told me about the library spot.”

“Oh yeah,” Jisung said to himself, “I’m still trying to work out whether that was a mistake or not.”

“What Jisung means is that we’ll do it,” Hyunjin made sure to say, meeting eyes with Minho, “We’ll help look out for Felix, make sure no rumours start getting spread about him.”

Minho, despite himself, could only smile at his friend, “Thanks, Jin,” he said, making sure to throw Jisung a smile as well.

“Don’t thank us,” Hyunjin said, “Just don’t do anything stupid. This whole thing has already started a load of chatter and I don’t even know what’s going on, but please don’t give people a reason to really start talking.”

“I won’t,” Minho was quick to say with a shake of his head, “Trust me, even I’m not looking for drama this time. I’m not going to let anything happen.”

But, even as Minho said the words, he didn’t know if he could entirely believe them. He’d never been so emotionally-invested before, he’d never been so enamoured by the people involved, he’d never been so clueless when it came to kicking himself out of the murky sea of rumours.

Minho could only pray that he was right, that he really was able to handle whatever came next and wouldn’t do anything stupid. Minho had a feeling that one wrong move could have the whole board rumbling.

“Well, we have to get to class,” Jisung’s voice broke through Minho’s thoughts, reminding him to focus back on his day, “We’ll see you later, hyung. Remember to behave yourself.”

“Those are rich words coming from you,” Minho snarked, but he waved goodbye to his friends all the same, watching them turn down another corridor and start to walk hand-in-hand toward their class.

Minho couldn’t help but think that he wanted someone to hold hands with in the corridors.

Minho was quick to shake the thought away, already scolding himself for losing himself to his emotions so easily. Minho was supposed to be on guard, was supposed to be stopping himself from acting on impulses like that.

Thankfully, Minho’s next corner led him to the corridor his first class was on, his journey for the morning nearly over and his mind so close to getting dragged into another lesson and hopefully letting him forget about everything for a bit.

Minho had never been so eager to get to class.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t what the school apparently had planned.

Minho had just turned the corridor when he found himself freezing and needing to process the sight in front of him for a second, all rational thought immediately scattering from his head.

On one side of the corridor were a large group of students clearly engaged in a very loud and giggly conversation. On the other side of the corridor stood Felix, looking extremely small and uncomfortable as his name floated multiple times from the group of students, always said in a dramatic and gossipy way, like Felix was some kind of object for their entertainment.

Minho felt his skin sizzle hot with anger.

He took a firm, loud step forward, his heeled boots echoing down the corridor like slamming doors. The group of students whipped round to face him, all their mouths opening in scared gasps.

Felix also whipped round to make eye contact with Minho, his face half-relieved and half-scared as his gaze ran all up and down Minho’s tense form.

Minho found himself getting even more confident at the feeling of Felix’s eyes all over him.

A look passed between them, Minho’s eyes steady and strong as he silently reassured Felix that he had this, that he was making good on his promise to protect Felix.

Felix didn’t say anything, just tightened further to the wall when Minho took another step towards the group of students who hadn’t moved.

“I suppose you guys think it’s funny to talk about people right in front of them,” Minho raised a cutthroat eyebrow at them, his voice piercing and sharp in the air, “Or that it’s okay to judge someone without even knowing them.”

The group didn’t say anything, but Minho did hear a sharp intake of breath from where Felix was still stood a few feet away. The quiet yet distressed sound was enough to make Minho angrier and spur him on.

“Maybe if you guys stopped caring so much about other people’s lives, things would be so much nicer in this school,” Minho snapped and that’s when he saw the shock on the students’ faces really burn.

He knew none of them would be brave enough to say it, but Minho was well aware just how much of a hypocrite he was being in that moment. Minho had never started anything, but it had always been obvious that he wasn’t above using rumours to his advantage, that he’d utilised and twisted the school’s hierarchal system just as much as any other student did.

But it felt different with Felix.

Felix was an outsider. Felix was new to the hierarchy, and his terrified and confused reaction was enough to show Minho just how wrong the whole thing was.

Minho was a leader in the school. He had a voice people listened to whether they liked it or not. He may have abided by the system before, but now he was getting more and more tempted to tear it down.

That started with getting students to stop talking about Felix.

“Minho-hyung,” Felix tried to say, taking a step towards where Minho was still glaring at the group, but Minho just held out a hand to stop him, his gaze getting fiercer.

It wasn’t enough to stop some of the brave ones.

“It’s a free school,” one of the boys spoke up, his gaze shakily firm as he stared at Minho, his group turning to look at him like he was mad, “We can say what we want.”

At the words, a rush of rage flooded deep through Minho, simmering on his chest and boiling in his blood. He heard Felix take another step forward and the students all gasp, but it wasn’t enough to drown out the fury.

Minho couldn’t stop himself, he practically growled, “Keep talking about Felix and see what happens.”

For a second, the students really looked terrified, but then the only one in the school who was simultaneously able to calm and rile Minho showed up.

A new, familiar voice slung towards them.

“I think what Minho-hyung means,” Seungmin appeared at the other end of the corridor, his voice loud and firm and unshakeable as it echoed off every wall, everyone whipping round to face him, “Is that starting and spreading rumours is a cowardly and cruel thing to do, especially towards someone who has only been at the school for a week.”

With his every word, Seungmin took a steady step forward, coming to a smooth stop on the other side of the group, glaring at them with a look much more controlled but just as deadly as Minho’s.

That was enough to silence what felt like the entire school.

Minho and Seungmin had glared and shouted at each other from opposing ends of the corridor many times, but never had they done it in support of one another. Never had they ever publicly been in agreement. Never had one of them stepped forward to loudly and proudly back up the other one.

But, as weird as the experience was, Minho couldn’t help but feel an undeniable prickle of protectiveness when all the other students stared Seungmin down.

Minho had known Seungmin had also promised to look out for Felix, but actually seeing it happen, seeing Seungmin stand up to someone else… Minho didn’t like it.

Seungmin had always been quietly destructive. Minho was the one who took risks, the one who flew off the handle, the one who drew attention to himself. Seeing Seungmin do it felt all wrong to Minho.

However, Minho didn’t have to deal with the feeling for long. The students had obviously only been expecting to get confronted by Minho or Seungmin, not both of them, so they were quick to scatter with an array of murmurs and apologies and clumsy bows that Minho almost wanted to laugh at.

After that, it didn’t take long for the corridor to quieten, everyone who had been watching quickly and suspiciously find something more interesting to do. Minho and Seungmin were the only ones who stayed in place, who stood a few feet apart still staring at each other.

Minho stared straight into Seungmin’s confident and certain eyes and his heart squeezed in relief.

A lot of confrontation had happened to Minho whilst he was at the school, he’d bumped head with people more times than he could count, but it had never felt like that.

For some reason, seeing Seungmin and Felix in the fray was too much for Minho’s cold heart.

“Hyung?” Seungmin was the first of them to speak, his once perfectly-carrying voice now splintering slightly, “Felix…”

Minho took a second to process the way Seungmin said Felix’s name before he was snapping his gaze to where Felix was supposed to be standing, to where he’d innocently been waiting for class before everything had happened. Minho swore his heart skipped a beat.

The spot was empty. Felix was gone.

Minho’s eyes widened, his mouth opening and questions dying on his tongue. He took a step towards where Felix had been standing, looking around.

“Where the hell did he go?” Minho said, moving his head side to side a few times before Seungmin came to stand in front of him.

“We probably spooked him,” Seungmin said with a wince, his voice only slightly regretful, “I know we told him we’d help with rumours, but he probably thought we meant something more… subtle.”

“Damnit!” Minho couldn’t help but curse, his heart sinking at the way Felix was clearly nowhere to be seen, “Why can’t we stop messing things up with that kid?”

“Probably because we’ve never been emotionally-invested in something before,” Seungmin shrugged casually, like what he was saying was normal, like he wasn’t just analysing them and their relationship right in front of them, “We weren’t even emotionally-invested in our rivalry, at least not properly. Now we are and we don’t know how to handle it properly.”

Minho couldn’t help but stare at him in shock, his eyes widening incredulously when Seungmin just shrugged again. Deep down Minho knew Seungmin was right, he really did, but that didn’t mean he wanted to hear it.

But then Minho suddenly realised that him and Seungmin not wanting to listen to what they were hearing was probably the basis of their whole rivalry. And now that they were both paying attention to what people were actually saying, it seemed they had a whole lot more common and a whole load more feelings that they’d been ignoring for far too long.

It was all bubbling to the surface now, and if Minho and Seungmin didn’t find something to grab onto soon, they were both going to drown.

Without looking, Minho whipped his hand out and clasped it around Seungmin’s wrist, not saying anything as he swivelled round and started marching them off.

Seungmin let out a squeak of surprise that was extremely unlike his usual poised safe, almost tripping over his own feet when Minho yanked on him again.

“What the hell?” Seungmin cursed, struggling a little as Minho dragged him faster and faster down some corridors towards the back of the school, “Hyung, what the hell are you doing?”

Minho didn’t say anything, just ignored all the stares and all the words and the fact that class was in a few moments and continued to squeeze at Seungmin’s wrist and pull him along.

Seungmin continued cursing and asking questions, but one skill Minho hadn’t lost was his ability to ignore Seungmin and he utilised it well. He’d completely blocked Seungmin out when they finally reached their destination.

Without thinking, Minho walked right over to a supply closet at the back of the school and yanked it open, practically throwing Seungmin inside before following him in and shutting the door behind them.

“Are you trying to murder me?” Seungmin immediately exclaimed, pushing himself up from where he’d slammed against two mops and sent them crashing to the ground.

“If I wanted to murder you, Kim Seungmin, I would have done it a long time ago,” Minho simply said, taking a step back and leaning against the door to give Seungmin some room to recover.

“Well, then what the hell are you doing?” Seungmin hissed, brushing off his sleeves and staring at Minho through his now-messy hair that was plastered all over his forehead.

A part of Minho couldn’t help but notice how attractive Seungmin looked with hair in his face and pointing up everywhere, before he quickly shook the thought away.

“We didn’t talk enough about this whole rumour-preventing thing yesterday,” Minho said casually, “We just messed up again and scared Felix. We need to discuss this better.”

“And we couldn’t have done that on a bench or something?” Seungmin raised an eyebrow, but looked more relieved now that he actually knew what Minho wanted, “The whole supply-closet thing is a little dramatic.”

Minho just shrugged, “I think we both know that we don’t want people overhearing this conversation and using it to fuel any more rumours.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Seungmin muttered to himself before finally pushing his hair back out his face, “What do you think we should do?”

Minho followed Seungmin’s movements with his eyes, “Well, first of all, you need to stop getting involved.”

Seungmin’s hand froze in his hair, his eyes flashing dangerously, “What?”

“I’m the confrontational one,” Minho said seriously, making sure to keep his voice strong, “I know how to deal with those types of situations.”

“I think I’ve proved to you time and time again that I can hold myself in these kinds of games,” Seungmin bit back, his shoulders starting to tense, “Who the hell are you to say I can’t get involved?”

“Look, I’m not trying to make you angry,” Minho held his hands out, doing his best not to get riled up at Seungmin’s reaction, “I’m just trying to protect you.”

Minho knew that was the wrong thing to say the moment it left his mouth. He could only hide his wince and wait for the crash.

“Protect me?!” Seungmin snapped like Minho was crazy, “You’ve never protected me in your life! What do you have some kind of hero complex or something? You just want to make yourself brave and strong in front of Felix?”

“No, that’s not it!” Minho couldn’t help but snap back, his instincts too used to being defensive and seething around Seungmin, “I just don’t want this to get out of hand.”

“Oh, so you can decide when things are getting out of hand but I can’t?” Seungmin said accusingly, a sharp bite to his words that sounded more personal, more hurt than the usual sarcasm Minho normally heard from him, “You have no right to keep me from this, no right to tell me how I should or should not handle anything. I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m just trying to do the best thing for Felix,” Minho tried to defend, but Seungmin already seemed ready for that.

“You barely know Felix!” Seungmin took a step forward, caging Minho against the door, pushing them both even further together in the small room that seemed to be getting even smaller, “We both barely know him and you’re already trying to ruin him!”

Now that got to Minho.

“I’m trying to do this right!” Minho snapped back, something hot, hotter than he was used to, scorching down his chest and into his stomach. He took a step forward and forced Seungmin to step back, their faces mere inches apart as they shot daggers at one another.

“If you were trying to do this right, you wouldn’t even be involved,” Seungmin said back coldly, “I never should have tried to like you in front of Felix.”

The words landed harshly in the air, circling for a second for they found their target and smacked Minho in the chest.

Minho rocked back, his mouth falling open in an offended gasp. He narrowed his eyes at Seungmin, his skin buzzing hot with a feeling that made his nerve-endings sing.

Minho was used to confrontation. It had gotten to the point that he usually found it funny.

But this… this wasn’t funny. Minho was emotionally-involved. Minho was invested. Minho didn’t know why the hell it hit him so hard that Seungmin had been trying to like him, that Seungmin apparently regretted trying to like him.

Minho was so used to feeling what he thought was anger around Seungmin, but now that he felt real anger, real molten lava, he realised that the original feelings were never anger at all.

They were feelings a whole lot more dangerous than anger.

“I’m trying to protect you from all the fights this could start!” Minho exclaimed, forcing Seungmin even further back as he lurched forward, “I know how this school works, I know about the confrontation that could be coming. I don’t care how you feel about me, but I’m not going to let you get hurt!”

The words were brutally honest, painful and shredded as they clawed their way-out Minho’s throat, bouncing against the walls of the closet and ricocheting straight to Seungmin.

Seungmin’s heart seemed to fall from him like a kamikaze, his eyes widening and mouth opening. He stared at Minho like he had know idea who he was, like he’d been expecting literally anything but what Minho had just said.

I don’t care how you feel about me, but I’m not going to let you get hurt!

Minho didn’t know how Seungmin had never realised. Minho was a protective person. Minho was territorial. Keeping an eye out for Seungmin, getting riled up every time he stepped out of line, getting so seemingly annoyed around him all the time… it had never been hate like they had both thought. It had been the opposite, only made worse by Minho’s absolute refusal to admit to himself that it was the opposite.

And Seungmin… Seungmin looked like he was coming to a similar conclusion. His face twisted and a harsh breath left his lips as he leaned back forward, moving himself right into Minho’s space.

The two of them were barely an inch apart, both panting and frowning with a vile storm of emotion twisting and turning in both their gazes.

Minho stared straight into Seungmin’s eyes, straight into the deep pool emotions that seemed to go on and on forever. Seungmin was so smart and so confident and his eyes led to a brain so impressive that it had always left Minho had breathless.

Minho couldn’t breathe.

But then a deep breath rattled all through Seungmin, his mouth opening and words quiet but firm as he kept his gaze locked to Minho’s.

“You don’t want me to get hurt?” Seungmin whispered, phrasing the words like a question but making it obvious that they really weren’t.

Minho answered anyway, “No, I don’t,” he said, his eyes likely saying more than his mouth ever could as he continued to stare at Seungmin, “This whole time… I’ve never wanted anyone to hurt you.”

A spark flittered through Seungmin’s eyes, a small flash of something that had Minho’s brain reeling. Their stare glittered and thundered like a conversation between them, their gaze robust and unbreakable and unable to be translated into words but still understood perfectly by both of them.

“I don’t want you to be hurt either, hyung,” Seungmin said anyway, his words a whisper but understood like a shout. They were the loudest words Minho had ever heard.

With that, the last ropes keeping them chained apart finally snapped. Their rivalry rippled in the air like a broken chord.

They both fell forward like puppets with their strings cut, hitting into one another with their hands landing on each other’s shoulders.

Minho felt Seungmin’s touch sending sparks zapping like electricity through him and suddenly he couldn’t stand it anymore. He didn’t hesitate as he threw all caution to the wind and shot forward to crash his lips against Seungmin’s.

Seungmin lunged to meet him halfway, their lips surging together and his mouth instantly hot against Minho’s.

They didn’t wait before they were moving, their mouths hot and urgent as they fought to kiss in sync. Seungmin’s hand immediately came up to cup Minho’s face, his thumbs digging into Minho’s cheeks and pulling him desperately closer.

They lips moved against each other, their grips tight and needs urgent as they kissed. The air tightened around them, the walls of the closet closed in. It was just them and their kiss. The outside world burnt away by their laser-sharp focus on each other.

Minho kissed harder, the feeling making his whole body burn with fire. The feeling was foreign, but he liked it.

Minho was ice, he’d always been the biting chill of ice, but the feeling of Seungmin’s flames was enough to have him literally melting. Seungmin’s lips were so dangerous and so wrong and everything Minho was supposed to hate, and yet he tasted so addictive.

Minho wrapped a hand around Seungmin’s skinny waist, pulling him impossibly closer. Seungmin’s body rippled at the feeling, so reactive and explosive to Minho’s touch, his lips feeling better and nicer with every movement.

All the years of hate, all the harsh words, all the festering resentment.

All sealed with a kiss.

Anger vibrated in their veins, destroyed by the wave of want that claimed them, by the realisation that it had always been each other.

All along, they’d only ever needed one thing to make them realise what they really felt and that one thing… that one thing had run away from them.

Minho froze.

The ice inside him suddenly felt chillingly painful, Seungmin’s fire suddenly too hot and overwhelming and destructive. It only took one tip of the scale for the perfect balance to be destroyed.

The only one who’d been able to consistently hold that balance, to be strong and kind enough to take on both the fire and ice… it was Felix.

Felix, who Minho and Seungmin had been unintentionally messing around since he’d started at the school.

Seungmin’s lips suddenly felt painful. All the love Minho had inside him started to crack and splinter inside him. They were going too fast. They were missing a piece. They’d gone from not being emotionally-invested to suddenly being too emotionally-invested and acting dangerously on those emotions.

Minho pulled back with a gasp, Seungmin tensing in his arms.

For a second, they both had to catch their breath, Minho feeling Seungmin’s heartbeat crash like a rocketship under his fingertips.

“Hyung,” Seungmin gasped out, his eyes wide and almost proud as he tried to meet Minho’s gaze.

But Minho just looked back in terror. He’d finally gotten what he wanted with Seungmin and yet it felt too fast, too scary, too wrong without the one who’d made it all happen.

“Min…” Minho whispered, swallowing heavily as he stared at Seungmin.

Seungmin seemed to realise something was wrong, his face devastatingly questionable as he took a step back, Minho’s arms falling from around his waist, “Minho-hyung?”

“I’m sorry, Seungmin,” Minho said, his heart squeezing painfully when Seungmin’s face fell, “We can’t.”

“We can’t?” Seungmin sounded so scared, so confused as he spoke, his lips twisting up almost like he thought the whole thing was a joke, “What do you mean we can’t?”

Minho felt his heart break at the look on Seungmin’s face, at the tiny little tendril of hope he seemed to be clinging to.

Minho swallowed, ducking his gaze for a second before he looked straight back up at Seungmin, “Felix…”

“Felix?!” Seungmin exclaimed, his voice much angrier this time as he turned and laughed a humourless laugh, slamming both his palms into his forehead, “Oh my god, you like Felix, don’t you? You did all this to get me to back off, how could I be so stupid?!”

“No, Seungmin, that’s not it!” Minho was quick to say, but Seungmin turned and blazed at him with eyes even Minho hadn’t seen before.

Rage rippled all down Seungmin’s face like a volcano, tears swimming his eyes with the horribly raw look of someone who’d just had everything taken away. Someone who’d trusted, and had been punished for that trust.

“I don’t want to hear it,” Seungmin said, voice practically shaking with anger and upset, “I hope you’re happy.”

No matter how hard he tried, Minho couldn’t stop Seungmin from shoving him to the side and throwing the door open, storming out the closet and slamming it shut behind him.

The whole closet shook with the impact, Minho having to duck when several supplies fell off their shelves.

Minho ended up crouched in the corner by the door, his head spinning and heart pounding. He could feel distress and devastation and denial all twisting like a tornado inside him, every word and look on Seungmin’s face playing over and over in his mind like a broken record.

Minho had finally found what both him and Seungmin wanted, and he’d ruined it.

The ghost of Seungmin’s lips tickled against Minho’s mouth, Seungmin’s devastated and distrusting face flashing in his mind, completely drained of hope and brimming with hurt. Minho had done that. Minho had hurt him.

Minho had messed up with Felix, and now he’d royally screwed up with Seungmin.

In Minho’s attempt to have everything, he’d ended up with nothing. And now he didn’t know how to get any of it back.

Minho did all he could think to do, he curled up in the corner of the supply closet and cried.

-

That lunchtime, Felix found himself running back to the secret library spot, ready to apologise and offer thanks and do everything he could to make it up to Minho and Seungmin for disappearing that morning.

Felix felt all his hope and happiness crumble gradually in his chest when he arrived and realised that neither of them were there, the minutes of lunchtime ticking by and their two favourite seats remaining empty.

Felix ate lunch alone.

Chapter Text

Seungmin hadn’t been to the library in a week.

Seungmin had been trying to avoid as many possible spots in the school for a whole week.

It was like the stairs moved for to give him cover, like the doors changed to let Seungmin into secret rooms, like the walls were disappearing and reappearing to give Seungmin as many hiding spots as possible.

Students were talking.

Students had been saying so many things.

Seungmin couldn’t walk down a corridor anymore without feeling like his head was getting hammered in by an endless stream of words and questions about how Minho and Seungmin had confronted a group together in the corridor, how they’d skipped class together, how they hadn’t been seen anywhere near each other since.

Seungmin was nervous all the time. His skin itched and his tongue was heavy in his mouth and his concentration was shot to hell. He was getting worse in his classes, teachers were starting to nag him, Changbin and Jeongin kept telling him he looked tired in gradually more and more concerned voices.

And yet, Seungmin only got worse.

The more students pestered him, the more empty corridors he escaped to, the more stares that stabbed right through him straight to his skull, it all drove Seungmin mad.

And the biggest problem of all. No matter how hard Seungmin bloody tried, he could not get the feeling of Minho’s lips off his.

It was making Seungmin’s whole body tighten uncomfortably, his features always twisted into a frown and his teeth gritted like rocks.

Ever since Minho had kissed him, the fire in Seungmin’s veins had reached unbearable levels. He thought he’d finally found his counter to keep the flames at bay, he’d thought he’d found the one feeling that made him feel safe.

But the look on Minho’s face when he’d pulled away…

The fear, the apprehension, Felix’s name slipping from his lips. Seungmin’s whole body had burned to unbearable levels, his skin scorching and his chest searing and his heart charring into ash.

