Chapter Text
Two Years and Eight Months Later…
“…the jury finds the defendant Mr. Min-Seok Lee guilty!”
The words rang out and Felix felt a chill erupt over every inch of his skin. He could hardly believe it; he had won! For each and every wrong done against him, the judge proclaimed guilty. The words echoed around the courtroom and each verdict felt like the slam of a hammer against an old rusted bird cage sitting on the side of the road. Broken. Twisted. Pointless. Forgotten.
With tears streaming down Felix’s face, he heard one last guilty and jumped up from his seat. Whirling around, he threw his arms around Hyunjin’s shoulders and hugged him as if his life depended on it. The wooden half-wall barrier between them did nothing to keep them from celebrating together. More arms pulled the couple into their embrace and Felix recognized the scent of his biological father’s aftershave and his biological mother’s favorite perfume. He had never felt so safe and happy in his life.
“You did it, baby! You fucking did it!” Hyunjin’s tears ran down his cheeks as he held Felix’s face between his hands. “I’m so proud of you! You’re unbelievable!”
Unable to do more than let out shaky sobs and hold onto the hands holding him up, Felix beamed at his family. All of them. His face hurt from smiling and his eyes stung from happy tears. The tiny bird inside of him had grown into a dragon that soared without fear.
“We’re so happy for you, Felix!” In-Hye kissed her son’s cheek. His parents had flown to Sydney with Hyunjin specifically to be with Felix during the sentencing of Mr. Lee. “You fought so hard for this!”
“Look!” Hyunjin turned Felix by the shoulders to point out Mr. Lee in his prison attire being led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. “It’s over!”
An instinctive cry filled Felix’s chest at the sight and he almost let it out. He wanted to laugh and scream all at once. Clinging tightly onto Hyunjin’s hand, Felix lifted his chin and glared back at the man he had once called Father. Never again would that man be the most important person in a room. Never again would he be able to buy or bully to get whatever he wanted. Never again would he utter the name Yongbok and sell his “son” for his own greed. All of his attempts at controlling the Lee empire had failed and the company had been sent to an early grave, just like the son he had never even met. The door closed and Felix could breathe.
Trembling, Felix turned around to look at Hyunjin. Hyunjin held his gaze and silently rewrote the messages in Felix’s brain. He was loved. He was wanted. He was seen. His scars had been kissed and his voice heard and his existence valued.
“I’m proud of you, son.” The words filled Felix’s heart as he felt his dad’s hand on the back of his head, pulling him close. “I’m so proud!”
Leaning into his biological father’s embrace, Felix felt his knees buckle. The events of the past almost three years washed over him and he could hardly hold himself up. It had been a series of courtrooms and hearings, slogging through the emotional depths of Felix’s growing up years and finding out the truth about the ones who had shoved him into his golden cage. It had been sleepless nights, repressed memories, a trial in South Korea against the newly divorced Mrs. Lee for the kidnapping, and trips back to Sydney for the charges against Mr. Lee for the sexual exploitation that happened at the Lee home in Australia. And through it all, relearning the definition of mom and dad.
Felix told Hyunjin over and over how strange it felt to be loved. He couldn’t believe he had a mother who wanted to hold him when he cried and a father who told him he was proud of him no matter what. He also had a younger sister who looked up to him and listened to him when he talked. Even when he had to be gone, Si-Woo and In-Hye did their best to be as supportive and loving as they could by sending packages, answering late night phone calls, and including Hyunjin in their activities while Felix was in Sydney.
After one particularly long, hard day, Felix found himself sobbing into the phone, In-Hye on the other end of the line. Hearing her voice of concern made Felix cry even harder. How did he explain it to her? She answered every call, brought him medicine when he was sick, made him his favorite meals when he visited and wrote him so many letters Felix had her handwriting memorized already. It felt too good to be true and it terrified the little boy inside of him who had never felt safe. How could he trust In-Hye to truly love him?
“Are you sure you want me?” he asked through hiccuped breathing. “You don’t even know me! What if you change your mind? What if I’m not good enough for you?”
“Son! Why are you crying like this? I’ve been waiting for you for over twenty years. I will always want you!” In-Hye promised. “You’re my firstborn!”
A few days later, an envelope arrived at Felix’s tiny apartment in Sydney and he opened it up to find a bracelet made out of red thread, a heart charm securely fastened to it.
To my beloved son, read the note. I’ve waited your whole life to give this to you again. Make sure to eat and rest well. Love, Mom
Sitting in a courtroom recounting the atrocities that had been done to him while under the roof of Mr. and Mrs. Lee with that bracelet around his wrist felt like an anchor in the midst of an unending storm. It held him together as he finally learned all the details about Mrs. Lee and Mr. Park’s relationship and how it had changed his life forever. The evidence was clear, the trial didn’t take long, but the aftermath of it would probably never stop haunting him.
He had been forced to listen to Mrs. Lee’s side of the story, complaining about being all alone in Saint Mary’s hospital, humiliated and distraught over her newborn son. The heir to Lee Enterprises laid in her arms, only that baby was sick. He would be an embarrassment to the family, and he simply would not! Stop! Screaming! Felix had looked over at Si-Woo and In-Hye, the ones who had raised Jiho, and saw the pained expression on their faces as they listened. A quick quiet moment of Thank God Jiho knew love in his short life, passed through Felix’s mind.
Mrs. Lee continued her story.
The switching of the babies had been Park’s idea. He was an old neighbor from childhood who worked at Saint Mary’s as a janitor and stopped by to congratulate Mrs. Lee on the birth of her son. It didn’t hurt that he knew she had married rich.
“Don’t congratulate me! Look at him!” She had pointed to the baby in despair. “What the hell will I do with a son like this?!”
“You don’t like him?” Park had chuckled, walking over to the bassinet. “What’s wrong with him? He looks weird.”
“Nothing!” Mrs. Lee tried to sound angry to cover up how scared she felt. “I don’t know. But if Min-Seok finds out…” She hadn’t let the doctors tell her what they thought, but she knew it had been her fault her son had been born like that.
“There’s a prettier baby boy down in the nursery, you could swap them out.”
“Would we get caught?”
The question that had turned a joke into a plan, that had turned into hell for Felix.
After naming the sum of money he wanted to do the dirty work, Park had smuggled one baby in and one baby out, barely getting away with it, but, just like he had promised, he never got caught. As he helped Mrs. Lee catch a taxi home with her brand new son, he told her he would keep her secret, but he would also never forget it, either.
