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Initially, the plan was to fly to Sydney together. But with Chan deciding to get his procedure done as soon as possible, he reluctantly opts to stay behind to fully recover.
When Felix arrives a couple of days ahead, he’s immediately whisked away by family and friends eager to catch up after missing him for three years. He’s barely able to be on his phone but every so often, he fires off some quick texts to Chan just to make sure he’s alright and to coordinate plans for when he joins him in Australia. In their last exchange, Chan says he’ll land around lunchtime the next day, maybe later, depending on how crazy the airport is. As for plans, nothing definite yet, it’s hard to predict how smoothly his travels will go and his condition, but Chan promises Felix that he’ll put something together for just the two of them.
The morning of Chan’s arrival, Felix wakes up early. The sun hasn’t even risen yet but he joins his mum for breakfast, much to her delight and surprise. She teases him about the reason why he’s up already but he neither confirms nor denies that it had anything to do with a certain someone landing in town that day.
After helping wash and put away dishes, Felix finds himself rummaging through his old things in his childhood bedroom, reminiscing about the life he used to have in Sydney. There’s his plushies, old video games, clothes that don’t fit anymore but hold a lot of sentimental value. Some drawings from his preschool days make him chuckle and he makes a mental note to send pics to the group chat.
Funny how he had a whole other life here before moving to Korea. Even funnier to think about how Chan had also been right there at the same time living his own. Both of them unaware, yet so close within each other’s orbits. And when they finally collided, no wonder it felt like they’ve known each other for so long, sharing the same memories of the taste of sea salt during a swim and the warm rays of Australian sunshine.
He's so deep in thought that he doesn’t notice the passage of time until he’s interrupted by the doorbell and his name being called.
“Felix? Chan is here,” his mum announces from the first floor, slightly bewildered.
The neat pile of shirts he had on his lap haphazardly falls to the floor when Felix scrambles to get downstairs as fast as he could. Then there he was, looking at a familiar figure clad in his signature all-black ensemble.
“Dude,” Felix’s tone is exasperated but the smile on his lips is already betraying him. “Did you literally just drop your stuff off then come straight here?” He can feel it in his cheeks, he’s smiling too much to fool anyone that he’s seriously scolding Chan.
“Guilty. That’s exactly what I did.” Chan removes his hands from the pocket of his hoodie to hold them up, car keys jangling as he did. Despite the black face mask, the crinkles at the corner of his eyes tell Felix that he’s smiling too.
“Did you eat yet, sweetheart?” Felix’s mum asks, “I can heat some dishes up and you can eat with us if you’d like?”
“Oh, um, not yet!” Chan suddenly turns sheepish. “I was actually wondering if I could take Lix out? For brunch? There’s this place I’ve promised to take him to when we come home… i-if you don’t mind?” He looks back and forth between mother and son, unsure who exactly he was asking permission from.
With a knowing glance, Felix’s mum just smiles and sends them on their way.
--
It’s a cloudy day, a bit cold but Chan had rolled down his window and asked Felix if he’d like the same. Closing his eyes, Felix lets the wind sweep his cheeks and toss his hair—no angry stylist to worry about for the next couple of days. Not that they ever really get mad at him for messing his look up a bit after playing with the other members. A flash of his doe eyes is all it takes to melt their hearts and let it pass.
Chan has music playing on the aux. Hard to tell what song with the wind blowing but it’s something soft and acoustic. With one hand on the wheel, the other is intertwined with Felix’s as he leisurely navigates his way through familiar streets.
“Seriously, you couldn’t wait until after you settle in at home? We work and live together basically 24/7 yet you still want to see me on vacation?” Felix teases.
Chan shrugs. “Well, yeah? I haven’t taken you out on a proper date in a while and you know this restaurant has been on my mind basically the entire time I was flying down here. It just makes sense,” he says matter-of-factly.
“Uh-huh. Makes sense. Right. Did you even step foot inside your house? Or did you just toss your bags through the front door and bolt?” Felix interrogates.
The tip of Chan’s ears turn red. “Um. No… my luggage is still in the trunk."
Felix sits up to stare at Chan. “You just took the car and left?”
“N-no! I asked my dad first of course! Said I’ll put gas in since he was low,” Chan defends.
“Channie… Chris. Does this look like putting gas in the car?” Felix lifts a brow and their hands together.
“I did mention I was gonna grab some food with you!”
Felix laughs and drops a quick kiss on Chan’s cheek.
--
Brunch was divine. The dishes Chan suggested they get were delicious. Following the server’s recommendation, they each got a Tim Tam milkshake for dessert that Felix knows he’ll crave when they eventually go back to Korea.