The loss of Minho’s ice meant Seungmin’s fire was left to burn uncontrollably and it was only a matter of time before he exploded.

But Seungmin couldn’t get over it, couldn’t move past it, couldn’t focus on anything but that fact that he’d had everything he wanted in his arms only for it to all tear away. Seungmin had felt something when he’d kissed Minho, something calming, and now he felt everything at unbearable and fiery levels.

The whole school had noticed.

The rumours were worse than ever. The stares were unrelenting. The whole place felt like a warzone full of landmines that Seungmin could step on at any moment.

And Felix… Seungmin hadn’t seen Felix in a week.

Felix’s name had been on everyone’s lips and yet Seungmin saw him nowhere. It was like Felix was playing the same game Seungmin was; manipulating the school and bending it to his will to be his hiding place, making use of the endless corridors and the forever-changing nooks and crannies and the unnecessary amount of courtyards to use as danger-free zones.

Seungmin could only hope that Felix was safe. Despite everything, Seungmin couldn’t bear the thought that Felix would be hurt about losing his protectors and having to cope without his library company.

But Seungmin kept trying to tell himself that he only had himself as company. Minho wanted Felix. Minho could be the one to deal with Felix.

Thoughts whispered in the back of Seungmin’s mind that Felix seemed happiest when he was with both Minho and Seungmin, when he had the best of both worlds to keep him balanced.

Maybe that was what Minho had meant… maybe he wasn’t just saying that he liked Felix… maybe he’d kissed Seungmin because he loved Seungmin and Felix…

No, Seungmin was quick to shake the thought away. Minho had hurt him, and that was all that mattered.

Seungmin wasn’t quick to forget. He wasn’t quick to forgive. He was ruthless and smart and scared and Minho was never going to hurt him again.

Seungmin didn’t care what happened to Minho or Felix anymore.

But, he did.

That was probably the worst part about the whole thing… Seungmin still felt so strongly, still cared, still hoped that things would somehow miraculously work out.

Seungmin cursed to himself. This is why he knew better that to get emotionally-involved. He’d known he just needed to carve his way to the top and do anything to stay there. He never should have risked it, never should have fallen for the sweet face of the new boy and the irresistibly territorial look in Minho’s eyes.

Seungmin had been one of the lanterns in the dark school and now he was flickering.

He was almost completely faded when his class ended one day, the school bell ringing its chaotic trill to signal lunchtime.

Lunchtime. What had once been Seungmin’s favourite time of day was now what he dreaded most. It meant an hour of ducking and hiding to avoid the students milling about and crowding the corridors.

Seungmin stayed hunched in his seat as all the other students packed their bags and filtered out the classroom, chattering amongst each other and sending Seungmin looks as he stayed seated.

The teacher also gave him a weird look before simply shaking their head and packing their stuff and leaving the room, shutting the door behind them.

Seungmin sighed and leant back in his eat. He was finally alone.

He knew a classroom was a very easy place to be found in, but he didn’t care. Seungmin was going to make use of the peace for as long as he could. He hadn’t been surrounded by peace in a while.

As lunch ticked by and more and more students walked by the room, Seungmin felt himself drifting. His mind drifted back to Minho’s kiss, to Minho’s arm around his waist, to the absolutely terrified look in Minho’s eyes when he’d pulled away.

Even after everything, Seungmin couldn’t work out why the hell Minho had looked terrified.

If the whole thing had been Minho’s vicious plan, then he shouldn’t have looked so scared. The feeling nagged again that Seungmin was missing something…

But Seungmin didn’t have time to ponder it much longer, because next thing he knew he was almost falling out his chair at the loud bang of the door suddenly being thrown open.

Seungmin flinched, whipping his gaze to the doorway and fully expecting to see a group of students rushing in to torment him.

But Seungmin’s eyes widened at the sight of… Changbin?

“Hyung?” Seungmin furrowed a brow at his friend, leaning back in his chair again, “What are you doing in here? How did you find me?”

“You can run, Kim Seungmin, but you can’t hide,” Changbin merely said, a slight edge to his voice as he strode through the room and round to the front of the desk Seungmin was sat at.

Changbin grabbed a chair from another table and dragged a chair across the floor, making it squeak horribly as he pushed it in front of Seungmin’s desk and sat on it backwards, his hands clasped tightly and his eyes never leaving Seungmin’s.

Seungmin could only raise his brow higher, briefly registering Jeongin also coming in and shutting the door behind him before going to sit on Seungmin’s desk next to him.

Before Seungmin could even say anything, Changbin opened his mouth.

“You’ve got some serious explaining to do,” Changbin said in his best no-nonsense tone and, as much as Seungmin really wanted to make fun of him for it, his heart sunk at the realisation that he really wasn’t going to get out of this. Not anymore.

That didn’t mean Seungmin wasn’t going to try.

“Explain what?” Seungmin said as casually as he could, shrugging, “Why I didn’t sit with you at lunch today?”

Changbin raised a dangerous eyebrow, Seungmin had to hold back a gulp.

“You have to explain why you’ve been running around this school like madman all week trying to avoid as many people as you can,” Changbin said easily, his voice hard as it carried through the air, “You have to explain why you went from obsessing over Minho-hyung and Felix to suddenly avoiding them like the plague.”

Seungmin swallowed at the words, but did his best to appear unbothered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t even try, hyung,” it was Jeongin who spoke this time, Seungmin unable to hide his surprise at the unusual harshness in Jeongin’s young tone, “You skipped class last week and you’ve been acting weird since then. You know full-well that it should not take a week for us, your best friends, to track you down.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but swallow at the words, ducking his gaze down to the table in front of him. He found himself unable to lie with Jeongin of all people staring him down.

Jeongin and Changbin had always been people Seungmin trusted fully and he knew without a doubt that they’d never let him hide forever. Seungmin was going to have to explain himself to them, and maybe there was also a part of him that did feel bad for abandoning them for a week.

“Maybe there was… something,” Seungmin said quietly, not looking up as he brought forward a fingernail to scratch against the table, “Something last week.”

“Something with Minho-hyung?” Jeongin asked like he already knew, but Seungmin nodded anyway.

A small silence descended over the room at the words, broken only by Seungmin’s scratches against the table.

Changbin seemed to think for a moment, his face harshly contemplative before he suddenly scooted forward again, making another horrible screeching noise that made Seungmin wince and no doubt left horrible marks against the wooden floor.

“What happened, Min?” Changbin asked seemingly as gently as he could, his voice softer than Seungmin was used to, “You’re usually so cool around Minho-hyung, so good at handling your emotions. What the hell happened?”

Seungmin didn’t know if it was the words, if it was Changbin’s tender tone, if it was the way Jeongin was looking at him, but he suddenly couldn’t handle it anymore.

He leant forward onto the table, placing his elbows on it and burying his head in his hands before letting out a deep sob.

Changbin and Jeongin both jumped, but Seungmin was speaking before they could react.

“He kissed me,” Seungmin choked around the sob, his voice splintering at the seams as he spoke into his hands, “Minho-hyung kissed me.”

For a second, no one reacted.

And then Changbin’s eyes were widening and Jeongin was gasping and Seungmin felt his chest singe with pain as another brutal reminder of the beautiful yet horrible kiss swept through him.

“What the hell?” Changbin said like he didn’t remotely believe what Seungmin had just said, “Seungmin, what the hell do you mean he kissed you?!”

“What the hell do you think I mean, hyung?” Seungmin said incredulously, his voice still cracking and his hands throwing themselves in the air, “Minho-hyung and I yelled at some students in a corridor, then Felix ran away so Minho dragged me into a supply closet and he told me I couldn’t be involved anymore so I got angry and we argued and it was bad, very bad, but then he told me he just wanted to protect me and… and I don’t know, he just kissed me, and I kissed back and it was perfect. It was so perfect. But then he pulled back and he was so scared and he just looked at me and he said… he said Felix’s name and I realised that he’d liked Felix all along so I told him I hoped he was happy and I ran away and I haven’t seen him since.”

Seungmin spoke around his sobs, using his fingers to wipe furiously at all the tears on his face and pulling in a deep rattled breath as he did so. He cast a look up at Changbin and Jeongin, frowning at the shocked looks on their faces.

“Wow,” was all Changbin managed to say in response, slumping forward completely in his chair, “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Jeongin said just as intelligently, his eyes wide, “Wow.”

“You guys aren’t helping!” Seungmin couldn’t help but snap, rocking forward and letting his head thunk on the desk.

“Hey, Minnie, be careful,” Changbin was quickly recovering from his shock and surging forward, his hand landing in Seungmin’s hair, “We’re going to help, I promise. That was just… a lot to take in.”

“Tell me about it,” Seungmin murmured against the table, but he admittedly did feel better at Changbin’s reassurance, “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do now.”

“The first thing you’re going to do is sort out that disgusting face of yours,” Jeongin said, Seungmin pulling one eye up from the table to see Jeongin rummaging in his bag.

“Rude,” Seungmin sniffled, “I kinda like my face.”

“Shut up, idiot,” Jeongin said, but there was no malice his voice as he turned to Seungmin with a tissue in his hand, carefully reaching forward to rub it over Seungmin’s cheeks, “There’s no use staining tears all over this table.”

“I feel like it goes with the aesthetic of the place,” Seungmin muttered as Changbin used the hand in his hair to gently pull him upright so Jeongin could finish wiping his face, “This is a big, sad school. A few tear-stains could really spruce the place up.”

“Stop being angsty and shut up,” Changbin merely said, moving the hand in Seungmin’s hair to flick him in the side of his head and poke him on the end of the nose when he pouted, “Now do you want us to help you or not?”

“No, I want you to sit there and keep insulting my face,” Seungmin grumbled.

“Now there’s my sarcastic child,” Changbin grinned, only snorting when Seungmin just folded his arms at him, looking like a child with the tears still in his eyes and wide pout on his lips.

“Now listen up, sarcastic child,” Jeongin joined in, Seungmin also turning to pout up at him, “Because we’re going to teach you how to have emotions.”

“I already have emotions,” Seungmin said.

“Clearly you have too many,” Changbin said, raising an eyebrow as he picked one of Seungmin’s tear-stained tissues off the table and made a face as he shook it.

“Hyung, that’s gross, put that down,” Jeongin batted at him, frowning at Changbin until he really did put the tissue down, “Now stay focused.”

“Right,” Changbin nodded to himself, swivelling over a second before he looked at Seungmin straight in the eye, “Min, I’m going to ask you a question now and I want you to be 100% honest with me.”

Seungmin didn’t know if he liked the sound of that or not, but he nodded anyway.

“Okay,” Changbin said, reaching forward to place his hand gently over where Seungmin’s was rested on the table, “Min, do you like Minho-hyung?”

It took a second for Seungmin to process the question.

“What?” Seungmin couldn’t help but exclaim, yanking his hand out from underneath Changbin’s, “What the hell is wrong with you? Of course, I don’t!”

“You told me you were going to be honest,” Changbin said, his gaze unfaltering as Seungmin blinked at him in disgust and offence, “You just told us that Minho-hyung kissed you and you kissed him back, and that it was perfect until Minho-hyung pulled away.”

“I never said it was perfect!” Seungmin was quick to refute, but Jeongin spoke up in a quiet but steady tone.

“Yeah,” Jeongin said, “You did.”

“Well, I didn’t mean it!” Seungmin responded, but with the way Changbin and Jeongin were looking at him he could feel the argument weaken on his tongue, could feel his resolve crumbling from within, “I can’t… I can’t like Minho-hyung, can I? I always hated him… right?”

As he spoke, Seungmin could feel his words get shakier, his voice fading out the more he went on. He looked to Changbin with wide eyes.

“Oh, Min,” Changbin said gently, looking at Seungmin in sympathy, “I think it’s safe to say you never really hated Minho-hyung and he never really hated you. You were just both too scared to admit that you never hated each other, so you put these huge walls up and were so desperate to get the other to give in that you kept throwing things at each other’s walls.”

“And this school is crazy,” Jeongin joined in, Seungmin turning to look at him with a small gulp, “Students said things all the time. It was a lot easier to let people believe you really did hate Minho-hyung than to get tangled up in all the gossip that would happen if you suddenly started openly liking each other.”

The words took a moment to process, Seungmin letting every single one wash over him before he thought about them. The realisation that he’d never hated Minho, that it had just been easier to hate Minho, it was a lot. It was complicated. But it wasn’t necessarily untrue.

“Maybe you’re right,” Seungmin said miserably, dragging in a deep breath before he brought up his hands to rub at his face, “Wow, this is all such a mess.”

“And I’m probably about to make it messier,” Changbin said, pursing his lips when Seungmin moved his hands out the way to stare at him, “It’s not just Minho-hyung, is it?”

Seungmin furrowed a brow, “What?”

“I mean you and Minho-hyung were stubborn, really stubborn,” Changbin said, gesturing with his hands as he spoke, “For you two to actually start giving in to one another, you’d have to be inspired and motivated by something… or rather by someone.”

Seungmin groaned in realisation and burrowed his face back into his hands, “Felix.”

“Yep,” Changbin popped the ‘p’, “Felix.”

“I reckon the idea that Minho-hyung might like Felix was enough for you to start fighting for him rather than against him,” Jeongin said, “But it was probably made a whole lot more confusing by the fact that you both seemed to like Felix too.”

“You both thought you were competing for Felix and I guess you were, in a way,” Changbin carried on, “But you were also trying to impress each other in the process.”

“Which meant that a load of old feelings got brought up and started clashing with your new feelings,” Jeongin said, waiting until Seungmin looked shakily up at him before he carried on, “It was probably only a matter of time before something dramatic happened.”

“And something dramatic did happen,” Seungmin grumbled, looking sulkily back down to the table, “Minho-hyung kissed me and then ran away, probably ran straight to Felix to steal him away and leave me behind.”

As much as Seungmin hated saying the words, as much as he knew he was just speaking from the hurt, irrational part of himself, he had to admit there was something satisfying about saying them. A part of Seungmin was still bitter about what had happened.

But then Changbin was leaning forward with a frustrated frown.

“Have you seriously not been listening to a word we’ve said?” Changbin borderline snapped, poking Seungmin’s cheek to get him to look up so they could meet eyes, “Seungmin, please believe me when I say that Minho-hyung and Felix haven’t been seen near each other all week. You ran away after Minho-hyung kissed you, then Minho-hyung ran away too, he’s been sneaking around the school exactly the same way you have all week.”

Seungmin’s mouth dropped open.

“Well, it’s less sneaking and more angry stomping,” Jeongin pointed out, shrugging when Changbin threw him an exasperated glare, “Okay, the point still stands. Minho-hyung may have been stupid in initiating a premature kiss and then pulling back from it, but he didn’t pull back because he didn’t like you, Seungmin-hyung. He probably pulled back because he’s just as scared and confused about this whole thing as you are.”

Seungmin couldn’t help but feel a tingle of hope start to curl in his chest, looking to Jeongin with a slight sparkle in his eyes, “Really?”

“Really,” Jeongin said instantly, “You guys have just gotten so used to the idea that you’ll never be happy together that now that you actually have the opportunity, you don’t know what to do with it.”

“Felix also kinda threw a spanner in the works by showing up,” Changbin nodded along, “Don’t get me wrong, he’s the best kind of spanner, in the most interesting and confusing way.”

“Yeah, he certainly confused Minho-hyung and I,” Seungmin couldn’t help but agree with a tilt of his head.

“But, without him, you and Minho-hyung may never have put your defences down long enough to actually be able to sit at the same table as each other,” Changbin pointed out, Seungmin feeling the hope in his chest warm a little at the words, “He was the one who gave you the power to lower your defences, the one who was sweet and un-judging and trustworthy enough to make you feel safe.”

“Maybe, a fresh face and a fresh perspective was what you and Minho-hyung needed all along,” Jeongin smiled as he spoke, “A reminder that there is a world that exists outside this stupid school, a world where school rivalries don’t mean a whole lot.”

“Yeah,” Seungmin nodded with his own small smile, “Does… does this mean I should go after Minho-hyung and Felix?”

Changbin grinned at that, “I say go for it.”

“Yeah, the googly eyes you make at each other are sickening enough to give away that the three of you have clearly got it bad for one another,” Jeongin said, making Seungmin laugh at his half-amused, half-disgusted tone, “I don’t think there’s anything stopping you at this point.”

“Okay,” Seungmin nodded again, more confidently this time, “Go for it?”

“Go for it!” Changbin grinned wider, leaning forward to flick Seungmin on the nose, “That’s the confident, arrogant, annoying Kim Seungmin that I know and love!”

“The confident, arrogant, annoying Kim Seungmin that is going to get two boyfriends,” Jeongin pointed out, Seungmin unable to hold back an eye roll, “They all grow up so fast.”

“I’m literally older than you,” Seungmin deadpanned.

“Yeah, like I said you’re growing up, you’re old,” Jeongin simply said, smiling when Seungmin just gave him a look, “But, in all seriousness hyung, I’m proud of you. You’re going to do great.”

“I hope so,” Seungmin said, his lips pulling up again, widening when Changbin reached forward to ruffle his hair.

“I know so,” Changbin said, “Just keep that wall down and neither Minho nor Felix will be able to resist you.”

Neither Minho nor Felix will be able to resist you.

Seungmin had to admit he liked the sound of that.

A new kind of confidence started to swirl in his chest, filling him with a feeling he’d never experienced before. Seungmin had always been confident, but this was different, he was confident in something else this time. He was confident in his vulnerability, not in his defence, and he was going to use it to learn how to love.

Rumours and gossip and drama be damned, Seungmin was going to get his boys.

-

If Lee Minho’s anger was physically able to lower temperature, the whole school would have frozen over by now.

At least that’s what Hyunjin and Jisung kept telling him.

Minho had been stomping around the school for a week, a dark cloud permanently cast over his face and such ferocity to his steps that the sharp clack of his boots echoed down every corridor.

People hadn’t exactly been in the habit of messing with Minho before, but any kind of thought of that had most definitely stopped now. Students scurried out his way in the corridor, teachers cast him wary glances and didn’t say anything when he continuously showed up late, the only ones who could even talk to Minho now without getting their heads bitten off were Hyunjin and Jisung, and even they seemed to be on thin ice at times.

Ever since the feeling of warm lips against Minho’s, ever since the heartbroken look in Seungmin’s eyes when Minho had pulled back, ever since the closet door had slammed behind Seungmin’s running body, Minho had been so irrationally angry.

Except he knew full-well that it wasn’t anger. It was a lot more devastation and heartache than anger.

But it was a lot easier for Minho to act like he was angry. It was a lot easier to admit to himself that he was angry than to admit that he’d made a mistake. It was a lot more productive for Minho when students were scared of him and not when they pitied him.

So, Minho stomped and stormed around the school and avoided Seungmin and Felix at all costs.

Whenever he heard people talking about them, he growled. Whenever he heard mention of their names, he turned the other way. Minho knew rumours were flying harder than ever and he was telling himself that he absolutely did not want to know what anyone was saying.

But, deep down, Minho knew that wasn’t true.

Minho wanted to know whether Seungmin was as heartbroken as he was. Minho wanted to know whether Felix was as lonely without them as they were without him. And… most importantly, Minho wanted to know whether Seungmin and Felix had finally made the next step together, whether Minho’s fear and rejection had driven Seungmin straight into Felix’s arms.

But Minho wasn’t going to risk feeling the pain if that ever happened, so he ignored that the rumours were happening. He didn’t think that his anger was probably only spreading more drama. He didn’t care anymore. He just cared about surviving day-by-day and hoping that the pain in his chest would eventually go away.

Lee Minho didn’t get pains in his chest. Lee Minho was cocky and attractive and he didn’t feel anything.

At least that’s what Minho told himself. Part of him was convinced that no one believed that anymore.  And if there were two people that most definitely didn’t believe it, it was Hyunjin and Jisung.

Minho should have known that they’d try something eventually.

He was just walking down an empty corridor one lunchtime, trying to work out the most efficient way to avoid literally every student in the entire school, when suddenly a hand was darting out and grabbing his wrist.

Minho yelped in surprise, barely able to process it before he was suddenly being yanked through a door in the corridor and being thrown into what he realised was a teacher’s lounge.

For a second, Minho actually thought that he’d been kidnapped by a teacher.

But then he whipped round and saw Hyunjin and Jisung guarding the door, arms crossed and angry frowns on their faces.

“What the hell?” Minho couldn’t help but say, looking between them like they were mad, “Did you two break into a teacher’s lounge to kidnap me?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Hyunjin was quick to say, his gaze boring further into Minho, “We’re not here to talk about that.”

“Then what are we here to talk about?” Minho quipped back, raising his eyebrows and folding his own arms to cover that he had having a very sinking feeling that he knew exactly what they were in there to talk about.

Minho was really not in the mood to talk about that.

“Cut the act,” Jisung said, looking surprisingly intimidating as he narrowed his eyes at Minho, “If you spend a week stomping around and avoiding us and huffing at us when we try to be nice to you, then we’re obviously going to talk about it whether you like it or not.”

Minho turned his gaze away with a scoff, “You can’t make me talk.”

“We’re your best friends, hyung,” Hyunjin said completely deadpan, like he’d been expecting that answer, “You’ll talk to us eventually.”

Minho just scoffed again, “I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Jisung just rolled his eyes at that, stepping forward to grab Minho by one of his crossed arms and tug him towards one of the sofas at the other end of the room.

“We’re not here to fuss and deflect,” Jisung said as he dragged Minho along, pushing him onto a sofa before him and Hyunjin were also throwing themselves down and caging Minho in from either side, “So, either you make this easier for yourself and talk, or you sit there and act like a child and make everyone even more annoyed than they already are.”

At the words, Minho admittedly felt a little guilty. He knew his emotional state hadn’t exactly been easy for his friends, but he should have considered just how much it’d affect them.

“I’m sorry,” Minho said quietly, leaning back on the sofa and looking up at the ceiling.

“Apology accepted,” Hyunjin said, pausing a moment before his hand hesitantly came forward to rest on Minho’s leg, “But that acceptance will be redacted if you don’t talk to us, hyung. We’re worried about you.”

Minho felt even more guilty, “I know,” he said, “I promise it was never about you guys, it was… something else.”

Jisung placed his elbow on the back of the sofa and rested his head against it, looking straight at Minho, “Something about Seungmin?”