When Park called her around twelve years later, Mrs. Lee had known she couldn’t ignore him. Their phone call had been Park explaining how he had been fired “for inappropriate behavior” from every job that would hire him and he needed to use his get out of jail free card. One mention of, “And how’s the boy doing?” had her wiring him money for a plane ticket. After arriving in Sydney, they met up at a dimly lit cafe.
“What do you want?” she asked tersely. “More money? A job at Lee Enterprises?”
Park hemmed and hawed, saying he would think about it. A few weeks later he crossed paths with Mrs Lee and Felix out for lunch. The boy had just turned thirteen and been sent to the school counselor for something he said in art class. He looked like a glass doll sitting next to Mrs. Lee at the table, barely eating, hardly speaking. That’s when Mr. Park realized what he wanted.
“I’ve solved your problem with the school and Felix’s obsession with birds,” Park announced at their next meeting in the dimly lit cafe.
“What?” Mrs. Lee took a sip of her tea and scowled. She had a terrible hangover.
“Get him help.” Park gave her a sly grin.
“Don’t be a smart-ass! You don’t think that’s what everyone is already pushing for? But how am I supposed to send the boy to see a shrink? What if they somehow figure out what we did?! We would be ruined!” she hissed.
“Then just tell the school you’ve hired someone to come to your house to help him.”
“Absolutely not! You know I don’t trust anyone!”
“You trust me.” The sly grin turned wicked as Park announced his demand.
“My husband would never go for it.” Mrs. Lee shook her head, her stomach turning slightly at the look on the man’s face.
“So tell him something else.” Park shrugged easily. “Tell him… Ah! I know! Tell him I’m going to help gentle little Felix become a man worthy of being the heir of Lee Enterprises.”
“You think that would work?”
“Of course. I’ve never been caught.”
The infamous promise that held true until it didn’t. Mrs. Lee was found guilty and Mr. Park’s body was found suspiciously close to another recently discovered body of a man identified as Kim Seon-Jeong, who had gone missing after a famously heated falling out with Mr. Lee several years earlier. Cases were re-opened.
Prison felt too good for them, Felix admitted to Hyunjin when Mrs. Lee’s case came to a close and he watched the woman who raised him be carted away for a lifetime behind bars. Even prison cells would feel bigger than the cage she had locked Felix in. Even knowing he would never have to worry about money again couldn’t touch the debt she owed him for starving him of love and affection.
The case against Mr. Lee took a bigger toll as Felix had to travel back and forth to Australia and recount things his mind had worked hard to erase. It felt like a small consolation prize for Felix to see the look on Mr. Lee’s face the day Hyunjin showed up to court with him. When they passed him outside of the courtroom afterward, walking hand in hand towards the exit, Felix hadn’t even spared Mr. Lee a glance, while Hyunjin tried to murder him with his eyes.
“You’re lucky Felix wanted to do it this way, you scum,” Hyunjin spat out in a low voice, just loud enough for Mr. Lee to hear him. “My family sends their greetings.”
It should have taken longer, honestly, Felix’s lawyer in Sydney told him. Mr. Lee had started strong, determined to fight the accusations which could have drawn out the proceedings. But H.Y.B.E. quickly and publicly cut ties and withdrew all support, the divorce settlement became complicated, details in the Park and Seon-J murder cases painted him as lead suspect, and Mr. Park’s suitcase of secrets had provided a list of names and details of every man that Mr. Park knew had touched Felix and how, corroborated by an old household staff member willing to come testify.
The winning blow had been Leah’s two-hour testimony of all the things she had witnessed being done to Felix when she lived at home. Afterwards, Leah left, slipping away before Felix could even try to talk to her. But she had shown up again for the sentencing, sitting in the corner of the room dressed in black and wearing sunglasses. She lifted a hand in an off-handed greeting when she noticed Felix spot her in the crowd.
“I’m glad you showed up again,” said Felix as they stood in the middle of the lobby of the courthouse. Hyunjin and his parents were waiting for him by the exit, trying not to act like they were staring. “I wanted to thank you for sharing your testimony. My lawyer said that’s really what decided it for the jury.”
“Jesus, Lix.” Leah scoffed and glanced away, still using that same tell-tale sign of trying to hide a deeper emotion with indifference. “You shouldn’t be thanking me. I was a horrible sister.”
“But you didn’t have to do that, and you did, and it matters a lot to me.” Felix studied his sister’s face. Other than the day she testified, he hadn’t seen her since she visited him in Seoul two and a half years earlier. She looked older. More sad, but… more present as well.
“Stop pretending like I didn’t get you fucking kidnapped.” Leah shook her head at him, annoyed. “I might not have called him, but I knew damn well that he would probably be the first person Mum called after she talked to me. And I called her anyway because I was so pissed and she was only nicer to me when she was mad at you.”
Felix listened, his eyes smarting.
“Realizing I’d literally incited a kidnapping and possibly a murder was a pretty solid wake-up call to how my impulsive pettiness can really hurt people.” Leah looked everywhere but at Felix as she spoke. Feeling exposed after her confession, she covered it with humor. “I’ve been going to therapy, or whatever.”
“Leah, that’s great!” Felix couldn’t help but smile.
“It’s not that big of a deal, tons of people go to therapy.” Leah tried to brush off his words, but he could see that way her eyes shone a little.
“I’m sorry about Mum.” Because Felix got to start over with new parents, and Leah didn’t get that.
“Please, that bitch never mothered either of us and you know it.” Leah rolled her eyes. “Sharing the same blood with someone doesn’t make them your family, so I don’t have to claim her any more than you do.”
“Do you want to come with us to eat?” Felix felt a pang in his heart at the thought of Leah being alone in the world. He gestured over his shoulder at his family waiting for him. “We’d all be happy to have you join us.”
“I don’t need a pity invite, Lix,” she said, but she didn’t sound as harsh as she had before. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be back, so this is probably goodbye.”
“Oh.” The announcement startled him. “Where are you going?”
“Don’t worry about it, Lix.” She gave him a playful grin. “I needed a fresh start after all this. My flight is this evening actually.”
“Wow. Leah, that’s great.” Felix reached out and took her hand. It felt warm and soft. “I hope you have a great fresh start. You deserve to be happy and to live without feeling trapped by what they did to you.”
