The school wasn't left in ruins, but significant damage was done. After the defeat of Azalea, Jaebum rushed to get other teachers to help him carry Chaerin, Taeil, and Azalea up to the main floor. Yixing, with already several other people he needed to treat, took on help from others, having them mend to the small wounds while he took care of bigger priorities.
Nobody was able to explain the random blast, leaving the witnesses confused on how Azalea was taken down so easily. People thought Felix may have answers, but with the boy out like a light, no one will be getting anything from him anytime soon.
Students have been allowed to leave their dorm rooms but were highly advised to stay while the school is cleaned up. The Headmaster has yet to appear from his office, hopefully with a few words to calm the minds of the teachers and students. Though the chaos has simmered down quite a bit, tensions are still high as many people are waiting to hear about how some of the injured students and teachers are doing.
Chan was one of the first to be treated and Yixing says he'll be fine. With Azalea gone, all her spells and curses have been lifted, assuring that Chan should be back to normal when he wakes up. Seungmin decided to stay with the older, sitting by his bed as Chan sleeps peacefully. Minho will occasionally come in and check on him, but other than that Seungmin, for the most part, is the only one here. Jisung, Minho, and Jeongin have stuck to Seojoon's room, who is going to be just fine. Yixing gave him some fluids as well as something to help him sleep. With enough rest, Yixing assures he will be okay.
Seungmin intertwines his hand with Chan's, hoping to bring the older comfort in his unconscious state. The younger has felt the need to stick by him, being here when he wakes just so he knows that people still care. Seungmin at first was concerned with Chan's aggressive behaviour and it is part of the reason Seungmin was scared of getting close, despite having a huge infatuation with the older. After hearing that most of it was the work of a nasty spell put on him, Seungmin finds himself drawn to the older once again, only this time he doesn't have to pine from afar.
There is something comforting about sitting in silence with the older. Chan being out gives Seungmin the chance to familiarize himself with being alone with Chan. It is a little strange, but he likes that it is going to help him, hopefully, when Chan wakes up.
The younger knows that Chan will wake when he is ready, just as Yixing was explaining to him, but after a couple of hours, Seungmin finds himself a bit on edge. Chan's body is healing itself and Seungmin understands that, but he'd very much like to see the older's eyes and hear his voice, giving him more proof that he is actually alright.
"This might be the most sleep he has gotten in one-time interval," a voice jokes, causing Seungmin to turn his head towards the door.
"Bambam!" Seungmin exclaims, moving to get up from his seat. Bambam has a few bandages here and there, as well as, having his arm wrapped which he sprained after hitting the wall. Yugyeom stands behind the older, helping him to a seat on the small couch in the corner of Chan's room.
Seungmin returns to his seat besides Chan's bed once the others are seated, subtly taking his hand back into the older's so Bambam and Yugyeom won't notice. Although he was enjoying his time alone with Chan, he is glad that Yugyeom and Bambam are here. It will be good for Chan to wake up with his friends in the room, plus Seungmin got to see that Bambam is alright, so that makes him feel a lot better.
"Any news on the others?" Yugyeom asks.
"Um...Seojoon is resting, but he was awake a little while ago, so he is okay," Seungmin explains, "as for Felix, I don't think he'll wake up soon, and Yixing says it could either take a while or he should be waking in a few hours. So far, he is the only one we're unsure about."
Bambam and Yugyeom nod together, watching as Chan's chest rises and fall. They are surprised this battle didn't have more injuries. Several students and teachers were injured, but not nearly as many as Bambam thought there would be. They are glad that the numbers are small, it means less devastation and easier recovery time for the school.
The two older magic-users fall asleep fairly quickly on the couch, both exhausted from today's events. They considered going back to their dorm but decided against it since they wanted to be here when Chan wakes up. So, Seungmin sits back in his peaceful silence, watching Chan sleep and anticipating his wake-up time.
Seungmin can feel himself starting to doze off a few times, but he manages to keep himself awake. He wants to be awake when Chan is, so he continuously stops himself from drifting, no matter how tired he is.
"You should sleep, you look exhausted," a groggy voice breaks him out of his drifting again.
"Chan!" Seungmin exclaims in a low whisper as to not to wake the people on the couch.
The older smiles at the younger, tightening the hold Seungmin hand on his hand.
"I'm glad you're here," Chan states, eyes slightly drooping. He is obviously still very tired, and Seungmin doesn't want to keep him awake any longer than he has to.
The younger explains that he'll allow him to sleep, rising from his chair and preparing to leave. However, Chan doesn't let go of Seungmin's hand, pulling the younger back.
"Stay, I don't want you to leave," Chan tells him, "you can sleep next to me."
"N-no, that's not a g-good--"
Before Seungmin can finish his sentence, Chan has already pulled Seungmin closer to the bed, scooting over so there is room for the both of them. Though the sliver he left Seungmin isn't enough, the younger doesn't complain. Crawling onto the bed, Seungmin places the side of his body on the mattress, his head resting on Chan's chest and an arm and a leg sprawled across the older.
