The Marriage Pact // Changlix

七

probably no one cares but can i just say that i love writing. i could spend the entire day just thinking of fictional stories and spilling them all out here. there are days where im so tired of writing and thinking cause i have zero creativity or motivation, but days like these i go wow writing is beautiful and its amazing how you can affect readers just by words. once i read a few books so good i cried and couldn't stop thinking about them. the ships i read about seemed so real that i thought they actually did happen. and honestly i aspire to be that kind of writer who leaves such a strong impact on their readers.

一

The doorman gave them a slight judgmental look when he saw their drenched selves but opened the glass door let them in anyway.

Felix gave him a small smile and bowed slightly as he closed the umbrella, shoving it in the plastic bag they provided for guests to keep their wet umbrellas so as to not wet the glossy hotel floors.

The ride in the elevator was extremely awkward and Felix didn't know what to do with his hands or feet or where to look at. Should he say something to ease the tension or just stay silent? Thank god the lift door opened before he could say or do anything stupid.

Changbin hurried to open the hotel room door and left it open behind him. Felix took it as an invitation to enter.

Cautiously, as if entering a lion's den, Felix scanned his surroundings and saw two separate twin sized beds and items of clothing strewn here and there. The curtains were flung open to reveal a not so picturesque view but it wasn't all that bad. They were in the city, what else was there to expect other than skyscrapers and buildings.

He breathed a small sigh of relief upon seeing the two seperate beds. He somewhat felt glad that Changbin and Hyunjin weren't sharing one bed. Felix hated himself for feeling this way. Why could he never get over Changbin?

Before he could utter a single word, Changbin slunk past him with dry clothes in his arm and closed the bathroom door shut.

Felix let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and sat on the edge of the bed nearest to the door. He hoped it wasn't Changbin's as for some reason, he felt like he just shouldn't sit on his ex's bed.

The sound of water splashing against the bathroom tiles could be heard as Felix fiddled with his fingers. He took out his phone to try calling Jisung or Seungmin but his phone couldn't be turned on. Maybe the rain water had entered his phone, spoiling it. Or it had died of low battery.

It then dawned on him that he couldn't even return to his hotel room as Jisung and Seungmin didn't give him the hotel room key, believing that he would lose it. They only had 2 keys and Felix was known to be careless and forgetful.

Felix ran his fingers through his hair, feeling a mixture of helplessness and annoyance. Would Changbin even let him stay in his room? When would Hyunjin come back? Felix was super anxious and fidgety, constantly tapping his feet and rubbing his fingers together, silently awaiting what was to come next.

Should he leave before Changbin came out of the bathroom? Where would he even go? He could go walk around somewhere but he was too exhausted and cold from the weather. All these questions and possibilities swarmed his mind.

Meanwhile, Changbin was taking his own sweet time in the bathroom. He could usually shower in 5 minutes flat but he didn't want to have to interact with his ex and feel the awkwardness all over again. Meeting was already bad enough. Sharing an umbrella was terrible. A few seconds in the elevator together was practically nerve wrecking. But being in the same room alone for an unknown period of time? God no.

The water was on the hottest level. Changbin's skin was burning in contrast to the stark cold he experienced earlier on but all he felt was numb.

All he could focus on was what was he to do now?

After washing his hair twice and his body three times, he turned off the shower and stepped out, getting greeted by the cold bathroom atmosphere. He almost wanted to go back into the shower once more until his fingers and toes became so wrinkly, he would get mistaken for a 100 year old man.

In fact, he didn't even know if Felix would still be outside. He could've left already right? Why would the younger stay?

Drying himself off, he put on some warm comfortable attire and stepped out of the bathroom.

Felix was still there. Looking down at the carpeted floor like as if the patterns were the most interesting thing in the universe.

"Do you want to shower too? You got pretty wet." Changbin cleared his throat, causing Felix's head to shoot up in the process and jump off the bed like as if it suddenly caught on fire.

"N-no, it's fine. I don't have spare clothes to change into anyway. And I'm not that wet. I'll live. Also the reason why I haven't left yet is cause I don't have my room key and my phone died..." Felix started rambling on and Changbin rolled his eyes, rummaging through his clean clothes before throwing a grey hoodie and some sweatpants at the younger.

"Just go and take a shower to warm yourself up. I can see you shivering slightly, don't get sick." Changbin said the last sentence in a whisper and Felix barely caught it.

Blushing, he quickly headed to the bathroom, clutching the clothes Changbin lent him before the older changed his mind.

After his shower, he gently put on Changbin's clothes like as if they were expensive wine glasses. They smelled like him. Even after all these years, Changbin still smelled the same. Felix smiled faintly, sadly reminiscing about his ex.

Changbin took a double take when he saw Felix walk out in his clothes, hair wet and mussed up, and his freckled cheeks were tinted red from the hot shower.

His heart panged, as his mind brought him back to the time they were still together and shared each others clothes. They would cuddle and hold each other tight, the scent of the other etched in their memories.

He low-key regretted lending Felix his clothes as they would come back smelling like him and Changbin knew it would hurt him too much. But instead he gave a tired smile and lay down on the bed, petting the area beside him to let Felix know it was alright for him to lie down too.

Felix cautiously sat down first, then he extended his legs and lay down almost awkwardly. There was another bed yet he didn't know why Changbin let him lie beside him. Maybe Hyunjin didn't like people to lie on his bed? Felix didn't question as he was scared to ruin the moment.

He kept breathing slowly, scared that any movement would trigger Changbin to realise he didn't want this and push him off. But Changbin silently helped cover Felix in the soft duvet and turned his back so he was facing Felix.

Silence lapsed around them and you could almost hear a pin drop. The two were waging war in their heads. Felix wanted to kiss Changbin. But he also wanted to stop this in case Changbin turned away and broke his heart. Changbin wanted to kiss Felix. But he knew by doing so, it would be harder for them to part ways.

So they just lay there, gazing at each other till seconds became minutes. But time didn't matter to them at that moment. All they cared about was each other and each other only.

Felix was admiring Changbin's nose, knowing that he was insecure about it but Felix always used to love kissing cause he thought he was beautiful, the way his lips curved, his eyes that looked innocent and soft yet held so much fierceness and charisma. He noticed Changbin's dark eye bags that looked like it carried enormous burdens. What was it that was keeping him up at night?

Changbin was gazing at Felix's double eyelids that accentuated his facial features, his cute little nose, his long eyelashes that he used to flutter against his cheekbones when they kissed, his freckles that dotted his face like constellations, and those perfect lips that was constantly on his mind. What would happen if he placed his own right there right now?

Neiher boys knew that they both wanted the same thing thus they turned away and looked up at the ceiling.

"I wish he kissed me," Felix thought.

"I wish I kissed him," Changbin regretted.

一

this is my favourite chapter ive written so far hahaha i think its cause i just finished reading milk and honey so im feeling extra emotional and poetic; esp after woojin exposed changbin in ep10 by saying changbin only likes felix, and changbin exposed clingy felix for asking for more kisses gOD I LOVE THIS POWER COUPLE :')