A glassy sheet of tears covered Leah’s eyes. Quickly blinking it away, pulled her hand back, eager to move on from the emotional moment. She couldn’t speak, though; too close to crying to say anything. Felix wanted to hug her.
“You still hear her voice in your head when you start to cry?” he asked quietly. “It’s less for me now, but I still hear her sometimes, telling me to stop or I’ll ruin my face.”
“I said I’m going to therapy, I didn’t say I was good at it yet.” Leah finally shook the tears away and straightened with a composed smile. She cleared her throat and sniffed once.
“You can cry if you want to,” Felix encouraged. “Mum was a bitch and a liar and she was wrong about everything. It’s okay to cry.”
“Right, right.” Leah shook her head and swallowed hard, giving him a patronizing grimace. “Anyway, your family is waiting for you, so you should go.”
“I hope to hear from you again some day,” said Felix, knowing she would probably cry the moment she found herself alone. “And if sharing the same blood with someone doesn’t make them your family, I can still be your brother if you want. Because you’re still my sister.”
“Go on.” Leah’s words came out choked as she gave him a little shove. She tried to smile, convincing neither of them that she was okay. Still, Felix listened to her request and turned to walk away.
It felt bad and wrong to leave Leah without saying the words, but she had made it clear she didn’t want them to have an emotional goodbye. For all the ways their hurt had been different, this felt the worst; she had to start over alone, while Felix had the love of so many. Meeting eyes with Hyunjin, Felix gave him a wobbly smile and his boyfriend held out his hand to him. They left the building, making it all the way to the parking lot before someone shouted behind them.
“Lixie!”
Turning around, Felix saw Leah running after him, her cheeks flushed and cool demeanor nowhere to be seen. As soon as she was close enough, she threw her arms around his shoulders and broke down into tears. Felix wrapped his arms around her tightly, his own tears spilling over.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t let you walk away without apologizing or I would hate myself forever.” Leah lifted her tear-stained face. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Lix. For everything!” She buried her face back in his shoulder, sobbing.
“It’s all forgiven now,” said Felix, his voice thick. “It’s all forgotten. You go have a fresh start and live a happy life, okay? And one day when you’re happy, call and tell me. That’s all I want.” He tightened his hold around her and pressed a small kiss against her hair.
“You really think I can b-be happy one day?” Leah’s lips quivered as she lifted her head again. “You r-really believe I can?”
“Yes.” Felix nodded and wished he could see more clearly through his tears. “You can. So don’t lose my number, okay? Because I want you to call me when it happens.”
“You deserve all the happiness you’ve found, Lix,” she whispered.
“I’ll see you again some day,” said Felix with conviction. “So be safe and take care of yourself until then, all right?”
“You, too.” Leah ducked her head, self-conscious at how she must look with tears all over her face. In-Hye pressed a tissue into her hand. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
“Safe travels.” Felix found Hyunjin’s hand as Leah took a step back.
“Bye, Felix.” Leah’s eyes went to Hyunjin. “Bye, Hyunjin.”
“Bye, Leah.” Hyunjin returned the nod. After she disappeared, Hyunjin glanced over at Felix’s teary eyes. “Where is she going?”
“Fresh start.” Felix gave Hyunjin a hopeful smile. “Like us.”
“Like us.” Hyunjin smiled back.
After leaving the courthouse, Felix’s parents and Hyunjin celebrated Felix and his lawyer, applauding all the hard work and perseverance it took to make sure Mr. Lee felt the full extent of the law. Tears sat right below the surface, but Felix focused instead on the joy of winning, on the taste of victory. He felt like the whole world had been lifted from his shoulders and he really would fly away if Hyunjin let go of his hand. Then Felix told his lawyer goodbye and thanked him for everything. He would be leaving for Seoul soon, hopefully to never return.
Back at Felix’s apartment, Hyunjin and Felix celebrated in a different way. Even in the midst of being tangled up in bed, they couldn’t help but burst out in the most joyous laughter throughout the night. Their bodies and limbs wrapped around each other in every way Felix once thought he would never be able to enjoy. Hands and lips knew him in ways that used to make him sick, but now made him feel whole. He touched and held in ways that used to make his hands shake, but now felt like love. Laying together on Felix’s bed, the couple barely noticed the bedsheets drifting off the mattress in a bleached-white waterfall. Hyunjin rolled onto his side to stare at the beautiful love of his life.
“My love.” He slipped a hand over Felix’s chest to feel the way his boyfriend’s heart still had yet to calm down.
“Mmm.” Felix turned to face him. His hand found Hyunjin’s face and traced a delicate line across Hyunjin’s red and kiss-swollen lips. “My darling.”
“Are you happy?”
The question made Felix throw his head back in another round of hysterical laughter that Hyunjin couldn’t resist even if he had wanted to. They tried to kiss while laughing, but gave up and simply let themselves laugh. Propping himself up on his elbows as he lay on his stomach, Hyunjin gazed fondly down at Felix.
“I’m serious, though,” he said, leaning in to brush his nose against Felix’s temple. “Are you happy?”
“I’m the happiest, my love,” Felix whispered back, his eyes closing as a smile grew across his face. “I feel like I’m flying when I’m with you.”
“Good.” Hyunjin kissed Felix’s forehead. “Will you marry me?”
Eyes popping open, Felix pushed Hyunjin back as he sat up. The sudden motion startled Hyunjin into another round of laughter and he watched Felix blink down at him, mouth hanging partway open.
“Are you being serious, Hyunjin?” Felix asked in a deep voice that still shook a little on the edges.
“I am.” Hyunjin reached over to link his fingers with Felix’s. “Will you?”
“Oh my god.” Felix’s shock wore off into a smile and he dove on top of his boyfriend, arms wrapping tight around Hyunjin’s neck. “Yes, I’ll marry you! Oh my god, yes!”
Hyunjin said nothing, his eyes filled with happy tears and his throat ached with bittersweet emotions. They both had tears on their faces as they pulled back, just enough to see each other. They were both glowing with happiness.
“Do you want your ring now?” asked Hyunjin.
“Hyunjin!” Felix sat up again, his hand going to his mouth. “You already have a ring?”
“Of course I do.” Hyunjin stumbled from the bed to his open suitcase in the corner of the bedroom. When he rejoined Felix, he had a ring box resting on his palm. “I hope you like it.”
Waiting expectantly, Felix stared down at the box, anticipating the reveal.