Despite desperately trying to keep his composure, Minho flinched at the name, cursing to himself when Hyunjin and Jisung’s stares only got more intense towards him.

“Don’t try to hide it, hyung,” Hyunjin said, “It’s really obvious. Seungmin has been sneaking around this school all week, avoiding everyone just as much as you are.”

Minho felt something squeeze in his chest, quickly shifting to look at Hyunjin, “Really?”

“Really,” Hyunjin nodded, letting the word settle for a moment before he pursed his lips and spoke again, “Now do you want to tell us what happened? Because clearly something did.”

As much as Minho wanted to continue to deny it, he knew he couldn’t. He slumped back onto the sofa, letting his head thunk onto the back and closing his eyes. He pulled in a deep breath, bracing himself for what he had to do next.

“I kissed Seungmin,” Minho said, failing to keep his voice steady, “I kissed Seungmin and then I messed up really badly.”

Hyunjin and Jisung both shot up in their seats.

“What?!” Hyunjin practically yelled.

“You kissed him?!” Jisung exclaimed at the same time, Minho cracking open his eyes to see Jisung staring at him in half-shock, half-disbelief, “You kissed him and messed it up?”

“I pulled away,” Minho swallowed heavily on the words, deflecting his gaze back up from his friends, “I literally kissed him in the middle of an argument in a supply closet. It was amazing at first, but then I started thinking and spiralling and I got… I got scared so I pulled away. And then I said something and Seungmin ran.”

“Scared?” Hyunjin looked like he didn’t quite believe it, his shocked face pinching in confusion, “Hyung, I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way, but you don’t get scared.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get scared, like ever,” Jisung agreed, something that looked ominously like suspicion twinkling in his eyes as he continued to scrutinise Minho, “Even when you are scared, you cover it really well.”

“Yeah, well that’s always for superficial stuff,” Minho said with a small shrug, looking down to his hands, “I’m not... I’m not as good with emotional stuff, with relationship stuff. I thought I was going too fast with Seungmin, that we wouldn’t be able to handle the transition between love and hate and that by moving forward too fast, we’d be… we’d be leaving something else behind.”

“Leaving something behind?” the suspicion that had been bubbling in Jisung’s eyes looked like it was reaching boiling point. Minho felt something terrifyingly similar to fear start to simmer in his chest. He was definitely not ready to talk about this.

“That thing you’re scared about leaving behind, the thing that you were thinking about,” Hyunjin said, his tone confused as he continued to look at Minho, “Did that also have something to do with what you said to Seungmin? The thing that made him run?”

A lump stuck out painfully in Minho’s throat.

“Yeah,” Minho said quietly, feeling something hot start to gather in his eyes, “I said… I said Felix’s name.”

Both Jisung and Hyunjin’s faces fell.

“Oh, hyung,” Jisung said gently, his hand coming out to squeeze Minho’s shoulder, “I knew it. You like both Seungmin and Felix, don’t you?”

Minho wanted to deny the words, he really did, but it felt so wrong. A single tear slipped down his face as he nodded, both Seungmin and Felix’s beautiful faces flashing in his mind.

Minho could still see the heartbroken, devastated look Seungmin had given him in the closet. Minho could still see the small, tear-stained look on Felix’s face when he’d cried about his fear of rumours. Minho had failed them both.

“Oh, my precious Minho-hyung,” Hyunjin said in sympathy, shifting forward to lean on Minho and wrap his arms around him, “You panicked, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Minho nodded shakily, using one hand to wipe his tear and wrapping the other around Hyunjin, “It was confusing enough realising that I didn’t hate Seungmin, even more confusing figuring out that I actually liked him. And kissing him… kissing him was so wonderful, but it felt so wrong knowing that Felix was the one who gave me the courage to do it and he wasn’t even there.”

“We’re so sorry, hyung,” Jisung said softly, his gaze sad when Minho turned to him, “We should have known.”

“It’s not your guys’ fault,” Minho shook his head, “I guess I could have handled this whole thing a lot better.”

“You can say that again,” Hyunjin said, managing to snort when Minho mock-glared down at him, “Your words, not mine, hyung.”

Minho just huffed, messing up Hyunjin’s hair, “Brat.”

“Well, Hyunjin’s brattiness aside,” Jisung chimed in, ignoring Hyunjin’s scoff at the words, “He was right in saying you haven’t handled this situation very well. So, how are you going to handle it now? How are you going to fix this?”

Minho let the words process for a moment, his hands unintentionally squeezing on Hyunjin as he thought. He honestly hadn’t thought that he’d make it this far, that he’d manage to get to a headspace when he thought he could even try to fix things. But Minho knew he had try, it wasn’t fair to leave Felix lonely and Seungmin heartbroken. It wasn’t fair for all three of them to suffer.

“I don’t know,” Minho eventually said, sighing as he spoke, “I don’t even know where to start on fixing this.”

Much to Minho’s surprise, Hyunjin actually huffed a laugh at the words.

“No offence, hyung,” Hyunjin said, shifting off Minho to pull away and stare right at him, “But that is absolutely not the answer that the Lee Minho I know and love would give.”

Minho furrowed a brow at him, feeling something new start to replace the fear in his chest, “What?”

“The Lee Minho I know would be on a mission to take down the school, find his boys and sweep them off their feet,” Hyunjin said like it was obvious, “Find Seungmin and Felix, hyung. Tell them how much you love them. Use your supposedly irresistible charms on them. It’s obvious they’d both go crazy for you, now go show them that you’re worth it.”

Minho almost found himself grinning at Hyunjin’s words, “You’re serious?”

“I’m deadly serious,” Hyunjin pointed a finger in Minho’s face, “And if you don’t do what I say, then I might just go and snatch up Seungmin and Felix for myself, because they’re both insanely hot.”

“And I’ll probably join him on that,” Jisung joined in, “I bet Seungmin is a really good kisser.”

“He is,” Minho said without thinking, taking a second to realise that he’d said that before he grinned wider, “Wow, I really do have to win him back, don’t I?”

“You’ve got to go and get your kisses, hyung.” Hyunjin said, “Just maybe talk to Seungmin first this time. I know it’s hard, but keep your pants on long enough to establish your boundaries and where you stand before you start making out, okay?”

“And don’t do it in a supply closet,” Jisung said pointedly, “Because, seriously, was that really a great place for your first kiss?”

“It was dangerous, which is kinda hot,” Minho shrugged, “But I get what you mean, about all of it. I’ll save my charms for the kissing part, and will actually try and be a bit more sensible about the rest.”

“Lee Minho being sensible?” Jisung said, placing a hand dramatically against his chest like he could imagine such a phenomenon, “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“I guess that’s what hanging out with Kim Seungmin does to you,” Hyunjin said, dodging out the way when Minho tried to smack him, “What? I’m right! Minho-hyung is the stupid one, Seungmin is the smart one, and Felix is the one who stops you from killing each other.”

“I am not stupid!” Minho huffed, making Hyunjin laugh at him.

“Could have fooled me,” Hyunjin winked, not moving out the way to dodge Minho’s smack this time, whining when Minho whacked his shoulder.

“You deserved that,” Jisung said to him before turning back to Minho with a serious look on his face, “I hope you mean it, hyung. I hope you mean it when you say you’re actually going to fix this.”

“Don’t worry, Ji,” Minho smiled at him, taking his hand and also deciding to take Hyunjin’s for good measure, “I do mean it. I’m not going to let Seungmin or Felix go, not again.”

“Now that’s my hyung,” Hyunjin said proudly, squeezing Minho’s hand, “You’re gonna do great.”

Minho just smiled wider, “I hope so.”

Jisung squeezed Minho’s other hand, “I know so.”

And as Minho stared at Jisung, he realised that Jisung was right. Things were going to be okay. Things were going to be alright. Minho was going to fix them.

As long as Minho had Seungmin and Felix in his sights, he was sure he could anything.

-

As Felix walked down the corridor, a whole hurricane of rumours and whispers circling him, he actively had to hold himself back from squeezing his hands over his ears and bursting into sobs.

It had been a week. A whole week of nasty words and endless hounding and unbearable stress that had driven Felix to his breaking point.

Felix’s new friends had promised to keep him company, they’d promised to protect him, but in the end they’d both abandoned him. Felix had a horrible feeling that he’d been played along, that this had always been Minho and Seungmin’s plan. They’d just wanted to prey on the new kid and trick him into being their friend, just so they could force him into the spotlight and leave him to be eaten when the wolves descended.

Felix didn’t know the extent of their plan, but he knew he’d had enough.

Felix didn’t care about Minho and Seungmin anymore. It was obvious that they didn’t care about him at all. They couldn’t have been in love with him like he’d originally thought, or they wouldn’t have sat next to him on that bench and promised to protect him only to both disappear and leave him to suffer alone.

The two boys Felix had seen staring at each other on his first day of school were most certainly not the same two boys he knew now.

Felix had thought he was in love with them then. Now he knew he wasn’t.

Chapter Text

It was weird, seeing the school as the world descended its way into evening.

The sky was a burnt orange, teetering on the edge of the darkness with the sun still clinging to its last few minutes of daylight, desperately trying to stay above the horizon as clouds cast dark shadows and crisp yellows faded into looming blues.

The school was illuminated by a sunset silhouette.

It looked so different from afar.

The whole building looked like it could have come directly from a fairytale, like it was the place in which the princess was locked away and forced to spend eternity rotting away with a gradually fading hope that anyone would come and save her.

The path up to the school was long, too long. It dipped and curved and wound through the grass, stone cobbles filled with gaps of black and tripping up any student who dared to wear uncomfortable shoes. The path led to the ginormous welcome gate that was anything but welcoming. It was closed at this time, all long sharp bars that loomed like guards and reflected menacingly in the light.

The school itself was much larger, not a single bit of it identical. It was made of old stone brick, large windows dotted along every wall. Towers sprouted out from all sides like branches, some reaching much higher than others. The sunset cast an orange glow along the edge of the turrets, giving them a menacing glow that looked less like a school and more like something from a dark spell.

Minho shivered to himself. A lot of his time at the school had been spent feeling like he was under its spell.

There was just something about the school, something about its isolation, something about how aged it was and yet the air loomed with a chilling sense of life.

The school was a castle. Minho was one of its princes, and one of its villains, and arguably one of its victims.

Minho was just one of many who’d climbed the social ladder, and he no doubt wouldn’t be the last to claw his way to the top and then struggle to stay there. All it had taken was the appearance of a brand-new sparkling pair of eyes to trigger a resurfacing of feelings and then Minho had drowned in it all. The arms of the school had claimed him and thrown him into tragedy.

Minho felt like he couldn’t breathe.

And yet the life of the school had thrummed through him, had gathered in his lungs and swum in his veins and washed along the endings of his nerves. Minho had felt it when he’d surged forward to crash his lips against Seungmin’s, and he’d felt it when his whole body shook with electricity as he’d collapsed to the floor at the sound of Seungmin’s descending running feet.

Minho had made mistakes.

Minho stared at the school and wondered if he’d make any more.

It was late evening, the world just starting to gradually tilt into night, and Minho was sat under the sunset waiting to be claimed by the stars.

He was in a field just next to the one the school was built in, propped up on a hill and watching as the sun slowly sunk behind the school, leaving fading orange splotches and a pink sky twisting into black.

There was a firm chill in the air that rippled unpleasantly through Minho. He shivered and stuffed his hands in his pockets, still wearing his blazer and other fancy school uniform, all of it silk and expensive and nice, but none of it warm.

Minho couldn’t help but feel the same; he wasn’t warm. He was ice. He had a cold heart. He froze the lives of people everywhere he went.

But even Minho could admit that sitting there staring at the empty school, seeing it devoid of all the usual endless swarm of people buzzing within, it brought a sense of peace.

Minho felt more human, more like himself when there wasn’t anyone around that he felt he had to impress.

Or so Minho thought.

Minho was so far in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the footsteps approaching him until they were only a couple of feet away. Minho jumped in place, his body flinching and eyes widening as he stared up at the person bundled up in a jacket and scarf and staring down at him from the small distance.

“Seungmin?” Minho couldn’t help but ask, his voice strangely hopeful, “What are you doing here?”

Seungmin just shrugged a little, looking down at his hands, “Hyunjin told me that I’d find you here,” he said, “I know I’m probably the last person you want to see, but I want to talk to you.”

Minho felt his heart stutter in surprise, his mouth falling open in shock. After everything Minho had done, Seungmin was the one brave enough to approach him first. Seungmin thought that Minho wouldn’t want to see him, but he had turned up anyway.

“Seungmin, if anything, it should be you not wanting to see me,” Minho was quick to say, having to force himself to keep his voice steady, “But if you’re up for it, I really would love to talk.”

Seungmin nodded, still looking a bit uncertain, but his shoulders straightened all the same, his gaze managing to lift up to look at Minho.

Barely a second passed before Minho was using the opportunity to pat the grass the next to him, gesturing at Seungmin to sit down. Seungmin looked hesitant for a second, but seemed to shake it off as he walked over. He settled almost shoulder-to-shoulder with Minho, frowning when another shiver wracked through Minho’s body.

“You’re cold,” Seungmin said bluntly, his eyebrows drawn together as he looked at Minho.

“It’s nothing,” Minho said, waving a hand to try to cover up that he was about to start shivering, “It’s my fault for not bringing a jacket.”

Seungmin frowned harder at the words, his lips pursing and cogs visibly turning in his mind for a moment before he was moving. He quickly pulled his scarf off, expertly untying its knot and reaching over to wrap it around Minho before he could even think to react.

“Wait, no, you don’t have to!” Minho immediately tried to say, using his hands to try and stop Seungmin’s efforts. But Seungmin was relentless, he wrapped the scarf twice around Minho’s neck, letting it splay over his shoulders.

“Just take the scarf, hyung,” Seungmin said as he pulled back, “I’m not going to sit here and watch you shiver.”

Minho tried to protest the words, but his mouth opening again only had Seungmin glaring at him harder. So Minho begrudgingly fell silent, letting a second pause before he reached up to tighten the scarf around his neck.

“Thanks,” Minho said after a moment, the word quiet and unsure but enough for Seungmin to hear.

“Don’t mention it,” Seungmin shrugged, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his arms on them, his gaze held firmly to the sunset surrounding the view of the school in front of them.

Minho turned to stare at the same view, feeling a weird sense of déjà vu come over him as he looked at the school with Seungmin by his side.

The school had been the place Minho and Seungmin had met. It was where they’d been thrust into a jungle of students and told to survive. It was where the first spark of their rivalry had been lit, where all their explosions had happened, where they’d hissed and sworn like fire and ice battling for dominance.

Take the school away, and Minho and Seungmin were just two kids sat in a field together on a cold spring evening.

They weren’t trapped in a rigid hierarchy anymore. They didn’t have to lock themselves in a supply closet for just a moment of peace. They wouldn’t have to deal with un-ending rumours the next morning just because they’d simply sat next to each other.

For the first time, Minho realised just how easy it was to be with Seungmin.

All the traits of Seungmin’s that Minho had thought he’d hated; his stubbornness, his fierce loyalty, his over-developed sense of justice, Minho realised he actually loved them. Minho had huge respect for anyone who could stand up for themselves, had huge respect for anyone who was firm and just in their opinions, had huge respect for anyone who refused to be swayed and intimidated by the masses.

Minho had only hated those things in Seungmin because the school had twisted them into something evil. In a hierarchy where Minho had to fight for his position at the top, anyone with a strong will and a commanding presence posed a threat, but Minho didn’t see Seungmin like that anymore. Minho saw Seungmin as a boy just as simultaneously lost and determined as he was.

Maybe Minho had only ever hated Seungmin because they were so damn similar.

But, Minho realised as he stared into the setting sun, it was time to fix that now. They couldn’t stay trapped in their hate, not when a series of encounters had led to them both crying in a supply closet and a third person getting tangled in all the mess.

It was time they faced the fight they’d been avoiding all along; the fight that wasn’t actually a fight at all.

Fighting was easy. Loving was not. And yet they needed to stop taking the easy path, they needed to actually let themselves be happy for once.

“Seungmin,” Minho’s voice cut hesitantly through the silence, Seungmin’s body tensing next to his but his gaze not leaving the sunset still looming over the place where everything had happened between them.

“What is it, hyung?” Seungmin said, his voice resigned like he already knew what was coming, but a fiery edge to it that lit with the possibility of something new.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry,” Minho said, wringing his hands in his lap as he spoke, trying to keep down his nerves, “I’m sorry for kissing you in the supply closet like that. I’m sorry for pulling back halfway through. I’m sorry for confusing you and for probably making you feel like I don’t like you and for just being an absolute mess during that kiss. It really wasn’t fair to you.”

At the words, Seungmin’s head slowly turned so he could look at Minho. His face was carefully blank, the only slight indication of emotion in his eyes, which were still shimmering with the overly-scrutinising gaze Seungmin had so perfectly mastered.

It was a moment before Seungmin opened his mouth, his voice almost devoid of anything, “So you’re sorry for kissing me?”

“No!” Minho was exclaiming before he could stop himself, his eyes widening and body flinching when Seungmin just raised a brow at him, “No, I’m not sorry for kissing you. I mean I could pretend that I am, but I think we’re both past that point now. I think we can both admit that we did want that kiss.”

“So, what are you sorry for then?” Seungmin said, his tone suggesting that he didn’t hate the answer that Minho had given, but that it also hadn’t been exactly what Seungmin was looking for.

“I’m sorry for how I went about the kiss,” Minho said, “We were in the middle of an argument. We hadn’t talked about anything related to that or even started to think about our feelings. It knocked me so off guard that I pulled back halfway through. I don’t regret kissing you, but it… it shouldn’t have been like that. And I’m really sorry for that.”

Minho went silent after he was done, his gaze dropping to the grass and a slight red blazing over his cheeks. Shame flushed through him, his chest tightening at the reminder of all that went wrong.

But then Seungmin was speaking too, his voice sure and certain as he said, “I’m sorry too.”

Minho’s head was whipping up to look at Seungmin before he could stop it, “What the hell do you have to be sorry for?”

“I mean I didn’t exactly try and stop the whole thing,” Seungmin shrugged, a faint smile playing over his lips, “I was as much of an active participant as you were. And, well, I kinda assumed that when you said Felix’s name when you pulled back that it was because you liked him. I’ve since realised that it was… something else, so I’m sorry that I assumed that the whole kiss was a ploy you were using to play me when you pulled away.”

“Seungmin, you really didn’t have to be sorry for that,” Minho said, shaking his head when Seungmin just looked at him, “I’m sorry that I screwed up our first kiss like that. That I made you feel like you were being messed around. I know you probably don’t believe me, but recently my feelings for you have gotten very sincere and, well, it’s kinda terrifying.”

Seungmin smiled as he reached over to bump his shoulder with Minho’s, “I believe you.”

Minho couldn’t help but smile back at him, “You do?”

“It would be hypocritical for me not to.” Seungmin said with another shrug, “I mean I thought I hated you, and then we both started showing up to the library and I saw how caring you were with Felix and then I started to realise that it wasn’t just for Felix that I was hanging out with you anymore. It was… confusing… and overwhelming.”

“You can say that again,” Minho said, Seungmin huffing a laugh from next to him, “I’m glad… I’m glad we can actually talk about this stuff now.”

“Yeah,” Seungmin smiled, “Me too.”

“If you told us three weeks ago that we’d be sat together talking about this, then we’d think the world was going mad,” Minho said, unable to hold back a grin at the thought, “Oh, how far we’ve come.”

“I wouldn’t say kissing in a supply closet is far,” Seungmin said with a matching grin of his own, “But it’s definitely progress.”

Minho turned to look at Seungmin, unable to stop himself from raking his gaze over the smile lines on Seungmin’s face, over the upward curve of his lips, “The best kind of progress.”

At the words, Seungmin’s cheeks dusted a light pink, his skin practically glowing in the setting sun. The curve of his lips twisted shyly, his eyes ducking and fringe falling over his face.

Minho couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to push it back.

Their eyes met at the action, both of them staring straight into one another with an infinite amount of emotions swirling between them.

“Do you really think we can do this?” Seungmin whispered, the breeze carrying his voice tenderly in the air, “You and me? Can we be just us? Can we ever forget that we used to hate each other?”

“Oh, Min,” Minho said smiling, his voice laced with endearment, “I think we’re kidding ourselves if we try to say that anything we ever felt was hate.”

The smile bloomed wider on Seungmin’s face at the words, a small laugh leaving his lips. Minho lost his breath, almost losing himself to just how pretty Seungmin’s face was when he wasn’t glaring at Minho with the force of an inferno.

That wasn’t to say Seungmin wasn’t ridiculously hot when he blazed with his brightness…

But Minho was actually allowing himself to enjoy it now, actually allowing himself to rake his gaze over Seungmin’s face and stare into his eyes and not have to worry about vicious rumours and cutthroat words stabbing into them.

It was just Seungmin, Minho and the setting sun.

“So, we’re doing this, right?” Seungmin eventually said, his face confident and shy and excited all in one go, “You and me, we’re going to be so much more than enemies, right?”

“Yeah,” Minho said, reaching out a hand to cup Seungmin’s face, “So much more.”

With that, Minho was leaning forward, pulling Seungmin closer so their faces were barely inches apart. Seungmin’s breath was hot on Minho’s lips, his eyes so close and so beautiful and so ready.

They waited only a second before they were surging forward, their eyes closing and lips meeting in a moment that had a spark of electricity between them. It was just a brush, but it was enough for Minho to shiver at the feeling, both of them pulling away for a moment to simply stare into each other’s eyes before they were crashing forward again.

They both wanted it this time. They’d both thought it through. They knew they weren’t going to pull back again.

It was a different kiss to the one they’d shared before, less urgent, less controlling, less fiery when neither of them were frantically trying to demand control.

Minho could feel his whole body relax, Seungmin’s lips soft and sweet like coffee as they moved gently against Minho’s.

Minho couldn’t help but grip tighter to Seungmin’s face, insistently pulling a little closer as the kiss deepened. They moved in sync, gradually becoming more and more passionate as they each started to allow the other a little bit of control.

It was so different to their usual push-and-pull, just a gentle blend of fire and ice, a swirling together of elements that had Minho’s body shaking cold but his face flaming hot.

Seungmin’s own hands came to wrap around Minho’s shoulders, his fingers curling into the scarf Minho was still wearing and using it to pull him closer. Minho was happy to comply, letting himself sink into Seungmin and running his thumbs over his cheeks as they kissed.

