Chapter Text
Before Australia.
It had been a while since Felix baked anything in the dorm.
If they’re not in the studio, they’re attending events, or preparing for events. He had only just realized how busy they truly will be for the rest of the year. Not to mention…a possible world tour. So, in the middle of the night, when they all should definitely be sleeping, he snaps awake at the smell of chocolate. His stomach rumbles immediately as he quickly checks his phone. It’s just after midnight and he ate about three hours ago.
He will never turn away Felix’s brownies, especially ones fresh from the oven. Besides, if Felix is up this late then he is almost definitely stress baking. Seungmin quietly gets out of bed and opens his door, only to freeze when he sees Jeongin in the process of walking past it. Minho, in the room opposite of him, decides to open his door as well. He blinks tired eyes at them and they return the gesture.
“Brownies,” Jeongin whispers like that’s the only thing that needs to be said.
He would be correct and the way it’s said brings out Minho’s rare sleepy smile. Jeongin returns the smile and starts walking again; a man on a mission. Seungmin walks side-by-side with Minho, leaning into his space a bit. While he has no problem munching on one of Felix’s brownies, he’s still tired after a very busy day.
While there is no music playing—normal when Felix is baking—they do hear voices. At first, Seungmin thinks Felix is on the phone because he’s speaking incredibly softly. He can’t make out what’s being said. But then he hears an all too familiar chuckle that has all three of them pausing just outside the kitchen, hidden in the shadow of the hallway.
Seungmin carefully peeks inside.
Only the lights above the stove and sink are on.
Chan is sitting at the kitchen island, arms folded on top of the surface, and there’s a whole dopey smile on his face. The kind of smile Chan has when he’s content to just exist in a happy little bubble. Felix, on the other hand, is mixing what seems to be cookie dough. There is a tray of brownies sitting on top of the stove, steam still drifting up.
“I mean it,” Chan states, continuing whatever conversation the two were having before the three of them arrived. His eyes are soft, softsoftsoft on Felix. “Thank you.”
Felix doesn’t reply right away. He takes his time carefully pulling out the biggest baking tray they have to avoid waking up already-awake members, prepping it with baking paper, and grabbing the disposable gloves. He rolls out 12 perfect balls of white macadamia and chocolate chip cookie dough.
As he’s putting them in the oven, he finally says: “Everyone has worked so hard to make this comeback as brilliant as it can be. They deserve this even if it’s a small thing.”
“It’s not a small thing,” Jeongin says barely above a whisper.
Minho rests his head on Jeongin’s shoulder, nodding his agreement.
Chan, whose gaze never waivers nor loses that dopey smile, shakes his head and his eyes sparkle. “They’ll taste your love in every bite.”
Felix covers part of his face with his wrist, laughing quietly. “That was too cheesy, even for you.”
It is too cheesy and Seungmin has to resist the urge to make a dad joke. He doesn’t want to pop this safe haven bubble between Chan and Felix. Besides, as cheesy as it is, Chan isn’t wrong. Biting into a warm cookie or brownie baked by Felix immediately gives the sensation of comfort, peace; of home and safety.
Family.
“You’re…really good to us, Felix. I’m beyond happy you’re here.”
Seungmin watches as, despite not being in a well-lit room, Felix averts his gaze and smiles at his glove-covered hands. Felix is also blushing. And with his blue hair, it stands out.
“Chris,” Felix whines softly.
Chan shrugs; hopelessly smitten. “It’s the truth.”
“I really want a brownie but I’m not going in there while they’re being like that,” Jeongin whispers, just a bit dramatically.
Minho raises his head off Jeongin’s shoulder and the older two watch the youngest member silently walk back to his room. Once out of sight, he turns to Seungmin. “They’re oblivious.”
“Completely.”
They share a smile and back away from the kitchen.
The brownies can wait for now.
(In the wee hours of the morning, when everyone is supposed to be waking up for another busy day, Seungmin walks directly to Felix’s room and carefully tries the door handle. The door is unlocked so he pushes it open carefully, able to see pretty well with the neon lights above Felix’s bed. Chan stayed the night like they all expected him too.
While Felix lies beneath the blankets of his bed, Chan lays on top of them and acts as another blanket for Felix. In fact, Seungmin draws closer and sees that Felix is almost completely covered by Chan’s body. The only thing visible is his hair and ear.
He backs out of the room and into Minho who grabs him before he falls on his behind.
“Thanks, hyung.”
Minho hums in response as he glances over Seungmin’s shoulder. “Let’s give them 10 more minutes.”
“Okay.”
And they let them be.)
Hyunjin smiles to himself.