Slowly, Hyunjin lifted the lid and Felix gasped at the sight of a silver band with tiny diamonds all the way around. Neither of them breathed as Hyunjin removed the ring with shaking hands and slid it onto Felix’s left ring finger. Felix held up his hand and stared at his ring, his eyes shining.
“It’s perfect,” he said as he lowered his hand and smiled at his fiancé. “You’re perfect.”
Hyunjin’s cheeks turned a pleased shade of pink as they wrapped their arms around each other, their hearts still pounding hard in their chests.
The days they had endured, together and apart, to find themselves at that moment had been beautiful, brutal, ruthless and precious. Wiping away Hyunjin’s tears, Felix’s thoughts went to Hyunjin’s parents; a father gone too soon and a mother unable to fully love the way she once had. Then he thought of his own parents; a second chance after twenty-one years apart.
“I love you,” said Felix thickly. “I love you so much I think I might go crazy.”
“I’m already crazy.” Hyunjin let out a wet laugh. “I love you so much.”
Their relationship had been full of long flights, long conversations, long nights and long distance. It had seen them stumble through communication, physical intimacy, trust and grief. It had been a million kisses, a million smiles and a million tears. It had been millions of seconds that started with one, one thousand, two, one thousand, three, one thousand…
***
Returning to South Korea with Hyunjin felt like everything was finally perfect. Almost. Felix stood at the window of Hyunjin’s apartment staring out at the beautiful, cloudless blue sky, his fingers playing with the new ring on his finger. He wouldn’t be able to wear it all the time, as there were some people who still couldn’t know about them.
Like Hyunjin’s mother.
“I know she really likes you, sweetheart, but she thinks we’re just friends.” Hyunjin frowned as he said the words. “She doesn’t know we’re in love.”
But Felix didn’t fully agree; he felt certain she knew something. He kept his thoughts to himself, though, and allowed Hyunjin to make that decision. He could still remember the first time he had met her, just two days after she killed Mr. Park for him.
“Hello, Little Bird.” Her voice had sounded silky and sure as she stood in her kitchen, nothing like the susurrant words in the parking lot that had haunted Felix for months. “It’s an honor to finally meet you properly.”
“Mrs. Hwang.” Felix bowed at his waist and stared at the floor. When he straightened, he saw the hint of a smile by her eyes.
“You’re looking a little less trapped today.” She gestured at the table. “Please, sit.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Felix could see Hyunjin’s confusion as clearly as he felt his own. He pulled out the chair in front of him, relieved to see Hyunjin pull out the chair beside him. Before Hyunjin could sit down, however, Mrs. Hwang stopped him.
“Hyunjinnie, aren’t you going to offer our guest something to drink?” She had taken the spot directly across from Felix and the boy pressed his hands together in his lap to keep them still.
Springing up to his feet, Hyunjin mumbled a quick apology and hurried toward the fridge. His mother stopped him again.
“Aren’t you going to ask him what he would like to drink first?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh, just water is fine,” said Felix quickly, not waiting for Hyunjin to ask.
Mrs. Hwang turned back to Felix, her eyes taking in all the details. Blushing, Felix shifted shyly in his chair. Behind her, Hyunjin poured three cups of water and brought them to the table. Finally, she spoke.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet me,” Mrs. Hwang started. “I can tell by your face that the meeting with Min-Seok went well.”
For a second, Felix’s mind went blank. Min-Seok? Then…
“Oh, you mean my fa-… Mr. Lee.” Felix grimaced as he corrected himself. He felt a gentle nudge against his foot and did his best to not look at Hyunjin. The foot stayed close, the only point of contact they could have. “Yes, thank you so much for helping us find the evidence we needed to get him to back down from the contract.”
“I always suspected you weren’t their biological child,” said Mrs. Hwang. “I had assumed adoption, but… I fear that wasn’t the case.”
“No.” Felix shook his head. “It wasn’t.”
“What an interesting turn of events; Lee Felix Yongbok—friends with the Hwangs.” She tilted her head to the side. “How did that happen?”
“We met at Wolfgang’s,” said Hyunjin quickly. A question he had probably anticipated. “He had just moved to Korea and was trying to make friends, so we let him hang out with us.”
“The heir of Lee Enterprises?” Mrs. Hwang shot her son a look.
“We didn’t know who each other was,” Felix hurried to answer.
“I can believe that.” Mrs. Hwang turned her eyes back to Felix. “I’m sure you’re wondering how I know you.”
The tops of Felix’s ears went hot and he ducked his head to look down at his lap. He heard a soft chuckle come from across the table.
“I’m not sure how much you know about the Hwangs and our history.” She glanced at Hyunjin and he nodded. “I guess you also know a little bit about me. Hyunjinnie would have prepared you for it. It’s amazing how knowing that Lee Min-Seok’s downfall is imminent makes it feel like everything is okay. Thank you, Little Bird. My mind feels exceptionally whole today.”
“I’m glad.” Felix saw the way Hyunjin focused on his mother; the surprise; the caution; the questions.
“You, Lee Felix Yongbok, were my special project.” Mrs. Hwang watched the boy’s eyes go wide. “After the tragedy of losing my husband and the others, I stepped up and began leading the Hwangs. I trained the kids, ran Jiniret, and, secretly, I had my own personal project that I began working on to try to get back at Yellowwood for what they had done to us through Seon-J. You heard about him, yes?”
“Yes, I heard.” Felix nodded quickly. “I’m really sorry for your loss.”
“I knew that we would never be able to hit them financially when we were almost bankrupt, or take down their projects. It was just me and five kids. I also knew those things were easily replaced. Every time my brothers hit Min-Seok on the head in one group of greedy rich men, he would pop up in another a few years later, seemingly unscathed.” A flash of anger ran through her eyes. “So I thought long and hard and settled on the perfect weakness; their children.”
Hyunjin’s brows flickered and Mrs. Hwang turned to him with shame in her eyes.
“This isn’t something I'm proud of,” she addressed her son. “But I was so sick with grief and anger, so I chose you.” Her gaze went back to Felix. “And the seven other children of the Yellowwood members. I didn’t even fully know what I wanted to do yet, but I knew any good plan started with research. So I made profiles for each child, and from the first moment I saw your face on the screen of my computer, I could see it. I knew what Lee Min-Seok looked like, and I would have staked my life on the fact that you were not his son.”
“I-I looked that different to you?”
