Felix's life was anything but vibrant-cursed, he'd argue. To him, it was nothing short of horrendous, marked by relationships rife with daily disrespect and parents who prioritized alcohol above all else. As Felix's mental health reached a breaking...
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As the day bled into the quiet of midnight, the solitude of Hyunjin's hotel bed enveloped me. Wrapped in blankets for warmth, I found myself lost in a sea of thoughts, the events of the day replaying in my mind. I took deep breaths in an attempt to calm the whirlwind of emotions, to steady the nerves that frayed with each passing moment.
The sound of the door opening broke the silence, and I instinctively pulled the blankets over my head, a shield against the embarrassment that flooded me from earlier interactions. The rustle of a bag of food and the clink of drinks announced Hyunjin's return, but I remained hidden, cocooned in my makeshift fortress of fabric.
I could sense his presence, feel his gaze upon me even through the barrier of the blankets. Then, gently, he pulled the cover away, his eyes filled with questions and a soft smile that seemed to dissolve the tension that had gripped me.
"Do you want to eat now?" he asked, his voice soft and considerate. I shook my head, the motion barely noticeable under the weight of my unease.
He nodded in understanding, his movements careful as he crawled onto the bed beside me, both of us staring at the ceiling, lost in our own thoughts. "I'm not hungry, my stomach is just in knots," I murmured, the admission quiet yet laden with the turmoil of the day's events. Pulling the blanket over him as well, I avoided his gaze, a gesture of shared vulnerability, yet still keeping a part of myself shielded.
Hyunjin's presence beside me, the warmth of him so close yet respectful of my space, offered a silent comfort. His willingness to simply be there, to share in the silence and the tumult of emotions without pressing for more, was a testament to the depth of his understanding and care.
"Thank you for not giving up," I whispered quietly, the words barely escaping my lips as I turned to face him, our eyes meeting in the dim light of the room. The proximity brought a sudden awareness of the connection between us, our faces merely inches apart, yet it felt right, a moment suspended in time where the turmoil of the world seemed distant.
Hyunjin's eyes held mine, a depth of emotion reflected in his gaze that spoke volumes more than words ever could. "There's nothing to thank me for," he replied softly, his voice carrying the warmth and sincerity that had become a source of comfort for me. "I told you, Felix, you're not alone. And I meant it—every word."
In that quiet moment, our proximity diminished by each passing second, I searched Hyunjin's face for any sign of hesitation, finding none. The tentative brush of our fingers against each other evolved into a deliberate touch, a silent exploration of the connection forming between us. Our breaths mingled in the space that no longer seemed to separate us, each exhale a whisper of the growing tension and unspoken questions hanging in the air.