He and Jisung are sitting on the couch together, on their phones but with the TV providing background noise to prevent what would have been a silent room. This is happening more often than naught; the few hours they’re spared in-between a day’s worth of activities. Companionable silence.
He’s on Twitter and STAY remains hardworking, dedicated, and silly.
BANGCHAN’S princess @lil_miss_stay
need me someone like bang chan
BANGCHAN’S princess @lil_miss_stay
where can i find someone like bang chan?
I’m the Min to her Sung. @charmer_han Replying to @lil_miss_stay
He’s one of a kind. You’ll find no one like him.
BANGCHAN’S princess @lil_miss_stay Replying to @charmer_han
BUT I NEED SOMEONE TO LOOK AT ME THE WAY
HE LOOKS AT FELIX ! ! !
[Image] [Image]
She’s the Min to my Sung. @charmer_min Replying to @lil_miss_stay
best chanlix hug ever tbqfh
Hyunjin clicks on one of the pictures and zooms in. He’s seen them all over Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. The PILOT fan-meeting was hugely successful but also deeply emotionally; especially for Felix. He had been nearby when Chan had pulled Felix in for that hug, gentle; often the most gentle with Felix out of all of them.
Felix crying.
Chan with his soft eyes and even softer smile.
That’s love, he thinks. That’s what unconditional love is. And he’s happy that Felix is on the receiving end of it. Happy that Chan was there to catch Felix the moment they were off stage when his emotions overwhelmed him. Happy that Chan managed to get Felix away for those 10 minutes to compose himself before they could all go out to meet their families.
Only for Felix to break and collapse into the arms of his mother and, having kept his hold on Chan, brought the leader of their group down with him.
Chan had tried to respectfully pull away so Felix could have his moment with his parents and sisters but Felix had refused to let him go. He, along with Changmin and Minho, had taken pictures of that. They’ll probably never see the light of day but it’s nice to have the memories. Even Chan’s sister, Hannah, had taken a few of her own.
“What has you smiling over there?”
Hyunjin blinks, snapping out of the fond memory.
He merely tilts his phone to show Jisung the picture from Twitter.
“Ah,” Jisung nods knowingly. “Chan-hyung is really gone for our Yongbokkie, ain’t he?”
“I’d argue they’re gone for each other.”
Jisung laughs. “Definitely! Do you remember the car ride back to the dorms that night?”
“Yongbok came back with us and was practically in his lap.”
“Practically swimming in his spare clothes after showering.”
“Definitely stole all of his covers that night.”
“Not that Chan-hyung cares. He runs hot.”
“And Yongbok still made us all breakfast in the morning. And even brought some to the others so they weren't left out.”
Jisung lets out a dreamy sigh. “I would’ve married those pancakes if I could.”
“You would’ve married pancakes?”
Hyunjin is embarrassed by the yell he and Jisung simultaneously let out when Changbin suddenly butts into the conversation. Changbin, in his post-gym spare clothes, throws himself onto the plush carpet by their feet, stretching out hard enough that Hyunjin gets a nice view of his abdomen for a moment. But damn, did he have to sneak up on them?
“I would marry Yongbok’s food in a heartbeat,” Jisung declares.
“We’re talking about Chan’s obsession with Felix,” Hyunjin throws out so Changbin understands, doing his best to mimic the way Chan says Felix’s name. It’s true in a way; Chan’s need to be directly with or near Felix.
“Considering he’s written so many songs about Felix, I’d say…yeah, it’s an obvious thing.”
“Oh, right!” Jisung sits up. “His ‘Felix’ folder has, like, 50 songs in it!”
"I swear the number increases every month!"
They fall into a fit of giggles.
(“Have you heard any of the songs?” Hyunjin asks curiously, when they take a break from vocal practice. He has more or less cornered Changbin on the other side of the booth despite curious eyes on him. He lowers his voice. “Like, snippets or completed ones?”
“About Yongbok?” Changbin asks just as quietly.
Hyunjin nods.
“Only one. It was one hyung wrote during the Maniac promotions and Yongbok was having the worst of his back pains. He never showed him, obviously, and I only heard it by accident but he conveyed his…well, the helplessness he felt during all of that; that we all felt.”
Fiddling with his fingers, Hyunjin whispers, “He should have let him listen to it.”
Changbin sighs. “Yeah, I know.”)
Minho sees them in one of the dance studios just after midnight.
He had meant to keep his head down and move on to the next available studio in an attempt to work himself into exhaustion so he can actually sleep in a few hours but something in him told him to look up. The privacy screen that normally covers that little window above the door handle is up. The music from within the room is loud enough that he can just make out the beat.