“I may have a stronger eye than most. I studied faces.” Mrs. Hwang gave Felix a little smile. “When I first started helping my brothers, that was my area of expertise. I studied facial expressions, body language, nonverbal communication. It fascinated me. That’s one of the things Hyunjinnie’s father and I connected over; our love of studying people. He was more keen on understanding emotions and evolving into our best selves. I focused more on the things we say when we aren’t using our words.”
“Really?” Felix was intrigued.
“I started teaching Hyunjinnie how to do it when he began working.” The mother gave her son a proud look. “Maybe you’ve noticed he’s good at reading people.”
“He is,” said Felix, as Hyunjin said at the same time, “I’m not that good.”
The mother’s eyes moved back and forth between the two young men at her table before she continued with her story.
“I had never studied genetics or what traits and characteristics are passed down from parents to children, until I saw you.” She stared at Felix’s face carefully. “There was a time, I think, that I spent more time looking at your face than the faces of my own children. I was supposed to be researching schedules and nannies and after school clubs so I could get revenge, and there I was, sitting up all night trying to figure out why you didn’t belong in your family.”
“And that’s how you knew I felt trapped?” Felix guessed.
“No.” The mother shook her head. “No, I didn’t get that from just a picture stolen from your school file. That came after I had been researching for about a year. The anniversary of the murders had just passed and I was quite literally on the edge of losing my mind, and one night I snapped. I opened my computer; I was going to pick the first child.” Mrs. Hwang closed her eyes and shook her head, remorse etched on every feature. “Before I could, though, I noticed something had been added to your school records. You, who never had any notes or marks or detention, suddenly had something written in red. It was only three lines, but those three lines turned me inside out.”
Mrs. Hwang held up three fingers, pointing to her ring finger as she said, “Felix has been painting caged birds in art.” Middle finger. “He told the teacher he feels trapped.” Pointer. “Request for him to see a school counselor.”
“That’s why you’ve been calling him Little Bird?” Hyunjin asked before Felix could.
“It is.” Mrs. Hwang put down her hand. “I sat and stared at those lines for a long time. After that, everything is a little bit blurry.” She looked over at Hyunjin. He reached out a hand to her and she took it. “But I do remember I destroyed everything. How could I find any peace from targeting children who felt trapped in their own families? Over the years I thought about you and those three lines often. I hoped you were doing okay, that you were feeling less trapped, that the school counselor helped you.”
“That’s why you knew who I was at Jiniret,” said Felix.
“I wasn’t sure that you were even real,” admitted Mrs. Hwang. “My head was bad that day. When I saw you, all I knew was that I needed to tell you to leave. If my children knew the heir of Lee Enterprises was in the parking lot, I knew they would hurt you.”
They’ll hurt you here.
“But you were already friends, weren’t you?” Mrs. Hwang’s expression softened. She smiled when she saw the young men both nod. “Seems a little bit like fate, doesn’t it? That you two became friends despite the history between our families.”
“It does.” Felix gave Hyunjin a teasing smile. Hyunjin held back a laugh. “It was fate.”
“How long will you be staying in Seoul, Felix?” Mrs. Hwang asked, her voice quieter than it had been before.
“I hope forever.” It took everything inside of him to not look at Hyunjin when he said it. “Now that we seem to have a way to get me away from… the Lees. And with Mr. Park gone….”
“Why did you go with Yeji to the warehouse, Mom?” Hyunjin took over the conversation.
“Unfinished business?” Mrs. Hwang looked as if she didn’t quite know the answer herself. Her shoulders weren’t pulled back as far as they had been at the beginning of their conversation. “I realized maybe this was what my secret project was for in the end; to help set the trapped bird free.”
“You… killed him,” said Felix, the words coming out slowly.
“He wasn’t sorry for what he did.” Mrs. Hwang gave Felix a weak nod. Suddenly she seemed very tired and pale. “And I didn’t want my children to have to do that.”
“Thank you.” Felix saw the shine disappearing from Mrs. Hwang’s eyes. “For doing that.”
“You’re the one, little bird. You’re going to bring them all down.” Mrs. Hwang’s hands were shaking on the table and Hyunjin jumped to his feet and went to her side.
“Let’s go to bed, Mom.” He put an arm around her shoulders. “You must be tired.”
“Goodbye, Mrs. Hwang.”
Mrs. Hwang didn’t say anything as Hyunjin led her out of the room, leaving Felix alone at the table. As he sat and waited for Hyunjin to return, he let his eyes wander around his surroundings. Despite all the sad stories he had heard, he could see the love in the way happy, smiling pictures were stuck on the fridge. The pantry was stocked and dishes done. Turning around in his chair, he could see the couch in the living room with needlepoint pillows and a crocheted blanket draped over the back. A book lay face down on the coffee table, opened to a place a third of the way through.
“Hey, you okay?” Hyunjin asked as he reappeared from around a corner.
“Yeah, is your mom?” Felix stood up, glancing behind his boyfriend.
“She’s sleeping now.” Hyunjin gave him a smile and took his hands. “Can I show you something?”
When they walked into Hyunjin’s bedroom, Felix sucked in his breath. A whole side of Hyunjin he had never been able to see before. Wrapping his arms around Felix as he hugged him from behind, Hyunjin let out a contented sigh.
“I’ve been dreaming of memorizing your face in my bed for months,” he murmured.
“Your mom won’t wake up and find us?” Felix had tensed at the suggestion.
“No, she took something to help her sleep.” Hyunjin pressed a kiss against the side of Felix’s neck. “She won’t be awake for a long time.”
That night they had laid on Hyunjin’s bed together for hours. They had whispered and ran their fingers over each other’s lips and cheeks, thinking only of the future and each other. When going back to visit Mrs. Hwang later, almost a year after the first time, Felix had been very careful. Even when he saw her without Hyunjin, he erred on the side of caution, keeping his blank mask securely over every thought and emotion, just in case she saw how in love he was with her son. Over the last couple years, Felix had visited her only a dozen times, two of those times on his own. She had needed some company while Hyunjin and Yeji were gone for a new variation of hell week. She had seemed content to fill the conversation herself, talking about when the kids were little or books she had enjoyed. Once she taught him old Korean card games. Still, knowing how well she could read a person on her good days, Felix never allowed himself to fully open up to her.