The positioning is awkward and makes Seungmin blush, quite a bit, but he also enjoys the embrace. Chan is very pleased, being able to fall asleep wonderfully with his arms wrapped around Seungmin's waist.
In another room, some aren't as lucky or comfortable as the two boys here.
After Felix had collapsed to the ground, he was rushed into a room for Yixing to have a look at him. Changbin wasn't able to keep himself still as he and Hyunjin waited. It got to a point, that Hyunjin had to force him to sit down. Hyunjin didn't know how he was able to keep himself together during the wait time, but maybe with Changbin on edge, it forced him to stay calm.
When they were finally able to go in, neither of them left Felix's side. Yixing told them that Felix was drained after the blast, much like Seojoon but far more severe. They aren't sure when he'll wake up, but Yixing is sure he'll be alright.
"He's going to be alright," Hyunjin says softly. He takes Changbin's hand into his own, lacing their fingers.
"I hope so," Changbin mutters.
"Hey," Hyunjin speaks up a little, "don't be so negative, Felix is going to be okay, and I am sure he'll wake up in a few days."
Though he isn't sure he believes the words, it is nice hearing them. Changbin leans into the younger, resting his head against Hyunjin's shoulder. He's with both of them, and Felix is going to be okay, Changbin should be at peace. He is, at least as much as he can be with Felix in his condition.
~•~
"Things are slowly being put back together," Chaerin says, walking through the halls with the Headmaster by her side.
The halls have been cleaned and the damage is being repaired. A few days after everything with Azalea, the Headmaster decided to cancel classes for a couple of days, allowing the students to relax and recover from the hectic events. It also worked in his favor since it kept many of the students out of the halls while they worked on repairing the damage done to the school.
"Yeah, I have you to thank for that," he responds, "if it weren't for you, then she would have torn this place to smithereens."
"No sir, I had nothing to do with this," Chaerin states, "Felix with that blast took care of her. Which reminds me, do you have any information on what happened there."
"He found control," the Headmaster answers, "he stopped letting Azalea control him and with the power she supplied him, he used to against her."
The Headmaster doesn't know for sure if that is what happened, and they may never know. He has learned to come to terms with it and let it be how it is. Felix doesn't need everyone questioning him on what happened, so the Headmaster devised a logical answer based on his own investigation of what happened and will tell people that. He wants Felix to be left alone for the most part, giving him the time to recover from the battle, as well as, properly adjust to being a student here.
With more time and a little extra effort put in by the Headmaster, he knows he can make Felix's transition easier, and that is what he plans to do. The end of the school year is upon them and during the break, he plans on getting the new student up to speed. Felix will be allowed to stay in the school's dorms over the break since he doesn't have anywhere else to go, and although it will be lonely it is better than nothing.
"I've been thinking," the Headmaster says, "that maybe this school needs a change in leadership."
Chaerin stops both of them in the hallway, placing a hand on the Headmaster's shoulders, "Jiyong..."
"I wasn't able to help defend the school, so I was thinking maybe I shouldn't lead either." Truthfully this isn't the first time he thought about resigning, but the hit of Azalea is giving him a push to pass down his position.
He is a strong magic-user and a strong Headmaster, but he doesn't feel as though he is perfect for the job. He has led this school for many years and has brought it many great things. However, everything needs a change, and he is thinking that is might be time for a change in this school. If not after this year, then after next year, he doesn't know the exact time, but he knows it needs to be soon.
"I haven't made any final decisions yet," he tells her, "but I'd like it if you'd be the person to take over. You showed great strength with Azalea, you can defend this school, prepare these students for situations like this. You, Chaerin, would make a great leader."
Chaerin doesn't know what to say. She has always wanted to be a Headmaster, but she doesn't want to take it from a dear friend of hers. Although nothing is final, it feels to her that she may be losing someone dear and close to her soon.
~•~
Hyunjin managed to convince Changbin to step out of Felix's room for the first time in a couple of days. The younger insisted that Changbin needed to shower and change out of the clothes he was wearing for the past couple of days. Changbin was incredibly resistant, at first, he wanted to be in the room when Felix woke-up, but after lots of convincing he finally budged.
The younger assured Changbin that he wouldn't leave Felix's side while he was gone, making sure to hold Felix's hand and pet his hair to show the older that he'd be in good hands. Hyunjin actually has a hard time staying in the room, seeing Felix like this upset him quite a bit and he didn't know how to handle it, so he spends all his time in here looking for a distraction.
He keeps hearing people tell him that Felix is going to be okay, but it has been days and Felix is the only one who hasn't woken up. Hyunjin's fear and worry pits in his stomach, and his mind is constantly drifting to the possibility that it might never happen. Pushing those thoughts to the side, for the time being, Hyunjin glides his thumb on the back of Felix's hand, enjoying the closeness the two can have for this moment. He only hopes there will be more to come when Felix wakes-up.
