Pairing: ?
Genre: ?
!!TW!! : none
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"—and scene! That's a wrap, people! Good job!"
Felix let out a shaky breath as he straightened up. Everyone began applauding and he bowed numerous times, thanking all of the staff members, filming crew, and fellow actors who'd worked on this enormous project. He eventually walked off the set, finding his way to the nearest chair to have his makeup removed.
The makeup noonas were done in a flash, but maybe it was because Felix felt a bit... detached. Or numb, really. He'd been working on this series for so long, it was kind of hard to believe they'd just filmed the last episode. When the makeup noona sent him off with a smile, all he could do was smile back, thank her, and finally take his leave.
Everyone would gather tomorrow evening for a celebratory dinner in a fancy restaurant but, right now, all Felix wanted to do was head home, take a long, hot bath, and bask in the presence of the people he loved most in this world. So, with his facemask firmly in place and a bag slung over his shoulder, Felix promptly headed out.
His chauffeur drove him directly home, Felix not having the energy to deal with fans right this instant. Once they made it to the apartment building, Felix thanked his chauffeur and generously tipped him before heading inside, the doorman welcoming him as he passed the threshold.
The elevator ride to the eighth floor was almost like a fever dream. By the time Felix entered the large apartment, he almost felt too floaty to move at all, as if the slightest move would send him flying off – but then, strong arms wrapped around him from behind and firmly anchored him.
"Your head is too high up, baby. You should have called one of us to come get you."
"Mmm."
Felix definitely wasn't in the right headspace to talk right now. With a small, fond sigh, he was gently turned around, and a small smile stretched his lips when he met Chan's eyes.
"Hi, baby," greeted his boyfriend, kissing the tip of his nose.
Felix mumbled a greeting back, already melting in Chan's arms. The older chuckled, easily picking him up and carrying him into their apartment. They headed straight for the bathroom, where Hyunjin was already drawing a bath for him.
"Hi, angel," he cooed. "How does a nice bath sound, hm?"
"Absolutely amazing," croaked out Felix, shivering a bit when Chan sat him down on the counter.
After exchanging one last kiss, Chan took his leave, and Hyunjin took over. He helped Felix undress before helping him into the bath, the hot water instantly turning him into a puddle of goo. Felix let out a happy noise, sinking as far as he could manage while Hyunjin began carefully washing his hair.
Neither of them said anything, Felix basking in the warmth and attention, and Hyunjin aware that his sweet, freckled boyfriend was too deep in his head to really talk right now. Just getting to take care of him in such a way made him happy, though – Felix wasn't the type to ask for help, even when he needed it, so all of his boyfriends were always more than happy to tend to his every need when he got into this kind of state.
When he finally had to pull Felix out of the bath, Hyunjin was tender with his care, gently drying every inch of skin before eventually dressing him up in the comfiest clothes in the entire apartment – namely Hyunjin's sweatpants and Jeongin's hoodie. Felix let out a small hum when he smelled their youngest boyfriend's cologne in the hoodie.
"Come on, angel. Jisung's been whining about getting cuddles all day."
Felix perked up at the mention of cuddles and, having regained a certain amount of control over his own body, he followed Hyunjin back to the living room. Jisung, who was sitting on the couch, opened his arms wide the moment they arrived, and Felix didn't have to be asked twice: he promptly snuggled up with the day-older, his smile widening when Jisung tightly hugged him.
"Hi, baby. Heard you were a bit floaty, is that right?"
"Hmm. Feels nice."
"That's good. Don't force yourself to talk, alright? Let's just cuddle and watch something while the others finish preparing dinner."
Hyunjin gently ruffled their hair before leaving them be. However, it wasn't long before Felix completely lost focus on the documentary playing, the physical and mental exhaustion of the day finally catching up to him. In a matter of minutes, his eyes closed by themselves, the steady sound of Jisung's beating heart and his boyfriend's fingers gently carding through his hair eventually lulling him to sleep.
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When Felix woke up only half-an-hour later, he already felt much better than before. A bit groggy, still, but no longer stuck under the surface of his consciousness, so to speak. He exchanged a few kisses with Jisung, giggling a bit when his boyfriend playfully began kissing all of his freckles.
"Alright, lovebirds. Not that you two aren't painfully adorable, but it's time to eat," called Changbin from the kitchen.
"Coming, hyung!" they chorused.
After one last kiss, the two got up and made their way to the kitchen, where everyone else was already busying themselves with setting up the table. After another minute, everything was ready, and they all settled down for dinner.
"So? How did your last day go, Lix?" asked Seungmin.
"Almost too well, really. We finished filming the last episode, and I just... I don't know. I guess I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," he admitted, a tad embarrassed at being so affected by something this silly.
"Lixie, you've been working on this series for a really long time. It's normal to feel attached, and to be pained when it eventually comes to an end," reasoned Hyunjin, squeezing his hand.
"I know, I know. But still, can you believe it's actually over? I mean, filming this series is what brought all of us together in the first place," mused Felix. "It's just... hard to accept that this is actually the end, is all."
"The end of a journey, Felix – but the beginning of another," replied wisely Minho, dumping some more chicken in his plate. "Now eat up. I don't care about your image – if the others can carry you so easily, then you obviously need to gain some weight."
Felix chuckled a bit, but didn't fight his boyfriend about it, simply accepting the food. Ever since he was forced to go on a diet for one of his numerous roles, Minho had become much more protective of him. Seeing Felix lose so much weight at once had really scared him, and he still wasn't entirely over it, even if he assured the contrary.