Playing with his engagement ring, Felix wondered how long Hyunjin could keep something like being married from her. Hyunjin had had his own apartment for a while now, not too far from Jiniret and his mom’s place, and Felix planned on moving in now that his trips back and forth to Sydney were done, but would she believe they were just roommates? Would the thought of him having a roommate outside of the original members of the Hwangs send her into a spiral of what if’s? She had been doing better since starting to see a psychiatrist and take medication, but it had been a long adjustment period of learning what dosage she needed and she still had long stretches of bad days.
Felix turned from the window to head to the kitchen. Hyunjin would be done with his shower soon and would be looking for something to eat. He had just opened the empty refrigerator when he heard the keypad for the front door beeping and someone letting themselves in. Freezing, Felix held his breath as he waited for the visitor to announce themselves.
Yeji? Han? Minho? Felix went through the list of friends who knew the key-code. No, they definitely would have texted first. They know I’m here with Hyunjin.
Before he could decide what to do, a tall, elegant woman appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, a basket filled with containers of food on her arm. Felix had to remind himself to take a breath when he stared into Mrs. Hwang’s serious expression. She didn’t seem surprised to see him.
“M-Mrs. Hwang.” He bowed at the waist, his tongue tripping over his words. “I-We weren’t expecting you. Hyunjin’s in the shower, I can g-…”
“Felix.” Mrs. Hwang set the basket of food on the table and crossed the room to stand directly in front of him. Her eyes looked just like Hyunjin’s. “Do you love my son?”
For a moment, everything stopped and Felix’s thoughts became so confused and jumbled as he struggled to come up with the proper answer that he forgot his mask. The look in Mrs. Hwang’s eyes shifted as she studied him.
“Because I think I can see it sometimes, but other times you’re so closed off and I don’t know how to read you,” said Mrs. Hwang. “I see the way Hyunjinnie looks at you. I know he loves you so much he would move mountains for you. But do you love him, too?”
“I…” Felix didn’t know what to say. But actually, he did know. “Yes. I’m very much in love with your son.”
A sigh of relief came from the mother’s mouth. Relief? Felix fidgeted nervously with his hands as he tried to understand what was happening, his fingers twisting his ring again. Wait… the ring. But Mrs. Hwang’s eyes had already dropped, catching the diamonds sparkling on Felix’s fourth finger. A long, terrible moment passed in complete silence, the sound of the shower turning off in the background and filling the space where words should be. Realizing what he had done, Felix bit his tongue. He couldn’t take it off now, though; she already knew. Watching the woman’s eyes fill with tears, Felix regretted everything.
“You’ll marry him?” The mother took deep, even breaths. Her hands shook before she held them together to keep them still. Felix didn’t even answer before her eyes slid shut and one tear broke free to run down her cheek. “Oh, thank goodness. You love him.”
Felix heard the bathroom door open and he didn’t know how to warn Hyunjin about what type of situation he was about to walk into.
“Congratulations,” said Mrs. Hwang, her voice breaking. “I hope you’ll both be very happy.”
“I-I shouldn’t have said anything without asking Hyunjin first, though. I shouldn’t ha-…” His words ran out weakly.
A pained expression crossed the mother’s face at the mention of her son. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her eyes and nodded. Footsteps came from the hallway.
“Sweetheart, have you seen the phone char-…” Hyunjin walked around the corner dressed in sweats and a hoodie, his hair still dripping from the shower. “Mom.”
“She brought us food,” said Felix, his heart in his throat. When Mrs. Hwang turned around to face Hyunjin, Felix lifted his hand and pointed at his ring. Hyunjin paled.
“M-mom, I can-…” Hyunjin started, but couldn’t finish when his mother pulled him into a tight hug. “Mom?”
“I’m sorry, Hyunjinnie.” Mrs. Hwang’s voice came out soaked in grief. “I’m sorry I hurt you so badly back then that you couldn’t tell me. I’m sorry I was sick and you never felt safe enough to let me know.”
“Mom, what are you talking about?” Hyunjin’s hands patted his mother’s back, more nervous than comforting. “I-I’m not sure…”
Mrs. Hwang pulled back, her hands finding Hyunjin’s face and holding it gently. More tears tumbled down from her lashes. Confused, Hyunjin frowned at her.
“I tried to wait, to let you come to me when you felt ready, but I realized you were never going to trust me.” Mrs. Hwang gave him a regretful smile. “I wanted to be the kind of mother you could talk to when you fell in love, and I’m so sorry that I wasn’t.”
“You were sick.” Hyunjin shook his head, swallowing hard. “Y-you couldn’t help it.”
She let her hands fall from her son’s face. “You’re happy?” she asked.
Hyunjin didn’t answer. Slowly, Felix crossed the kitchen and stood next to him, his hand finding Hyunjin’s outstretched one. Mrs. Hwang took a step back to take in the couple standing side-by-side. Felix could feel how tense Hyunjin stood beside him.
“She’s happy for us,” said Felix gently, watching the storm of conflicting emotions on Hyunjin’s face. “She’s known for a while that you love me.”
A stifled sob came from Hyunjin’s mouth as his face twisted into a look of pain. Pulling his hand away from Felix, Hyunjin turned around and left the room. When Felix took a step to follow him, he felt Mrs. Hwang’s hand on his arm.
“It’s okay.” She had more tears in her eyes. “He needs time.”
“Are you okay?” Felix asked.
“He needs time,” she repeated. “He spent all these years never pushing me to be better than I was, always accepting me even at my worst. But I’m afraid it has kept him from hoping for much from me in terms of getting better.”
There didn’t seem to be a right response, so Felix didn’t say anything.
“I’m thankful for finally feeling more like myself again.” Mrs. Hwang nodded, as if trying to convince herself. “It’s incredible how convincing anxious thoughts can feel in the moment. They were just kids.”
Three separate sentences that didn’t seem to connect, but at the same time painted a whole picture. Glancing at the basket of food, she gestured towards it.
“I brought you some food, since you just came back from your travels. Congratulations on winning your case against Min-Seok.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll leave now.” Taking a deep breath, the mother stepped past Felix and out of the kitchen. She had just put her hand on the handle of the front door when Hyunjin appeared in the hallway.
“Mom,” he called her.
Felix waited anxiously in the living room while Hyunjin and his mother talked in the bedroom. To pass the time, Felix put the food away in the fridge. He was in the bathroom when he heard Hyunjin tell his mother goodbye and the front door open and close. When he came out of the bathroom, Hyunjin wasn’t in the main part of the house. Quietly, Felix made his way to the bedroom and tapped lightly on the door that had been left ajar.
