impact (Lee Felix fan fiction)

Chapter 33

Minho was pacing. Jisung launched a pillow at him and told him to come back to bed. Minho startled when he saw the pillow fly but he relented and flopped on the bed, bouncing Jisung around enough to make him whine, "Stahpuh." Jisung flipped over toward him and wrapped his arm over Minho's chest. "Have you slept? At all?" Jisung asked softly, glancing at the clock to see it was nearly three in the morning. Minho just shook his head. Jisung sighed, "Min, baby, I know this is important, but you've got to get at least a little rest or you'll be wrecked at the show."

"Hyunjin said if we don't get enough funding from new sponsors, they're going to have to close the studio," Minho said, his voice deadpan as he stared at the ceiling.

Jisung lifted up on his elbow, now completely awake and understanding the incredible stress. "Min, if that happens, we'll find another place," he whispered as he stroked Minho's hair along the edge of his ear.

"I can't lose this, Sungie. I need this almost as much as I need you," Minho whispered, being uncharacteristically emotional.

Jisung leaned over to kiss his lips gently. "Come here, baby," Jisung whispered, pulling Minho into his arms. He felt the hot tears hit his skin and couldn't help but hurt for his boyfriend. "Why didn't you tell me you were so worried?" he whispered against Minho's hair in between kisses.

"I didn't want you to worry. Felix doesn't even know," Minho sighed then explained, "With everything happening with Izzy, I honestly didn't know if he could handle the stress. I asked Hyunjin not to tell him."

Jisung understood why, but he felt it was a bad idea. If it did go badly, Felix would be devastated. Dance kept him and Minho sane. It's how Min battles depression, and it's like air to Felix. Without it, they'd both be lost. And now, Jisung was worried, too. He continued to slip his fingers through Minho's hair, his other hand gently rubbing his back. He felt Minho start to relax and his body grew heavier. Jisung listened to the soft sound of Minho breathing deeply, exhausted from his worry and preparation. He smiled to himself and pressed one more kiss to the top of Minho's head before closing his own eyes and pretending to sleep.

---

Hyunjin woke with a start. He had clawed his way out of a really weird dream where he was surrounded by people, mocking him. He had been in the studio and suddenly, he wasn't. There was a storm outside that didn't make sense. He saw lightning and heard thunder, but the sky wasn't clouded over. Then, all at once, a tornado dropped from the sky and destroyed the dance studio. He woke just as he saw the swirling vortex swallow up his friends and carry them away.

He laid in his bed, panting and panicked. His head was spinning, and he couldn't breathe. He went from thinking of the dream to thinking about the reality of the studio and losing his job. He sat up on the edge of the bed and tried to gain control. He finally slipped off the side of the bed on to the floor and sunk into the attack. He scrambled to find his phone on the nightstand. He called the first person he thought of.

"Jinnie?" Seungmin answered gruffly, his voice thick with sleep.

"Minnie... can't... breathe," Hyunjin panted between sobs when he heard Seungmin's voice.
Seungmin immediately shifted gears. "Hyunjin?" he asked, feeling his own panic at the distraught voice on the other end. "Jin, slow down. Are you sitting down?" he asked gently.

"Minnie... m-I'm sc-scared!" Hyunjin wept, his breathing quickly heading toward hyperventilation.

Seungmin nearly fell out of his bed trying to get to his feet. He grabbed his keys, slipped on his sneakers and ran down the hall to the elevator. He was still talking, trying to keep Hyunjin calm, but the boy was so worked up that Seungmin knew that Hyunjin would end up sick. He bounced on his toes as he impatiently waited for the elevator to reach Hyunjin's floor. Before the door could open fully, Seungmin darted out of the elevator and broke into a dead run to Hyunjin's door. He used the key Hyunjin had given him to help with Kkami when Hyunjin was at work. He slid onto the floor beside Hyunjin with the small trashcan from the entry in his hand, just in time to catch Hyunjin's dinner. Seungmin watched, helplessly, as Hyunjin was violently sick. Seungmin slipped away to run to the bathroom and grab a damp cloth. He swept the cloth across the back of Hyunjin's neck and then over his face as his friend began to finally calm down. Seungmin held Hyunjin's hand and talked to him calmly, "You're okay, Jin. I'm right here. It's okay." He swept the cool cloth over Hyunjin's face as he laid his sweaty head back against the bed and pulled his friend over to him. "You scared me to death," Seungmin told him softly, keeping his arms wrapped around Hyunjin to help the older boy calm down.

