But that question didn't come from Jisung but Felix. Because he must have misheard, right?

They were dating?

They were practically together?

Actually, they couldn't, because he certainly wouldn't have forgotten something as important as if Hyunjin had asked him out - his heart started beating wildly with hope and confusion.

"Since when?"

Hyunjin looked at him calmly, though there was confusion in his gaze, "Well, since our first date."

"How- when? Where?!" his voice sounded shrill as he turned in disbelief to the taller so he could better look at him - stare at him in irritation with wide eyes.

Slowly, the other nodded.

"Um, I think I should probably go," interjected Jisung, which the silver-haired had completely tuned out for the moment.

Hyunjin looked up at Jisung - who was already leaving, grinning - but Felix was still too stunned to do more than stare at the blond in front of him.

"Okay, have fun and get home safe later."

"I will!"

A little later, they could hear the apartment door shutting behind him - Jisung was gone and it was just the two of them again.

Felix's heart felt like it could burst at any moment, he wasn't even sure if he was still breathing. His thoughts became a squishy mass that he couldn't get a grip on.

"Hey, Lix. You okay?" the older looked at him with concern, brushing back a few strands that had fallen into his face before gently holding his hand against his forehead.

"Huh, yeah. Just... we're dating?", Felix finally woke up from his sort of trance - wanting to make sure if maybe he had misheard it after all.

Hyunjin looked at him frowning as he let his hand wander from his forehead smoothly to the back of his neck, "I thought you knew."

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Well, I did invite you over that one night to go to the movies and have dinner. You said yes, and then we went to see the movie you wanted to see so badly," Hyunjin carefully intertwined his fingers with the younger man's,"I just didn't want to throw big words around because I thought it would be easier for you, more comfortable that way. You know, letting the actions speak? I mean, I know it was difficult for you in the past with all this relationship chaos."

And all at once, everything made sense to Felix. Hyunjin's hemming and hawing about something being too early to say that night, the person he suddenly seemed to like, all the way to-

"Oh...", Felix managed to choke out as the shattering realization hit him, "Oh, fuck. The nightclub. You thought-", panic rose in Felix as he was finally able to piece together Hyunjin's reaction that night, "I'm sorry. I didn't- I didn't know-"

He couldn't even finish his thoughts, they melted like honey as he tried to get a hold on them.

"Hey," Hyunjin wrapped his arms around him reassuringly. "It's okay. Admittedly it really wasn't then, but it's okay now." - he breathed a gentle kiss on Felix's forehead - "I probably should have made my intentions a lot clearer."

"Oh, yes.", Felix mumbled and snuggled closer to the blond, "Sorry" The latter dropped back into the soft couch with him so that his head rested on the armrest while Felix nestled on top of him.

"It's okay. I guess we both acted a little stupid." the korean answered him affectionately, now a slight smirk on his lips.

"So basically we've been dating since you took me to that fancy Chinese restaurant after the movie?" was the first thing Felix asked after he collected himself. Because seriously? They had been going on dates, were together in principle, and he hadn't even known it.

"Mmm."

"All you said was something like: 'Hey Lix, do you want to go to the movies later and maybe have dinner afterward?'" the shorter objected somewhat defiantly.

"It worked pretty well before," Hyunjin muttered, and Felix moved so he could gaze at the older. "Granted... " - he relented - "the others already knew that I intended a date with this."

The silver-haired snuggled back against Hyunjin's chest with a deep sigh. "This is an important first step, Hyune."

"Sorry," Hyunjin murmured into Felix's hair, placing a caring kiss right after, "I guess I'm a little clumsy in that regard."

"Unlike with Jihe, you were pretty awkward around Jisung," he agreed with him, but there was no reproach in his voice. "... and possessive." - in the second part, maybe a little.

Hyunjin laughed shallowly before they fell into a comfortable silence. But Felix's thoughts were still spinning and he had a burning question: "How long have you liked me?" He tugged a little awkwardly at a loose thread on Hyunjin's T-shirt. "I mean like for real. After all, I thought you were sorta still hung up on Jisung. And that our whole um... thing here would just be like friends with benefits."

