✰ Rap Star ⤑ Changlix

15

"Felix!" I look behind me and see Jisung jogging over, his arms out for a hug. I chuckle and let him tackle me. He's so clingy and childish. It's funny how he's dating such a isolated guy. "Did you wait long? The traffic was awful," he smiles as he speaks.
"No, it's fine. Changbin dropped me off a few minutes ago," I reassure him.
It's been about a week since Changbin's birthday. Everything's been going smoothly for the most part. I'm still awaiting our first fight that isn't about who's picking who up from class. "Really? That's good then. What do you wanna buy? I want to get some makeup and some clothes. I haven't been shopping in a while," Jisung links our arms and starts looking around the area. We are at the mall.
"I was thinking we get some clothes too. I haven't bought anything nice since my last birthday. I have nothing to surprise Changbin with," I pout as I say this. I really need to spoil myself.
"When's your birthday?" Jisung asks, turning his attention to me as we start walking. He briefly mentions the name of a store he likes before letting me speak.
"September fifteenth," I tell him.
"No way! I'm the fourteenth!"
My eyes widen. "Really?" Jisung nods his head in excitement.
"We should celebrate together," he says. My smile makes its way to my face as he says this. I've never celebrated a birthday with a friend before. "Ah, there it is. Your gorgeous smile I'm so jealous of," Jisung whines.
"Jealous of my smile?" Why would anyone be jealous of my smile?
"Yeah. You have a nice smile. It's so cute and natural looking. Mine makes me look like an idiot. Minho's always telling me how nice it is to see you smile cause you didn't do it a lot when he first met you," Jisung explains.
I guess he's right. I never really thought there was anything worth smiling about when I first met Hyunjin and Minho. Now that I have Changbin poking fun at me every so often, I can't help but smile. I can't frown when I have someone like him waiting around for my calls. He works so hard and still manages to keep a cheerful attitude. He inspires me to be happy. "I guess Minho tells you about everything," I say.
"Not everything, but most things. We've been together for two years, so we do tell each other a lot. Sometimes there are just things you have to keep from each other though," Jisung peeks over his shoulder to look into a store.
"Oh yeah? Like what?" I'm curious as to what he hides from his boyfriend. I have some things I haven't told Changbin, but that's only because there hasn't been the right time to do so.
"Well, my most recent secret," Jisung pauses and turns back to me. "I actually really want to buy him an engagement ring."
My jaw drops open. "A what?"
"You know," Jisung let's go of my arm and puts his hands together, only to open them like a box for a ring. "Get down on my knee and ask him to marry me."
"Oh my god." I cover my mouth with my hand. "I totally thought Minho would be the one to do that."
Jisung snickers. "You probably think I'm a bottom too, don't you?" I nod in confirmation, Jisung clicking his tongue. "Well, I'm not. I'm top. Always have been, always will be. I'm husband Han," he jokes, though I know for the most part he's serious.
"I was not expecting you to one: be so open about this, and two: be a top," I shake my head to try and rid my head of disbelief.
"I don't see a reason to keep stuff like that from my friends. Despite what you might think, Minho likes being teased. Not tons, but if you mention it to him once or twice he'll get embarrassed and laugh. You just have to catch him at the right time."
I hum. "I guess. It's hard to get close to him. He's so observing and caring that he never lets me do anything nice for him."
"Oh yeah, that's Lee Minho for sure," Jisung smiles up at the sky with a sigh. "He's always been like that. He's got that mentality that all he needs to do is take care of people and himself. He doesn't like it when random people put in effort for him. Sometimes even I have to force it on him. He's stubborn like that. Though, he does have some amazing qualities. Like how passionate he is about dancing. He can also be very sweet. Oh, did you know he cooks? If I ever lay on my deathbed, I'm expecting a meal made by him." Jisung talks about him with such a loving expression. It's heart warming. I want to talk about Changbin the way he talks about Minho someday. Like we are soulmates. "He probably doesn't talk a lot about me because he's unsure how to express it to you guys. For one, Hyunjin doesn't have a significant other, so he doesn't want to leave him out. He also likes to keep it a bit hush hush. He's like a cat, he likes to keep things hidden. It's cute, but can be frustrating. You'll find some things like that with Changbin too. Hell, I've been with Changbin and Chris for four years. I can count more than ten things they each have that makes me want to rip their heads off. Especially your boyfriend. Living with him is a terror."
I hold back a laugh for most of the babbling but burst out in giggles when he calls Changbin a terror. I just can't see it. "That hamster, a terror?"
Jisung raises a brow but joins in with my laughter after a while. "Hamster? That's a new one. Anyway, yeah, he's a terror. You haven't seen him when he's really mad, right? He scares the shit out of us all. Even Minho puts his tail between his legs and runs."
