anticipation - stray kids

moonstruck

(adj.) unable to think or act normally, specifically because of being in love

anything - adrianne lenker

"wanna listen to the sound of you blinking,

wanna listen to your hands soothe"

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

minho stepped through the door of his home, the soft click of the latch barely audible in the quiet night. his ears twitched, alert as always, though the familiar warmth of home immediately eased any tension in his muscles. the soft scent of lavender and vanilla filled the air—a fragrance felix often chose to burn in their living room. his brother's attention to detail never failed to make their family's home feel cozy.

felix was curled up on the couch, ginger hair falling messily over his forehead, his cat ears twitching slightly as he glanced up from his book. his tail swayed lazily behind him, a telltale sign that he was content but curious.

"you're home," felix greeted with a gentle smile, his australian accent curling warmly around the words. he stretched out, his limbs loose and relaxed. "how was the ice rink?"

minho slipped off his jacket, hanging it by the door, and padded over to the couch, plopping down next to felix with a sigh. he ruffled felix's ginger hair, earning an amused huff as his brother swatted him away.

"it was good," minho started, his voice light, but his mind already drifting to the events of the evening, "hyunjin was struggling like usual, poor thing couldn't stay on his feet for more than a few seconds. jisung was trying to teach him, but... well, you can imagine how that went."

felix chuckled softly, eyes sparkling. "those two are a mess, but at least they're cute about it."

minho hummed in agreement, but his thoughts shifted, his tone softening as he leaned back against the cushions. his own tail flicked in the air behind him as his lips curved into a small, wistful smile. "and chan was there too."

felix's ears perked up slightly at the change in minho's voice, his head tilting as he waited for his brother to continue. minho's voice always got like this when he talked about chan—sweet, affectionate, as if every word he spoke about him tasted like honey. "I know."

"chan was just..." minho's eyes glazed over for a moment, his expression fond and his voice growing almost dreamlike. "he's... he's just so lovely. y'know, he's always got this gentle look in his eyes, like he's thinking about everyone else before himself. and when he smiles, it's so... warm. like, it makes you feel like you're the only person in the room."

felix's lips twitched upward, his own tail flicking in amusement. he'd heard this many times before, but there was something sweet about the way minho spoke of chan. it was in the way his brother's eyes lit up, the way his voice softened.

"and don't even get me started on his laugh," minho continued, eyes wide, as if he was sharing a secret. "it's like... like music, you know? he could laugh at anything, and it would sound beautiful. like tonight, hyunjin fell again, and chan just laughed, but it wasn't mean or anything. it was just—"

"sweet?" felix offered, his grin widening as minho caught himself, ears twitching in mild embarrassment.

"yeah," minho mumbled, cheeks warming slightly, his hand running through his own black hair, brushing against his dark ears as they flattened a little. "sweet."

felix couldn't help but tease. "you've got it bad, huh?"

minho let out a small, frustrated groan, burying his face in his hands for a moment. 

"it's ridiculous," he muttered through his fingers, though the smile still tugged at his lips.

felix patted his brother's shoulder, his own smile softening. "it's not ridiculous," he said quietly, "it's nice to see you like this. chan makes you happy, doesn't he?"

minho peeked out from between his fingers, his eyes shining with something quiet and vulnerable. "yeah," he whispered, his voice barely above a breath. "he really does."

felix's tail curled around the couch cushion as he settled back down, content with the knowledge that minho had someone who brought that kind of light into his life. even if it was through small moments, it was clear that chan had become someone incredibly important to minho. and felix, more than anything, wanted that happiness for him.

just as minho was about to sink deeper into the cushions and let the conversation drift away from his chan-induced haze, the front door burst open with a loud clatter, startling both brothers. felix's ears twitched at the sudden noise, and minho's tail flicked in agitation.

their parents stepped into the apartment, voices carrying with a playful exuberance that filled the space.

"minho!" their mother called out cheerfully, her tone teasing from the get-go. "how was your date?"

minho's entire body went rigid, his dark ears standing straight up as his face flushed a deep shade of red. "it—what?!" he sputtered, looking at felix with wide, horrified eyes as if his brother had somehow betrayed him.

felix, suppressing his laughter, held up his hands in surrender. "don't look at me, i didn't say anything!"

their dad stepped in behind their mother, a wide grin spreading across his face as he joined in on the teasing. "come on, minho, you've been talking about chan for months. you can't tell me it wasn't a date at this point."

minho let out an exaggerated groan, his face now fully hidden behind his hands. "it wasn't a date!" he insisted, voice muffled by his palms. "we just went ice skating with some friends, that's it!"

their mother laughed, making her way over to ruffle minho's hair despite his protests. "oh, sweetheart, you're blushing! i think it was a date."

"stop," minho grumbled, pulling away, but his embarrassment only deepened as his ears flattened against his head. his tail flicked anxiously behind him, betraying his discomfort. "it wasn't a date," he repeated, more to himself than anyone else.

felix, fully enjoying the situation now, leaned back into the couch and smirked. "maybe next time it'll be an official date, huh?"

minho shot his brother a glare that would have been intimidating if his cheeks weren't still tinged pink. "you are not helping."

their parents exchanged amused glances, clearly pleased with themselves as they made their way further into the house, leaving minho to his flustered state.

as the door closed behind them, felix nudged minho lightly with his shoulder. "you know they're not going to let this go, right?"

minho groaned again, throwing his head back dramatically. "i know," he muttered, still mortified. but despite his embarrassment, there was a small, almost shy smile tugging at the corner of his lips, the thought of chan clearly lingering in his mind.

felix caught it, and despite his teasing, he felt a warm sense of pride for his brother. "you'll survive. besides," he added with a grin, "at least you've got someone worth all the teasing."

minho huffed, but his eyes softened at felix's words. "yeah, i guess so."

- hyunwaffles