Pairing: Chan & Felix

Genre: Twisted Wonderland AU

!!TW!! : bullying, mild violence, mild injuries, kidnapping, yandere, implied murder, implied captivity

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The burns had been the result of an alchemical mixt that resulted in scars. The damage was greatly lessened thanks to Crewel's intervention, but he couldn't salvage everything, so Felix now had three burn scars over his arms, his nape, and his stomach. However, the worst wasn't the physical scars, but the psychological ones: Felix was visibly exhausted, and he no longer smiled. He did try to smile, but it always appeared pained and strained, and Chan hated it.

Thankfully enough, almost everything was set in place and, soon enough, Felix would no longer have anything to worry about.

"Felix?"

"Hm?"

Felix was trying to fall back into regular habits, although his usual routine had been greatly disturbed, so he was currently sitting on the chair near the fireplace, reading one of his favorite books. He wasn't all that invested in it if he actually heard him, which only worried Chan even more, but he didn't comment on it, and simply came to sit beside him.

A tad curious, Felix lowered his book and looked at him. "What is it, hyung?"

A pause.

A heartbeat.

"... Do you want to go to the Full Moon Ball with me?"

A pause.

A heartbeat.

Then, for the first time in the last four weeks, Felix smiled. It was small, hesitant, but genuine, nonetheless.

"I'd love to."

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It had taken a lot of persuasion, but Minho finally managed to convince Felix to put on a dress that showed off his shoulders – and his burn marks, at the same time. He insisted that making a statement was important, and that the others wouldn't understand he had overcome this new challenge unless he showed them off like battle scars instead of hiding them away like marks of shame.

It was also sleeveless, so everyone could see the soul bond mark running up his arm.

When Felix finally left the room, all nervous and a little scared, Chan was already waiting for him. Smiling, Chan brought Felix's hand to his lips.

"You look ravishing, little one. Shall we?"

Felix relaxed a bit when Chan offered him his arm. He knew Chan had seen the scars numerous times, but he had still been a little nervous. And yet, as their arms joined together (and their outfits matched, for his also showed off the soul bond mark), Felix felt all of his worries melt away like snow under the sun.

He was tired of fighting, yes, but he was also tired of being scared.

"You're quite handsome yourself," he grinned faintly.

"Yes, I do recall you saying something similar when we first met," Chan mused, glad he was finding back some of his spark.

Felix cringed at the memory. "Ugh, don't remind me. It was one of the most mortifying experiences in my entire life."

"I thought it was funny."

"You think anything is funny when I'm embarrassed by it," Felix huffed.

Chan chuckled at that, leaning closer to his ear. "What can I say? You're quite adorable when you blush, little one. I can't help myself."

Which, of course... made Felix blush. He swatted his arm, but Chan simply laughed, and Felix could only shake his head in fond exasperation. Their light banter did take his mind off of everything else, though, and they kept it up until they reached the ballroom of the college.

Once they reached the doors, though, he froze.

"Chan—"

"Don't worry, Felix. I'm here."

Felix looked at him, then relaxed. He didn't understand how a few words could soothe his mind like this, but they did, and he trusted Chan. So, bracing himself for the incoming storm, he tightened his hold on Chan's arm and let him open the doors.

They then walked inside the ballroom as if they owned the place, instantly drawing the attention of all of those present.

"They came!?"

"No way, I never saw him participate in an event before..."

"That boy, how dare he?"

"Does he have no shame?"

Felix sincerely thought that he would break down again upon hearing all of the whispers on their way to the center of the dancing floor. And yet, he felt incredibly strong, for one reason or the other – as if, with Chan by his side, he could do anything. Then, as they took position to join the ongoing waltz, they faced each other. Chan smiled, and Felix instantly smiled back, as brightly as he did on the first day they met.

Felix wouldn't break again, not with Chan by his side.

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They spent the entire evening dancing and enjoying each other's presence, soon forgetting about everyone else. It didn't take long for the rest of the students to grow bored of whispering and standing on the sidelines so, soon enough, the couple perfectly blended in with the rest of their fellow classmates. Then, as the night started drawing to an end, Chan started guiding Felix away from the dance floor.

As they reached the doors, he glanced back, and his eyes met Minho's. They exchanged a knowing nod, before the Dorm Leader left with his bond mate.

"Hey, Chan, where are we going? I wanted to say goodnight to Minho-hyung, Changbin-hyung, and Jisung-hyung," he remarked, glancing at the closed doors behind them.

"It'll be alright, you can see them when you wake up," Chan replied in a light tone. "I wish to show you something special."

"Something special? A surprise?" Felix asked excitedly.