"I'm s-sorry," Hyunjin stuttered, still sniffling and fighting to steady his breathing.

Seungmin brushed his hair back and shushed him. "Don't apologize. I'm glad you called me," Seungmin softly said. Watching him take rapid gasping breaths, Seungmin told him, "Slow down. You know how this works. Slow, in through your nose, out through your mouth. That's good..." Seungmin observed Hyunjin's breathing finally beginning to even out, and he could feel the older's heartbeat slowing. Seungmin continued to stroke Hyunjin's hair as he asked, "Jin, what happened?"

Hyunjin was following Seungmin's instructions, focusing on his breathing. He took a deep, shuddering breath as he tried to answer the question. "I had a n-nightm-mare and woke up sc-scared. Then I started th-thinking about my j-j-job and and..."

"Shhhhh," Seungmin hushed him, squeezing him tighter. Hyunjin had started to suck air again and was ramping up. Seungmin whispered, "Come on, babe, slow down." He realized what he said but knew Hyunjin was too upset to remember. He knew that Hyunjin was seriously stressed out over the studio and the possibility of losing his job there as an instructor. His anxiety had been insane in the last few weeks with all the crap with Felix and Isa and now this. Seungmin just wanted to see his friend calm and happy. Once Hyunjin's breathing calmed again, Seungmin tapped his back gently and said, "Come on, let's get you off the floor." The two stood and he helped Hyunjin onto the bed. Seungmin ran to clean up the trashcan then came back and climbed in next to Hyunjin, wrapping his friend up again. "What time do you have to be up?" he asked.

"Not for a couple of hours," Hyunjin answered softly, grateful for the security of Seungmin's arms and just feeling him close.

Seungmin smiled in relief and began to stroke Hyunjin's hair back over the edge of his ear until he heard the soft sound of Hyunjin's deep and steady breathing. Sighing softly, Seungmin took in Hyunjin's scent and fell asleep beside him.

--- 

The morning sun peeked in through the blinds, falling over Isa's eyes. She opened her eyes and looked up to him and his tangled morning hair with its halo of sunlight. She smiled and tried to wiggle out of his arms. He whined and pulled her back to him. She giggled and whispered, "I was going to make you pancakes, but I mean, I can stay here."

Felix opened his arms and began to push her out of the bed. She laughed and let him, slipping on one of his tee shirts then heading out to the kitchen. Surprisingly, he actually had a pretty well-stocked kitchen for a bachelor. She whipped up a batch of pancakes and set up his plate. He shuffled out of the bedroom, looking like a giant toddler with his messy hair and baggy sweats. She wanted to coo, but also kind of wanted to attack him at the same time. She decided to feed him, instead. She set him up on the bar in his kitchen and watched his eyes light up as he dug in. Felix ate so quickly that she started to wonder if he'd been skipping meals out of nerves. They ate in semi-silence as he wolfed down a stack of hotcakes. She giggled as he slowed down. "Lixie, when was the last time you ate?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Yesterday, I swear, but I LOVE pancakes. I just hate making them," he shrugged. "I don't mind cooking, but I'm really, really messy when I do. And pancakes are just messy anyway, and" she put her finger over his lips and snickered.

"Okay, okay. Just don't make yourself sick, please? I'll make you pancakes every weekend if you want me to," Isa offered with a smile.

"Careful, I might take you up on that," he answered.

She grinned and nodded then pushed him back toward the bathroom. "Go shower up and get ready. I'll clean this up." He took one last bite then slipped off the stool and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her sweetly on the cheek, leaving a sticky, syrupy lip print on her cheek and taking off for the bathroom. "Oh yuck!" she exclaimed as she tried to wipe off the sticky mess. She could hear him laugh behind the door and it warmed her heart.