The sun continued to set over them, the school watching as they finally, officially broke free of all its judgements and demands and barricades.

Minho had never felt so goddamn free.

But eventually he found himself losing breath, squeezing gently to Seungmin’s face as he pulled back a little. He made sure to stay close, to keep his grip on Seungmin, not wanting him to think that there was going to be a repeat of last time.

Seungmin, however, seemed to understand. His own chest rocked with pants as he also pulled back, his eyelids lifting to reveal blurry, happy eyes. He pulled in a breath before smiling at Minho, his face more relaxed and content than Minho had ever seen it.

“I always knew you were good at everything, Lee Minho,” Seungmin said breathlessly, untangling one of his hands from Minho’s scarf to run his fingers delicately along Minho’s chin, “But I never knew you’d be that good of a kisser.”

Minho couldn’t help but smile back, moving his finger to poke Seungmin on the end of the nose, “You underestimated me, Kim Seungmin.”

Seungmin just laughed, tilting his face forward so he could stare challengingly at Minho through familiar mischievous eyes.

“Maybe, I’m remembering it wrong,” Seungmin said coyly, “Maybe, you actually weren’t a great kisser the first two times,” he carried on, pausing before he spoke with a voice that almost took Minho’s breath away with how gorgeously it curled in his ears.

“Maybe you’ll have to show me again.”

And who would Lee Minho be to ever turn down a challenge like that?

Chapter Text

When Minho and Seungmin walked into school the next day holding hands, the entire student body rioted.

It rumbled all under the floorboards, it ran along every single wall, it cracked in the ceiling and flickered the lights and shook the paintings.

Felix could feel it, the excitement and gossipy chatter and speculations all being thrown around haphazardly and exploding into the air like bombs.

Minho and Seungmin, the school’s infamous bitter rivals, were holding hands.

Felix watched as they walked in. He was tucked against one of the entrance walls, hidden by a few different crowds of students who all turned and borderline screamed as Minho and Seungmin wore matching smug smirks and walked hand-in-hand through the gates.

It was barely even a matter of seconds before it was the topic on every students’ lips. The sparkle in all their eyes. The only thing that would be talked about for weeks. The one piece of gossip able to truly set the place ablaze.

A whole new layer of life was breathed into the school, the walls practically oozing with the rush, invisible eyes following Minho and Seungmin everywhere they went, the systems laughing and cackling with the overly-dramatic plot twist that no one had seen coming.

And to Felix’s upmost surprise, Minho and Seungmin… they seemed to love the attention.

They were almost made out to be heroes, to be the ones who had finally overcome the hierarchy in the school, to be the ones breaking all prejudice and crumbling all stereotypes and revolutionising the unspoken system to dust.

But Felix knew better. Minho and Seungmin hadn’t broken the system. They’d maintained it.

Minho and Seungmin had only propelled themselves even higher on the hierarchy. They had, by absolutely no means, ended it. They sat at even higher the top now, two kings who the students would start talking about even more, who they would push higher and higher up the ranks.

And whenever someone climbed even higher, it always came at the expense of someone else sinking lower.

That someone was Felix.

Felix hated himself for it, but he could feel his heart cracking sorrowfully in his chest at the sight of Minho and Seungmin together, at the way everyone was happy and congratulating them and whispering excited I knew it-s!

It was so incredibly selfish for Felix to think it, but he knew Minho and Seungmin never would have been able to take that step if it wasn’t for him. Felix had been the one to make them first start pushing against the hierarchy, the one to give them a safe space where they could learn to comfortably be in the same room together, the one who had taught them that peace and love were worth all the fear it took to achieve them.

Felix had been the one to show Minho and Seungmin the light, and now they had abandoned him and cast him into the dark like he was nothing more than another one of the peasants underneath them.

Minho and Seungmin were holding hands… without Felix.

Minho and Seungmin had kissed… without Felix.

Minho and Seungmin were together…. without Felix.

And yet, without Felix, they never would have been brave enough to take any of those steps in the first place. Felix couldn’t help but feel so incredibly used and abandoned, lonelier than ever now that every student seemed to hate him after everything he’d done.

Because, in a school like theirs, there was no hero without a villain, and now that Minho and Seungmin were those heroes, Felix was that villain.

Felix was the one who’d apparently tried to ‘get between’ Minho and Seungmin, the one who’d been trying to play them both, the one who was the reason for all the drama that had been suffocating the school since he’d started attending.

The rumours around Felix had now shifted to something worse. They were outright insults now, all whispered words and quiet hisses and rough shoves to his shoulder as he just tried to walk down the corridor in peace.

Minho and Seungmin had risen in grace, but had inadvertently caused for Felix to fall from his at the same time and, worst of all, they didn’t even seem to care.

So, Felix kept his beret tightly drawn over his face, trying to hide it as he pulled his cardigan tight around himself and speed-walked through the corridors. He deliberately took a route that meant he wouldn’t have any chance of bumping into Minho and Seungmin and their hand-holding as he just tried to get to his class.

But the moment Felix stepped into the classroom, he heard the chatters that erupted around him, he felt every students’ eyes on him as he walked to his desk, he felt a deep shame clench painfully in his chest and curl uncomfortably in his skin. He lowered his head and kept it down, praying to everything he had that it would all just blow over soon.

It seemed the world was not on Felix’s side.

No one was on Felix’s side anymore.

By the time he made it to the end of the school day, he’d already taken to breaking school rules to wear his headphones in the corridor, blasting his favourite girl groups at full-volume in an attempt to drown out all the words being thrown at him.

Felix had sat in every class alone. He’d spent lunch alone. He’d found he actually preferred being alone because, whenever people were around, they were only mean and spiteful to him.

The only good thing about the day was that Felix had managed to avoid Minho and Seungmin the whole time. However, that also seemed to have its down sides in that it also meant Felix hadn’t bumped into Chan at all, and he couldn’t even try to put into words how desperate he was for a friend to reassure him, to remind him that he really wasn’t the homewrecker the school was trying to paint him as.

Chan loved Felix no matter what. Chan would, despite Felix’s protests, stand up to the whole school if it meant Felix was okay.  And Felix didn’t necessarily want Chan to do anything drastic, but he certainly could have used a friend.

Felix was just heading for the school gates when it all went wrong, his phone in his hand as he texted Chan, asking him if he wanted to meet that evening.

Felix had only just pressed send when he was suddenly jolted out of his reverie by a strong hand darting out of nowhere and wrapping painfully around Felix’s forearm.

There was barely a moment for Felix to process the movement being suddenly he was being dragged, a yelp leaving his lips and his headphones jolting out his ears as his feet scrambled for purchase on the ground.

Felix managed to look up just in time to see a student a few years older than him holding roughly to his arm, another older student coming to flank on Felix’s other side as they dragged him around to the back of the school without even having to look at him.

“What the hell?” Felix couldn’t help but ask, frantically trying to pull his arm free as both the older boys ignored him. Felix briefly realised that he recognised them as people he’d seen talking to Minho before, maybe friends of his?

But Felix didn’t have time to ponder it as suddenly they rounded another corner just to find another two taller older boys waiting for them. Felix’s heart pulled in his chest, reality starting to sink in as he took in just how angrily they were all staring at him.

Felix realistically knew that, in general, he could defend himself, but there were four of them and one of him, and whilst Felix was terrified, each boy looked unmistakeably full of rage.

Anger was usually an unfortunate advantage in these kinds of situations.

“What’s going on?” Felix managed to ask, but the only answer he got was a shove to his back that sent him crashing painfully to his knees as all the boys started to circle around him, “What are you doing?!”

“So, you’re the one that decided to show up and cause trouble, huh?” one of them growled in response, the one who’d dragged Felix all the way round to the back of the school, “You’re the little kid who’s been messing poor Minho and Seungmin around, huh? Trying to play them both?”

“No, you’ve got it all wrong!” Felix tried to say, flinching when all the boys just closed in further with matching snarls. A shiver shot all the way down Felix’s spine, his skin tightening with growing fear, “Please, you have to listen to me.”

“Oh, we don’t have to do anything,” another one of them smirked, the expression dangerously gleeful on his face.

“In fact,” another one of them spoke up, leaning down so he was eye-level with Felix, staring straight into his gaze with such a sinister look that Felix couldn’t help but cower in fear, “I think you need to be the one to listen to us.”

With that, Felix realised he didn’t have a choice. His heart sunk in his chest. The fear died down to an almost painful resignation.

The boys weren’t going to listen to Felix, they weren’t going to let him defend himself, they were only going to let him hurt and bleed as they enacted what they thought was rightful revenge. Felix was defenceless, vulnerable and hated. He had no choice but to just had to kneel there and take it.

Felix just closed his eyes and ducked his head, his shoulders falling as he resigned himself to what was probably going to be another hellish step of his demise.

There was nothing Felix could do anymore; he truly was hated by everyone.

He accepted that fact as the boys finally descended with their words and blows and Felix just took it, crying and whimpering and defenceless, wondering how Minho and Seungmin would feel if they could see him now.

-

Minho and Seungmin weren’t ashamed to admit that maybe they had been enjoying a little too much of the attention they’d been getting all day…

It had just been a couple of weeks of nothing but drama and speculation and a suffocating amount of invasion. So when people had actually started reacting positively to Minho and Seungmin again, they’d found themselves basking in it.

They’d known they were probably breaking some unspoken rule by walking into school hand-in-hand, but after their kiss the night before and the way they’d been staring and snarking playfully at each other ever since, they both knew it would be impossible for them to hide their relationship at the school. They were both too attached, too headstrong, and the school was such an impossibly curious face that just one look exchanged between them had the potential to blatantly give them away.

So, Minho and Seungmin had gone against anything they’d ever built themselves, and they’d publicly shattered their rivalry and turned it into a romance.

The whole school had gone crazy.

Minho and Seungmin, from the moment they’d walked in, had been receiving excited questions and happy congratulations and endless looks from comically fast turning heads.

They would have been lying if they said they weren’t enjoying it,

With their hands linked between them and the whole school backing them once more, they felt like they could achieve anything.

Or so they thought.

Seungmin was the first one to notice it. It was lunchtime when he finally did, him and Minho defying all laws and expectations to shatter the unofficial seating plan and sit at the lunch table in the direct centre of the canteen. The whole school was beaming at them, Changbin and Jeongin grinning through their introductions to Hyunjin and Jisung and sharing what was now probably the most popular table in the entire building.

That was when Seungmin remembered another place he’d also spent a couple of lunchtimes.

He couldn’t help but frown to himself as he remembered Felix’s little library spot and the cute little bench he’d found himself outside. Seungmin cast a glance all around the lunchroom, not surprised when he realised Felix wasn’t anywhere.

Did that mean Felix was in the library all alone?

Had Felix been alone all throughout the drama of Seungmin and Minho’s butchered supply-closet kiss and the subsequent few days of fallout? Had neither of them been there for him like they’d promised?

Seungmin’s heart dropped. Had neither of them thought of Felix?

“Hey, hyung,” Seungmin couldn’t stop himself from saying, speaking just loud enough to be heard over the lunchroom chatter as he turned to Minho and squeezed his hand slightly as he did so.

Minho paused in his conversation with Changbin, seeming to sense the apprehension in Seungmin’s voice as he looked at him.

“What is it, Seung?” Minho asked, eyebrows pinching together slightly.

“Have you heard from Felix at all?” Seungmin got straight to the point, noticing a couple of the others at the table perk up at the mention of Felix, “He’s not here.”

Minho quickly scammed the lunchroom himself as if to double-check Seungmin’s words, turning back to him with a frown, “Well, I wouldn’t worry too much. He’s probably in his… you know, his little library spot?”

“Yes, I know,” Seungmin said, unable to keep the bite of worry from his voice, “But have you heard from him recently? Or spoken to him, like, at all?”

At the question, Minho frowned harder, “No, I haven’t,” he said, “Have you?”

“No,” Seungmin shook his head, unable to fight off the way his chest started to tighten with realisation.

“So that means…” Minho said, his face falling as he seemed to come to the same realisation at the exact same time, “So that means the last time we saw him was on the bench the day he was crying.”

“Yes,” Seungmin nodded almost frantically, “And that very same day we told him that we’d take care of him. We told him that we’d take care of him and look out for him and then apparently we both just stopped talking to him completely and abandoned him for days because we were too wrapped up in our own issues that weren’t remotely his fault.”

“Oh god,” Minho said, letting go of Seungmin’s hand to drop his head into it and rub harshly over his forehead, “And we both publicly defended him the hallway and then the whole school went mad because we skipped class and then didn’t talk to each other for days. There’s absolutely no way that people weren’t talking about him.”

“And people talking about him is literally one of his worst fears,” Seungmin carried on, Minho looking up at him with wide eyes, “That’s literally the one thing we told him we’d protect him from, before we went and abandoned him.”

Minho just groaned at the words, burying his face in his hands one last time before he completely straightened up, looking at Seungmin with much harder, more determined eyes.

“We have to find him,” was all he said.

“Agreed,” Seungmin was already reaching down to grab his bag from the floor.

But that was when a hand came out, Changbin’s hand to be exact, and wrapped its way around Seungmin’s wrist to stop him.

“Hyung,” Seungmin said, frowning as he shuffled round to look at Changbin, “What are you doing?”

“The right thing,” Changbin simply answered, helping Seungmin put his bag down and sit properly at the table once more.

Behind him, Seungmin felt Minho also move back to his position, albeit a little hesitantly.

“Think about this for a second, guys,” Changbin looked right at both of them, “After not talking to Felix for days, do you really think he’s going to appreciate you two barging into his safe space all worked up and guns blazing, on the same day that you walked into the school holding hands no less?”

The words took a second to process, but when they did Seungmin felt himself tense, something tightening painfully in his chest.

“Felix probably saw us, didn’t he?” Seungmin asked tightly, almost fearing the answer, “He saw us being a couple, didn’t he? He must think we’re even worse now.”

“Yeah, we both start ignoring Felix and then days later we’re walking around holding hands after previously making it clear to him that we didn’t like each other, we just wanted to get to know him,” Minho said, shaking his head angrily to himself, “How must that look to him? He probably thinks we were just messing him around the whole time.”

“Which is why I think it’s best you don’t go rushing to him and forcing him to listen to you,” Changbin said, his tone serious, “If I’m honest, I don’t think he’s going to want to hear anything you have to say right away. And I wouldn’t really blame him.”

“No, I wouldn’t blame him either,” Seungmin agreed, pausing before he turned back to Minho to frown worriedly at him. Minho just looked at him with sad eyes and quickly reached out to take Seungmin’s hand.

Minho didn’t always use his words to say it, but Seungmin had noticed the way he always made sure to show his care for others. Unfortunately, that only made Seungmin feel worse.

If actions spoke more than words, then Felix undoubtedly wanted nothing to with them. And, as much as Seungmin may have struggled to admit it, the thought of that broke his heart.

“So, what are we supposed to do?” Minho eventually said, his voice solid but quiet as he turned to look at everyone around the table.

Surprisingly enough, Hyunjin was the first one to speak.

“First of all, try not to worry too much,” Hyunjin said, holding up a hand when Minho immediately tried to interrupt him, “I know it sounds stupid, but I mean it. Felix has already demonstrated that he knows how to look out for himself, he’s probably hurt but he’ll be okay. He’s not as fragile as everyone seems to think he is.”

“And he’s not entirely alone,” Jeongin joined in, turning to Minho and Seungmin with a slight shrug, “Felix has Chan-hyung, remember? And if there’s one thing we all know about Chan-hyung, it’s that he’d never let down a friend in need.”

Seungmin nodded along to the words, squeezing Minho’s hand at the small bit of reassurance that admittedly did flood through him. He had enough faith in Felix that, no matter how everything ended, Seungmin knew he’d be okay.

That didn’t mean everything was okay in that moment, though.

“Hyunjin, Jisung, do you think you could do us a favour?” Seungmin turned to Minho’s friends, almost finding it in himself to smile when they both obediently nodded at him with wide, surprised eyes, “You guys are trustworthy in this school. Could you maybe ask around about Felix a little? Maybe just see if there are any rumours spreading about him, or if anyone’s seen him around.”

“Yeah, we can do that,” Jisung was quick to say, “We can meet you out front at the end of the day and tell you whatever we found?”

“That’d be great,” Seungmin couldn’t help but smile at him in relief, “Thank you so much, guys.”

“Don’t mention it,” Hyunjin was quick to wave his hand at him, already using his other hand to try and pull Jisung out his chair, “Come on, Ji, we’ve got work to do.”

With that, both Hyunjin and Jisung were up and out of their seats throwing Minho and Seungmin a wink each and then quickly scattering to other tables, grinning greetings to other students and then dropping into seats next to them and launching straight into conversation.

Seungmin practically melted in his seat, hopeful that even if the situation wasn’t being fixed yet, they were at least a little closer to finding out about Felix’s wellbeing.

Seungmin couldn’t believe that both him and Minho had apparently managed to forget about him, Minho seeming to think the same as he squeezed Seungmin’s hand to get his attention again.

The two of them could only look at each other, staring into the eyes and they both knew so well and using it to reassure one another, to remind themselves that they’d both gotten over much worse. If they could successfully get over their fears and put together their own mangled relationship, then they could do the same with Felix.

“We’re going to be okay,” Minho said, looking straight at Seungmin, “All three of us.”

“I know, hyung,” Seungmin said quietly, “All three of us.”

Unfortunately, neither of them knew just how untrue those words were.

-

It reached the end of the day when Minho and Seungmin were waiting together just outside the entrance of the school, leaning shoulder-to-shoulder against one of the walls with Minho holding all of Seungmin’s books in his arms.

Neither of them were saying anything, both too worried about their conversation at lunchtime to talk. They didn’t need to have a conversation to know how they both felt about Felix, to know there was no need to clear up any jealously between them when it had been obvious from the very beginning that they’d both been enamoured the moment they’d set eyes on Felix.

But since then, their eyes had strayed, and had unfortunately forgotten all about what had captured them in the first place. Minho and Seungmin could only hope that Felix hadn’t forgotten about them back.

They were unfortunately about to find out that there was no possible way for Felix to have forgotten about them, and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

“Minho-hyung! Seungmin!” came Hyunjin’s voice all the way from the entrance of the school.

Both Minho and Seungmin jumped and whipped round, their eyes widening and hearts dropping at the sight of Hyunjin rushing towards them, his hand wrapped around Jisung’s as they both ran over. Changbin and Jeongin were just a foot behind, all four of their faces pinched in worry.

“Oh no,” Minho heard Seungmin whisper, “This can’t be good.”

Minho couldn’t help but agree, Hyunjin and Jisung were drama queens at the best of times, but it took a lot to get them legitimately worried. And Changbin and Jeongin were both notoriously hard to frazzle.

That mean they had to have heard something bad.

Minho couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to grab Seungmin’s hand, squeezing his fingers in a half-attempt to reassure himself and a half-attempt to reassure Seungmin. They both knew that, no matter what happened, they’d still both have each other. Even if they wanted more.

It only took a few more seconds for the running footsteps to get closer, all four of their friends coming to an abrupt stop in front of them and almost collapsing with the way they started panting.

Minho just swallowed heavily, running his eyes over them all.

“Well, we can tell it’s nothing good,” Seungmin spoke up, his voice tight with worry, “I take it you found some stuff out about Felix’s current state?”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Hyunjin nodded at them through his fast breaths, whipping his hair out his face to look at them with wide eyes, “It’s really not good.”

At the words, Minho felt something tighten painfully in his chest, concern beginning to blaze under his veins. He was once again hit with the thought that him and Seungmin really should have remembered Felix when they’d both gotten tangled up in each other.

They were both used to the attention of other students, Felix was not, and he’d expressed multiple times that he had a fear of experiencing it. The student body also didn’t know enough about Felix to possibly be intimidated by him yet. If they wanted to terrorise and terrify him, then they would.

“Just tell us,” Minho couldn’t help but say, looking at Hyunjin and Jisung as he swallowed around the words, “And don’t sugar-coat it, tell us how Felix is. Honestly.”

“There are rumours going around about him, hyung,” Jisung answered, his voice shaky as he looked between Minho and Seungmin, “People are saying that he’s the reason you two took so long to get together, that he arrived at the school and immediately started trying to play you both, that he tried to get with each of you and then turn you against each other purely for the fun of it. People are saying he’s the reason you two spent that week storming around the school and not getting anywhere near each other.”

It took a second for the words to register in Minho’s mind, but when they did he couldn’t help but let out a furious growl.

“What the hell?” he exclaimed, looking at Hyunjin and Jisung like he wanted them to take the words back, like he wanted them to reveal it was just some kind sick joke, “None of that is true! Literally none of this was ever Felix’s fault!”

“We know that, hyung,” Jeongin spoke up this time, his voice hesitant, “But the student body were so happy for you that it meant they had to turn their anger to someone else.”

“And even though he never meant to do it, Felix’s arrival here was what started off this chain of events between you two,” Changbin carried on, gesturing at Minho and Seungmin’s conjoined hands, “I think it’s a good thing he managed to start all this because it meant you two actually started talking to each other, but other students disagree.”

“They think that he was just manipulating you both, that he arrived at the school to cause trouble and nothing else,” Hyunjin said, swallowing painfully around the words before he carried on, “And from what we’ve heard… people have had absolutely no trouble vocalising that to his face.”

“Oh god,” Minho couldn’t help but say, his heart dropping as he leaned down to thump his head against Seungmin’s books, “Oh, no.”

“Poor Felix,” Seungmin said from next to him, his voice sounding equally as pained, “We have to do something, right? We have to get people to leave him alone.”

“Of course, you do,” Changbin was quick to say, his words firm, “You might find it hard to find him though.”

“Yeah, apparently the only time people are able to track him down is in the corridors between classes,” Jisung said, “He completely disappears at lunch and break times.”

“Well, that means his secret library spot is still safe at least,” Minho muttered, hating how little relief he actually felt at the words.

He was about to open his mouth to carry on speaking, to ask how they were supposed to approach Felix without infringing on him, when suddenly they were all distracted by a shout ringing out from near the wall they were stood by.

“Hey!”

It was a very loud shout, and Minho couldn’t help but get a very, very bad feeling when he realised the voice belonged to Bang Chan.

Chan was a very reasonable person, he never shouted, which meant that whatever was happening was extremely bad.

Minho couldn’t help but get a very sick feeling that he knew exactly what was going on.

