how it feels to fly | jeonglix

11

"You don't normally want to put pumpkins out for halloween."

Gloved hands covered in sickly goop, Felix peers over his shoulder with squinting eyes up at Andrew behind him. And he shrugs.

"Just felt like it," he says. "We have no sweets to give out though." He returns to his former position of crouching on the grass just outside their back door, and continues to scrape out the pumpkin's innards.

"I'll go get some then."

Chucking his tools on the grass, Felix refuses. "I'll go, otherwise you'll be working late tonight when all the kids start trampling their way through." Just as he expected, Andrew tuts and heaves a sigh at the thought of unruly kids running over the plots. 

"Hopefully the parents teach them a little more respect this year."

Felix hums, carrying on with his work before his dad speaks again.

"Wouldn't it have been nice to wait for Jeongin to do that?"

Felix shakes his head. "He'll be tired from classes. Plus, Jeongin hates having stuff on his hands even more than I do." He waggles the gloves in the air for a second, as if to show off his point. 

"Fair enough. The tea-lights are in the cupboard by the printer. Don't light them too early."

Casting him a smile, Felix nods. "I know, I won't." Andrew ruffles his son's hair lightly before going back to his own work. 

Felix finishes up emptying out two pumpkins, and busies himself with tidying up the gross pile of slop he's made. It doesn't take him long but for the whole time his face is painted with an expression of utter disgust. Finally, when he's done, he washes his hands and leaves out the carving tools for later. As he passes by, he grabs his jacket from the coat hanger and finds a mask tucked safely in one pocket. He has one stored in every jacket all the time, just in case he forgets to pick up his favourite one. Right now, that one's in the wash, so he's making do with an old disposable one that smells a little funny and has been in that pocket for at least a week. He grimaces as he puts it on.

The front wheel on his bike is flat, which delays Felix again as he waits to pump it up. The shop is on the other side of the village, and Felix would rather bike to get there and back as quickly as possible.

When Felix eventually walks in, the village shop is thankfully empty, with only the lovely old lady who owns it sat behind the counter doing what looks like a crossword puzzle. Felix nods to her in greeting—cheeks heating behind his mask—and she gives him a cheerful wave and beams as she says hello.

"Ah, Felix! I haven't seen you in so long! You've grown so much! I remember when you were only this big-" she holds her hand out to just above the height of her waist—a bit of an exageration—and chuckles. Felix grins as well, making sure to show it in his eyes too as his mouth is hidden. "How've you been?"

He nods, "I'm doing okay, thank you. How are you?"

She replies and then strikes up a conversation with him as Felix piles a few bags of sweets and chocolates onto the counter, feeling guilty for his impatient movements in a haste to leave and go back home. He answers all of her questions and asks relevant ones in return, but it's like he's on autopilot, so much so that he breathes a deep sigh of relief when he's back outside and swinging a leg over his bike, sweets shoved into his coat pockets.

He's surprised to see Jeongin when he gets back. The younger, all dressed up in smart trousers and a polo shirt with a bag slung over one shoulder, waves at him from where he and Felix's dad are gathered at the back of the small graveyard, trimming unruly hedges. Felix jogs over, pulling down his mask as he goes and smiling joyously at Jeongin. 

"Hey," he says, a little breathlessly. "Movie marathon?" Jeongin instantly nods, and they wander inside, leaving Andrew to get on with his work without the two of them distracting him (although he assures them they're not).

Three movies later, and it's nearing eleven o'clock. The first two movies were frequently disturbed by tiny fists knocking on their door and demanding to be given sweets, but other than those interruptions, their attention was solely focused on the TV screen. The massive bowl of popcorn that had started off full has been long emptied, and where they'd started off sat side by side, they end with Jeongin's head resting tentatively on Felix's shoulder, and Felix's head drifting to rest on top of him.

Just before they can start the fourth movie—they decide on the third Harry Potter—both of their heads shoot up at a loud clashing sound and grunting coming from the kitchen. Felix is on his feet first, rushing towards the back door to find the source of the commotion.

The clashing noise was one of Andrew's tools slipping from his hand, and as for Felix's dad himself, he's bent over, grimacing and clutching at his leg in pain. Through his fingers, Felix can see blood.

"What happened?"

"Slipped, in the dark by the church... pitchfork gone through my leg..."

"Jeongin! There's a first aid kit under the sink." Immediately Jeongin is on it, pulling out the cosmetics bag filled with supplies and kneeling by Andrew's leg, half in the kitchen and half in the muddy entryway. His hands are sure and deft as he cleans and sterilises the cut but lapse once there's a dressing of bandage secured over it. Felix watches him intently, suddenly very aware of the scar on his arm, when he last saw Jeongin patch up a wound.

"That's all I know how to do," Jeongin sighs, leaning back on his heels. "Change the bandage at least once a day—more if it gets wet or dirty. Is that okay?"

Andrew nods, face pained. "I'll manage."

Felix and Jeongin help him to his feet and the three of them carefully walk through into the living room where the two boys had been lounged just before, and let Felix's Dad down onto the sofa. Jeongin rushes to relight the fire while Felix make's sure his dad is comfortable.

"I left my tools up in the Church," Andrew says. "Left them in there so I wouldn't lose them in the dark. Could you two do me a favour and go get them, and lock up afterwards? The keys are in the door."

Instantly, Felix nods. "Of course."

The deep echoes bouncing off the church walls makes Felix's shoulders tense up. He lets out a breath. The door closes behind them, and suddenly the only sources of light are their two feeble torches. They cast ominous shadows and dancing figures across the pillars as Jeongin and Felix pass by, and Felix is keenly aware of Jeongin's warm breath on his neck. It's both aggravating and comforting, to know there's someone else with him even though he can't see him.

"I don't think God would want me to come back here," Jeongin whispers from behind him.

Felix swallows. "Neither," he says.

"Really? Why?" Jeongin starts to smile. He diverts down the next row of pews, torch beam swinging round frantically.

"Other than the fact I'm supposedly Christian, but have never prayed of my own accord once in my whole life and am currently undergoing a mental war between the part of me that holds onto faith, and the overly logical side of me?" Felix clamps his mouth shut, suddenly glad for the darkness that hides his reddening face. Wow, he said too much. Good going, Lix.

For a while there's silence, then a quiet "Fair enough" comes from the other side of the nave. "Anything else?"

Felix shrugs before he remembers Jeongin can't see him. He catches sight of the younger just next to the area lit up by his torch, and Felix can't stop his eyes from following him. "A few other things," he mutters. "You?"

In the small light over Jeongin's face, Felix is sure he sees him smirk. "You don't want to know."

Felix splutters at the implication, and when Jeongin at first glances over to him in alarm only to see Felix grinning, he does the same. He laughs loudly, and it bounces off the walls and pillars, creating a melodic chorus of his laughter. Felix wishes he could bottle the sound up forever and get drunk off of it.

"Come on," he says, walking forward with more purpose. "Let's just get these tools and go back. You can stay over."