Pandora's Box

Chapter 27

He gave a half-hearted laugh, shaking his head. "No. I wouldn't ever do anything like that with him. But-"

"But...?" Hyunjin jumped on the end of his sentence, eyes blazing with enthusiasm. Changbin sighed. "Nothing. It's stupid."

The other's head would probably fall off from so much shaking. "It's not. It's definitely not. Tell me."

"If I was going to do anything with him, it wouldn't be that shallow. No offense," he added, Hyunjin shaking his head with a laugh. "None taken. Continue."

"I don't know. I can imagine, like, something official? But I'm not really sure." Hyunjin was silent for a concerning amount of time, and Changbin shifted uncomfortably at his unrelenting stare. "Why do you ask?"

The other smiled suddenly. "Oh, no reason. Is there anything I can do to make you more sure?"

Changbin hesitated, but something occurred to him. "Could you...give us time? I don't think Felix would talk to me alone unless you told him to."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Yeah, he's a stubborn fuck. You two are annoyingly similar in your fear of living life." He finally met Changbin's eyes with another smile. "So, yes, I'll try to work something out."

Hyunjin's cabin, post-snake-bite

Fifty six.

Changbin was able to count fifty six freckles on Felix's face, before he noticed how uncomfortable the other had become with his staring. He shook himself alive and smiled, but Felix still looked distressed.

It wasn't exactly surprising. Chaos followed Changbin wherever he went. He could make anything, or anyone unfold into madness if necessary. But often, their suffering was unintentional.

He tried to, intentionally, make it stop. If there was anyone who didn't deserve his emotional bloodshed...

He internally marveled, once again, at never having noticed his own feelings.

"What's wrong?"

He watched the other startle at him, having noticed the emotion. He was slightly bitter about the genuine surprise Felix now sported...did the other really think he was that unobservant?

"I just hope Taehyun's okay. And Beomgyu, of course."

Something flared in Changbin's own emotions as he said it. The light of his heart, that golden fucking heart with more warmth than anyone on the planet, never went out. Even in his own turmoil. Changbin was coming to realize that Felix's would never lose its impact on him, that it was truly a miracle he hadn't noticed the meaning of that sooner.

"Can I ask you something?" He surprised them both with his directness, but Felix nodded eventually. "You and Hyunjin...you've been close for some time now."

Felix swallowed hard. "Yeah, he's my favorite person in the whole world." Changbin tried to hide his foolish grin, at the two having said the same words.

"Are you upset with me, then?" He wasn't aloof enough not to figure out that Felix likely knew about what happened during the party.

It was only confirmed when the boy dimmed just slightly. "Upset with you? Why?" His whispered words were see-through for both of them, as well as his nervous habit of shaking his legs. Changbin tried to ease these nerves.

"I had no idea you had feelings for Hyunjin. I never would've-"

Laughter. Bright, bubbling, glittering laughter.

He stared at Felix, who quieted soon after. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. You were serious?" Changbin gave him an embarrassed nod. Felix laughed again, though the tone was far more entertained than menacing. "I don't have feelings for Hyunjin. I promise."