But there was no time to ponder it, not when all of them were suddenly dropping their conversation and running, their feet pounding against the floor as they all sprinted round the school towards more of the shouts they could hear ringing out.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” Chan borderline hissed, and Minho couldn’t help but shudder. They’d all know that Chan was scary when he was mad, but never had he sounded quite like that before.

Minho squeezed Seungmin’s hand one last time as they ran, all having to skid to a sudden stop when suddenly there was another group running straight towards them from where the shouts had been coming from.

Minho immediately tugged Seungmin into his side, recognising four boys he knew from around the school. There was terror smudged over all their faces, none of them even sparing Minho a glance as they dashed past him and the rest of the group and then disappeared back round the school.

“What the hell?” Minho said as he watched them go, feeling Seungmin tense from next to him as more footsteps started approaching them.

But these footsteps weren’t running, they were soft, and Minho heard a second later as Chan’s voice started again, this time much closer and much gentler compared to the growl it had been mere seconds ago.

The group were barely given time to prepare before suddenly Chan emerged from around the corner, not noticing them at first because he was too busy staring at the person he had tucked tight under his arm.

That person was… Felix.

Minho’s gasp echoed jaggedly through the air, accompanied by the gasps of the rest of the group as they all set eyes on Felix’s face.

Felix was crying, that much was obvious, his cheeks a painful red and the bottom of his eyes puffy and swollen, tear-marks stained awfully over his face. But that wasn’t remotely close to being the worst of it.

The worst of it was the clearly-fresh purpling bruise Felix had rippling disgustingly on his cheek. The bright red split of his lips that was still leaking a steady stream of blood all down Felix’s chin and staining horrifically to his white blouse. The haunted look in his eyes that screamed betrayal and fear and a million other things that made Minho want to throw up.

Seungmin practically stumbled from next to Minho, both of them staring in horror at Felix with their hearts being crushed into a million pieces in their chests.

Felix was hurt, both physically and mentally, and they’d let it happen.

But there wasn’t time to fester in it, not when Chan was suddenly coming to a halt in front of them, his arm visibly tightening around Felix and his face twisting from its comfort and distorting into a searing hot anger that Minho had never had directed to him before.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Chan growled, Felix tensing in his grip and dropping his gaze to the floor with a sob. Minho’s entire insides burned with agony at the sight.

But none of them were brave enough to answer, none of them except young little Jeongin who was quickly turning and rooting around in his bag, his face panicked until he suddenly pulled out a pack of tissues and was thrusting them towards Chan.

“Here,” Jeongin said, gesturing the tissues forward urgently, “Whether you want to talk to us or not, you’re going to need these.”

As much as he looked like he wanted to, Chan didn’t argue with that, reaching out to snatch the tissues from Jeongin’s hand.

Chan’s entire body softened when he opened them and turned to look at Felix, gently folding up a tissue and carefully pulling Felix’s gaze up to his own. Felix flinched, but didn’t otherwise react when Chan tenderly placed the tissue against his split lip to stop the bleeding.

A part of Minho couldn’t help but feel a rush of jealously at the sight, at the fact that Chan could so intimately take care of Felix and Minho couldn’t. But another part of Minho knew that he had no right to feel like that.

Chan had earnt Felix’s trust. Minho and Seungmin had also earnt it, but then they’d turned around and crushed it and then fed Felix to the wolves.

Minho didn’t even have to look at Seungmin to know what kind of devastated look would be splattered across his features. He didn’t have to look in a mirror to know the same devastated look would be splattered across his own.

They could both only stare at Felix’s shaking form and the tears spilling down his face, the tears that Minho and Seungmin had once wiped away and had promised to stop.

Minho and Seungmin had promised to protect Felix… they’d so dreadfully failed.

Minho didn’t have time to react when Seungmin was suddenly stepping forward, his steps loud and confident and his shoulders tensed. He looked right at Chan, his hand falling from Minho’s and his lips pursed determinedly.

“Felix,” Seungmin said, his voice quiet but sincere, “Are you okay?”

Felix didn’t even have time to try and think of a response before Chan was suddenly pulling him close again, his strong arm firm around Felix’s back and Felix’s face falling straight into his chest, neither of them caring about the blood now staining Chan’s shirt.

“Of course, he’s not okay!” Chan hissed right at Seungmin, and Minho couldn’t help but feel his protectiveness bristle, “Why do you even care?”

Minho’s heart dipped at the words, but he refused to flinch, feeling a rush of pride when Seungmin nodded but continue to stand his ground.

“We care about Felix,” Seungmin said, his voice less steady this time but just as serious.

“Well, you have a funny way of showing it!” Chan snapped, Felix flinching against him and quickly swivelling around so he was stood behind Chan’s back, burying his face in his hands to cry silently as Chan hid him from them all, “You two dragged him into your sick enemies to lovers game and then let the school bully and hurt him for what you did!”

As he spoke, Chan’s voice practically prickled with anger, his lips pulled into spikes at the corners and his eyes staring daggers straight into Minho and Seungmin. But the worst part of it wasn’t even the anger, the worst part was easily the disappointment, the anger that parted to reveal the usually kind eyes now staring at them with discontent.

Chan was so effortlessly kind, but he fought tooth and nail for the ones he loved. Minho had always known that, he’d just never expected that he’d one day but the one to suffer for it, but he knew he deserved it.

“I’m sorry,” Minho managed to say, stepping forward so that he was next to Seungmin, “We’re both really, really sorry.”

“We are,” Seungmin eagerly nodded along, his eyes wide as he practically begged Chan to listen to them, “This whole situation got so tangled and so messed up and I promise we never meant for it to end up like this. We’re so sorry that Felix got hurt.”

“Well, he did get hurt!” Chan was quick to snap back, Felix visibly flinching again from behind him, “I trusted you guys! I asked you to take care of my friend, to not get him tangled in any of the stupid messes at this school, and you’ve gone and dropped him right in the middle of it after previously promising to protect him!”

Every word stabbed painfully into Minho’s chest, his eyes closing and throat tightening as he processed them. He knew Chan was right. He knew they’d messed up. Minho and Seungmin never should have forced themselves into Felix’s life and dragged him into the spotlight of the school if they weren’t prepared to help him.

Instead, Minho and Seungmin had both gone for Felix only to end up falling for each other and leaving Felix alone to pick up all the pieces that were broken along the way. And there were so many broken pieces…

The fact that Felix was now standing there with teary eyes, a bruised cheek and a split lip was proof enough of that.

“I’m sorry, hyung,” was all Minho felt like he could say, his voice cracking on the words. Seungmin reached out to take his hand again, squeezing painfully at his fingers.

Chan didn’t explosively react to the words like Minho had half-expected him to. Instead, Chan just deflated, his shoulders falling and lips pursing and a painful sigh escaping his lips. He stared straight at Minho for a second, pausing in silence as his eyes swam in disappointment.

“It’s not me you need to be apologising to,” Chan eventually said, “I’m disappointed in you guys.”

And if Minho had thought his heart had been hurt before, then it just fully splintered in his chest.

He flinched with his whole body, Seungmin next to him doing the same. All the other boys gasped quietly from behind them, all frozen and shocked as Chan just turned away and shook his head.

“You better fix this,” was all Chan said after that, dragging in a breath before staring straight at Minho and Seungmin, “You have one chance to fix this.”

With that, Chan gently turned and placed an arm back around Felix’s shoulder, cradling Felix close and leading him away with fast steps and whispered words that were too gentle and soft for Minho to hear. Minho didn’t even try to eavesdrop, knowing he’d lost any rights to know anything about Felix.

The fact that Chan was even giving Minho and Seungmin a chance was a miracle in itself.

Minho could only turn to Seungmin as Felix was led away, a million different emotions spasming between them as they stared into one another’s shocked eyes.

The others were all silent as they stared, nothing but Minho’s and Seungmin’s breaths in the air as they looked at one another in unspoken agreement.

“We screwed up,” was all Seungmin said, Minho nodding along, “We screwed up, but we were given another chance.”

“We were,” Minho said, swallowing heavily around the words, “And we’re going to use this second chance to do something right.”

“We are,” Seungmin said, his voice tight with determination as his grip tightening on Minho’s hand, “We’re going to fix this.”

Chapter Text

It was rare that it snowed in the spring.

But it wasn’t completely unheard of, occasionally winter would float by again and the temperature would drop and the sky would grey and a gentle splattering of flakes would start to drizzle their way to the ground.

It wasn’t exactly a storm, but it wasn’t exactly subtle either.

The air hung with an uncharacteristic chill, the sun hidden firmly by a blockade of grey clouds. The world was blurry and heavy with a constant flurry of white, the snow hitting the ground and then melting away a second later, revealing again the green grass and dry concrete that was blanketed with snow again only another second later.

The breeze blew the snow like a painting, colouring and smothering the air, displaying a constant blow of white that blinded and slipped. It never settled, too hot to stay gathering on the ground, but it was constantly replaced with more, the snow light but relentless, a reminder that a world of flowers and blossom still had dark in its wake.

The school still looked as stunning as ever, even more mysterious than usual with its turrets surrounded by grey clouds and its silhouette enclosed by a flurry of flakes. The windows were fogged, the doors were stuck and heavy to open, the courtyards were empty with most of the students sheltering inside. The spring had momentarily departed to leave a flash of haunting and misery for every student to endure.

Snow was fun when it stayed and left a playground to laugh in. Not so much fun when it just blew and suffocated and made everyone shiver, when it interrupted the light-heartedness of spring to bring everyone back down to earth with a disheartening jolt.

And they had all truly been brought back to earth.

The novelty of Minho and Seungmin’s new couple status had worn off. Students were less excited about it now. They even seemed disappointed now that there were less things to gossip about, less fights to report on, less glares between them that set hallways alight with tension and had flames licking up the whole school’s spines.

Maybe if Minho and Seungmin were actually still happy about their couple status, then the rest of the school would be happy too. But Minho and Seungmin weren’t. No one was.

Minho and Seungmin were happy together, but their relationship had lost their shine now that they realised what price it had come at, and what was undoubtedly missing from it.

Minho and Seungmin had started to share moments together because of Felix, and now sharing moments without him felt wrong. Especially now that they knew exactly what those moments had been turned into for Felix now.

It had been three days since Felix had been attacked, since Chan had led him away with blood dripping down his face, a bruise on his cheek and a terrifyingly haunted look in his eyes. Three days since reality had hit Minho and Seungmin harder than they ever thought it could.

No wonder Felix had been so terrified of the hierarchy… it only hurt and shamed kind souls like him.

And now it was snowing in spring. Now the school was poisoned with an air of misery. Now Minho and Seungmin felt lonely, even when they were together.

They were sat in tucked away corner in one of the highest towers in the school, a narrow empty hallway with a large window at the end. They were squeezed together on the window sill, Minho’s face pressed against the glass watching the snow whilst Seungmin hummed quietly from next to them.

Neither of them had spoken for a while.

They were supposed to be in class, but class felt so unimportant in that moment. The corridors were so much quieter during class time, it made it so much easier to think. It made it so much nicer to be in each other’s presence with not a single soul watching them and expecting things of them. It made it easier to run the events of the last few days over and over in their minds.

Minho was the first of them to speak, frowning slightly as his breath fogged up the window.

“Seung,” Minho said, his voice quiet and calm enough that Seungmin merely hummed an acknowledgement from next to him, “Do you think we screwed this up for good?”

Seungmin had been thinking exactly the same thing long enough to know what ‘this’ was. He pulled in a deep breath, biting on his bottom lip a little before turning to face Minho to give him his answer.

“I think we screwed up,” Seungmin said matter-of-factly, Minho turning to look at him through his eyelashes, “Whether we screwed up ‘for good’ or not will depend on what we do next.”

Minho seemed to take that answer, his lips pursing as he nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Minho said, turning back to look out the window, “Chan-hyung told us we had a second chance. He wouldn’t give us that if he thought that there wasn’t a way for us to redeem this and make Felix happy again.”

“Chan-hyung also doesn’t give second chances easily, especially when it comes to people he cares for as much as he cares for Felix,” Seungmin carried on, “It must mean something that he gave us one.”

“Yeah, but it also means something that he only gave us one,” Minho rolled his head to look back at Seungmin, making sure to meet his eyes, “We have to get this right, Seung. We can’t keep screwing up.”

“I know,” Seungmin said quietly, heaving a small sigh as he let his gaze drop to his lap, starting to fiddle with his fingers, “I keep racking my brain for how we’re supposed to fix this. We obviously have to apologise to Felix for ignoring him for days, and accidentally getting him caught up in all the drama that we had going on. But… I don’t know…”

“But a simple apology doesn’t seem like enough,” Minho finished for him, reaching over to clasp one of his hands over Seungmin’s fiddling ones, “I know what you mean.”

“I just keep looking back to see where this all went wrong,” Seungmin shook his head to himself, shifting the position of one of his hands to clasp his fingers around Minho’s, “It started off so well… Felix seemed to like both of us, we were actually being civil around each other, you even walked me to class one time. And then all of a sudden there were feelings everywhere and then kissing and then we suddenly weren’t civil anymore and then none of it seemed to be about Felix and we both forgot he was even involved which meant he got hurt… it just all happened so fast.”

Minho listened to the words, forcing himself to breathe deeply as he focused on them. He let his head fall back onto the wall behind him, squeezing Seungmin’s hand to keep himself grounded. His eyes strayed to the snow outside, to the falling flakes and the visibly cold air and the tangle of weather that was destroying the peace of spring.

“I think we should have seen this all coming all along if I’m honest,” Minho said quietly, feeling Seungmin’s eyes bore into him from the side, “We were both convinced we hated each other, turning getting to know Felix into some sort of deluded competition. But the fact that we both liked Felix basically forced us to accept that we actually also liked each other, and facing that like we had for each other was made extremely complicated by the fact that we were supposed to enemies.”

Seungmin snorted a little at the words, his head coming down to rest on Minho’s shoulder.

“I really was convinced I hated you, you know?” Seungmin said, “But if someone asked me why I hated you, I never would have been able to give them an answer. I think the answer was that I didn’t hate you at all, but I knew so little about love that I confused all those strong feelings for hate. And this stupid school only seemed to encourage that.”

“Yeah, we both seemed to be cowards in that respect,” Minho hummed contemplatively, “This school just made it so much easier to hate each other, and we never did anything to change that.”

“And then Felix came along and he let us get to know his charming, loving self,” Seungmin spoke around a smile, Minho turning slightly to meet his eyes, “He never did anything the school wanted him to do. He just existed as the kind person he was. He taught us that… that even if hate was easier, it was so much better to love.”

“Yeah, he did,” Minho smiled back, bringing up his free hand to poke Seungmin in the end of the nose, “But, unfortunately, love doesn’t turn to hate and then back into love again overnight, does it?”

“Nope, it doesn’t,” Seungmin said with a huff, “It’s a process.”

“A process that we admittedly didn’t handle very well,” Minho carried on, looking back up with a sigh, “I think we just got so tied up in each other that we forgot we were roping along someone else with us.”

“Yeah, and whilst we were tangling ourselves and desperately trying to untangle ourselves and then tangling ourselves again,” Seungmin said, “We messed the rope up so badly that Felix got tied up so tightly he couldn’t escape, and by that point we had broken free and were running away together and leaving him trapped and tangled and alone.”

Minho couldn’t help but turn to grin at Seungmin, “Okay, that was a really sad thing that you said, but a really good way of putting it.”

“What can I say?” Seungmin grinned back, “I like metaphors.”

“If only Felix liked metaphors,” Minho shook his head, “Then you could say all your pretty words and spout your nonsense and we’d have Felix back in a second.”

The words were only meant as a joke, Minho fully expecting Seungmin to whine about how metaphors weren’t nonsense before they went back to their discussion. But, instead, Seungmin shot up in his sitting position and almost sent himself tumbling off the window sill, his hair whipping around as he turned to Minho with an excited expression on his face.

“Hyung, that’s it!” Seungmin exclaimed, already reaching out to shake Minho’s shoulders, “You’re a genius!”

“Seungmin, no!” Minho exclaimed back, already grabbing Seungmin’s hands to try and stop his flailing, “I was kidding! You are not trying to win Felix back with your metaphors!”

“No, that’s not what I meant, idiot!” Seungmin said back, adding in a quick ‘hyung’ when Minho mock-glared at him.

“Well, then what did you mean, brat?” Minho asked, trying not to get his hopes too much. Minho knew that Seungmin was extremely smart and came up with good ideas, but he also knew that fixing the situation with Felix would be hard and he didn’t want to think that just one idea would be enough to give them a solution.

“You were right in saying that we need to say something that Felix likes!” Seungmin said like it was obvious, his eyes wide, “This whole time we’ve been trying to do this our way. We’ve been doing public confrontations and making our feelings for Felix known and just generally going through the systems of the school. But Felix has proved multiple times that he doesn’t like anything public or any of the school systems.”

Minho couldn’t help but tilt his head, narrowing his eyes, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that we actually need to start appealing to Felix and his needs, not the needs of the school,” Seungmin said, “We should start focusing on just the things he likes, on the things he’d want us to do, on the way he’d want us to ask him out, not the public spectacle that we’d want to try and create in front of the entire school.”

The more Seungmin spoke, and the more Minho processed the words, the more Minho realised Seungmin was right.

“Okay, okay, I think I know what you’re saying,” Minho sat up, almost letting a smile play over his lips, “Did you have anything particular in mind?”

“Well, we need to think of things that Felix likes, right?” Seungmin said, waiting for Minho’s nod before he twisted himself around to lean off the window sill towards his bag on the floor, rummaging through it for a few seconds before he sat up again, now holding a small notebook with little cats doodled over the cover that Minho had bought him, “Okay, tell me things Felix likes.”

“Okay, uh, well he likes cute little spots, like his library corner and that courtyard we found him in once,” Minho was quick to say, running a hand through his hair as he thought of other things, “Felix likes storybooks and comics. He likes stupid jokes and puns. He, uh… he likes sweet things and baking, like those brownies he baked once.”

“Okay, that’s good,” Seungmin scribbled in his notebook as Minho spoke, “He also likes pretty things, like in class all his notebooks are covered in cute stickers and doodles. He likes cats and dogs. He likes Chan-hyung and Australia.”

“He likes skirts and berets and hairclips,” Minho carried on, “He goes bright red at compliments, and when we tell him things like ‘have a nice day’ and stuff.”

“Wonderful,” Seungmin nodded along, his pen still scratching over the paper, “This will really be a good starting point.”

Minho furrowed a brow, “A starting point for what exactly?”

Seungmin looked up, a confident smile pulling at his lips, “Don’t you see, Minho-hyung?” he said, holding up the notebook, “This is a starting point for courting.”

Minho took a second to process the words, his mouth dropping open when he finally did, “Courting?”

“Yes, courting,” Seungmin rolled his eyes, already back into scribbling in the notebook, “This is what we have to do for Felix. We have to play the long game.”

“But why?” Minho couldn’t help but ask, knowing full-well how him and Seungmin were two of the most impatient people, probably the two people least capable of ‘the long game’.

“Because you and I are the type of people to launch straight into feelings and air out everything and establish a situation without a second thought,” Seungmin explained, his voice putting emphasis on all the words, “But Felix isn’t like that. Felix likes the little things. He likes slow-building trust, a gradual turn of events, a slow change of situation so he can adjust and gather himself on the way.”

“And you think courting is the way to do that?” Minho couldn’t help but ask a little incredulously, “I mean who even courts anymore?”

“We do now,” Seungmin shrugged like it was nothing, looking back up at Minho, “Look, hyung. If we start doing these little things for Felix, leaving little gifts for him in his safe spaces, doing little things that he likes, then it’ll tell him that we’re here for him, but also that we’re willing to go at his pace. That we’re not going to just barge back into his life and demand he listen to us, we’re going to stop and think and go slow and give him time to adjust.”

Minho nodded along to that, admittedly starting to realise that the words made a little sense, “Okay, but what then?”

“Well, if it goes well then Felix might be willing to speak to us,” Seungmin said, “We can apologise to him, tell him why everything went wrong and make sure he’s aware of our true feelings and intentions. Then it’ll be up to him to decide how he feels about that and if he’s fully willing to let us in again.”

“And all of the little things from before will show him that we really do know him and care about him and his needs?” Minho asked, smiling when Seungmin nodded encouragingly at him, “Okay, that’s actually pretty smart.”

“Of course it’s smart, I came up with it,” Seungmin grinned, clicking his pen, “And the best part is there’s absolutely no way that Chan-hyung will object to this plan. I mean, giving Felix gifts and showering him with love without overwhelming him? That’s like Bang Chan’s whole thing.”

“Chan-hyung will probably be jealous he didn’t think of it himself,” Minho grinned back, “Okay, Kim Seungmin, I think we might have officially found ourselves a plan here.”

“Excellent,” Seungmin looked back down at his notes, furrowing his brow slightly, “Now we’re just going to figure out how the hell we’re going to turn all these things into gifts and then sneak them into places Felix will find them without anyone figuring anything out.”

“I think this might be where I come in,” Minho winked, leaning over to snatch the notebook from Seungmin’s lap and raking his eyes over Seungmin’s perfect handwriting, “You come up with the ideas, I find sneaky genius ways to execute them.”

Seungmin laughed at that, reaching out a finger to flick against the page Minho was reading, “Do your thing, hyung!”

“Shh, the mastermind is at work,” Minho held up a finger, flinching and managing to glare when Seungmin pretended to bite it, “Now that’s not going to help.”

Seungmin just laughed again, this time reaching forward to stretch past the notebook and instead clasp Minho’s hand, “This is going to work, isn’t it hyung?”

Minho couldn’t help but soften a little at that, squeezing Seungmin’s fingers and using his other hand to gently cup his face, rubbing a thumb along to sharp rise of Seungmin’s cheekbone.

“I cant promise you anything for sure, Kim Seungmin,” Minho said, staring into Seungmin’s eyes, “But I can promise you that we’re both going to do our best. We’re going to exhaust every single possibility in the universe to get Felix back, okay?”

“I know,” Seungmin nodded, smiling nervously, “I just… I really want this to work.”

“Me too,” Minho said softly, “But if by slightest chance that this doesn’t work, we’ll still be okay, right?”

“Yeah, we will,” Seungmin was quick to say, his eyes pulling into crescents, “I don’t think you can get rid of me anymore, hyung.”

Minho pretended to be annoyed, sighing exasperatedly as Seungmin giggled, “Well, I suppose I can live with that.”

Seungmin smiled, leaning forward so that his face was barely an inch from Minho’s, “I suppose you’ll have to.”