I'm surprised by this. I guess Changbin is really in tune with his emotions. We've only been together for a short time, but he hasn't gotten angry once. Pouty, but never mad. "Does he tend to keep it in a lot?"
Jisung flicks his thumb up. "Bingo. He uses music to express himself. Sometimes when those words don't make it onto paper it boils over and he takes it out on the people around him in a quick act of stress. He always comes around to apologize, but it's pretty scary to see him that way. When he does fight with you, just remember that he loves you and it's probably not you that made him upset."
I nod slowly. "Oh, about your proposal," Jisung drags me into a store while I talk. "Isn't it still illegal to marry the same sex in Korea?"
"Yeah, so it won't be officially documented. I'm just going to buy rings, propose, and tell everyone I'm married. Fuck the legal system. If I'm married, I'm married."
I wish I was as confident as Jisung. Then again, he's so in love with Minho, and he has been for two years. I don't think anything else matters to him besides rapping. Two years seem like such a short time. If you think about it though, so much can happen. Hopefully I'll gain that kind of thought process as I continue to date Changbin. "When are you gonna go ring shopping?"
"Probably soon. I think I want to propose sometime after my birthday. I'll be happy to be twenty, I'll propose, and then he'll be twenty-three. It will be a good two months of complete serenity."
He has it all planned out. "I'm jealous. I wish I had every part of my life planned."
Jisung looks through some clothes with a sigh. "Trust me Felix, it doesn't come over night. Believe it or not, Minho isn't my first serious relationship. I had one before him. Well actually, I don't know if you can call it serious. I was seventeen. During that time though, I was so fucking confused on what to do with my life. I had rapping but I wasn't happy with it. It was really hard to express myself because of who I surrounded myself with. Changbin was having family problems and Chris was always angry at him for it. Chris can't see his family but Changbin was being a spoiled teenager who had to grow up too fast. We fought a lot cause I was so young and stupid. Naive. It's never simple. We all struggled a lot to find out where we want to be. I'm still not sure I want to be a rapper. You know what, though? Minho's there for me anyways. If I have him by my side, I'll find my way. We're still young. Things come and go. My little group will get me through it all. Now that you are a part of that group, we aren't going to let you fall. We are Stray kids. Us strays have to stick together on the empty streets."
The way he puts it makes it seem like a poem. I don't know why I see it like that. Either way, I do. "You are so mature."
"That's what happens when you grow up with so many people older than you. It's just constant age. Changbin is two years, Minho three, and Chris four. Oh, Changbin's sister is older too. When I met Seungmin and Jeongin I was saved. Now I have you too. My younger brother who's a day younger," Jisung finishes it up and shoves an outfit into my arms. "Now, time to plan on how you will charm mister Seo."
I roll my eyes. "You make him sound like a sugar daddy."
"He hasn't told you?" Jisung asks, his lips shutting when he notices my confused expression.
"Tell me what?"
"Well, you know," Jisung's voice drifts off a bit. "Has he told you anything about his family?" I shake my head. "Ah, makes sense. Well, his mom is the CEO of a big fashion brand. That's actually how Hyunjin got into fashion. Changbin's sister is a model and taught him some stuff. Anyway, so Changbin's pretty rich. You've been in his car, right? The leather seats make my anxiety act up. I'm pretty sure that's why he hates birthday gifts so much. He'd rather give people things cause he has the ability to do so. I'm not surprised he hasn't brought it up. Humble is not a big enough word to describe that man. He's probably waiting until he thinks he's ready to introduce you to his family."
I stare at the skirt in my hands. Does Changbin like skirts? No, there's a bigger question on my mind. "So you're telling me my boyfriend is actually a sugar daddy, and I haven't known this whole time?"
Jisung snorts. "Not exactly a sugar daddy. He's not paying you for keeping him company. He does have the sugar, and if you want to call him daddy that's up to you, so over all, he kind of is; isn't he?"
I smack Jisung with a red face. "Shut up! Oh my god, I feel like such a jerk now!"
"You should be mad at him for not telling you! Don't beat yourself up."
"He always pays for everything. I don't want him to think I want him for his money," I whine.
"He doesn't think that. Now go get changed so I can see how hot you look in a skirt," Jisung claps his hands, pushing me toward the dressing room.
"You're going to propose to your boyfriend, don't cheat on him with me," I joke.
"Trust me. Cheating on Minho, specifically with you, isn't an option. It's suicide. Not only will Minho kill me, but so will Changbin. Not like I have any thoughts about cheating anyway. I'd rather die than be without my baby," I block Jisung out and slip into the dressing room. He's so in love it almost makes me sick. When I see Changbin next I think I might actually have to give him the cold shoulder just so I make sure I don't become such a simp. Ugh, how am I supposed to put this skirt on?