Guitar Strings

6

"I've got some bad news." The staff member testing us for Covid started, we all knew what the bad news would be at this point. "Jeongin, Minho, and Felix all have tested positive, we're going to have to put you in quarantine and cancel the next couple shows."

"What?!" Jeongin yelled through his mask. "I feel fine!" he complained to the staff member.

"I feel fine too" I said hoping they'd retest me. "Are you sure? Can't you retest me or something?" I asked. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in my hotel room alone for the next five days.

"Sorry guys, we already cancelled Atlanta and Fort Worth. C'mon we need to get you guys isolated."

Minho rolled his eyes as we each went back to our individual rooms. I flopped back on my bed in frustration and realized it was midnight in Korea.

I'm calling her anyway.

The phone rang a few more times then usual before I could hear her sleepy voice say hello.

"I didn't mean to wake you up, baby" I said quietly into the phone. The frustration and disappointment was building in my stomach. The one thing I hated the most was letting down Stay, and this was the biggest let down of them all.

"What's wrong?" She said instantly sounding more awake.

"I tested positive for covid. They're cancelling the next two shows." I mumbled frustrated that this was how things were going. We hadn't toured in two years and this was a setback that ruined the entire mood of the tour.

"Oh no! Are you ok? Do you feel ok?" She sounded upset, worried. That wasn't how I wanted to make her feel.

"I'm fine. I feel fine. I'm just frustrated." I said as I started to cry. "Stay are going to be so disappointed. I let them down."

"No. Felix. You didn't do anything wrong! Don't think like that" She said in a soothing voice.

"I wish you were here. I'm going to go crazy sitting in this stupid room for the next five days alone." I said as I wiped the tears off my face. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Lix."

"I do have some good news, I was going to wait longer to tell you, but I know it'll cheer me up to tell you..." I said, my mood suddenly changing.

"What's that?" She asked, I could hear her perk up a little.

"I got permission for you to come to the Anaheim shows at the end of the month...annnnd you get to fly back with us when we leave."

"FELIX!" She squealed excitedly, I could hear her doing a happy dance through the phone and I laughed. The image of her in her pajamas dancing around her bedroom was exactly what I needed to feel better about being sick.

"The staff is going to send you all of the flight info, and all the transportation info too. I get to see you in three weeks, Li!"

She squealed in excitement again "I don't think I can go back to sleep now! I only have 3 weeks to pack!"

"Well, then I should let you go back to sleep, baby. I just needed to talk to you." I said knowing how late it was and how early she had to get up. I could have talked to her for a few more hours, but she needed her sleep.

"I love you" I could hear the smile in her voice.

"I love you too, Li. I'll see you soon." I said hanging up.

3 more weeks and she'd be here with me.

***
3 weeks later I was pacing in my hotel room waiting for her to knock on my door. I hadn't slept much last night because I was so excited to see her. I hadn't seen her since April and now being fifteen minutes away from seeing her again had me on edge. The things that Chan had said on the plane that day kept running through my brain putting it into overdrive. I was scared. I was scared of how quickly I'd fallen for her, scared of how I felt, and most of all, scared that I'd lose her and never be the same. Just as I started to get lost in my own thoughts there was a knock on my door. I instantly spun on my heel and ran to the door swinging it wide open.

"You're here!" I said excitedly pulling her in the room and wrapping my arms around her.

"I'm here." She whispered into my ear, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. This was where she was supposed to be, right here with me, in my arms. I pulled my head away from her slightly and put both my hands on her cheeks and pulled her face towards me and kissed her. It had to have been the best kiss of my life. Her lips were warm and soft, and it sent shivers down my spine in the best way possible. She wrapped her arms around my neck and as I picked her up she wrapped her legs around my waist. I walked her towards the bed. I wasn't waiting any longer, I'd already waited four months.

As soon as things started getting heated there was a knock at the door. "Go away!" I yelled knowing it had to have been one of my group members. After a moment, they knocked again.

"Let us in, Felix! We wanna say hi too!" Jeongin yelled through the door. I sighed loudly and stood up, pulling her up with me.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled in frustration as she laughed at me.

"It's ok, we have plenty of time." She giggled kissing me one last time before walking to the door and letting all seven of them into my room.

"We missed you, Lina!" Jeongin said as he hugged her. She went down the line of them and hugged and said hello to everyone.

"Felix here was no fun to be around these last few weeks." Hyunjin said sitting at the table in my room and put his feet up onto it.

"Hey! I have to eat at that table you know." I said swatting his feet off. He waved me off and put his feet back up rolling his eyes at me.

"We're heading over to the venue in like 30 minutes, Felix. So grab your girl and your stuff." Chan said as he swatted Hyunjin's feet off of my table for the second time.

"Got it" I said giving him a thumbs up.

"I'm hungry." Changbin said crossing his arms.

"You're always hungry" I said laughing as they all slowly filed out of my room. "I'll see you guys downstairs." as I shut the door and leaned back against it. Lina walked over to me and pulled me towards her.

"I'm glad I'm here." She said kissing me one last time before we grabbed our stuff and headed out for another show, though what Chan had said was even louder in my brain then before.