He chuckled at his child-like reaction. "Something like that. Now, come along, little one. We don't want to still be outside when the sun rises, do we?"

Felix rolled his eyes at his somewhat cryptic answer, but decided to play along and grabbed the hand he was offering him. Gingerly pulling him along, Chan instantly led him back to the Diasomnia dorm. As they made their way inside, Felix thought they were heading back to his room, but they walked right past it and stopped at the end of the hallway.

"A dead end?" he remarked, unimpressed.

"Patience is a virtue, little one," drawled Chan.

"What—"

As if on cue, the wall before them suddenly split in two and slid open, revealing a secret staircase. A delighted gasp escaped Felix and, upon receiving a small nod from Chan, he quickly ran ahead, eager to see what he had planned.

When he arrived at the top of the stairs, though, all he found was a small, circular room with only one window and, at the center of it, a very old spinning wheel. Confused, Felix approached it, but it was so old he was afraid it'd crumble to dust at the simplest touch.

"You can touch it." Surprised, he looked back at Chan, who had also entered the room. He appeared amused, but there was... something else. Felix couldn't place it. "It appears old, but it's an ancient magical artifact. It won't break so easily."

"A magical artifact?" Of course, Felix couldn't sense it. "What does it do?"

"It guarantees true love to the ones who prick their finger on the spindle."

Felix shot him a confused look. "True love? Like the soul bonds?"

"It's another way to find your soulmate, yes."

"But we've already found each other," the boy replied, more and more confused.

"I understand it's a little confusing, but it's merely another sort of Fae superstition," Chan explained, gesturing to the spinning wheel with a small, mysterious smile. "Won't you humor me? I'll do the same."

"W- well, I guess there's no harm in it..."

Felix was still a little confused, but it's not like Chan was asking him to stab himself with the spindle, either. Plus, he was fairly curious about the alleged effects of this ancient artifact, which obviously had some sort of value if it had been hidden away of the sort. So, decided to find out, Felix slowly reached out and gently stroked the old wood.

As told, it didn't immediately break under his touch. Reassured, he then reached out to the spindle, ready to prick his finger... but something stopped him.

There was this uncertain feeling that something was wrong. Felix paused, his finger hovering over the spindle for a second, before his bravery vanished and he found himself instinctively stepping back.

"I- I'm sorry, I don't think—" His back hit something hard. Startled, he looked up, and found Chan starting down at him. When had he gotten behind him? "Chan...?"

"It's alright." He wrapped his arms around him, and his sudden fear lessened. Felix knew he was safe in Chan's arms—"Here, I'll help you."

Wait, what?

Felix stiffened when Chan suddenly grabbed his hand. His hold was gentle, but firm, and he started guiding his hand toward the spindle, and Felix suddenly took notice of the emotions they shared through their bond.

Love. Resignation. Determination.

Chan didn't mean any harm, but Felix's instincts were screaming at him to run out of the room this instant. Do not touch it! Do not prick your finger! But Chan was still guiding his hand forward, closer and closer and closer—

"Please, hyung," he whispered, knowing full well that he couldn't possibly stop him even if he struggled. "Please, stop. I'm scared. I- I don't want this! Please, Chan!"

"Hush, little one," Chan murmured, pressing a kiss against his temple. Time seemed to still as Felix's finger hovered once more over the spindle. "You won't feel a thing. And, when you wake up, I'll be right by your side."

"Chan—"

A stinging sensation ran through Felix finger as Chan suddenly pressed it down. The spindle pierced the skin, drawing a single drop of blood, but it was apparently enough. An ominous green light erupted from the spinning wheel, as if it was on fire, and a wave of dizziness suddenly washed over Felix. His knees buckled under his weight as his eyes rolled back, the ancient curse instantly claiming him.

Chan simply caught him and brought his finger to his lips, licking away the blood. Then, he carefully lifted the boy off the ground and, without another look for the spinning wheel, he walked out of the room.

Quickly heading down the stairs, he made his way through the empty hallways before finally reaching the front doors of the dorm. Once outside, he found a black carriage and his three loyal friends and underlings waiting for them.

"Did it work?" asked Minho, carefully eyeing the unconscious Felix.

Chan simply nodded, his grip unconsciously tightening on the boy. "He'll be asleep for as long as we need. Is everything ready?"

"Everything was done as you instructed, Chan-hyung," assured Changbin.

"And all of the students and teachers are still in the ballroom," added Jisung.

"Good. Then, you all know what to do."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

They saluted and, with a nod of acknowledgement, the prince went to take place inside the carriage. He didn't put Felix down, instead holding him even closer to him as the carriage started moving, flying thanks to Minho's magic. And, as they started soaring further and further away from the academy, a loud explosion echoed in the distance. Chan wasn't disturbed in the least, though, and simply focused on the sleeping boy in his arms.