Silence followed his question. But Felix could see that Hyunjin was thinking about an answer, not trying to avoid it.

"It's a bit complicated," the latter eventually admitted, "I think I first knew I liked you more than normal when we were fifteen and dreaming of starting our own band with the others. You were so on fire for our dream back then." - he grinned dreamily at Felix - "The gleam in your eyes every time we dreamed up that glorious future... you were just too cute."

Felix straightened up a bit in surprise, propping his arms on the taller man's chest, "That was ages ago."

Hyunjin nodded, seeming to drift off a bit in his thoughts, "Yeah... But I was still afraid of my father then, of what he might do if he found out, so..."

"So you didn't say anything... But with Jisung- "

"That was a whole three years later. So much has happened in those years. I mean, I was also with Jihe during that time, and to be honest, I had locked my feelings for you away from myself so far..." Hyunjin interrupted him ponderously, "When I felt something similar towards Jisung, you were constantly buzzing around in my head again, and then when you said that maybe you felt the same way about Jisung, the chaos in my head only got bigger...  Of course, I don't regret being with Jisung. It was a really good time that I will always remember. But I also don't regret that we broke up - at least not anymore. And least of all, I regret that my feelings for you have grown again."

His breath hitched and he stroked Felix's hair as he hugged him a little tighter. Felix felt Hyunjin's heartbeat suddenly frantically against his.

"But Felix... do you even want to be together with me? I thought our feelings were mutual, but- you know I love you, right? I- I've wanted to say it all along, but I didn't think you were ready..."

And no, that's exactly what he didn't know, at least not until now...

But instead of an answer, Felix pulled him into a long tongue kiss.

It was slow, tender, and open-mouthed but filled with emotions - happiness, joy, relief, love - that made them both sink into that moment of love. Tingling shivers covered their bodies as comforting warmth spread through them, and the sun seemed to shine just for them.

Hyunjin could feel the silent response, the feelings that just spilled over, and finally smiled softly into the kiss. Whereupon Felix had to smile as well and they broke the kiss.

"I love you, too," Felix breathed almost shyly as his cheeks flushed with a pink haze and he tilted his head a little to the side, "Remember when you had to paint that painting about the elements of fire and water?"

Hyunjin nodded in wonder - at that point, Felix had often come along to the studio, he had been able to witness almost the entire process of the work.

"They're two opposites that really can't mix, but you've brought them together in such harmony as if they were meant for each other. They balance each other out. And I think maybe that's the way it is with us a bit, too," he grinned a little sheepishly at the blond - bright rays of sunlight making his silver strands shimmer, yet unable to compete with the sparkle in his eyes.

He received a bright smile in response and another kiss on the forehead, "Fuck, that's romantic." Hyunjin bit his lip as his smile changed into something softer, far more delicate: "So, can I take that as a yes? You'll officially be my boyfriend?"

Felix chuckled blissfully as he snuggled closer to the older and nodded with the widest of grins, "An exceedingly yes."

Their faces only a few inches apart, they lost themselves in each other's gazes drenched with love and affection - certainty surging in their fast-beating hearts, beating wildly like butterflies in their chests. Before Felix slowly bent down a bit more and Hyunjin tilted his head further up, closing their eyes as their lips gently met in the middle. Whereupon they met and parted again and again - in a familiar rhythm that belonged only to them.

Love for them was not only passion, lust, and desire. Love for them was also not only familiarity, tenderness, and serenity. It was the mixture of these, it was the balance they created for each other. It was a kind of feeling that Felix had only ever had with Hyunjin, would only ever have with Hyunjin - and he knew, he felt, that it was the same for him.

They still had so much to talk through and things to sort out, but for now, truly no words were needed.

As their kiss deepened and their hands found their way under each other's respective clothing - familiar and warm - Felix stopped thinking about their love but began to feel it in every detail.

- the end -

Finally, a last gigantic thank you to all who have read and supported this story. ˆˆ
Your reads, votes, and comments have always motivated me and ultimately made the story as it is now. Which is why I hope you liked it until the end. <3