Changbin and Hyunjin haven't discussed what would happen if Felix didn't return their feelings, mainly because they have bigger concerns at the moment. However, the thought has crossed his mind every so often. He's curious if Felix likes both of them, or maybe just one of them. What would he and Changbin do with their relationship, given any response by Felix? The thought scares him a bit, he doesn't want to be rejected, especially by someone he truly likes.
"What are you thinking about?" Hyunjin glances up to meet eyes with a freshly showered Changbin with damp hair and a fresh set of clothes. The younger smiles and laughs a little, shaking his head at the older.
"You couldn't dry your hair and then come back?" Hyunjin questions.
Changbin grins at him, taking the seat on the other side of Felix's bed, "I didn't want to be away from the two of you for too long."
The comment makes Hyunjin blush, his head turning downward in a poor attempt to hide it. Changbin reaches over, taking Hyunjin's other hand that isn't grabbing onto Felix.
"Seriously though, what's on your mind?"
Hyunjin sighs deeply, looking over to a sleeping Felix. He genuinely wonders what will become of them once he wakes-up, a thrilling but terrifying thought.
"What if he doesn't like us?" Hyunjin asks.
"Then we'll move past it, we'll have each other, and we can be his friend," Changbin answers, he isn't worried about Felix not returning their feelings, but if it is on Hyunjin's mind then he'll play out the scenarios.
"And if he only likes one of us?" Hyunjin questions.
Changbin pauses to think of an answer, he hadn't considered that. What if Felix only harbored feelings for one of them? How would Changbin and Hyunjin be able to deal with that?
The thought doesn't settle well with the older, he wants Felix to like both or none. An idea of having to choose isn't right. Maybe, if Felix only saw Hyunjin in that light then he'd be okay with taking a step back. It hurt, for a while, but eventually, he'd get over it and be able to develop a good friendship with the two. But what if it was the other way around? How would Hyunjin feel?
"I don't like the thought of that," Changbin tells him, not knowing how to give the younger an answer. He doesn't want to give an answer; it would just mean that they would be solidifying the possibility of an outcome neither of them wants.
"Then don't think that way." Changbin nods at the response, before realizing who said it. Both he and Hyunjin sit up to look at Felix who is just barely peeling his eyes open.
The youngest heard about as much as he needed to set his own mind at rest. To be honest, Felix didn't think this would be a major concern right from the get-go if he got back to the school, but waking up to it, he may as well sort it out as soon as possible. His feelings for the two males beside his bed are confusing and he never thought he'd be able to sort them out, but here he is, realizing that he isn't the only one in this boat.
Two people he cares about are here with him, and they care for him as well. Things are turning out better than he could have hoped for. Besides some of the pain he is feeling in his body, Felix feels great.
"Do you need a doctor? Water? Anything?" Changbin rambles, as Felix completely opens his eyes.
The younger shakes his head, moving so he is grabbing back at Changbin's hand, "I'm okay, I just need you guys."
His voice is soft and slow, about what you'd expect from someone in his condition. He pushes past the pain, which he assumes is normal given what happened, and tries to focus on the two boys in the room.
"You don't look okay; I'm going to go and grab--"
"No," Felix cuts in, tightening his hold on Changbin's hand.
Felix had a lot of time to reflect while he was with Azalea, and he came to the agreement with himself, that if he were to get back then he would not shut people out. Starting with Hyunjin and Changbin, he is going to let them in, no matter how scary it is. They were always so sweet even if he wasn't the kindest, they deserve to know how he saw them while he was here.
"Please, I... I just want you to stay," Felix states, grabbing onto Hyunjin's hand as well, "both of you."
Changbin nods, smiling as he moves back to Felix.
"H-how much of our c-conversation d-did you h-hear?" Hyunjin stutters out, his nerves getting the best of him.
"Enough." Felix smiles, he is still drowsy, so he has a hard time keeping his eye open, but he was able to catch the grins on both of their faces before his eyes closed.
This is the feeling Changbin wanted, the peace and content of having Hyunjin and Felix with him. The butterflies in his stomach as they both smile at him, he truly loves this feeling more than anything else, right now.
"Does that mean...?" Changbin asks and Felix nods.
"I like you guys."
Content laughs and large smiles make their way to Changbin and Hyunjin's faces as they press them closer to Felix's. The three rest their foreheads against each other, allowing the peace and giddy feeling wash over them as they stay there.
Everything at this moment is just right.
~•~
Word Count: 3,115
-Thank you so much for 5k reads! You guys are amazing!
-So this is the last chapter, but you guys will still be getting an epilogue later today!
-I have a lot I want to say, but I'll say it later and I hope you guys enjoy/enjoyed your day!