Attent¡on

⫷13⫸

His throat tightens, memories flooding back like a tidal wave. "You kept all this?" he asks in a trembling voice.

'Who are you? A spellcaster?'

Hyunjin shrugs, though his eyes betray the weight of his emotions. "Of course I did. High school was where it all started, wasn't it? You… you were the first person who really saw me. I mean, not just my face, but me."

Felix' chest feels too small to contain his swelling heart. He remembers those years vividly, how Hyunjin had been shy at first, hiding behind his sketches and avoiding eye-contact. It had taken weeks of the shorter's relentless friendliness to coax him out of his shell, but when Hyunjin finally giggled at one of his bad jokes, Felix had known he was done for.

"I saw you because you're impossible to ignore, baby," the Aussie says, his voice dripping with sincerity. "You shine too brightly."

Hyunjin blinks at him, his plush lips parting slightly in surprise. "You're not allowed to make me cry this soon," he mumbles, looking away.

Felix chuckles, turning another page to spare his boyfriend any more embarrassment. This one is filled with more doodles, little cartoon versions of them doing mundane things like eating lunch under the bleachers, walking home in the rain with one umbrella between them, Felix sneaking glances at the taller during dance class.

One sketch catches his most attention: it's of the time Hyunjin had painted a mural for their school's spring festival. The memory hits Felix like a truck; the way the artist had looked under the sunlight, paint stains on his cheek, his smile prettier than the mural itself. The Aussie had been hopelessly in love even then, though it wasn't the best time to confess.

"You remember the mural?" Felix asks.

The questioned one nods, a small smile playing on his lips. "You were there the whole time, supporting and encouraging me. I think that's when I realised… I wanted you to stay in my life for a longer time."

Felix exhales shakily, closing the scrapbook for a moment and pulling his lover into his arms. "Jinnie, you're going to kill me with how amazing you are. This all is… I don't have words.”

Hyunjin leans closer, his head resting lightly on the shorter's shoulder. "That's a first," he teases. "You're usually full of them."

Felix lets out a watery laugh, tilting his head to press a kiss to his boyfriend's temple. "Shut up. I'm trying not to cry."

The taller lifts his head, his eyes wide. "Wait, really? Is it that good?" He sounds genuinely surprised, like he can't fathom how much this would mean to Felix.

The Aussie sets the scrapbook further aside on the nightstand for a while so as to pay his full attention to this dumb artist.

"Good? Baby, you made a whole book about us. About me. You put all your talent and love into it, and you don't even realise how amazing that is, do you?"

Hyunjin blinks, a little caught off guard, much to Felix' surprise. "I just… wanted to show you how much you mean to me," he murmurs in a small voice. "I'm not always good with words, but with art, I feel like I can say everything I can't say out loud."

The other pulls back just enough to cup Hyunjin's face, his thumbs brushing against the soft skin. "You don't have to say it, darling. I see it in everything you do. But this… scrapbook? It's the most beautiful thing anyone's ever given me. You're the most beautiful thing I have the privilege to call as mine."

Hyunjin's eyes glisten, his voice quivering as he tries to reply. "Lix—"

"I'm not done, sweetheart," Felix interrupts, pressing a finger on his boyfriend's lips. "I need you to know that you've been the best part of my life since the moment we met. And you've only made it better, every single day."

The taller lets out a shaky laugh, his blush deepening as he looks down shyly. "You're being cheesy."

"You started it," Felix retorts, leaning in until their foreheads touch. "And for the record, you're my muse too. Everything about you inspires me. The way you laugh, the way you tilt your head when you can't process anything, the way you pour your whole heart into everything you do."

Hyunjin peeks up at him as his lips curve into a timid smile. "I don't deserve you."

'Same here.'

Overwhelmed, Felix pulls the other in for a kiss, slow and deep, channeling every ounce of his love and gratitude into the moment. When they pull apart, Hyunjin's cheeks are as red as the Aussie's heart feels full.

Admiring the adorable sight, he presses his forehead against Hyunjin's again and whispers, "You deserve the world, baby."

Hyunjin's grin widens, lighting up his face as he snuggles into Felix' chest. "So… do you forgive me for tonight?"

The Aussie laughs, his hand threading through the other's hair. "There was nothing to forgive, love. But after this? You could ruin a hundred dates, and I'd still be completely head over heels for you."

"You're such a sap!" Hyunjin grumbles dramatically, lightly nudging Felix' chest before burying his face into his boyfriend's shoulder. His reddened cheeks betray him, though, as he stubbornly avoids eye contact, pretending the teasing didn't affect him at all.

Felix can't help but grin. The taller's antics are as endearing as ever, his flustered energy practically glowing off him.

They stay like that for a while, tangled up in each other, the scrapbook now lying forgotten on the nightstand. Not that it matters, because Felix knows he'll look at the art pieces a hundred times more, just like he'll look at the artist for the rest of his life.

It's a humbling thought, really, that someone as extraordinary as Hyunjin is his to hold, to laugh with, to love. With every moment they share, every smile and blush and teasing shove, Felix feels the depth of his affection for Hyunjin deepen.