"They won't hurt you again, little one," he murmured, lovingly stroking his hair.

And so, Felix, Chan, and their entourage left like thieves into the dead of night, leaving a half-destroyed school and a number of burning bodies behind.

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Felix's eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was Chan's green eyes just above his. His lips felt strangely numb, but there was a warm tingle on them, so he guessed Chan had just kissed him. He was about to smile and bid him good morning when he suddenly remembered what had happened the night before, and his eyes widened.

"Chan, what happened!?" he exclaimed, quickly sitting up. "Where- where are we? What did you do!?"

"Worry not, little one. You are perfectly safe—"

"That's not what I asked!" They weren't at the academy. This wasn't their room. But if they weren't at the academy, then where were they!? "Chan, please, what's going on!?"

"... You are safe. That is all you need to know." He wrapped his arms around him. "No one will ever hurt you again, little one."

Growing more and more worried, and panicking a little because holy hell did I just get kidnapped!?, Felix pushed him away and quickly got up. He was still wearing his ball gown, so his movements were a little restrained, but he still managed to make his way to the only window in the room rather quickly.

As soon as he reached it and leaned over the edge, though, dread settled in his guts.

They were thousands of meters above the ground. Hell, there were clouds beneath them!

"What is this?" he whispered, frozen in place. "Chan, what is this place? And why- why did you bring me here!?"

"You are in my domain, little one." Chan came to stand behind him and wrapped his arms around him once more, resting his chin atop his shoulder. "No human can access this land, and only a select few can enter this tower. I told you, didn't I? No one will ever hurt you again."

"Chan..." Felix was obviously starting to understand better what was going on, but he didn't like the answers he was getting at. "Look, I- I appreciate your efforts and I love you, but that- that doesn't justify kidnapping me!"

Chan simply pressed a kiss against his temple. "I love you too, little one."

"Gah, focus! Chan, you can't just lock me away in fear that I'll get hurt again!" he protested, turning around so he could face the half-fae properly. "And I- I'm just as scared, but hiding away in a tower won't resolve anything! And- and we still have school, and I have my family—"

"You're not going back, Felix." He shuddered a bit as Chan tilted his chin upward. Chan rarely ever used his name and, when he did, it meant he was serious. "I tried to let you handle things at your own pace, but it led you to being scarred and scared, and it's a mistake I intend to take responsibility for." His eyes then softened as he stroke Felix's cheek. "I've watched you suffer long enough, little one. Now, it's my turn to protect you."

"Chan..." Felix's anger faded away, so did his panic. Heaving out a sigh, he wrapped his arms around him, bringing him into a hug. "I understand. I- I'm sorry I've led you to take such measures. However... however, I can't just stay here. What about- what about my studies? What about my life? What about my family? I can't just leave all of that behind, right? Surely—"

"You can." Felix stiffened, and Chan leaned closer so he could whisper directly in his ear. "You will."

"Chan—"

"Obviously, we won't be able to see eye to eye for a little while," Chan pointed out, seemingly unperturbed by Felix's protests. "As it is, I still have a few matters to deal with, but I'm afraid that, for now, I can't trust you to understand what's best for you."

Felix pulled away, frowning. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that, until you come to accept this fate as yours, I'm afraid I will have to resort to more... uncouth, methods, in order to keep you here."

"What are you saying?" Felix protested, attempting to put some distance between them. Chan didn't let him go, though, and simply started leaning in. "Chan, stop!"

Chan didn't stop. He pressed his lips against Felix's and, though the freckled boy struggled a fair bit, Chan was much stronger than him. After a while, Felix gave in and kissed him back, just as lead started filling his limbs. With darkness edging in his vision, Felix barely noticed as his body dropped like a puppet whose strings had been cut, completely lost in Chan's glowing, chartreuse eyes.

"Sleep, little one. I'll be back before you know it."

Encased in his warmth, engulfed by darkness, Felix fell back into a dreamless sleep, the curse acting up once again. Gazing at his now peaceful face for a moment, Chan then picked him and carefully tucked him back into bed.

Pressing his forehead against Felix's for a moment, Chan then pulled away and, without another look back, vanished from the tower. He wasn't worried about Felix's safety, knowing the boy wouldn't wake up until he came back and lifted the curse, and Chan knew for a fact that, even awake, Felix wouldn't be able to escape.

His little one would never leave this tower. Chan intended to protect him and, even if he had to become the villainous dragon in Felix's eyes, he'd never let any harm befall him ever again.