Attent¡on

⫷12⫸

Felix watches the other with a combination of curiosity and helpless adoration as his boyfriend flits around the room like a storm contained in a person.

Hyunjin is a symphony of movements, with delicate hands tugging at a stack of boxes in the closet, his pout deepening with every second he doesn't find what he's looking for. The oversized sweater that he had grabbed on the way, slips off one shoulder, revealing the curve of his collarbone. He's so beautiful, in that heart-stopping, soul-shaking way that should be illegal.

'Someone so stunning should come with a warning label.'

"Baby," he calls out, biting back a smile. "You know you don't have to do anything to make up for tonight, right? I'm not mad."

The "baby" spins around, holding a thick book in his hands protectively as though it's a sacred souvenir. His flushed cheeks and wide eyes make Felix' breath catch in his throat.

"No," Hyunjin declares, his voice trembling with determination. "You've done so much for me today. You deserve something special too, Lixie. Something perfect. Because I… well, because you're you."

If Felix wasn't grinning like a fool before, now he's sure he is melting on the spot. "I'm not following, but you're being dramatic again, love."

"Dramatic?" Hyunjin gasps, pressing the book to his chest like the shorter just insulted his entire existence. "Excuse me, but this is art, Lix. You don't get to call art dramatic."

Felix chuckles at his cute antics, leaning on his elbows. "Alright, alright. Show me your "art." Blow me away, oh great one."

The taller hesitates for a second before nodding. "Okay, here," he whispers, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "But first, a disclaimer: If this doesn't make you fall in love with me all over again, I will probably cry."

Felix shakes his head in amusement, "No pressures, huh?"

He doesn't know what to expect when Hyunjin drops the thick scrapbook into his lap next. The corners of the cover are slightly frayed, the edges worn smooth as if it's been touched a hundred times before, yet somehow it still feels impossibly precious just by one glance at the title: Me and My Sunshine.

"Open it," Hyunjin says, his voice like a whisper but buzzing with nervous energy. He perches besides the Aussie on the bed, sitting at the edge like he might bolt at any second, his knees pulled up to his chest as he tugs on his sweater's sleeves nervously.

'Being this cute is definitely a health hazard.'

Felix swallows, focusing on the book instead of his ridiculously perfect boyfriend. "Alright," he murmurs, flipping open the cover. "Let's see what's got you all jittery."

The first page alone is enough to knock the air out of him. It's a portrait of him, each freckle painstakingly detailed, his eyes so bright and alive on the page that Felix feels like he's looking at a reflection of himself.

He keeps staring, speechless, his chest tightening. He knows Hyunjin is talented. The man can make a splash of paint on a canvas look like a galaxy; but this is different. This isn't just art. It's him. It's the way Hyunjin sees him, and it's overwhelming.

Beneath the sketch, in Hyunjin's elegant, dramatic handwriting, are the words: The reason my world has colour.

"Jinnie," Felix breathes, utterly in awe, his fingers hovering over the page like he's afraid it might disappear if he presses too hard. "You drew this? For me?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, who else would inspire me like this? You're… Lixie, you're everything." The other says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, like he is the sun and Hyunjin's orbit is inevitable.

Felix is gone. Completely, utterly gone. He fights the urge to pull Hyunjin into his arms and kiss him senseless because he needs to see more.

"It's… incredible," the Aussie compliments the artist first, glancing up to meet his lover's lovely eyes. "You're incredible."

Hyunjin's cheeks flush pink, and he waves a hand dismissively. "Keep going. There's more."

And there surely is. Page after page, Felix is pulled into a journey that feels both familiar and brand new. There are sketches of moments he didn't even realise Hyunjin had noticed — him laughing at some dumb joke during a movie night, the way he crinkles his nose when he's concentrating, even the way he holds a coffee mug with both hands because of their small size.

Each drawing is accompanied by little captions, some sweet like: this is what happiness looks like, some teasing: he makes the best burnt toasts, some heart touching like: you are my favourite masterpiece, the centre of my universe, but all undeniably Hyunjin coded.

Then come the high school memories. Felix' heart does a somersault when he turns the page to find a collage of moments from their teenage years.

'He actually saved them‽'

There's a watercolor painting of their old school, the brick walls softened by Hyunjin's brushstrokes. Surrounding it are doodles of their shared memories: Felix handing the taller a band-aid after he clumsily tripped in the foreground; Hyunjin smudging paint on the Aussie's nose during art club; the two of them sneaking into the music room to practice their secret hobby, rapping after hours.

One corner of the page has a polaroid of them at prom. Felix in a sharp black suit, and Hyunjin in a deep burgundy blazer that made him look like he had stepped out of a fairy tale. The photo is besieged by tiny hearts and a caption that reads: The moment I realised I'd never stop looking at him.