“Baby?” Felix saw Hyunjin curled up on their bed.
“Come here,” mumbled Hyunjin, lifting one arm so Felix could join him. “I need you.”
“Awww, baby.” Felix slipped onto the bed and Hyunjin hugged his arms around Felix’s middle, burying his face in Felix’s chest. Felix began running his fingers through Hyunjin’s damp hair; shorter than his prince hair, longer than his buzzcut. With his other arm he hugged Hyunjin back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything without talking to you first.”
“What did you tell her?” Hyunjin lifted his face from Felix’s chest so he could speak clearly. He angled his head so he could see his fiancé's face as they talked.
“She came in and asked me straight to my face if I was in love with you,” said Felix. “She said she could tell you were in love with me but she couldn’t tell if I was in love with you. She was so relieved when I told her I was, but then she saw the ring and after confessing like that, she knew what kind of ring it was.”
“I don’t know how to feel about it.” Hyunjin tucked himself tighter against Felix’s side. “For so long it was the one thing I knew I could never bring up with her ever again, no matter how much it broke my heart. And now she’s crying, saying she’s been waiting for me to approach her.”
“It’s okay, you don’t have to know how to feel about it yet.” Felix bent closer to kiss the top of Hyunjin’s head. “It seems like she understands this is something you’ll need time to process.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, sweetheart.” Hyunjin pressed a kiss against Felix’s chest. “If she asked you like that, then I don’t know what else you could have said.”
“She seemed okay,” said Felix softly. “A good day?”
“Is it wrong that I’m still too afraid to hope for everything to be back to normal one day?” Hyunjin whispered against Felix’s shirt. “Because it still feels too impossible to think about.”
“No, it’s okay, darling.” Felix brushed Hyunjin’s hair off his forehead and hooked a finger under his chin to see his face again. “I think as long as you’re accepting her where she is every day, there’s no reason to think too much about the future. Just take the good days as they come.”
Hyunjin let out a little sigh and reached up to touch the expression of love he saw on Felix’s face. His cheeks turned pink as Felix caught his wrist and brought the hand to his mouth to kiss Hyunjin’s palm. Moving the hand so Hyunjin held his face, Felix leaned into the touch.
“You’re so pretty.” Hyunjin’s eyes shone.
“You’re sexy, cute and handsome,” Felix shot back, turning to kiss the palm again. A moment later, he found himself being pulled down and pinned on the bed under Hyunjin’s body. Laughing, Felix tried to grab Hyunjin’s hand as it held him down, but Hyunjin didn’t budge as he found the place on Felix’s neck he liked to mark the most. Soon the laughing turned into sounds of pleasure as Felix tilted his head so Hyunjin could continue to leave a mark. When Hyunjin finished, Felix pushed him off and climbed on top of him, one knee on either side of Hyunjin’s chest as he returned the favor. After kissing the purple skin, Felix snuggled into Hyunjin’s arms and let out a contented sigh. “I can’t believe I get to marry you.”
***
A few hours later Felix sat in the front seat of Hyunjin’s car, the windows down as they raced down long, empty streets in a celebration procession. Spotting the joyous faces of their friends through their windshields, Felix pushed away his weariness to lean into the festivity. Holding Hyunjin’s hand tightly in his own, Felix closed his eyes and leaned his head out the window.
We’re flying, little bird! We’re finally free! Felix looked up at the night sky and thought of Jiho; the boy who had ended up with his life. Jiho was the one reason Felix clung to that made everything he had gone through have at least some sort meaning. We’re both free now, Jiho.
And suddenly the little bird in Hyunjin’s paintings had a name.
Leading the parade of vehicles to the roof of the parking garage, Hyunjin let out a loud whoop as they crested the top and found a crowd of loved ones waiting for them. Hurrying to join the others, Felix didn’t wait for Hyunjin. He hugged Han first, letting out a shout when his friend picked him up off the ground and spun him around. They had spent hours and hours together over the years watching funny cat videos, listening to music on Han’s record player, sharing conversations in the dark and supporting each other in all the ways best friends do.
“Lixie-yah! The champion!” shouted Han, grabbing Felix by the shoulders and giving him a shake. When Felix held up his hand to show his friend his new ring, Han just threw his head back and laughed. “You think I didn’t already know? I’ve been listening to him come up with the most romantic and perfect proposal ideas for a million years!”
“Oh, congrats! He finally asked,” said Seungmin casually as he walked up to join his old roommates. “Can’t believe my old roommate is literally fucking Hwang Hyunjin.”
“And I’ll never stop,” retorted Felix with a wink. Seungmin shook his head as the tips of his ears turned red. “It’s good to see you, Seungmin.”
“Let me know when you’re up for a boy’s night. Chicken and beer. Gaming.” Seungmin gave Felix a smile. He was single again. “It’s nice to have you back for good this time.”
“Let me hug him, let me hug him, let me hug him!” A voice reached Felix as Haewon dashed into his arms.
“Won-ah!” Felix hugged his friend tightly. “Ahhhh! I’m so glad you’re here!”
“Show me the ring right now!” Haewon pushed out of his embrace to grab Felix’s left hand. She gasped, then lifted sparkling eyes up to Felix. “You want to know a secret?”
“Of course!”
“I’m going to have a baby,” she whispered, a hand resting lightly on her tiny stomach.
“Congratulations!” Felix wanted to shout, but he whispered it to keep her secret as safely as she had always kept his. He searched for Jeongin, finding him standing next to Hyunjin and Chris. “Innie!”
Looking over at the sound of his name being called, Jeongin left his conversation and hurried over to Felix, his dimples deep in his cheeks. The two friends hugged, and as they stepped back, Felix whispered a tiny congratulations.
“Same to you!” Jeongin eyed the ring. “Look at us!”
Look at us. The words warmed Felix all the way down to his toes.
Yeji found him next and hugged him tightly. She forced his hand in front of her face so she could look at the ring she had known Hyunjin bought months earlier. She had known, she told him, and she had nearly burst with excitement waiting for Hyunjin to find the perfect timing. And even though she had a smile on her face, Felix could see the lingering sadness along the edges.
