14 hours | lee felix

5

11 hours before

"Whatcha drawing?"

"A face."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know."

"Then how are you drawing it?"

"Because I just am."

"But i'm bored."

"Yongbok I will give you a quarter of this Nature's Valley bar if you can let me finish this."

He manages to stay put in his seat for a whopping 3 minutes before bombarding me with questions again. At least I know how my friends feel when they deal with me now.

Most of the time I would be ADHD to the max, but i'm calm after the coffee. Ironic isn't it?

"What are you even doing?" he leans closer to my tray looking down at the iPad i'm currently drawing on.

"I'm doing a commission." I explain. "My friend owns this shop and she sells prints and pins and other things so she commissioned me to make some artwork for her."

He lightly rests his head on my shoulder watching as I mindlessly work.

"It's pretty." he mumbles. I look at him, it finally sinks in how close me are. It's shocking when I realize, but I don't pull away, I only chuckle seeing his cheek squished against my shoulder.

"It's missing something." I frown. "It's supposed to be a collection of redrawn gifts from the gods."

"A huh?"

"You know like the origin story of everyday gifts?" He still stares at me cluelessly. "In every culture there's a explanation for different things. Like there's a Tagalog story that the first rainbow was created by the goddess of flowers who was cursed to stay in Earth after disobeying her father. After she was cursed here she created a bridge of multicolored flowers to reach her home again and as a gift so he father would forgive her. It's said that every time the goddess goes on a journey a trail of blossoms of all colors follow her, that's what we see as a rainbow."

I look over at Yongbok and see him wide eyes listening and occasionally sneaking glances at the woman on the screen, adorned with flowers of every kind, yet still donning a scornful look.

The retelling is much more grim than the original.

"Why does she look so sad?"

"Because some kids don't get to go home, there are people who relate to this story, just in a different way."

I hold my breath slightly waiting for his response. It's topics like these that still slightly scare me to being up in public. Even in the day and age we live in, the fear of injustice and prejudice grows stronger.

Same sex soulmates aren't necessarily rare, but there is still a stigma behind them. I never understood how the same people who obsess over how 'soulmates are everything' are the ones who judge soulmates who don't 'match' into the standards set.

Stupid soulmates.

Something clicks in his brain and he looks down at the drawing, now with a sad smile.

"What if the bridge isn't to make amends with her father?" he suddenly asks. "Her father cursed her here to earth right, so what if with the rainbow she built a bridge to somewhere loving. Now every time there's a rainbow, shes welcoming someone home. It's still a family, just a chosen family."

His eyes meet mine and it's clear I was waiting for a reaction. He just smiles at me.

"I like the drawing, but i'm a sucker for happy endings."

I can't help but stare at him in slight awe. I've never seen someone who was just so, bright. He just personified sunshine.

"Guess I have to rework this huh?"

-:-:-

it's not June but happy mf pride in this chapter

i'm not gonna assume anyone's sexuality esp cause felix is an idol and we should all be respectful of that. but we knows he's an ally so I included a lil bit of him being the best person in the whole world.

anyways yeah idk just felt like writing a lil sum so they could connect on a bit of a deeper level. if you wanna know if Aera is queer, idk either whatever you decide.