I'm Also A We // Hyunlix

So Far Down (How Do We Get Back Up?)

NOW

F E L I X

Felix is the first to wake up the next morning. There are fragments lingering from his dream even though he has no memory of any details. A feeling, more than anything. Memories of the previous night come trickling back, knocking at the door of his consciousness, but the dream was soft and quiet. Warm. Like someone hugged him for a long time. That feeling is still there when he opens his eyes, and Felix is tempted to fall back asleep just to have a little more of that.

Hyunjin is still sleeping. Sprawled on one side of the bed, turned away from him but both arms flung away from him so that Felix could imagine him reaching for someone in his sleep, reaching for Felix, and all he had to do was slip his own hand into his.

He looks peaceful like this, and Felix feels a fierce urge of protectiveness come over him, like an aftereffect of last night's panic.

"Hmmm, Yongbok-ah," Hyunjin says his name as if he's smiling, and Felix remembers that he can feel it now, that protectiveness, and everything else that goes with it. Hyunjin makes a big show of turning around, stretching, and groaning, with his arms over his head. Felix watches him, chuckling, trying and failing to hide how his heart jumps when he sees his face.

And Hyunjin probably notices that too. He smiles still, but shyly now, hiding his face.

Felix checks his watch and estimates that they have about an hour until staff will come to gather them for their next schedule. He lifts his head and peeks out the window. Paris is still there, unassuming and full of possibilities, and Felix doesn't know how he feels about the fact the previous night was real.

His eyes fall back on where Hyunjin has buried himself back into the cushions, eyes closed but that small smile still on his face.

'They took you from me,' Felix thinks, can't help the words pushing violently at the peaceful echoes of the night. He's being dramatic, he knows as much, because Hyunjin is right there, warm and breathing and close enough Felix wouldn't have to move much to touch.

o

Schedule means at least an hour in the hair and make-up chair. It's a team of five, and the photographer shares pictures with them about his inspiration. Felix has seen it and is excited about the shoot and the photos that he can share with Stay later even though he's distracted.

Hyunjin is sitting on the very end of the wall-length mirror, as far away from Felix as possible in the room they're in. He can still see him, and they share glances through the wall of mirrors in front of them, quiet, because around him is chatter in French, English, and Korean, and everyone is fussing over them to a point where it turns into one calming background noise.

The make-up noona smiles at him as she momentarily blocks the view of himself in the mirror, and when she moves away again, Felix looks back into Minho's face.

Minho blinks several times, the only sign that he's just as startled at the abruptness.

Felix shifts over to him effortlessly, slipping in between consciousness as easy as taking a breath. Minho's at the dorm in the bathroom, running through his usual skincare routine. He's holding a cotton round, his hand hovering mid-air as he stares at Felix like he's unsure where they stand.

"Hi, hyung," Felix offers and sits down on the chair they dragged in last time they had to wash spray hair dye out of Jeongin's hair.

"How are you?" Minho asks and goes back to applying the toner, and even though he's trying to hide it, Felix can tell he's relieved.

Felix shrugs. He's not quite sure how he is yet, too much has happened too quickly, and his body and mind not in sync just yet.

"How's hyung?"