With that, no more words were exchanged as Seungmin leant forward to press his lips against Minho’s, feeling hope flush through him at Minho’s familiar reassuring grip and encouraging kiss.

Seungmin truly felt like he could do anything when he was with Minho. And that included finally winning back the one who’d given them the bravery to be together in the first place.

-

“You know you don’t have to eat lunch with me every day, right?” Felix said, “You can go back to the canteen if you want.”

Chan didn’t even look up from where he was rummaging in his bag, tossing a pair of chopsticks at Felix, “Shut up and eat your food.”

Felix didn’t say anything to that, just went quiet and did as he was told, turning back to the pot of food Chan had made him that morning. They were both sat in Felix’s library spot, the third lunchtime they’d spent there together.

Felix’s face was still bruised and his lip was still split, but he was feeling a lot better. Chan seemed to have scared the bullies enough that no one had tried anything since. That meant the only thing left to take care of was whatever had gone wrong between Felix and Minho and Seungmin…

“What are you thinking about?” Chan’s voice cut through Felix’s thoughts, his tone carefully steady.

“Nothing,” Felix said.

“Don’t lie to me, Lix,” Chan said, waiting until Felix looked at him before he carried on, “You were thinking about them again, weren’t you?”

“So what if I was?” Felix shrugged, “I can’t help it if I’m thinking about them.”

Chan just sighed at that, his eyes almost sad as he looked straight into Felix’s gaze, “You don’t hate them, do you?” he said, his tone suggesting that he already knew the answer, “You don’t hate Minho and Seungmin even a little bit?”

Felix dropped his gaze, a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed it down, letting a sigh drag through him before he looked back up to meet Chan’s gently encouraging eyes.

“No,” Felix managed to say, “No, I don’t hate them, not even a little bit.”

Chapter Text

The next morning walking into school, Felix couldn’t help but feel a change in the air.

He couldn’t quite tell if it was a good change. Felix’s steps still seemed to echo too loudly on the concrete path up to the school, drawing too much attention to him. The snow still gathered suffocatingly on his beret and against his tights. The stares still stabbed and chiselled into him from every angle as students watched him go, seemingly waiting for him to find another couple in the school to terrorise.

But, still, Felix couldn’t help but feel that something was about to change. Maybe it was the way the snow finally seemed to be calming down to prepare for the second round of spring. Maybe it was the way the school felt a whole lot warmer now that they’d actually got the heating working. Maybe it was the way the whispers about him had started to lessen, finally shifting to whatever point of interest that students would latch onto next.

Felix could only hope that he’d escape the rumour spotlight and actually stay out of it this time. Despite Chan’s endless mother-henning and promised protection, Felix was not prepared to be dragged and cornered behind the school again, especially not when it was for a situation he was entirely innocent in.

Felix was just doing a good job of keeping his head down and not giving anyone any more reason to target him.

Thankfully, the bruise on his cheek was so faded now that it disappeared under makeup, and his split lip was finally starting to heal, leaving behind a scab that was prominent but not nearly as prominent as it had been before.

Felix could only hope that they were signs of good change to come.

He went through his morning classes quickly and quietly, spending more time than usual admiring the old lines of the school. The skirting boards were all dusty and cracked, the wallpaper was faded and mysterious in most places, the lights on the walls flickered and burnt like candles. Felix couldn’t help but feel that it gave the place some character, like the school was reminding the students that it was still blinking and alive, even if it was a little old.

Felix couldn’t help but feel the same. He was blinking and alive, even if his soul felt a little old, even if the school and its students seemed intent on changing that.

Felix had a determination to wait for change, to wait for the kindness from Minho and Seungmin that he knew was buried inside them. Felix was still avoiding them, but part of him hoped that they were seeking him out, that the way the school had turned them into heroes would make them want to rush and save him from distress. Felix had always been too much of an optimist.

He hummed a Twice song to himself when lunchtime finally rolled around, walking to the library and towards his little corner spot. He smiled as he approached it, excited to finally find himself some seclusion for the day.

Felix’s little spot was the same as it had always been. A bright, intimate light from the window. Dusty bookshelves and rickety chairs. Empty and quiet and peaceful and the perfect place for Felix to lose himself to the world.

Unfortunately, Felix knew that Chan wouldn’t be joining him that day. Chan had some important student-body committee thing that he’d spent most of the last lunchtime complaining to Felix about. But Felix didn’t mind the idea of a lonely lunchtime too much, it would give him some time to catch up on his book.

However, the moment Felix rounded the bookcase and approached his little table, he was stopped short by what waited for him there.

Felix’s mouth dropped open, a small gasp leaving his lips, a million questions popping into his head.

Because placed on the table, right in front of Felix’s favourite chair, was a gorgeous pink bouquet of roses and a pot of steaming hot food.

Felix’s bag slipped off his shoulder, his head slinging back and forth as he looked around. He was half-expecting someone to jump and scare him, yelling that it was a prank and Felix had been fooled. But only a few people knew about the existence of Felix’s library spot, so if anyone was going to prank Felix then they wouldn’t know to do it there.

So, Felix took slow steps towards the gifts, unable to stop the way his chest squeezed as he got closer. The roses were round and plump, a stunning light baby pink that was one of Felix’s favourite colours. They were tied with a yellow ribbon, clearly well-cared-for and arranged.

The pot of food looked like Felix’s usual favourite lunchtime meal, but this time it had actually been heated up for him, warm and inviting and smelling delicious to Felix’s hungry nose.

Felix couldn’t help but stutter around a small giggle, his cheeks warming as he stared shyly down at the gifts waiting for him.

A part of Felix hoped that he knew exactly who had left this for him. Another part of Felix was telling himself not to be so stupid, that this was just another one of Chan’s ways of cheering him up, even if Felix knew for a fact that Chan knew nothing about cooking or bouquets.

Felix was about to reach out and take the roses when he was stopped by the sight of a letter tucked underneath them, a small piece of ripped notebook paper with the word ‘Felix’ scrawled over the top in gorgeous handwriting and a small heart drawn underneath.

Felix’s breath caught as he pulled the letter out from under the roses, almost too scared to open it. But then his curiosity got the best of him and his hopes became too much and he carefully unfolded the paper.

Hello Felix xxx

We’ll understand if you do, but please don’t throw these gifts away when you find them. We want you to have a happy, healthy lunchtime.

Love,

Minho and Seungmin (the world’s biggest idiots who are trying hard to not be idiots)

p.s. Minho cooked the food and Seungmin arranged the bouquet, we hope they’re up to your standards <3

As Felix read the words, he couldn’t help but choke on a laugh. His chest filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling that he hadn’t felt in a long time, butterflies beating against his stomach.

Felix knew he shouldn’t, but he let happiness fill him as he dropped into his seat, staring lovingly down at his bouquet of roses. His bouquet of roses. Felix had never been given a bouquet of roses before.

Minho and Seungmin may have hurt Felix, but they were also the first people to ever give him roses.

Felix reached out to carefully pick them up, bringing them to his face and smiling when the smell invaded his nose. He felt like spring had come into the library, like the pretty pink and gorgeous yellow were going to brighten up his life forever.

The roses held strong as Felix carefully propped them up against the lamp in the centre of the table, mentally reminding himself to find a vase and some water when he got home later, probably stopping off at a shop in the way to get some plant food.

But the roses weren’t the only things that needed food.

A hungry grin stretched on Felix’s face when he turned to the pot of hot lunch, pulling it towards himself and unable to resist letting out an excited little squeal as the smell got stronger. A stressful school day meant that Felix was hungry, and the idea of a hot meal cooked by someone else that also happened to be his favourite… Felix couldn’t imagine anything better.

His own lunch stayed in his bag, Felix deciding he could heat it up later for his dinner as he finally peeled off the lid of the tub Minho and Seungmin left him. The smell instantly became stronger and Felix groaned, not hesitating to reach out and grab the chopsticks they’d also left him.

Felix abandoned all he’d ever been taught about manners as he started to eat, almost collapsing at how delicious the food tasted. Minho had mentioned before that he liked to cook, but Felix had never thought that he was that good.

Maybe I have to let them hurt me more often, Felix couldn’t help but think, smiling to himself as he did so. He took another bite of food, letting his eyes stray to the bouquet of roses still in the middle of the table and revelling in the happiness that flushed through him.

Even if Felix wasn’t ready to forgive yet, even if he wasn’t even ready to talk yet, he supposed Minho and Seungmin had most definitely just taken a step in the right direction.

And if they wanted to keep leaving gifts for Felix, then Felix certainly wasn’t going to object.

-

Felix hadn’t quite considered what walking through school carrying a bouquet of roses would look like.

Felix supposed it was quite an uncharacteristic sight. The entire school had come to know him as hated and lonely, so the idea of anyone leaving him flowers was probably extremely puzzling to them.

But Felix didn’t have a choice. The roses would get crushed and broken if he put them in his bag, and it wasn’t like he had anywhere else to put them. Felix hadn’t been prepared for finding a bouquet that day.

So, Felix carried them as subtly as he could, carefully tucking them under his blazer as he walked towards his class as quickly and quietly as possible.

Students still saw. They still turned and pointed and talked, but there really wasn’t much Felix could do about that. So, he desperately whispered to himself about how happy the roses made him and how great of a lunch he had just eaten as he tried to drown out the noise of the students and walk to class with his head down.

The unfortunate thing about Felix walking with his head down was that it was a lot easier to bump into things. Or into people. A lot easier.

Felix found himself learning that lesson when he zipped around a corner, having less than a second to process a pair of clean shoes only a few inches from his before suddenly he was slamming into a firm chest.

Felix cried out, the bouquet of roses getting crushed between them before they both sprang back, Felix immediately trying to shake his hair out his face as a strong pair of hands grabbed his shoulders to keep him upright.

“I’m so sorry!” Felix was quick to say, blinking a few times to clear his vision before he had to hold himself back form turning tail and running at the sight that stared back at him.

“No problem,” Minho smiled at him, looking as beautiful and smart as ever as he squeezed Felix’s shoulders before letting go, taking a step back, “It was my fault, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Neither was I,” Felix mumbled, shaking his gaze and forcing himself to drop his eyes. He felt himself shrink a little under Minho’s gaze, his fingers beginning to fiddle nervously with the roses he was holding.

Minho’s eyes dropped down to them, a small smile playing at his lips at the sight. Felix couldn’t help but think back to the first words on the note Minho had left, the please don’t throw these gifts away. The fact that Felix was willingly holding the roses and carrying them meant that he most definitely hadn’t thrown them away, and Felix couldn’t help but notice that Minho almost seemed relieved by that.

But then the relief fell away to what was more typical expression on Minho’s face; to a cool exterior with a charming twinkle in Minho’s eye.

“Hello, flower,” Minho said, his voice like honey, casting his eyes between the flowers and Felix’s blushing face as he spoke, “Were you heading somewhere?”

“I was just, um, heading to class,” Felix managed to stutter out, still unsure whether to be terrified and offended by Minho’s flirting, or to enjoy it.

Just take small steps, Felix tried to tell himself, Enjoy what Minho and Seungmin are doing for you, you don’t have to forgive them yet.

“Well, would you be kind enough to let me walk you?” Minho said, gesturing to the hallway beside him, “These hallways are dangerous, you know? There’s a high risk of bumping into people, especially when you’re stupid enough to be like us and not look where you’re going.”

Felix couldn’t help but smile a little at that, nodding shyly before he could stop himself. Minho tried to hide it, but he positively beamed, stepping aside to let Felix fall into step next to him.

A part of Felix worried that Minho might try to take his hand or something. Another part of Felix worried that he had no idea whether he actually wanted that or not. But Minho kept a respectable distance between them, not reaching out to touch him or initiate anything that might make Felix uncomfortable.

What Minho did do, however, was wait until they’d taken a few steps before his hand came out to carefully tug Felix’s bag off his shoulder, Minho quickly throwing it over his own shoulder before Felix could even react.

It made it easier for Felix to carry the roses, and it made Felix blush all the way down to his neck.

“Hyung!” Felix was quickly to say, already trying to reach out to Minho, “You don’t have to do that!”

“Too late, I’m already doing it,” Minho shrugged, switching the bag over to the side of him Felix wasn’t on, making it impossible for Felix to reach, “Unless you want a fight in this hallway, I guess you’re going to have to make the most of it, flower.”

“I know taekwondo, I could totally take you,” Felix muttered under his breath, making Minho snort, but Felix made no other attempt to protest, too busy trying not to get even more flustered about Minho’s second use of the petname.

“So what class are we heading to?” Minho asked after a few moments, completely neglecting the fact that he probably had his own class to get to that Felix was probably making him late to. Felix knew better than to protest.

“Literature,” Felix answered, wincing when it reminded him exactly how many heavy books he had stored in the bag Minho was carrying.

“Literature, huh?” Minho raised a brow, “Anything on the books that you like? You know the fantasy ones?”

Felix couldn’t help but snap to look at Minho at that, his mouth falling open slightly, “You remember I like fantasy books, hyung?”

“Of course,” Minho shrugged like it was obvious, “You had one in the library once. And it’s not like it’s hard to remember, I mean Felix and fantasy, the genre really suits you.”

Out of all the compliments Felix had been given in life (and he had received a lot) he couldn’t help but think that was maybe the best one. Compliments on Felix’s looks were nice, compliments on his outfits were better, compliments on his freckles were reassuring… but a compliment comparing Felix to the absolutely wonderful magical world of fantasy, Felix couldn’t picture anything better.

“I don’t know if you meant that in a good way or not, but thanks,” Felix smiled at him, Minho instantly smiling back.

“Obviously I meant it in a good way,” Minho said, bumping his shoulder against Felix’s, “I hope your teachers are giving you lots of fantasy books to read and asking for your important opinion on them.”

“I think my teachers might be little boring for that,” Felix snorted, “We read more classics than fantasy.”

“Well, if you need me to beat up any teachers for you,” Minho said, turning to give Felix a wink, “Then you let me know.”

“Funnily enough you’re not the first to offer me that,” Felix couldn’t help but giggle, happy to feel himself loosening a little with Minho, “I’m pretty sure Chan-hyung has also said the same thing. Multiple times.”

“Damnit, that perfect specimen is outdoing me, huh?” Minho shook his head, “It’s not fair to make me compete against the Bang Chan, you know?”

“I guess,” Felix said, dropping his gaze to smile a little, “It’s not like you couldn’t compete, though.”

Minho didn’t say anything to that, seeming to sense Felix’s shyness, but he turned to give Felix a bright smile all the same. It was clear that Felix wasn’t ready to talk about most things yet, and he was thankful to Minho for keeping the conversation light-hearted, even more thankful that Minho was evidently trying to keep some distance between them, distance that Felix would be allowed to close if and when he was ready.

It didn’t take them much longer to get to Felix’s class after that, both of them stopping outside the door as Felix turned to face Minho.

“Thank you, hyung,” Felix said shyly, running a hand through his hair before gathering up the courage to look at Minho, “For walking me to class… and for the flowers and the food and… everything else.”

Felix didn’t have to specify what ‘everything else’ was, Minho instantly knew it was Felix thanking him for being given some space, even when Minho and Seungmin were making it obvious that they were willing to extend an olive branch whenever Felix was ready to take it.

“Don’t thank me for any of those things,” Minho said softly but sternly, wanting Felix to know just how sincere he was with everything. Felix’s lips pulled up at the corners, his head nodding.

“Okay, hyung,” he said, gesturing his head slightly at his classroom, “I’ll, um… I’ll see you around, right?”

Minho smiled, “Of course, you will,” he said, reaching out to carefully pull Felix’s bag off his shoulder, “Here.”

Felix didn’t move as Minho gently helped him shoulder the bag, his roses held firmly in his other hand. Minho’s eyes raked over him, almost looking proud as he took in the sight of Felix with bruises that were now faded and a bouquet of flowers in his arms.

“Have a good class, flower,” Minho said, giving Felix a mock-salute, grinning knowingly when Felix whined at the nickname, “I’ll see you.”

“Yeah, see you,” Felix managed to say, giving Minho one last look before he turned and walked into the classroom, feeling Minho’s eyes on him the entire time.

Felix was on auto-pilot the entire journey to his desk, his mind racing a mile-a-minute as he tried to process all that had just happened. Minho and Seungmin had gone from ignoring Felix in favour of getting together to suddenly actively seeking Felix out.

A part of Felix almost felt like he was just getting used again, but he really didn’t think that was the case. The flowers and the food weren’t probably just meant as an act of kindness, but maybe also as an apology. Felix didn’t know for sure, but he liked to think he was pretty good at reading these kinds of situations.

The easiest way for Felix to find out would be for him to talk to Minho and Seungmin. He knew that, but he didn’t think he was ready. He wasn’t quite ready to trust Minho and Seungmin to be completely genuine with him yet, he wanted to give them more time to prove themselves. He wanted them to continue acting in what they thought was his interest, not in the interest of their reputations and the school.

Felix thought about it all through his afternoon classes, his mind straying from the teacher and the blackboard and towards the two beautiful faces of the two beautiful boys he didn’t think he’d stopped thinking about since he’d joined the school.

The thoughts only confused Felix, making him question both his own and Minho and Seungmin’s intentions. But he also couldn’t help but think that things were clearer now. Minho and Seungmin were actually acting in his favour, they were giving Felix a chance to approach them. It gave Felix a lot to think about, but it also gave him a path to walk down when he was ready.

Felix wanted to trust them, he really did, and he knew he was willing to give them a chance to win his trust back. Felix eventually decided that the only thing he could do was let Minho and Seungmin gradually earn their way back into his life, and his forgiveness and feelings would hopefully follow.

Felix almost laughed out loud in a class when he remembered his first day at the school. When he remembered how Chan had text him that morning saying that absolutely nothing was going to happen. If only they’d known not to be so stupid, it felt like there wasn’t anything that hadn’t happened.

But Felix knew to make the best of things, so he eventually left his last class of the day with a clearer head and a determination to go home, put his roses in a vase and drown out the world for a little while.

Unfortunately, Felix’s clear head instantly fogged again when he walked out the class to find both Minho and Seungmin waiting for him outside the door.

Felix almost stopped short, having to blink a few times to check he really was seeing Minho and Seungmin leant on the wall outside his class waiting for him. He’d expected his run-in with Minho after lunch to be it for a while, but apparently they had other plans.

It briefly occurred to Felix that maybe Seungmin was jealous that Minho had gotten extra time with Felix. It was almost deniable how the thought of that sent a flush of satisfaction through Felix.

But Felix forced it down, smoothing back his hair and adjusting the roses in his hand before he carried on walking, Minho and Seungmin spotting him almost instantly.

“Hello, flower,” Minho said, materialising on Felix’s right side.

“Hello, petal,” Seungmin materialised on Felix’s left, already reaching out to grab Felix’s bag and carry it before Felix could even process what was happening, “Did you have a good class?”

Felix took a second to process the question, having to look between Minho and Seungmin to catch up on what was going on. He quickly shook his head, trying not to think about how the fact that Seungmin had taken his bag so quickly meant that Minho had definitely told him about his conversation with Felix earlier in the day.

“Class was fine,” Felix remembered to answer, smiling a little at them both, “But I’m definitely ready to go home now.”

“We’ll walk you out,” Minho smiled at him, still not crossing any boundaries to hold Felix’s hand or anything as he started to lead them down the corridor, “If it’s alright with you.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Felix nodded eagerly, Seungmin giggling from next to him, “Um, Seungmin, I didn’t get to think you for the food and flowers and everything earlier. So, thanks, I guess.”

Seungmin’s entire face lit up, Felix unable to stop his heart from squeezing at the sight, but Seungmin was quick to wave a hand.

“Please don’t thank us for that,” Seungmin said, shrugging like it was nothing.

“But I want to thank you,” Felix couldn’t hold back a pout, knowing that very few people could resist him when he pouted, “You did a really good job arranging the roses.”

Much to Felix’s surprise, Seungmin actually blushed at that, his face softening in a rare moment of vulnerability. Felix had to stop himself from outright staring, not used to seeing Seungmin flustered.

But Seungmin recovered well, gesturing a hand at the roses, “It’s nothing really,” he said, “I knew you liked pink, so I chose pink roses. But then I also remembered you saying you liked yellow, so I panicked and almost exchanged the pink roses for yellow ones, but then I thought I should go for yellow ribbon instead, because then you could have yellow and pink.”

“Well, that was very thoughtful of you,” Felix smiled, patting the roses in his hand, “I really do like yellow and pink, so I really appreciate that.”

“It’s nothing,” Seungmin shrugged again, but Felix could see a proud smile playing over his lips, sending a fizzle of warmth sizzling between them.

It almost took Felix aback; just how simple it was talking to Minho and Seungmin again. He had to remind himself of everything that had happened, of the way the bonds of trust between them were shaking, barely hanging on, only one tiny jolt away from snapping.

Felix didn’t want those bonds to snap. He really didn’t. He had to remind himself to be careful whilst they were in such a precarious position.

So, Felix let Minho and Seungmin walk him the rest of the way in a gentle silence, their footsteps soft and Seungmin humming quietly from next to them. Felix was reminded just how good it felt to be safe with them.

It wasn’t long before they were stepping outside, the snow having finally stopped and leaving the outside cold and damp. Felix pulled his jacket tighter around himself, instantly looking around to see Chan by the school gates waiting to walk him home.

Chan raised an eyebrow the moment he saw who Felix was with, but he thankfully didn’t come over, seemingly content to let Felix say his goodbyes in private, but also keeping an eye out if Felix needed him.

Felix couldn’t help but be grateful. It was reassuring to know that, no matter how everything else ended, Felix would always have Chan.

“Well,” Felix took a step away from Minho and Seungmin, dropping his gaze to turn and face them, “I think this is where I have to leave you, boys.”

Minho’s eyes darted between Chan and Felix before he smiled in understanding, gesturing at Seungmin to give Felix back his bag. Seungmin carefully helped Felix shoulder it, pulling Felix’s jacket even tighter around him as he did so.

“We’ll see you soon, flower,” Minho said, waiting until Seungmin was stood next to him again before he reached out to take his hand, Felix unable to miss the way they squeezed each other’s palms.

“Yeah, I’ll see you,” Felix nodded shyly, giving them both a tentative smile before he turned to walk away.

But it was the sight of Minho and Seungmin holding hands, of the reminder of all that had truly happened that had Felix turning back around barely even two steps later.

