SUBURBIA ━ hyunbinlix ✓

十四

Friday, October 11th

Felix woke as his eggshell colored cat licked the tip of his nose. His alarm hadn't rung yet so he had sometime to sleep before he had to face the  six hours of hell.

The clock showed that he had roughly half an hour before he had to rise from his bed. The house had been silent indicating that nobody was awake, so despite the ginger being excruciatingly exhausted, Felix chose to get up early.

He watered the small amount of plants that he kept by his windowsill, and opened the door of his room to feed Riceball. The feline quickly followed behind the ginger, awaiting the daily breakfast he had received.

As he reached to grab the can of cat food, a picture near the microwave caught his eye. It had been a photo of his father and mother at a beach. He hadn't seen the item before, so he figured his mother put it there last night before her son fell asleep. The ginger hadn't seen much of his father since he had passed before Felix had the chance to know him however, he saw a few pictures here and there of him.

Everyone had said that Felix resembled his father, but Felix just couldn't see it looking at photos of him.

Felix didn't even know who he was.

Once he fed his cat, he faced the frame down so that he wouldn't have a chance to look at it and went to get ready for school.

Felix hadn't been  prepared for the thoughts that would follow him on this day. Leaving the kitchen, he made the mental note to visit his father after school.

•••

The english teachers voice bored Felix as he listened to her read Romeo and Juliet. He missed his usual seat buddy, the ginger had assumed he was behind the school where he usually was.

Felix interrupted the teacher by raising his hand, and asked to go to the bathroom. Instead of doing what he had asked, he traveled to where the two boys had skipped class making sure to have his polaroid on him.

He slipped out of the small crack in the door that they had left, and walked to where they sat. The two boys showed a look of shock, confused to why Felix had been there.

"The teacher was boring me," He explained, sitting down across from Hyunjin. "So I thought I would come here."

"Welcome to our abode, amigo," Minho said, taking another hit from the blunt he had previously rolled.

Hyunjin nodded to the camera around his neck, "Did you get rid of the picture?"

"N-Not exactly," Felix stuttered, pulling the polaroid from a small bad he carried at his side.

He handed the picture to Hyunjin, giving the older access to destroy it. The brunette raised a flame to the polaroid and Felix watched as his first memory of Hyunjin began to burn to an ash.

The film charred, the picture slowly turning black as the flame spread across it. Seeing the picture burn had somehow hurt Felix inside. It was a start to their friendship, the only reason they began to talk. Even though Felix had felt this way, Hyunjin found it so easy to rid the world of the picture.

"Skipping class doesn't seem like you," Minho chimed in after the attention had been away from the polaroid.

"I've read the book more times than I can count," Felix replied. "Plus, her voice bores me, I can't stand it."

The elder simply nodded at the gingers words, leaving the three in an awkward silence.

"I'll be back," Hyunjin muttered, moving to stand up.

Once he fully walked away, Minho and Felix had exchanged multiple awkward looks before they began to talk again.

"You two seem close," Felix mentioned. "Dating?"

"No, no," Minho quickly brushed his question away. "Just friends, sadly."

"Sadly?"

Minho nodded, taking one last hit before he put it out on the pavement.

"I've known Hyunjin for a year and i've loved him for half," Minho told Felix. "He just doesn't feel the same."

"Oh..." Felix's voice faded out.

He felt slightly bad for being attracted to the brunette, as if he was taking Hyunjin away from Minho. Even though neither of them had him, Felix couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart when Minho told him.

Minho shrugged, "It's not a big deal, Lee."

"Get back to class before Mrs.Yoon kills you," Minho added.

Felix bid the elder a goodbye before heading to class, leaving before he could say anything to Hyunjin. The elder seemed distant when Felix arrived, almost emotionless.

His life is perfect, Felix thought. What could possibly be wrong.

He had just hoped the brunette hadn't been losing interest in Felix, for he would eventually forget about him and move on with his life as if the australian had never been in it.

To be forgotten was Felix's worst fear, as his father never got the chance to remember.

•••

Felix slowly lowered himself to the ground in front of his fathers gravestone. It had been carved in a cursive font, accented with small tiger lilies on the sides of his name.

In his hands he held the same flowers, placing them on the ground in front of the stone.

"I'm sorry mom never visits anymore," He spoke. "I don't think she could handle it, anytime Liv or I mention you she begins to cry."

A slight wind blew in his direction, making his hair blow to the side. It made him aware of how he needed to re-dye it. He was thinking of changing the color, but didn't exactly know yet.

"She recently put your picture up and I thought I would visit for once. Even though you—"

"Felix?" A voice came from behind the ginger.

Felix turned to be greeted by Hyunjin. His eyes had been bloodshot and his hands were slightly shaking, Felix guessed this time it had been for a different reason than usual.

"Hyunjin?" Felix said as he stood up, "are you okay?"

Without thinking the younger reached up to wipe the tears away from Hyunjin's face, holding the elders face in his hands for a few seconds before letting go.

Hyunjin shook his head, only beginning to cry more as Felix recognized his pain. Felix pulled the elder into his arms, trying to comfort him as best as possible.

"I'm tired of being afraid." Hyunjin muttered.