Even though they were all trying to cheer Felix up, though, there was still a bittersweet atmosphere reigning in their home. All young, promising actors, they were brought together to film this particular series for over two years, now, and it eventually led them to developing the relationship they had today.
So yes, it was hard to accept that it was over.
"Look, look! I'm a morse!"
Everyone burst out laughing as Jeongin suddenly faced them with chopsticks stuck in his mouth, making them move weirdly every time he talked. It didn't take long for the rest of them to imitated him, their entire group soon plunged into hysterics as they goofed around – tired, a bit sad, but ultimately satisfied with a job well done.
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"Well, well, well, don't you look absolutely stunning, love."
Felix flushed a pretty red that matched the dress he was wearing – a gift from Minho, because he really had an eye for this sort of thing. Felix was never the type to associate clothes with gender, so when the older gifted him the beautiful outfit, all he could think about was to wear it for a special event.
Like tonight's gala – or celebratory dinner, really.
"It's thanks to you, hyung," he replied, a tad shyly. "The dress is really beautiful."
"The dress is beautiful," nodded Minho, gently rearranging Felix's hairpin into place. "But you are naturally gorgeous – you could outshine anyone even while wearing a trash bag – so really, neither I nor the dress can take the credit for it."
Felix swatted his arm, blushing even more. Minho was one of the flirtiest in their polycule and, somehow, he always managed to fluster the freckled boy, even after so many months of dating. Still, there was no denying that Minho's words (meaning coming from an incredibly handsome man) bolstered his confidence, and he finally left his room to join the rest of his boyfriends with his head held high. There were a few, playful wolf whistles as he gave a few spins to show off, then Changbin extended his arm to him, looking absolutely stunning in his dark blue suit.
"Shall we?"
Felix laughed, linking their arms together. "We shall."
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The gala was a nice event, with very few people Felix didn't actually know since most of the guests were people he'd worked with. It was nice to see everyone outside of the workplace, free to have fun and talk about all sorts of things, and the atmosphere was really nice and friendly. The food was great, the wine was good, and the music enthralled more than one guest. Felix had a special dance with every single one of his boyfriends, ending each dance with a kiss that definitely left them wanting for more – but that could wait for until their all returned home.
The evening was well underway, now, and Felix was admittedly a bit tired. He was sitting at his table with Jeongin and Seungmin when, out of nowhere, the Director walked over. With a glass in one hand and a file in the other, he gave them all a wide grin.
"Hello, boys! And Felix, exactly who I was looking for!"
"Director Park," greeted Felix, chuckling a bit at the older's clearly intoxicated state. "What can we do for you on this fine evening?"
"Eh, eh, it's more like what I can do for you! Let me go straight to the point: Felix, the studio absolutely adores you. You're a great actor, the fans love you, and everyone wants to work with you. So, I'm here to offer you a new contract!"
A bit startled, Felix gingerly accepted the file he was being handed, his heart missing a beat when he found said contract right on top of a pile of other documents.
"That's... I- I don't understand, sir. I thought the series were over?"
"They are! Shining Star: Dimming Light was an unexpected success, but we've really milked it all the way through – BUT! We still want to work with you, Felix, and we have a whole bunch of writers eager to offer new projects for you to star in. And of course, we want to renew all of your boyfriends' contracts as well! You're all a great crew – there's no one else we'd rather work with."
Lightly flicking through the other documents, Felix found the other contracts in there as well, and he couldn't help but grow excited at the novel opportunity.
"What do you have in mind, sir?"
"Oh, I'm thinking of the big screen, Felix! Full-out movies, Hollywood scale, the whole shebang!" He almost dropped his glass but managed to catch it at the last second. "A- anyway, in this are all of the contracts, along with a few of the scripts we have so far. You'll be free to pick the ones you like best, and there are a bunch of other benefits included in this new contract. Just bring it all home with you and take the time you need to think it through properly, okay?" He patted Felix's shoulder, swaying a bit as he started walking away. "The public wants to see more of you, Lee Felix! This is only the start of a brilliant career! Brilliant, I say!"
Felix didn't even get the chance to thank him, too dumbstruck by the unexpected news. He truly thought he was going back on the working market after tonight but, apparently, JYP Studios weren't quite ready to let go of him yet – or of any of his boyfriends, either.
"Hyung, that's great!" gasped Jeongin. "Are you going to sign it?"
"I'll look more into it at home, tomorrow – once we're all sober and not quite as high-strung by the wonderful news," chuckled Felix, pinching his cheek.
Seungmin simply smiled. "The others are going to be really happy."
"What about?" suddenly asked Changbin as the others in question all joined them at once. "What did Director Park want?"
"He wants to renew our contracts – all of them," announced Felix with a grin.
Everyone instantly started whooping and cheering at the good news, and something warm settled in Felix's chest. In the end, Minho was right: this might be the end of a special journey, but it was definitely the start of an even greater one.
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... and scene!
This was officially the last AU for Shining Star//Dimming Light VOL.2! According to the numerous polls I did on Twitter, the most popular XLix pairing was OT8, hence why I decided to conclude this series with a special AU that kind of broke the fourth wall a bit ah ah.
Anyway, I'll be posting the official conclusion in a few hours, with all sorts of information regarding my future plans about my works, so please stay tuned 'til then!