“About everything that happened,” Felix couldn’t stop himself from blurting, both Minho’s and Seungmin’s eyes widening in half-shock, half-panic as he abruptly turned back to them, “I know we have to talk about it. Trust me, I know, but I’m just not… I don’t think I’m ready yet…”

The more Felix spoke, the more he felt utterly stupid. Minho and Seungmin were staring at him like he was crazy. Felix’s heart sunk in his chest. He really just had to go and screw everything up.

But then Minho was reaching out and placing a careful hand on Felix’s shoulder, squeezing it gently.

“We know, Felix,” he said, staring straight into Felix’s eyes so Felix would know that Minho was aware of exactly everything that needed to be said, “But that’s okay. We’ll wait for you as long as you need.”

At the words, Felix felt himself flood with relief, his chest squeezing and a deep breath rocking through him. He smiled at Minho and Seungmin, his hair bobbing as he nodded at them.

“Thank you,” he said to them, waiting until they smiled in response before he waved at them “Okay, bye.”

“Bye, petal,” Seungmin giggled at him, winking when Felix turned and finally scurried away.

Felix could only hope that the cold air was a good enough excuse for his blush as he finally approached Chan, not even stopping to acknowledge him as he carried on walking and Chan hurried to keep step with him.

“So, you wanna tell me who the hell I have to kill for giving you flowers?” Chan spoke before Felix could even manage a ‘hello’, “Or am I going to have to find out and hunt them down myself?”

Felix just rolled his eyes, “You don’t hunt people down who get me flowers, hyung.”

“I hunt down anyone who tries anything with you,” Chan said pointedly, Felix just mock-glaring at him as Chan grinned proudly and threw an arm over his shoulder, “So, you’re not going to tell me who it was?”

“I mean I think it’s pretty obvious,” Felix said, looking down at the roses, “They cooked me food too.”

Even Chan seemed surprised by that, his face pulling up into an expression that almost seemed impressed.

“Well, that certainly is something,” Chan said, his voice careful but still acknowledging, “And you weren’t freaked out by these things, right?”

Felix turned to smile up at Chan, “No, hyung,” he said, “I wasn’t.”

“That’s good then,” Chan smiled back at him, squeezing Felix’s shoulder, “I’m still hunting them down if they mess up though.”

“Whatever you say, hyung,” Felix just rolled his eyes with a grin, letting Chan continue to walk him home, “Whatever you say.”

Chapter Text

After the flowers and the food, the gifts just didn’t stop.

Felix had thought that he’d get tired of it. That he’d feel suffocated by it all. That he’d feel bad for all Minho and Seungmin were doing for him… but he didn’t.

Maybe it was Felix’s selfish side, but he couldn’t help but bask in being appreciated, in being loved and validated but still being given space. Felix felt a little bad for thinking it, but he supposed he had earnt the right to be a little selfish.

Minho and Seungmin did want him to enjoy the gifts after all…

There was the morning, two days after after the bouquet of roses incident, that Felix had rushed into school late. His shoes slipped on the concrete as he ran in, his blouse buttoned correctly by some miracle, one of his hands gripping his bag in a death grip whilst the other desperately tried to keep his hair down and flat.

The corridors were almost empty as he dashed through, the school bell mere seconds from ringing and shattering his record of perfect attendance and punctuality.

By some miracle, Felix made it in the nick of time.

The teacher gave Felix a stern look, but otherwise couldn’t scold him as Felix stumbled through the door a mere nanosecond before the bell shrilled. Felix felt like he’d run at least ten marathons and then some, but it was worth it.

He panted as he dragged himself to his desk, relief and a lack of oxygen coursing through him like adrenalin. His desk was at the very back of the room, out of sight and tucked away from everyone else. He was as quiet as possible as he went to it, but something caught Felix’s eye.

Just as Felix walked past the desk that was in front of his, he couldn’t help but catch gazes with one of his classmates. The student was Han Jisung, a popular boy close to Felix’s age who was friends with Minho. Felix had never really spoken to Jisung, but what he knew of him seemed pretty cool. Jisung was actually pretty nice and funny to everyone he spoke to.

It was just as Felix was passing him that Jisung caught his eye and winked, a smile that almost looked knowing stretching across his wide cheeks.

Felix was taken aback for a second, almost stopping completely in place. But he managed to keep his cool, quickly smiling back at Jisung and feeling himself flood with confusion because why the hell would Jisung smile at him like that?

But as Felix made it to his desk, it all became clear.

Placed on his table, directly in front of his chair, was a folded-up note. A familiar swirl of handwriting had carefully and prettily doodled the name ‘Felix’ on the top and underneath lay a cute heart drawn in pink pen.

Felix could only smile as he dropped himself down into his seat, throwing his bag behind him before looking up and sighing at the back of Jisung’s head.

It seemed Minho and Seungmin were finding ways to surprise Felix even in the classes that they weren’t in.

Felix quickly spared a glance to the front of the room to check the teacher wasn’t looking before he picked up the note, playing with the paper between his fingers for a few seconds before he opened it.

Hello flower petal,

Hope class is going well xoxxo

A small, silent giggle rumbled in Felix’s chest at the words. He had to cover his mouth with his hand to cover his smile, almost bursting out laughing at the picture that had been drawn.

Underneath the note written in Seungmin’s familiar perfect handwriting, was a large drawing also done in pink pen. It took up almost the entire paper, Felix raking his eyes amusedly over every detail.

On the right of the drawing sat a proud cat, it’s claws sharp and its tail curling. It had stripes up its side, tall pointy ears, adorable little whispers drawn in little wisps. There was also a heart drawn on each its cheeks, resembling a blush that somehow both clashed and complemented the cat’s clear proud nature.

And if the familiar flirty smile sat on the cat’s face was anything to go by, the drawing was clearly supposed to be Minho in a cat form.

Next to the cat sat a dog. The dog was, Felix had absolutely no doubt in his mind, definitely Seungmin. It had floppy ears and a wide smile, a pair of round glasses perched on the end of its nose. Its fur was fluffy and neat like Seungmin’s hair, its tail drawn blurry so that it looked like it was wagging eagerly.

Warmth flushed all the way through Felix, his mouth still curled in an amused smile. He couldn’t help but admire the drawing, only smiling harder at the speech bubble drawn coming from the cat and the dog, the words ‘have a great day!’  coming cheerfully from the dog and cat’s mouths.

At the very bottom of the paper, in an unfamiliar scrawl, the words ‘picture by Hwang Hyunjin ;)’ were written. Felix instantly recognised the name, knowing that was another one of Minho’s friends. Although, Felix had absolutely no idea Minho was friends with such an incredible artist.

Still not paying attention to the teacher, Felix was quick to open his own notebook. He tucked Minho and Seungmin’s note in his pocket, vowing to take it out and look at it every chance he got before quickly getting to work on his own.

Unfortunately for Felix, he was absolutely not an artist, and he didn’t have any artist friends he could count on. But Felix figured that it was the thought that counted, and that Minho and Seungmin would most definitely be amused by what he came up with.

So, in bright orange pen and with his lips barely repressing his laughs, Felix doodled a cute little chick that looked a little bit too wonky to be considered good. But Felix loved the chick all the same, he added little freckles on its cheeks and little hairclips in its feathers. Its beak was open, exclaiming the words ‘thank you puppy and kitty for wishing me a good day!’.

Part of Felix was almost too ashamed to ever think of giving such an awful drawing to Minho and Seungmin, but another part of him found it hilarious. So, he didn’t hesitate to wait until the teacher wasn’t looking before he leaned forward in his desk and stretched to tap a pen against Jisung’s back.

Jisung turned around instantly, so quickly that Felix almost toppled out his chair. A quick look passed between them, Jisung’s eyes curious and eager when Felix reached forward with his folded note, holding it out to Jisung.

“Can you give this to them for me, please?” Felix whispered sweetly, knowing Jisung wouldn’t need any specification to who know ‘them’ was.

“Of course,” Jisung whispered back, taking the note with a familiar knowing smile stretched on his face.

Felix just leaned back in his seat, almost diving back forward again when Jisung, to Felix’s absolute horror, opened the note.

Jisung snorted so loud the teacher turned to glare at them. Felix quickly ducked his gaze, staring down at his notebook and pretending he’d been looking at it the whole time. He waited until the teacher just huffed and turned back to the blackboard before he looked up again, being met by Jisung’s wide grin and amused eyes.

“I don’t have any artist friends, okay!” Felix whispered pointedly, his confidence flickering when Jisung grinned wider at him, “Do you think I should just throw it away?”

But Jisung looked very offended by that very idea, quickly shaking his head and stretching the note so far out of reach that Felix could have quite literally lunged himself over the desk and still not be able to get it.

“Not a chance, baby,” Jisung stared straight at Felix, eyes twinkling, “Trust me, Minho-hyung and Seungmin are going to love this.”

Felix took a second to process the words, definitely not used to Jisung’s flirting, but when he did he couldn’t help but let a grin stretch on his own face.

“Okay,” Felix said, “Make sure they get it.”

“Will do,” Jisung winked, tucking the note in his front blazer pocket, “You can count on me, baby.”

-

Two days later, Felix was making his way to lunch.

His footfalls were light in the corridors, his hair clipped neatly and his bag over his shoulder. His head, for the first time in a while, wasn’t carefully lowered, determined to help him avoid the gaze and glares of the other students.

Slowly, people were starting to leave Felix alone. The insults were lessening. The hard looks were depleting. Felix was allowing himself to feel more and more content as he wondered the halls of the school.

Felix didn’t want to think that it was a result of Minho and Seungmin slowly but surely solidifying their presence back in his life, but it was definitely that. Felix wasn’t naïve enough to believe that other students weren’t seeing Minho and Seungmin walk him places, and it made him sad to think his fate was in the other hands of two popular kids and not under his own control, but he supposed he couldn’t complain much. Minho and Seungmin were making Felix feel more comfortable again, he couldn’t ask for much more.

So, Felix contently walked himself to lunch. The weather through the windows was breezy and grey, the grey clouds threatening spring showers but the Sun still occasionally getting a glimpse in. Felix decided it was good enough for him to risk eating outside. He missed his little courtyard, and he wanted to eat there.

As expected, the corridor and doorway leading to the courtyard were completely empty and Felix made it there without problem. He threw a quick smile to the window that overlooked his library spot before going to sit on the bench right underneath it.

Even if Felix’s library spot didn’t get the pleasure of his presence that lunchtime, it should still get to see him.

But, for the second lunchtime that week, Felix was stopped short.

Waiting on the bench, just for Felix, was a little book tied in a pink ribbon.

Felix gasped, no longer nervous or even surprised as he dropped his bag and threw himself onto the bench, staring down at the gift with wonder in his eyes and a giggle building in his throat. It was safe to say that he no longer had to question who it was from.

His fingers were slow and careful as he picked up the book, rubbing his fingertips over the cover as his chest squeezed with warmth. It felt like forever since Felix had been given a new book, since someone had seen a wonderful story and thought of Felix.

The title spoke about fairies. The cover was a glorious painting of a little elf perched under a mushroom. The description was in gold curly font, reading like a spell book and promising short fantasy tales of magic and happiness and wonder.

“A fantasy book,” Felix whispered to himself, stroking a soft finger over the book’s title, “Of course the idiots remembered.”

With that, Felix couldn’t stop himself from carefully untying the light pink ribbon keeping the book tied together, tangling it into his bracelet for keepsake. Seungmin had probably also remembered that Felix had liked the ribbon that came with the roses.

The spine cracked with the familiar new book feeling as Felix finally opened it, the first page once blank now scrawled with what Felix knew to be Minho’s messy handwriting.

Our flower petal,

This book made us think of you. You’re just like a little fairy with your freckles and cute smile. Happy reading!!

Love,

Minho and Seungmin

p.s. did you rob an art gallery? because that drawing you gave us was truly something else <3

Felix couldn’t help but laugh as he read the last words, his cheeks flushed and heart beating with exhilaration. He shook his head, unable to keep the smile off his face. A gentle feeling settled in his stomach, flushing him from the inside out and fizzling like glitter under his veins.

It was then that Felix realised… he really did miss Minho and Seungmin.

Felix didn’t just want their gifts and their apology attempts and their carefully distanced presences. Felix wanted them. He wanted to hear them out. He wanted things to be okay between them all again. He wanted… Felix wanted Minho and Seungmin.

But Felix knew he couldn’t rush into it; they’d all done far too much of that. So, he took a breath to calm his beating heart and curled his fingers around the book to ground himself. He turned to the next page, staring down at the words of the prologue and deciding that even if he couldn’t make any moves this lunchtime, he could still get some inspiration.

So, Felix curled up on the bench and started reading, losing himself to a fairytale that almost felt like his own.

But Felix got so enamoured by the tale of a little light fairy that he almost forgot the real world existed. It was only when he was jolted by a very heavy drop of rain splattering on his wrist that he realised he’d messed up.

The clouds were setting up for the spring showers a lot earlier than Felix had expected, he looked up at the sky and spotted the darkness of the clouds and realised it was about to pour.

Felix cursed, scrambling to close the book and trying to drag his bag towards himself, not wanting any of the pages to get wet, but as more and more drops landed on him, he realised he was fighting a losing battle.

Felix was about to just give up and sprint inside when suddenly a voice echoed all around the courtyard.

“Wait!”

Felix jumped, flinching again when the heavens finally opened and rain ascended all over the courtyard.

But Felix didn’t make any move to protect himself, not at the sight of Seungmin sprinting towards him through the rain carrying an open umbrella.

“Seungmin!” Felix called, hardly believing what he was seeing until suddenly it wasn’t raining on him anymore.

Seungmin stood in front of him, panting and smiling proudly down at him as he held the umbrella over them both, protecting them both from the pouring rain.

“Hello, petal,” Seungmin said, his eyes pulling into crescents and lips pulling up at the corners as Felix blinked at him, “Here, have this. You seem like the type to enjoy reading in the rain.”

With that, Seungmin held out the handle of the umbrella towards Felix, gesturing at him to take it. Felix took a second to process the movement, and then was quickly shifting his book into one hand and taking the umbrella with the other.

“Are you going to sit?” Felix tried to ask, already shuffling over so that Seungmin could sit next to him on the bench and stay covered, but then Seungmin took a step back, away from the umbrella and directly into the pouring rain.

Felix startled, “Seungmin, what the hell are you doing?!”

Seungmin just shrugged at that, already drenched as he reached down to Felix’s bag and threw it into the zone that the umbrella sheltered.

“Don’t forget to eat your lunch,” Seungmin said, Felix staring at him like he was absolutely crazy, “And don’t stay out here too long, we don’t want you catching a cold!”

Felix’s mouth dropped open, absolutely speechless as he stared at Seungmin, wondering how the hell he could accuse Felix of catching a cold when he was the one just stood out in the rain like an actual maniac.

“Seungmin, come under the umbrella,” Felix tried to say, but Seungmin just waved a hand at him.

“Don’t worry about me, petal,” Seungmin said, seemingly unbothered by the way he was soaking from head to toe, “Okay, have fun out here. I’ll see you.”

With that, he was turning back and sprinting inside, not paying attention to yet another one of Felix’s protests following him away. Felix could only stare after him in what felt like half-shock, half-wonder.

Kim Seungmin, the actual Kim Seungmin. The school’s dandy boy. The student who never came in with a crinkle in his blazer or a hole in his socks or so much of a hair out of place.

The Kim Seungmin had actually just sprinted through the rain and gotten drenched all over and ruined his clothes just to give an umbrella to Felix so he could read in the rain.

“Wow,” was all Felix could say, the rain pelting down onto the umbrella from above, “They must be more whipped than I thought.”

-

It was less than a day before it happened again.

Felix’s feelings were in full bloom. He felt like he was floating. Every step he took felt he was climbing higher and higher to cloud 9. His feelings were ready to be realised. Forgiveness was ready to be given. Felix was finally ready to reach the next stage with Minho and Seungmin, whatever that next stage was.

However, as usual, Minho and Seungmin just had to surprise him one more time.

Felix supposed he always had been a step behind them both in a way.

But that didn’t mean he was annoyed or even remotely against receiving another gift.

Felix was just walking into school, thankfully on time, making his way to the top of the school for his first class. He was humming to himself quietly as he went, thankful that he could now walk around the school with barely any worry that students might target him again. The comments and insults and rumours had almost entirely stopped and he was happy.

The next stage was obviously to create some new rumours, good ones this time, but Felix supposed he could get to that later.

It was just when Felix was approaching his classroom that he was stopped. He barely noticed at first, too busy daydreaming at the comic he was going to attempt to doodle whilst he was in class, when suddenly he was brought out of it by a tap on his shoulder.

Felix almost startled, quickly stopping in place and whipping his head to the side to see a kind young face smiling at him.

“Oh,” Felix couldn’t help but say, instantly enchanted by the sparkling pair of eyes staring kindly at him, before he suddenly realised it was an actual person he was staring and he blushed sharply, “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” the boy said, a knowing twinkle in his eyes as he gently led Felix to the side of the corridor and out the way of other students, “I’m sorry if I startled you.”

“It’s okay,” Felix said, smiling slightly, pausing as he stared a little more at the boy, recognising him, “You’re Jeongin, right? One of Seungmin’s friends?”

“That’s me,” Jeongin smiled at him as he nodded, “And you’re Felix.”

“I am,” Felix giggled, “It’s lovely to meet you, Jeongin.”

“And you,” Jeongin giggled back, making Felix’s heart flutter a little at his cuteness, “I’d actually love to stay and get to know you a little more. But, unfortunately, I’m here on official business.”

“Oh?” Felix raised a brow at that, almost amused by how determined Jeongin clearly was to carry out his ‘business’, “And what may that be?”

Jeongin didn’t answer that, just turned and opened his bag, rummaging for a bit before he pulled out a small container.

He held it out to Felix, “I’ve been instructed to deliver this to you.”

Felix raised both eyebrows this time, wondering why he was so surprised at yet another gift. It seemed even when Felix expected these things, Minho and Seungmin managed to find the small windows of time when Felix really wasn’t expecting anything to make their move.

Also sending Jeongin, one of the most notoriously adorable boys in the school, was pretty smart.

“Wow,” Felix managed to say, reaching out to take the container, “Those two idiots really don’t do things halfway, do they?”

“No, they most definitely do not,” Jeongin snorted, shaking his head knowingly at Felix, “I think it’s safe to say that’s been both a blessing and a curse in this situation.”

“Yeah, I guess you can say that,” Felix tilted his head, reciprocating Jeongin’s look before dropping his gaze back down to the container.

“Felix-ssi, if I may,” Jeongin sounded slightly more unsure as he spoke this time, Felix looking back up to him before nodding, “I know this isn’t really my business, and I would never want to tell you how to feel, but I promise that Minho-hyung and Seungmin-hyung really do care for you. I know you got hurt and I would never want to invalidate your feelings about that, I saw how upset you were and of course I would never undermine you, but I hope you know that, through everything, the hyungs never stopped caring.”

Felix took a second to process the words, heaving around a sigh as he did do. He pushed some hair out his face, trying to really consider Jeongin’s words before he responded.

“I do know that, Jeongin,” Felix eventually said, making sure to keep his voice sincere, “I really do, and I care for them too. It’s just… none of this has been easy and I know that not everything is going to be easy when it comes to situations like this, but I feel like some parts of it were a lot harder than they had to be. I just needed some time to process that and come to terms with the way my own feelings changed as a result.”

“And that’s completely understandable,” Jeongin nodded along, his lips pulling up at the corners, “And the fact that you still acknowledge Minho-hyung and Seungmin-hyung’s care for you is really considerate and brave.”

“Well, Chan-hyung always did tell me I was too forgiving,” Felix smiled at him, managing a small shrug, “Maybe it makes me weak, but I never have been able to hold onto anger for long.”

“I don’t think that makes you weak,” Jeongin responded almost instantly, pouting like the very idea of that offended him, “Anger can be valid, but it can also be a very hard to process and difficult emotion. Your ability to see past it is unique, and absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.”

Felix couldn’t help but breathe a smile of relief at that, his chest rocking up and down as he practically beamed at Jeongin.

“Thanks, Jeongin,” Felix said, “I hope that… that when we do get all this figured out, you and I could maybe be friends? I’d love to get to know you, and all the others I think.”

“I’d love that,” Jeongin smiled toothily at him, his eyes like crescents and young face looking like a little kid at Christmas and making Felix’s heart squeeze, “I trust that you’ll make the right decision on this. The rest will all follow.”

“I hope so too,” Felix smiled back, unable to stop the feeling of hope that sparked under his skin at the words.

“Well, I’ll let you get to your class,” Jeongin tilted his head, pausing a moment before he reached out to poke a finger against the container Felix was still holding, “Just so you know, I tried one of these and they’re kinda disgusting, but I promise that Minho-hyung and Seungmin-hyung did try their best on them.”

Felix couldn’t help but laugh at that, looking back down to the container and shaking it, listening to what sounded like cookies rattling from inside.

“Okay, I’ll bear that in mind,” Felix grinned, “Thanks for the warning.”

“No problem,” Jeongin winked at him, “Just remember that even if Minho-hyung isn’t much of a baker, he’s still a very good cook. And Seungmin-hyung is basically good at everything else on this earth.”

“I’ll remember that,” Felix said, smiling as he bowed at Jeongin, “I’ll see you around, yeah?”

Jeongin bowed back, “Definitely, I’ll see you.”

With that, Felix waved as Jeongin turned to scurry away, no doubt running late to whatever class he was supposed to be getting to. Felix just smiled to himself and turned to walk into his own classroom, holding the container carefully to his chest as he went to sit at his desk.

He waited until he was sat down and checked no one was looking at him as he snuck a look inside the container. A small giggle built in Felix’s chest, endearment blooming in him like blossom.

Inside the container was a whole bunch of what was probably supposed to heart-shaped cookies covered in pink icing. The heart shapes were a little wonky and the icing was a little runny, the cookies themselves looking almost burnt, but Felix stared at them like they were a 3-course meal.

Minho and Seungmin were trying so hard to appeal to all of Felix’s likes, to try the things that he loved and gift him what they knew he’d like. No one had ever done anything like that for Felix before and he couldn’t help but warm at the very thought of it.

They may have all made mistakes, but Minho and Seungmin were clearly trying to make up for that, and they clearly knew Felix well enough to be able to do a good job. Felix carefully slid the container into his bag, vowing that he’d try the cookies later.

Even if it didn’t always turn out perfectly, Felix knew that the effort from Minho and Seungmin spoke for itself.