Felix is ending his routine, doing a move that Minho isn’t familiar with but is deeply impressed by, and then flopping to the ground where Minho can see his chest rise and fall rapidly. Movement in the corner of his eye has him quickly realize that someone else is with Felix. He would recognize that fluffy mop of black hair anywhere.
Chan, in his signature black attire (hoodie, sweats, socks, shoes, mask), is clapping with enthusiasm. Minho wishes he had seen the dance from the beginning if Chan’s clapping is anything to go by. Felix sits up, drawing his knees to his chest, and appears just a bit bashful. He motions for Chan to do something and that’s when the music is paused by the tiny remote in Chan’s hand.
They start talking.
Felix has always been an animated talker and it quickly becomes clear that he’s discussing his dance while Chan listens carefully, eyes serious, while Felix moves his arms this way and that. A moment later, the youngest among them is on his feet and going through some part of his dance step-by-step while speaking. He appears frustrated and Chan, having picked up on that despite Felix’s back facing him, gets to his feet.
He comes up behind Felix, takes one of his hands to hold his arm out and places another on his hip. Chan is talking behind his mask and Felix, face red but smiling shyly, nods and together they walk through the steps Felix had been showing moments ago. They continue to speak as they walk through the movements a few more times, until Chan pulls away and Felix carries through it with a flow that makes it abundantly clear he’s meant to be in DANCEracha.
Chan claps like before, only this time he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Felix turns around and throws himself easily into Chan’s arms. Like every time Chan hugs Felix, his arm easily curls around the younger man’s waist and his free hand goes up and cradles the back of Felix’s head. They stay like that for a long time. Felix likes to be held and Chan likes to hold Felix.
Minho is quick to grab a picture; one he might show them one day.
He'll send it to Jisung in the morning.
And then something that’s seen in cheesy romance dramas happens.
Felix pulls away to smile up at Chan’s face and Chan stares back, completely mesmerized, and they don’t move.
Minho takes another picture because what even is this actually?
Anyone who walks by and sees this would just know.
And Chan has the audacity to brush a piece of Felix’s hair behind his ear.
Felix looks away as he pulls away and Chan’s hands hover in the air for a moment before dropping down, a bit disappointed but Felix doesn’t see. Felix walks over to where Chan left the tiny remote and shakes it at Chan, showing that he wants to do his routine again. Chan’s shoulders shake with unheard laughter and he holds up one finger.
Felix playfully scrunches his face at Chan and he looks so cute, with Minho easily imagining himself or another member pinching Felix’s cheek.
But Chan just wiggles his finger at Felix before motioning to the clock Minho can’t see unless he makes himself known.
It’s a bit hypocritical of Chan but the older man is more of a “do as I say and not as I do” person.
Felix doesn’t fight it but he does stick his tongue out at Chan.
Minho is delighted to be able to watch Felix go through his dance. It starts steady and then speeds up—passionate, where it becomes akin to a blaze that has Felix soaring. He goes through the steps he and Chan walked through and it flows perfectly.
Just another indication that Chan has good eyes.
When it’s over, Chan walks over and runs his fingers through Felix’s hair to push it back.
Minho is quick to walk away then.
(During break at dance practice the next day, Felix alternates between being Jisung’s shoulder pillow and Chan’s boost of energy. He smiles easily when Jeongin complains about how sweaty he is and when Seungmin picks on Changbin for his practice clothes. Every now and then, Minho catches Chan smiling at Felix, eyes hardly ever leaving his figure.
His gaze could practically set Felix on fire.
Being the loving member he is, Minho presses a cold bottle of water to Chan’s neck and grins when the man—so caught up with his Felix Watch™️—jumps and proceeds to whine at him.
“Just thought you could cool off, hyung.”
Chan pouts and Felix, in tune with Chan’s emotions, wanders over to switch Chan’s attention to him and comfort him; completely playful.)
The announcement comes three days later, on a Friday evening, and it’s greatly appreciated.
Two weeks.
Chan immediately talked about going home and Felix jumped on it right away. They had fallen into their own little world at the dinner table while discussing departure and arrival times, to and from Australia, and the kind of tickets they’d want. Seungmin tells them to spoil themselves.
“Luxurious like I'm an S-class/Best of the best on first class~”
Smiles are shared around the room.
As they wave good-bye to the two getting into to the company van, in the dead of night one day later, Hyunjin states out loud what they’re all thinking.
“They better sort their shit out.”
“Or we riot,” Seungmin follows up immediately.
“Or we riot,” Jeongin agrees.