how it feels to fly | jeonglix

14

Just as they'd hoped, the trampoline park is empty when they arrive.

Some of the workers look pissed off—clearly annoyed at these two teenagers making a hassle of coming in at ungodly hours in the morning, probably disrupting their hopes to have a bit of time to wake up before dealing with the onslaught of young kids. One young woman drones through the safety measures with Felix and Jeongin, eyes half closed as she recites it from memory, breaking off frequently into yawns. On the other hand, the boy who sees them onto the trampolines seems like he's taken the collective energy from everyone, clearly unbothered and smiling.

He seems to have leeched it from Felix as well; or maybe it's because Felix isn't used to being up and this active before ten a.m. Either way, for the first ten minutes or so he hops from trampoline to trampoline, completely in a daze, until Jeongin breaks him out of it and tugs him over the the foam pits, both of them tripping over their own feet and giggling amongst themselves.

There's a rope wall over in one corner, and instantly Jeongin challenges him to a race. "Whoever reaches the top last has to buy food."

Felix grins. "You're on."

And then they're off. The grid of rope reaches higher than Felix first anticipated—straight up to the very top of the room, and the net sways beneath both of them, making Felix's legs tremble with effort as he pulls himself up. Maybe he needs to stop putting off workouts.

Him and Jeongin are neck and neck when he notices the younger swinging suspiciously close to him. "What are you doing?!" Felix screeches, just as Jeongin lunges at him. His only response is a bellow of laughter, cut off when Felix slams into him in retaliation. The elder scales up a little higher whilst Jeongin is distracted, so his waist is level with Jeongin's hands.

"What was that for— wait wait wait wait!" Suddenly, Felix is above him, and frantically prising Jeongin's hands from the net he's clinging onto for dear life. "I swear to God Felix if you—"

Too late. Jeongin loses his grip and before he can try and save himself, he's plummeting into the sea of foam below them, yelping on the way down. He can hear Felix's maniacal laughter before he sees him, already three quarters of the way up the wall. He'll never beat him. But... 

A sudden idea forming in his head, Jeongin grins devilishly, and begins to climb.

Felix is elated, and so close to the metal chains at the top. Just a few more steps, a long reach, and—

A hand grabs his ankle, grip as firm as steel and twice as clammy.

He looks down, and just has time for a small "No!" to escape his mouth before Jeongin pulls at his leg, and sends Felix tumbling past him.

And by the time Felix recovers from practically diving head first into the abyss, it's too late. Jeongin whoops in victory from the top of the net, giving himself a moment to savour his victory before he jumps down and lands just next to Felix. "I win!"

"Fuck you!" Felix screeches, doing his best attempt at a tackle amidst the foam blocks but only landing half on top of Jeongin with his head placed rather awkwardly on his chest. He freezes for a moment, eyes wide. Can't he just stay like this?

Jeongin doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary, only glancing shyly at the odd looks from workers at Felix's profane outburst. Luckily, there're no children around, or parents to scold them for that matter. It's still just them. He looks down, seeing Felix still on top of him and a little frozen in place. 

"Hey," he says, running his hand through Felix's soft brown hair. Felix tenses up. "You okay?"

It's like his actions flipped a switch because in an instant, Felix pushes away from him, expression frantic and somehow out of breath. 'Yeah..." he breaths. "I'm good." There's a moment of silence. "You?"