VENOM 🕷 CHANGLIX

5

Changbin was thankful for headphones. They made the cafe quieter which made his head easier to think through. They drowned out everyone around him, allowing him to study and get work done. They were especially helpful when Felix's shifts happened. He could block him out and work without catching his eyes from across the room. Only until three, though, because then Felix's shift was over and he was plopped in front of Changbin.

He didn't say anything much to Changbin's surprise. The student was grateful. He would be able to continue his studies unbothered. Well, he probably could have if it were anybody but Felix. But it wasn't. So Changbin's eyes lifted from the pages every now and again to catch the image of Felix. He was wearing a white knit sweater with his hands sucked into the sleeves. He looked comfortable.

He must have felt that way, too, because, like a curious kitten, he was examining the cafe and the people around him. He had a lollipop stuck into his mouth like always but unlike how he usually ate it—with the flirtatious plucking from his mouth and whatever the hell his tongue did—he was just letting it rest between his lips.

With wide innocent eyes, Felix turned his head back to Changbin, head tilting when he noticed he was looking back. Changbin sighed quietly and pulled out his earbuds. "You are distracting," he informed right away.

Felix's face lit up with a cute smile. One that Changbin wanted to, shamefully and aggressively rip off his face. It wasn't good for him. It made his heart feel something way too strong. Strong to the point it was dangerous. "That's a good thing. I guess I'm sorry, though. Do you have a test comeing up?" Felix asked, leaning forward to peek at the contents of Changbin's textbooks.

Curious cat, Changbin thought. "No. I have an essay due."

Felix hummed out in exaggeration. "You didn't text me," he said, taking his lollipop from his mouth.

Changbin pulled his phone out of his pocket. True enough, a text from Felix from two days prior was sitting unread in his messenger. "I don't pick up my phone a lot. I didn't even know you put your number in my phone. Sorry."

Felix flattened his lips into a thin line, an unamused look spreading across his face. "Start picking it up. I thought you hated me. I was trying to plan our date."

"I never agreed to that," Changbin reminded as he closed his books.

"You also never said no. Which means its a yes," Felix replied, a cheeky grin taking over his face. He really switched up quickly. Changbin was going to tell him that if someone said yes then it was confirmed, otherwise it was just left dead in the air. However, Felix looked happy, so he dropped the thought.

"Text me when you want go," he replied.

"You are a sucker."

Yeah, he was. He started stacking his books so there was more room on the table. He didn't feel like leaving yet. "Why are you always eating candy? Your teeth must be rotting," Changbin mumbled, eyes moving to Felix's lollipop.

Felix widened his smile and showed off his perfectly white teeth. Changbin hummed at the presentation, knowing he'd been corrected and that Felix was perfect even when it came down to his teeth. "I just like sweet things. I can't take bitter stuff. I hate coffee and beer. I'm more into fruity stuff."

"That's funny," said Changbin. Felix rose his brows as if to persuade Changbin into elborating. "You are fruity. You like fruity things. Maybe if you changed your intake you'd be a whole other person."

"I don't think my sexuality is decided by a carrot."

Changbin rubbed his hand down his face. "That's a vegetable."