The man next door || Hyunlix

Feel

— Chapter three —

"Anddd..." Felix slides the cookies on the oven rack. "Done!"

"Finally." Jisung says tiredly.

Felix clicks 'start' on the oven, turning around to look at Jisung— who is pouring two glasses of wine.

"Hey.. it wasn't that bad." He defends.

Jisung giggles, handing Felix a glass of wine. "I know, I'm just teasing."

Felix takes the glass and hops up on the counter— giving Jisung a knowing look. "Yeah whatever..." He mumbles, taking a sip of the red liquid.

There is a couple minutes of silence as they both sit there, sipping on their wine as they eye each other. The cookies start to release a light aroma in the kitchen, causing them both to smile. They make eye contact again, before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Why are we so awkward?" Felix says between giggles.

"I think it's just because we haven't done this—" Jisung takes a sip of wine. "—In a while."

"Yeah," Felix says. "The last time we did was when you were still married."

Jisung chuckles. "Yeah, definitely has been a while."

"How did that ever go?" Felix asks. "You know, ...the divorce."

Jisung sighs, then takes another sip of the wine. "It went well for me. The charges he was facing along with the jail time was enough for it to all go in my favor."

"Well how do you feel now?" Felix tilts his head.

"Not that well, to be honest." He answers. "I feel betrayed, even though I'm not the one who did it too."

"You're still a victim, Ji." Felix says. "At the end of the day, you were the one he lied to every night."

"I still find it hard to sleep at night." Jisung chuckles.

"It'll get better." Felix hops off the counter. "I love you, give me a hug."

He places down his glass of wine and widens his arms, to which Jisung comes forward immediately. Felix wraps his arms around Jisung and holds him close. Jisung snuggles close into Felix— he really needed a hug.

"You're so strong." Felix whispers into his ear.

Jisung pulls away and smiles at Felix, nodding his head. "Thank you, for everything."

Felix smiles back. "I'm always here for you Jisung."

Jisung smiles wider. "How about we go sit on the couch and gossip, like old times?"

"I'd love that." Felix softly smiles.

The boys take their wine glasses and head to Felix's living room, hand in hand. Their friendship has always been this way, since way back.

They met each other in college, since they were roommates. They realized they had the same major, and some of the same dreams which caused them to spend everyday together. They both have never had a friendship so genuine, which is why they have been together all these years.

Even after the past seven or eight years, they both still care for each other immensely. They have been with each other through thick and thin, and have survived many disagreements. Jisung was there for Felix when his mother passed, and Felix was there for Jisung when he went through his divorce.

The divorce wasn't what came as a shock to everybody, it was what caused the divorce. They both were so in love, Jisung was so happy. Yet the man he was with was lying to him the whole time, and was a monster all along. Oh how people can change with the snap of a finger.