They go for a stroll along a boardwalk, careful to not hold hands, but Chan still gently bumps into Felix from time to time to nuzzle close.
Occasionally, they stop along the way when Felix asks Chan to hold his phone to help him film for Tik Tok. Despite having a handful planned and several attempts made, they only manage to record a single successful one.
“It’s alright, that’s more than enough. You don’t have to work so hard on vacation,” Chan consoles him.
Felix pouts. “Says Mr. Christopher ‘Probably-Gonna-Go-Home-Do-Chan’s-Room-Then Work-On-Some-Tracks’ Bang. Besides, you know I like making these, it doesn’t feel like work,” he adds.
“And you know I also like doing those things and they don’t always feel like work. Well… the lives mostly.” Chan wraps his arms around Felix’s waist and places a kiss on his shoulder.
“Fuck, we’re workaholics,” Felix laughs and leans on Chan.
They stand like that looking out into the calm waters, still and quiet. Perfectly content.
“Hey.” Felix interrupts whatever silent thoughts they were having, about their lives, their work– about each other. “You know what would be a great prank?”
Chan nods for him to go on.
“If I go live and pretend I was back in Australia alone, then casually just like, pan to you in the background,” Felix explains, grinning from ear to ear. “Everyone thinks you’re in bed recovering from surgery in Korea, it would be hilarious!”
“Oh my god. Lix.” Chan tries to control his laughter but he’s too on board with the idea that he struggles to take his phone out in between giggles. “What if– what if I send something on bubble to make it seem like I really am still in Korea, like a room selfie–”
Felix is practically bouncing. “OR! Or what if you like, say you wish you could teleport home–”
“Nonono WAIT– what if I just said like, ‘brb just gonna teleport’? Then show up here?” Chan’s voice pitches up in excitement.
Their laughter echo off the docks as they finalize their plan. It takes them a couple of minutes, especially Felix, to get composed enough to start the live on Tiktok and be nonchalant about it.
--
It was tough keeping cool and pretending he was by himself until the big reveal but they pull it off. The comments go bonkers as soon as viewers realize who’s behind Felix.
They’re quiet a couple of moments after Felix goes offline before they turn to each other.
“Yoooooo,” Chan says.
“YOOOOO,” Felix echoes louder.
With a high five, they burst into laughter once more, disturbing a flock of seagulls nearby into flight. Felix practically collapses into Chan’s arms in stitches.
“Oscar-worthy performance, Lix,” Chan praises him. “Even I was convinced that you were just walking around by yourself.”
“Thanks, send that audition tape to Ryan, gonna be in his next movie,” Felix jokes back.
Finding a bench, they settle down to collect themselves. Again, they sit shoulder to shoulder basking in each other’s presence. It’s still overcast, the clouds threatening a downpour, but Chan and Felix are none the wiser– it's as if they’re blanketed by a layer of warmth and a tranquility they haven’t had in so long.
Chan sighs before resting his head on Felix’s shoulder.
“I wish I could take you home.”
“We are home,” Felix says, not looking at him.
“Y’know what I mean… like, our home.” Chan explains. “I say this on camera and I’ll say it when it’s just the two of us.” He gently takes Felix’s hand and plays with his fingers. There’s really not much else to explain, Chan knows that Felix knows.
Felix smiles, wistful.
“Someday, Chris,” he says before he kisses the crown of Chan’s head. “And you better mean it when you say you’re gonna have a gaming room for me.”
“Of course,” Chan nods.
“Oh! Don’t forget our dogs. Lots and lots of dogs,” adds Felix.
“Noted,” Chan grins. “Dogs of all shapes and sizes, Berry-sized, wolf-sized. All of the puppies.”
Finger tapping on his chin, Felix wracks his brain. “… a nice kitchen. One with plenty of counter space so I can make a hundred dozen of your favorite cookies,” he concludes.
“And you shall have it.”
“Promise?” Felix leans in.
He doesn’t like to ask much of Chan. God knows he’s given him enough—keeps giving him much more than he thought he could possibly have. But sometimes it’s fun to do this lighthearted thing where Felix indulges some of their silly fantasies.
Chan meets Felix’s eyes with a warm smile. “I always keep my promises,” he says with so much sincerity that Felix really does believe he’d drop everything just to get him his beachside villa with the spacious kitchen and whole family of dogs right then and there.
“And what do you want in exchange?” Felix asks in soft, low voice, leaning in ever closer so that their noses touch, lips practically ghosting.
With a shrug, Chan doesn’t hesitate with his answer before he goes in for a kiss.
“You. Just you.”