Stray Kids Oneshots

Between Us

~ Hyunchan
~ angst (fluff in the end)
~ request by hyvnchn_24
~ summary : chan and hyunjin love each other but hyunjin thinks chan likes another member.
~ warnings : dont know if this is a warning but hyunjin has bad (??) thoughts
~  1003 words
~ authors note : i love hyunchan <3 i didnt mean to make hyunjin sound obsessed but cut him some slack, poor bby is going through some stuff here T-T

———

Hyunjin is upset. Angry even.

He's had this crush on Chan for two years — since NoEasy — and it's been hard.

Don't get him wrong; he loves the others so much, but seeing them around Chan hurts. Call him obsessed if you want because he knows he is.

Maybe during a break in practice would be a good time to tell Chan about his feelings. Yeah, that's a great idea.

———

Asking in practice was NOT a good idea.

There was never a time when Chan was alone. That's the issue of being in such a close knit group, but it felt... different.

Hyunjin tried to find the right moment to approach Chan, but the leader was always surrounded by the other members. It seemed like there was never a moment alone for a private conversation. Hyunjin's frustration grew, and he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that Chan was intentionally avoiding him. 

But how could he think that? Chan isn't his. There are six other people in this group how could he expect Chan to just be around him?

 ———

Everything went horribly wrong when Hyunjin got home late after extra dance practice. He expected someone to be waiting for him but what he didn't expect was to see Chan AND Felix waiting. He doesn't even know if they are waiting for him.

Felix was curled up in Chan's lap, the elder's head on top. Both were awake and neither noticed Hyunjin. Suddenly, their faces were close together and

Oh no.

Did they just... kiss?

Hyunjin felt like he couldn't breathe. Like the air inside his lungs got knocked out. Before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face.  

———

Hyunjin made it to his room without anyone noticing, or so he thought. He closed the door, not without locking it of course, and sat down on his bed with his knees drawn to his chest. He dug his head into his knees so he could process what the fuck just happened. The image of Chan and Felix together played over and over in his mind, haunting him.

He couldn't understand why it hurt so much. After all, Chan was never his to begin with, and he had no right to be upset. Yet, the pain cut deep, and the realization that Chan might have feelings for someone else left Hyunjin shattered.

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. 

"Hyunjin?" It was Changbin. "Are you okay? We saw you ran past my room. Did something happen?" His usual deep voice came out softly.

We? 

Hyunjin shook his head before remembering that Changbin couldn't see him. He slightly cleared his throat so it didn't sound as if he was just crying his eyes out. "Yeah 'm fine. Just- tired?"

He didn't even know if he sounded convincing enough, but either way, Changbin dropped it. 

"Okay. If you want company, just come join me and Hannie."

And with that, Changbin left.

Hyunjin returned to his original position and thoughts started running through his head. They were LOUD.

You're being annoying

Chan hates you

You're ruining everything

Everything between the members

Chan should have never let you join.

 ———

The next few days were a blur. Hyunjin distanced himself from Chan, avoiding eye contact and keeping conversations short. Hyunjin tried his best to not take his problems out on anyone else, but that was getting hard. Chan, oblivious to Hyunjin's internal turmoil, tried to reach out, but his attempts were met with coldness.

One evening, after a tense practice session, Chan cornered Hyunjin in the hallway outside their dorm rooms. "Hyunjin, we need to talk," Chan said, concern etched across his face.

Hyunjin looked away, his heart pounding in his chest. "There's nothing to talk about."

Chan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Hyunjin, something's bothering you, and I can't stand seeing you like this. You can tell me."

Hyunjin's shoulders tensed, and he turned away, avoiding Chan's gaze. "It's nothing, really."

"Hyunjin."

"Okay fine! I saw you with Felix the other night!" Hyunjin's eyes widened, he didn't mean to yell. Chan's face softened which made Hyunjin feel a little better.

"Oh, Hyunjin, that wasn't what you think. Felix was just going through a tough time, and I was trying to comfort him. Nothing more."

Hyunjin scoffed, bitterness lacing his words. "Comfort? It looked like more than that."

Chan took a step closer. "I'm serious, I was only comforting him. You can ask him what happened if you want but it's not my place to tell. Please trust me."

Once again, tears filled Hyunjin's eyes.

"Hyunjin. There's more to this than just me and Felix, isn't there?"

The younger nodded, not wanting to trust his voice. Instead, Chan grabbed his hand and dragged him into Chan's room. He sat down, patting the spot next to him for Hyunjin to sit. 

"Tell me what's going on."

Hyunjin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I just- i've liked you for so long and seeing you with everyone else hurt me. And-and seeing you with Felix the other night hurt even more and broke me." He said tearfully.  

Chan's eyes softened, realizing the weight of Hyunjin's words. He reached out, gently wiping away a tear from Hyunjin's cheek. "I like you too, Hyunjin. I've liked you for a while, but I never knew if you felt the same way. I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

Time stopped for Hyunjin. Was he hearing this right? Chan liked him back?

"Really?"

Chan nodded, "Yes. I was afraid you didn't see me that way, and I didn't want to complicate things. But now that we've cleared the air, maybe we can figure this out together?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Hyunjin's lips. "Yeah, I'd like that."

Chan chuckled, "Good. No more misunderstandings, okay? We'll take it one step at a time."

Hyunjin felt all the weight lift off his shoulders and he could finally relax. No longer did he have to avoid Chan. Chan was now his.