They cared about Felix, and Felix would have been lying to himself if he said that he wasn’t really, really starting to care back.

-

It only took another day. Felix had decided. It was time for change.

All the gifts, the nice gestures, the carrying his bag and walking him to class, the endless things that Minho and Seungmin were doing for Felix. It was finally time to bring it to its head. It was time to fix everything.

Minho and Seungmin were always one step ahead? Well, it was time to catch up.

It had been long enough. Felix had enough time to consider his feelings. He knew what he wanted and what he wanted was Minho and Seungmin. They’d all waited long enough.

All hesitations and care were thrown out the window as Felix stalked through the school, not giving so much of a glance to the students who all stared after him in shock. Never once had Felix stormed through the school so confidently. Never once had he walked with so much purpose, so much determination, for the first time ever so obviously uncaring of what everyone thought of him.

Felix’s high-heeled boots made satisfying clicks as he went. His skirt swished with every step. His dark eyes were dead-set in front of him, his every move clear and calculated and powerful.

And most surprising of all, the students responded. They moved out his way. They parted for him like the sea. They gave him awed looks, clearly surprised but impressed by his imposing figure.

Felix didn’t know what had been the final change to finally get everyone to stop hating him, but he couldn’t complain about it. If all went to plan, then Felix would no longer be known as the one who had ruined Minho and Seungmin, but the one who belonged with them.

Every single thought of this only made Felix feel more confident, his posture proud and face set in fortitude as he stalked to his destination.

It was the very start of the lunchtime and Felix was determined to get the first surprise in this time. Minho and Seungmin weren’t going to be able to outsmart him this time, leaving him a gift somewhere for him to find, it was Felix’s turn to step up.

Thankfully, Felix knew Minho and Seungmin usually abandoned the canteen a couple of lunchtimes a week to go and make out in a staffroom or something, which gave Felix the perfect opportunity to set his plan into motion.

He swivelled into the next corridor, ignoring the gasps and questions and exclamations of surprise as he strutted dead-centre through the double-doors of the room that Felix hadn’t dared to enter since he’d started at the school.

The lunchroom.

Felix had heard about the unofficial seating plan. He knew all too well about the hierarchy and the rules and the way students could be vultures.

There was a reason Felix had carved out a place for himself in the library. The lunchroom and everything it stood for terrified him.

But there wasn’t time for terror anymore. Felix was determined to get stuff done. The issues between him, Minho and Seungmin had gone on long enough. It was time to get them some damn happiness.

So, Felix refused to falter as he walked through the lunchroom, knowing exactly where he was going.

He kept his head high, his gait determined as he moved around the tables. Every single student turned to gape at him as he went. Lee Felix, the Lee Felix, was in the canteen.

Felix was notoriously famous for never entering the canteen.

But, as every student had gradually started to figure out, Felix would do anything for Minho and Seungmin. It was time to make that known.

A small tendril of fright curled in Felix’s chest as he finally spotted the table he was heading for, but he forced it down. If he ducked out now, the school would never let him live it down, and the outcome he was working so hard for would be ruined.

So, Felix pushed forward and he kept his face forcefully determined as the students he was looking for finally spotted him.

The mouths of Changbin, Hyunjin, Jisung and Jeongin all dropped open when they saw Felix approaching, looking almost comical as they hardly even dared to blink at the sight of him.

Felix had to hold himself back from grinning at them, keeping his eyes locked firmly on their table as he marched over.

He didn’t bother with any kind of greeting or formality as he reached them, just pulled a chair out with a screech against the floor and dropped into it. The good friends of the two boys Felix wanted to woo gaped at him.

Felix just watched them all with a hypnotising determination.

“Sorry to drop by like this,” he stared dead into their faces, “But I need your help.”

Chapter Text

The next morning faded in with a long-awaited uplift in the weather.

The temporary drowsiness of spring seemed to be finally looming off, welcoming the sunshine and the blue skies once more. It was still early, so the Sun hung with a soft pink, the clouds fluffy and just waking up, the whole world chirping and grumbling and blinking as it came to life.

Air fizzled with a slight warmth, the morning chill still overbearing, but already dissolving out. Felix felt a slight heat start to hint at him as he sat and stared at it all.

He was in the school a lot earlier than he’d usually be, a full half-hour before most students had made habit of arriving. The whole place hung with silence, the corridors echoing with his steps and the feeling of eyes still never leaving him despite the lack of students whose heads he could turn.

Felix had long figured out that even if there weren’t students breathing life into it, the school still lived on its own. Felix no longer questioned it.

The only thing Felix had left to do was make things right.

He usually waited until lunchtime to head to his library corner, but with his classes not starting for ages and with a plan to be set in motion, Felix headed there first thing in the morning. He pulled out his favourite chair and settled down, turning it towards the window so he could watch the sunrise.

Felix knew it wouldn’t be long.

He’d taken care of everything else. He’d gotten everyone he needed on his side. He’d thought it all over in his mind. It was time.

It was the same spot Felix had his first ever conversation with both Minho and Seungmin together. It was the same spot Felix came to feel safe in the school. It was his own little world, a world he was fully ready to open to two others.

Surprisingly, Felix didn’t feel even a little bit nervous. He knew what he needed to say. He knew what needed to be done. He knew how willing he was to fight for it. Felix could almost say that he felt like he was ready.

All he had to do was wait…

Thankfully, Felix didn’t have to wait long.

Just as he’d planned, Felix soon heard very familiar annoyed voices approaching.

He couldn’t help but grin to himself at Minho and Seungmin’s tired grumbles, their whines and groans audible throughout the whole library. But it was only as they got closer to where Felix was, that Felix was able to actually make out what they were saying.

“Seriously, guys?” Seungmin was saying, voice half-whining, half-curious, “Why are we going towards Felix’s spot? It won’t feel right going there without him.”

Felix’s heart squeezed a little at that.

“Stop complaining, will you?” that was Hyunjin’s voice, barely containing its excitement. Felix was just thankful that it was probably too early for the usually hawk-like Minho and Seungmin to figure out that Hyunjin knew something they didn’t.

“Yeah, you’ve come to this spot on your own before,” it was Changbin who spoke up this time, “You know to leave gifts for Felix and stuff? Don’t you have anything to leave now?”

“No, because you absolute idiots decided to drag me out my house an hour early and made me forget it,” Minho grumbled, a slight edge to his voice, “Seriously, what the hell are we doing here? And why at this ridiculous time?”

“You’ll find out,” Jisung teased, his voice so obviously about to give something away that Felix almost rolled his eyes.

But Felix barely had any time to react when the footsteps finally got close, really close, and suddenly Jeongin’s head was poking round a bookshelf to stare at Felix.

Felix caught his eye, raising a brow when Jeongin grinned at him excitedly and gave him a thumbs up.

Jeongin’s head disappeared again a second later and Felix heard sounds of pushing and crashing as Jeongin’s voice rang out.

“Okay hyungs, your surprise awaits!” Jeongin called out to the sound of someone being shoved, “Enjoy!”

With that, Felix turned to watch as both Minho and Seungmin were shoved into Felix’s little area, both giving each other confused and tired looks before they turned and suddenly spotted Felix waiting for them.

Felix just offered them a small smile, watching amusedly as they just blinked at him in confusion. Hyunjin poked his head around the bookcase, offering them all a salute.

“I’ve got your delivery, Felix!” Hyunjin grinned, Jisung’s head poking out from under his.

“We’ll leave you alone now, boss,” Jisung winked at Felix, “Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“And definitely don’t do anything Jisung would do!” Changbin called out, his hand swiping out to grab Jisung’s head and pull him back.

“Later, lovebirds!” Hyunjin chirped, pulling his own head back before Changbin could grab him. Felix just smiled and waved, listening out for Jeongin’s ‘bye hyungs!’ and a few bossy remarks from Changbin before all their footsteps receded.

A silence descended over them. Felix, Minho and Seungmin were all alone. The library fell back into its lull.

Felix was supposed to have it all planned out, but now that he was finally in the position to enact his plan, he felt like he had no idea where to start.

Minho and Seungmin were just staring at him like they didn’t quite know what was going on. They shared a glance amongst the two of them, their hands naturally reaching out to clasp one another before Minho was making a point of clearing his throat. Felix’s heart skipped a beat.

“Felix,” Minho took a step towards him, squeezing Seungmin’s hand as he went, “What’s going on?”

Felix took a second to process the question, swallowing heavily as his mind went completely blank. But then his eyes dropped down to Minho and Seungmin’s hands, to the way their fingers were holding so desperately to each other, and all rhyme and reason was thrown right out the window.

A squeal rang out as Felix pushed back his chair, springing out of it and staring straight into Minho and Seungmin with what could only be described as desperate determination.

“I need to ask you guys some things,” Felix said, fighting to keep his voice steady, “And I need you to answer honestly.”

Minho and Seungmin both looked a little shocked at the exclamation but, to Felix’s relief, they nodded all the same. Seungmin took a step forward so he was next to Minho and they were both only a few feet from Felix.

“Okay,” Felix pursed his lips, letting the silence hang in the air for a moment before he spoke, “Was I right in assuming that all the gifts and everything you’ve been doing for me were at least partly an apology? An apology for you two telling me that you were going to protect me and then ignoring me for days whilst you had a fight that ultimately turned the entire student body against me?”

The question was harsh. Felix knew it was harsh as it left it mouth. He could tell how harsh it was when Minho and Seungmin flinched, but Felix didn’t regret it. The question needed to be asked. What Felix had been through was harsh and he deserved an explanation for it.

Minho and Seungmin shared a look as they processed it, an entire silent conversation seeming to happen between them before Seungmin turned back to Felix and hesitantly opened his mouth.

“You were right in all the gifts and things being partly an apology,” Seungmin said, seeming to struggle keeping his eyes on Felix, “We genuinely are so sorry for everything that happened.”

“But the gifts were also more than that,” Minho carried on, a little more confidently, “We wanted you to know that… well, we wanted you to know that we were here for you. And we wanted you to have things that would cheer you up because we knew how hard it was for you.”

“And we wanted to apologise verbally as soon as you were ready to hear it,” Seungmin quickly joined back in, “But we also didn’t want to just barge our way back into your life. If after the first gift you had made it obvious that you wanted nothing to do with us then we would have left you alone.”

“We just wanted you to be happy, Felix,” Minho said, sounding sincere and… almost guilty, Felix swallowed, “After everything that happened and how badly we messed up, we were willing to do anything that made you happy. Even if that meant gifting you a thousand bouquets of roses. Even if that meant… leaving you alone.”

Minho’s voice faded away towards the end, like the very idea of leaving Felix alone pained him. It was clear he’d already considered the potential of that happening, and that him and Seungmin would be willing to accept it if it was what Felix chose.

The other words took a while to sort their way through Felix’s mind, needing a moment to be understood and registered for what they were. They were nothing but completely sincerity, a declaration of vulnerability from Minho and Seungmin that Felix could feel settling over his own skin and tightening.

Felix swallowed heavily, ducking his gaze for a second before he dragged it back up to where Minho and Seungmin were both waiting patiently for him to respond.

“You two never meant what you did, right?” Felix was eventually able to get himself to say, almost fearing the answer, “It was never personal against me, was it? After that fight you two had, you never meant to ignore me, right?”

“Felix, of course we didn’t!” Seungmin was stepping forward and saying before he even seemed to realise what he was doing, calming down for a moment before he spoke again, “That fight we had was absolutely nothing to do with you, and the way we treated you whilst it was happening was completely unacceptable. We’re so unbelievably sorry.”

“We should have been more attentive,” Minho also took a step forward, but a lot more calmly than Seungmin had done, “We should have remembered you and the way you were being treated in the school. If we had known that the school was going to punish you like that for a fight that was between us, we would have put a stop to it immediately.”

“I promise you, Felix, seeing Chan-hyung holding you after those idiots cornered you behind the school,” Seungmin said, the pained tone in his voice making Felix flinch, “Seeing you like that broke both our hearts. We’d already realised how much we’d messed up, but that only made us realise more.”

“And we can promise you,” Minho carried on, his voice so certain and yet so soft that Felix couldn’t help but stare at him in what almost felt like hope, “That we will absolutely never ever let anything like this happen again.”

“Yeah, next time it isn’t Chan-hyung who gets to deal with the idiots,” Seungmin gestured at himself and Minho, “It’s us.”

Despite himself, Felix couldn’t help but smile at that, the fog in his head clearing as his lips pulled up. He stared right at Minho and Seungmin, stared in the guilt and sincerity and earnest painted all over their faces.

It was then that Felix realised he was seeing the true Minho and Seungmin. He wasn’t seeing the school-constructed version of them. He wasn’t seeing them in the masks they’d gotten so used to wearing. He was just seeing them.

And they looked so genuinely sorry that Felix’s poor heart couldn’t take it.

Call him whipped, but Felix really was right when he said that he never had been able to hold onto his anger for long.

“I get it,” Felix eventually said, a small smile tugging at his lips as he looked at Minho and Seungmin, “I’m doing my best to understand all that happened. And I… I accept your apology.”

The words stayed suspended in the air for a moment, seemingly held up by nothing but a sense of blind hope before suddenly the air cleared and the words dropped.

“Really?” Minho sounded so disbelieving, so hopeful, so unlike himself as he practically lunged forward, letting go of Seungmin to grab both Felix’s hands, “Really, Felix?”

Felix just smiled at him, staring lovingly at Minho’s wide, sparkly eyes and twitchy lips. He squeezed Minho’s hands, his heart warming as the touch tingled like gold all up his arms.

“Really, hyung,” Felix said softly, staring straight into Minho’s eyes as he spoke, “I forgive you.”

The reaction was instant, Minho’s entire face melted, his lips curling and skin brightening as he threw himself forward to gather Felix in his arms.

“You are an absolute idiot, but a loveable idiot!” Minho said into his shoulder, Felix laughing and wrapping his arms around him back, “Thank you so much, flower! I promise we will not let you down.”

“You better not,” Felix laughed into Minho’s neck, “Or I really will set Chan-hyung loose, and he absolutely will kill you.”

“We’d deserve it!” Minho instantly replied and Felix laughed again, giving Minho one last squeeze before he pulled away.

Minho was quick to get himself back together, running a hand through his hair and resetting his smile to its usual flirty one as he stepped back. Seungmin instantly took his place, stepping forward so he was in front of Felix and placing his hands carefully on his shoulders.

“Felix,” Seungmin said, Felix almost melting at the way Seungmin said his name, “Thank you.”

Felix couldn’t respond to that, too busy feeling himself get choked up. Seungmin just smiled softly in understanding, shifting them both back he could stare at Felix’s face in the light of the window.

The sunrise illuminated them both, Felix’s freckles sparkling like little drops of glitter. Seungmin moved a thumb up to trace over Felix’s cheek, a million feelings and needs zapping between them at the touch.

“Minnie,” Felix whispered, unsure exactly what he was asking for as Seungmin’s smile just brightened.

“Thank you for forgiving us, petal,” Seungmin responded, his voice soft but earnest, “I promise we’re going to treat you right from now on.”

“I’d like that,” Felix smiled, having to resist shivering under Seungmin’s touch.

The sun shifted in the window behind them, the air only seeming to get brighter and warmer. A feeling of electricity started to whir in Felix’s veins, fizzing in his fingertips and sizzling under his skin like lightning.

Felix suddenly wanted, needed, Minho and Seungmin really badly.

“Felix,” Seungmin said, staring straight into Felix’s eyes like he knew exactly how he was feeling, “Can I kiss you?”

A jolt soared through Felix’s neck before he even realised it, his head bobbing in an eager nod that almost gave him whiplash. Seungmin grinned in what looked like endearment, his fingers tightening slightly around Felix’s face.

The air crackled around them as Seungmin leaned in, slowly and carefully as Felix’s entire face tingled with need. They met in the middle, pausing a moment to simply breathe each other in before Felix was moving forward to gently place his lips over Seungmin’s.

They stayed that way for a second, warmth spreading up both their faces before they pulled back, Seungmin breathed hot against Felix’s top lip, their eyes meeting in a moment of euphoria before they leaned in again.

Their lips met once more, this time moving against each other. Seungmin kissed softly, taking his time as he tried to enjoy every moment of Felix’s mouth against his. Felix moved his hand up to tangle in his hair, desperately trying to pull Seungmin closer as they kissed.

It was like the world finally fell into place around them, like every moment that had led to this was finally worth it. Felix’s whole body trilled with the feeling, his nerve-endings singing and his heart pounding in his chest.

But it was a beautiful feeling, and Felix could only savour every little second of it. Seungmin’s lips were soft and irresistible, tasting like coffee and dusty books as they moved in sync.

Felix preened. They’d finally, finally managed to do something right.

But then suddenly there was a throat being cleared from next to them, Felix and Seungmin pulling apart with their eyes wide and chest rocking. They stared at each other for a moment, panting in oxygen and simply enjoying the way the world faded back in as they looked into one another’s eyes.

Seungmin turned away a second later, an easy grin falling onto his face that made Felix’s flustered brain go positively mad. Felix followed his gaze, feeling his cheeks warm at the way Minho was staring at them with a brow raised.

“Not that I really wasn’t enjoying that,” Minho said, his voice dripping with sultriness, “But when is it my turn to make out with Felix in the library?”

Seungmin laughed at that, making Felix whine and bury his face in his hands as he blushed harder. He listened as a few footsteps shifted, his skin glittering when another pair of hands wrapped around his wrists, tenderly pulling his hands away to uncover his face.

“Hey, flower,” Minho smiled gently at him, his face confident but also conveying some sincerity, silently telling Felix that he could put a stop to things at any moment he wanted.

But Felix didn’t want to put a stop to things. He needed more.

“MinMin-hyung,” Felix said softly, staring straight into Minho’s eyes.

“Minnie and MinMin-hyung, yeah?” Minho smiled lazily at him, moving one of his hands up to poke the end of Felix’s nose, “I suppose we could get used to that.”

Felix didn’t respond to that, his impatience finally winning out and filling him with a burst of confidence as he leaned in. Minho caught him, his hands wrapping around Felix’s shoulders and pulling him close.

Their faces met barely an inch apart, a deep need searing through them both as their eyes met. The sun shone over them, the bookcases and school fading away as they lost themselves to one another.

Minho was the first to lean in, his lips soft and firm as he placed them against Felix’s. He cupped a hand under Felix’s chin to guide him, both their eyes slipping closed as they started to kiss.

Whilst Seungmin was soft, Minho was hard. He kissed confidently, firmly, sending sparks of electricity all through them both.

Felix scrambled to keep up, his heart squeezing and whole body vibrating as Minho kissed him. They held each other close, hands desperate and clinging as they moved.

Felix felt like he was floating, like all his dreams were coming true with Minho’s lips finally on his. It had taken them too long to reach this point, but now that they’d reached it Felix was never letting them leave. He had Minho and Seungmin in his safe space, the two boys he’d been enamoured by the moment he’d set eyes on them now finally in his arms.

He kissed Minho until he couldn’t kiss anymore, pulling away with a shallow breath. Minho opened his eyes, his lips parted as he breathed. They simply held each other for a moment, processing their tingling lips and beating hearts before Seungmin took it upon himself to interrupt them.

“So,” Seungmin said nonchalantly from where he’d been staring at them the whole time, “Exactly how long do we have before class?”

Minho turned to him with a smile, squeezing Felix’s shoulder as he went, “We have a little more time,” he said, raising a brow at Seungmin, “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know,” Seungmin shrugged like he had to think about it, his eyes sparkling as he turned to zero them in on Felix, “Lix, you wanna make out for a little bit more?”

Felix forced himself to keep his cool as he grinned, failing to hide the excitement that filled him at the words, “I’d like that.”

-

When, only a few minutes before class was supposed to start, Minho and Seungmin and Felix walked through the corridor hand-in-hand, the entire school rioted.

Felix’s books were held against Minho’s chest, his bag over Seungmin’s shoulder, each of his hands being held by one of them.

They walked through the corridor as the three of them, every student moving out the way for them as they whispered excitedly amongst each other, Felix couldn’t help but blush, still uncomfortable with lots of attention, but he had to remind himself that it was good attention, and that Minho and Seungmin were definitely here to protect him now.

It almost felt good, the entire student body staring at Felix in awe, how excited they were that he was finally holding hands with Minho and Seungmin. Felix couldn’t help but be excited too, his hands positively warming as he clung onto his two new boyfriends.

They passed their friends as they went. Changbin, Hyunjin, Jisung and Jeongin all whistled and cheered in some capacity, looking way too happy as Minho, Seungmin and Felix swept by them.

Felix couldn’t help but whine and blush, definitely not used to the attention. Seungmin just cooed at him, Minho leaning over to plant a peck on Felix’s cheek.

“Ignore them, baby,” Minho said, making Felix blush even harder, “They’re just jealous.”

Felix managed a giggle at that, shaking his head as they turned into the next corridor. That was where they found Chan.

Chan had his nose buried in some papers, two other students reading over his shoulder probably for some committee thing that Chan worked too hard for.

But the moment Chan looked up and spotted Felix holding hands with Minho and Seungmin, the stack of papers ended up all over the floor.

Chan looked like he didn’t know whether to be happy or angry, whether he should hug Minho and Seungmin or punch them. Felix just winked at Chan, smiling to let him know that everything was okay. The look Chan gave him back was positively disgusted, but Felix could see the happiness in his gaze.

The rest of the journey went without incident as Minho and Seungmin walked Felix to his class. They arrived at Felix’s door with matching smiles, Seungmin helping Felix shoulder his bag as Minho handed over his books.

“Thank you,” Felix smiled like sunshine at both of them.

“Don’t thank us, flower,” Minho leaned in to kiss Felix’s forehead, Felix almost keening at how everything just felt so, so right between them, “We’ll see you later, okay?”

Felix nodded at that, almost lost for words when Seungmin leaned in to plant a quick kiss on his lips.

“Have a good class, petal,” Seungmin smiled at him, his face promising honesty and happiness and a long-lasting healthy relationship, “We’ll be waiting for you when you’re done.”

Felix could only smile at that, his heart squeezing as he turned to walk into his class. He felt Minho and Seungmin’s eyes on his back the whole way he went, his whole body fizzing with happiness at the thought that Felix finally had not one, but two, boyfriends to walk him to and pick him up from his classes.

Felix smiled as he realised he’d not only managed to make the two biggest rivals in the school fall in love, but he’d almost managed to make them fall in love with him too.

He supposed that, all in all, it hadn’t been a bad way to start a new school…