Before we got up, Chan whispered "Please don't mention the fan service. It's kind of a downer around here."
I nodded understandably, and he led me out of the bunk hand-in-hand. We hadn't even made it two steps when they all turned to stare at us. My face went red from the attention. All of their eyes went to our intertwined hands, and then over to my wrist which was now home to Chan's bracelet.
Seungmin looked away quickly, hanging his head in defeat. The others began whooping and hollering and congratulating us as though something major had occurred.
Chan held up his other hand up to stop them. "Whoa. Relax!"
"Relax? She's wearing your bracelet, man. That's huge!" Changbin cheered. His face held a wide smile of excitement for his friend.
Chan shifted awkwardly, and I could tell that he was disappointed to relay the news that we were still fake dating...just fake dating in the hopes that maybe one day it wouldn't be fake anymore. I wondered how they'd take it...how he'd even find the words to explain it. I didn't even fully know how to explain it since I didn't know what it would take for me to want to make that leap with him.
"Yea Chan. I thought you said you gave up dating. Clearly, she's special to you," Han argued.
"Guess #TeamChan is a go," Lee Know piped up.
Chan looked dispirited. The energy from our kiss earlier was draining away. I felt guilty for putting him in this situation. I didn't want him to feel embarrassed in front of his friends, especially when it was so clear that he was ready to be with me.
"I—I forgot my phone," I announced and dragged Chan back to the bunk with me. I pretended to search for it and Chan lifted checked under the pillow.
"I don't see it," he told me.
"It's in my pocket," I shared. "I just wanted to talk to you."
Chan stopped searching and looked at me curiously. "You understand that we're fake dating still, right? Just that we'll try to be nicer and see if we develop into more over time."
Chan nodded.
"As long as you understand that," I began and sighed, wondering if I was doing the right thing, "you can tell them that we're really dating."
"Really?" Chan's eyes glimmered as he looked at me.
"Yes," I said definitively. "As long as you know that it isn't real yet."
His face went into a wide smile, and he hugged me tightly to him.
"Ow," I winced. My side still hurt.
"Oops. Sorry," he apologized. "Can we go tell them now?" he held his hand out for me. He seemed a bit too eager, and I worried that the lines were getting blurry, but, against my better judgment, I placed my hand in his. He nearly sprinted back to the group and stood beside me giddily.
"We found her phone," he told them with a goofy grin plastered on his face.
"Great, I was so worried," Hyunjin replied sarcastically, not even bothering to look up from his phone.
"Anyways," Chan rolled his eyes at him, refusing to let him dampen his mood. "We have an announcement."
"You're dating?" Jeongin guessed, and Chan glared at him for stealing the news.
"No," Chan lied. Everyone looked at each other with looks of befuddlement.
"Oh, then what is it?" Jeongin asked.
"Chan's going to wear cowboy boots?" Lee Know guessed.
"No?" Chan replied.
"She's pregnant?" Lee Know shouted.
"What? No. Can you just let me..."
"You're getting fake married!" Changbin guessed.
"Oh my gosh. No. Let me talk," Chan complained.
They all stared at him in anticipation until he finally announced, "We're dating!"
"That's what I said," Jeongin reminded him.
Most of the group resumed their cheers from before. They slapped Chan on the back or warned me jokingly against it. Seungmin looked upset and sat on the bench alone.
Felix gave me a hug, but I noticed he looked confused and like he didn't quite believe it.
I accepted their encouragement though and was happy to have made Chan happy. His energy was infectious, and I couldn't help but celebrate with him even if it wasn't technically true.
Eventually, the excitement of the news wore off and we all settled into normal travel-day activities. Chan and I sat beside the others, and we chatted and played games with them for a few hours.
I was beginning to feel worn out when the driver announced that we were nearing Nashville.
I went to the back to freshen up a bit in case there was a crowd at the hotel. Felix followed me.
"So you and Chan?" he began.
"Yep," I smiled. I didn't want to outright lie to Felix. He had been my only confidant on this trip, but I'd allowed Chan to exaggerate our relationship, and I'd have to maintain that lie for him.
"When did that change? You two have been ready to tear each other apart since you met," he pointed out.
"Just now. In the bunk."
Felix glanced at Chan who was watching the two of us closely.
"What did you talk about?" he asked.
Chan had asked me not to bring up the fan service, so I decided to explain a real change that had happened between us instead.
"It wasn't the talking that changed my mind. We had...a moment."
Felix's mood changed as he became intrigued by what that meant.
"A moment?" he questioned as he read my face carefully for any falsehoods.
But I didn't have to pretend that the moment had changed things. It had. Not to the extent that Chan had wanted, but even replaying our kiss in my mind made me feel flustered.
"We kissed," I whispered to Felix. His eyes went wide.
"You kissed?"
"We kissed," I repeated.
"And it changed everything? Just like that?" he asked, not judgmentally but in surprise. "It must've been really special."
"It was," I answered and my heart swelled as I looked over to Chan. He grinned when we made eye contact, and I could feel my cheeks turn red.
Felix looked between us, and, whatever he had just witnessed made him believe me.
"Well, if you're both happy then I'm happy for you," he smiled.
"Thanks, Felix," I side hugged him.
Before we had even pulled away, Chan walked over. "Hyunjin needs you," Chan told him and Felix headed over right away to see what for.
Chan wrapped his arms around me while I looked in the mirror and applied lip oil. He put his chin on my shoulder and watched me intently.
"Hyunjin didn't need Felix, did he?" I suspected.
Chan sighed. "No, he didn't."
I smirked, "Are you always going to be this jealous?"
"I'm not jealous," he pouted.
"Yes, you are," I turned around and Chan put his hands on either side of me against the counter. I backed into it until he had me pinned there.
"Felix is gay. I have no reason to be jealous," he looked down hungrily at my freshly applied lip oil.
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Commercial Break:
I am not supposing Felix's or any member of Stray Kids's actual sexual identity. The sexual identities assigned in this piece of fiction are purely plot-driven.
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My heart pounded in my chest so loudly that I could hear it in my ears. My stomach was doing flips.
"But you are jealous, aren't you," I brought a hand up to his cheek.
He looked at me so desperately. "I want to kiss you again."
My cheeks flushed at his confession, and I closed the door so the others wouldn't see us. "Then kiss me."
Chan leaned forward. A sigh danced across my lips. His warm body pressed against mine. I arched into him, allowing only the smallest of gaps between us.
Chan dropped his lips to mine and butterflies flurried around in my stomach. His lips moved with mine, and I accidentally moaned into him which encouraged him more. He brought a hand to the back of my head and his fingers tangled themselves in my hair. I placed my hands behind me to keep myself balanced against the counter so that we wouldn't fall into the mirror.
His other hand found its way to my waist. My shirt had ridden up and I could feel the warmth of his fingertips against my skin. My breathing hastened, and I couldn't catch my breath as my focus zeroed in on his hand against my skin.
I saw flashes of beer bottles and solo cups. I heard the muffled sounds of a party and music. My heart pounded in my ears.
Chan didn't notice and continued to kiss me until I was gasping for air and pushing him away.
"Stop, stop!" His back slammed against the door as I shoved him and fell to the ground.