Stars Under Spotlights (ChanLix)

3. Felix's Dilemma

Sorry about my chapters growing extremely short, I really wish I had the ability to make longer chapters but sometimes I have to cut them short because something comes up or it's late, however, I will try my best to regain the style that this book is loved for and make longer chapters, because I feel like quality has dropped as well as quantity. I should update more often and to a better standard, and I will try my best to do so, thank you for understanding and being patient. -9RACHA

Prepossessing sparks kindled from sooty coal chunks, causing saccades from Felix's glossy eyes. The flickers of fire were sharp, each violent move they made creating a click, though the occasional fragment would appear as a blur whenever his eyes welled up, as if the tears begging to fall were a shield to protect them from the snapping blaze. Though violent by nature, the fire acted as a comforter, warming Felix's skin so thoroughly that the stream of heat almost reached his heart, yet the remainders of hatred within it kept it ice cold, blocking the path to any wholesome feeling. No artificial light had been flicked on, so the golden glow of the glistening blaze was the only source illuminating the tanned skin of the two boys. While the room and the steady fire itself was comfortable, the surrounding silence was not. Just across from the leather sofa they were perched on was a window which resembled the mood in a more accurate procedure. Condensation was creeping around its edges, surrounding it with a damp wall that no heat could pass through; It hid subtly behind the blinds as if it was scared to show its defeat. Something with a purpose of bringing light was cowering away in darkness, it was fearful.
Felix's eyes, which had now dragged themselves away from said window, only to become fixated on a vase of lilies, made the lugubrious boy appear to bereft confidence, or willingness, to speak to Chan, his brain preferring to ignore the situation in the present and gloze for it later. However, he was broken away from his thoughts when Chan's voice acted as a velleity, his dialogue resembling a soliloquy as Felix's ears refused to pick up his words. It was only when a warm hand positioned itself upon Felix's shoulder, sending his heart into an arrhythmia, did the boy's attention finally lie in Chan's ownership. Something about the touch decimated the anger within him, enclosing him in an embrace of comfort. The sound he previously blocked out was now a mellifluous harmony swaying through his ears, and it was at this present moment when the scintilla of love he'd buried so deep flourished once more.
And hesitantly, Felix felt safe.

Reluctantly, Chan heaved his body off the couch to retrieve something lying across from them, which Felix only recognised as a first aid kit once the taller man had returned. "I'm okay, really, you don't need to bother with that." Felix paltered, his voice grainy and worn out.
"Felix, the last wound to stop bleeding only stopped five minutes ago, and that's assuming that there isn't another I can't see, so please let me treat them, even if you won't tell me what's happened. It's my duty as both your boss and as someone who loves you to ensure your safety, besides, you said you have nowhere to go, so isn't staying with me a better option than the streets?"
"I could stay with Changbin."
"But why go to the lengths of asking someone who may not take you in when I'm here offering you a place? I have a spare room so we don't even have to share a bed. I don't want to harm you and I only want the best for you, so I don't see why you're still so on edge with me."
"I'm scared of getting hurt Chan."

Time passed steadily as Felix's wounds were treated, yet the boy remained silent about the cause of the situation, persistent about keeping quiet, although he knew he'd have to talk eventually. In the meantime however, Felix found comfort in snuggling down into the soft blanket wrapped around his arms and torso, engulfing his weak body in gentle warmth. "Felix?" Chan's euphonious voice sounded like the ringing of a small bell in Felix's ear. "Could you please explain what happened? I understand if you're hesitant to but with the severity of your injuries, it's a crime. You need to inform someone, if not me, about the situation."
"I'll tell you, but I'm reluctant to do so."