It had taken Yeji a long time to get over Jackson. As soon as Felix knew his contract with Mr. Lee had truly come to an end, Felix had told him he wanted to sell S-Class. Jackson said he had been wanting to move away, but had been staying for him and the club. Club 143 took it over completely and Jackson moved back to Hong Kong where he had grown up as a child a week later. Jennie didn’t go with him. Seven months later, they were contacted with the news that he had been in a car accident and didn’t make it. Yeji had spent the next week completely alone.
Since Jackson had no family other than the Hwangs, Hyunjin, Changbin, Bam Bam, Minho and Chris had flown to Hong Kong to bring back the body and clean out his apartment. In his belongings they found the engagement ring meant for Yeji. On his fridge he had a printed out news article about Yeji stepping up to help communities during the economic downfall of H.Y.B.E. hung up on his fridge. Next to the picture he had written, No one like Hwang Yeji. The whole family grieved him deeply.
Just recently, however, Yeji had seemed to shed some of her sorrow and find a closer friendship with someone new. Not wanting to push her over the sensitive subject, everyone had been left to speculate, but the chatter between Chaeryeong, Ryujin, Yuna and Lia had been that it seemed like something. Felix watched now as Yeji smiled at the person walking over.
“It’s good to see you, Felix.” Eun-Woo reached out a hand in greeting. His eyes glanced in Yeji’s direction and his smile deepened. “Has Yeji recruited you to join us back at Bbokari again yet? We could use another steady head like yours now that you’re done with the case.”
“Oh, no!” Felix let out a laugh and shook his head. “I’m not sure I’m suited for that kind of thing.”
“Well, let us know if you get bored and change your mind. Yeji’s an incredible director and would find the perfect spot for you.” Eun-Woo spoke to Felix, but his eyes went back to Yeji.
“Sounds good.” Felix did his best to not grin at the look on Yeji’s face.
With the power dynamic shifting after the epic fall of Lee Enterprises, Cha Eun-Woo led the few others who were honest and willing into a partnership with the Hwangs. Together, Eun-Woo and Yeji continued running Bbokari Boxing as well as starting a dozen other businesses around the city. Before long, they were being mentioned in articles as two of the brightest young leaders in South Korea. Even without Eun-Woo, Yeji found herself gaining the respect of the people as she evolved and changed the meaning of The Hwangs. After the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Park, she had sold the warehouse, signaling the end of an era. Hyunjin would focus on Jiniret, and she would focus on the things she really wanted to do; creating jobs and opportunities in low-income areas.
Catching Chaeryeong’s eye a little ways away, Felix told Yeji and Eun-Woo a quick goodbye and hurried over. He smiled when Chaeryeong gave him a warm hug. Marriage and motherhood looked good on her.
“Hi, Felix! Welcome back for real this time!” She laughed. “I bet you’re excited to finally move in with Hyunjin and settle down.”
“I can’t wait!” Felix let out a dramatic sigh. “We already have so many ideas for decorating.”
“I’m happy for you guys.” Chaeryeong’s cheeks were pink as she clapped her hands. “Let me see the ring!”
“Oooh!” Several other people came running over and Felix smiled at Yuna, Ryujin and Lia. “How did he propose?! Did he take you somewhere special? Oh, the beach?!”
“Oh, uh…” Felix’s face flushed. “No, it was just at home. A special moment for us.”
“Aw!” Chaeryeong waved over her husband. “Did you see the ring, honey?”
“Not on him.” Changbin gave Felix a big, bear hug before taking a look at Felix’s hand. “Looks good on you!”
“We’re trying to get him to tell us about the proposal, but he’s not giving us details,” said Yuna with a pout.
A loud burst of laughter came out of Changbin’s mouth and Felix flushed all over again.
“Wait, do you know?!” Chaeryeong gasped at her husband’s reaction. “You heard about it from Jin, didn’t you!”
“I caught him in a vulnerable moment,” Changbin said with a laugh. “I may or may not have called him right after it happened.”
“That was you?!” Felix jabbed his finger into Changbin’s chest. “I hope it was actually an emergency for blowing up his phone like that!”
“He should have had his phone turned off!” Changbin kept laughing, but his expression softened because he knew he would never have his phone turned off either. Just in case. Just in case.
Before anyone could ask anymore questions, Chris came running over making loud airplane noises with a little girl in his arms. The little one squealed as Chris tossed her to her father, who caught her with practiced ease. Changbin gave her loud kisses all over her face, then tossed her to Minho, who caught her with a shout that made her scream with glee.
“Oh, here she comes!” Minho tossed her back to Chris, who threw her over her shoulder and ran away again.
“She’s getting so big!” Felix watched with a fond smile.
“Don’t you dare say that, Lee Felix!” Changbin scolded. “She’s my little baby girl forever!”
“That’s why she loves spending time with us,” said Minho with a smirk. “We let her do the exciting big girl things.”
Once again, Chris flew the child back over to her parents. This time Changbin took her and set her on his shoulders. She kicked her little feet happily as she chattered about being an airplane and flying so fast.
“Tired yet, love?” Minho smiled as he let Chris lean into him.
“Absolutely not.” Chris turned around and pulled Minho onto his back. Minho wrapped his arms around Chris’s neck and leaned his head against his boyfriend’s. Chris’s muscles went taut as he hooked his arms under Minho’s thighs. “I could do this all day.”
“All right, show off.” Minho grinned and leaned in to whisper something into Chris’s ear. Before he could finish, a loud whistle pierced the air.
“I’d like to say a toast!” Yeji interrupted the conversations happening in clumps across the rooftop. She waited until Felix and Hyunjin were shoved into the middle of the circle, glasses of something Minho had mixed in their hands. “First of all, I’d like to congratulate Felix on winning his case against Lee Min-Seok of Lee Enterprises! I always dreamed I would be the Hwang who finally beat him, but I’m so glad it’s you. You deserve every bit of happiness and freedom that comes to you because of this, Felix. May your future be full of good things!”
Loud cheers rang out and Felix felt the beginning of tears pressing at the back of his eyelids as he leaned against Hyunjin and gazed around the circle at the people he loved most. He spotted Sang-Yi, Do-Hwan, Bam Bam, San, Wooyoung, Mina, Jeongyeon, Nayeon… He waved at them, eager to greet them once the speech finished.
“And now, to both of you crazy kids on your engagement!” Yeji continued, creating another uproarious moment of applause and whistles. Felix’s cheeks turned red as Hyunjin grabbed his left hand and held it up for everyone to see the ring on his finger. When the order had been restored, Yeji’s eyes landed on Felix and she gave him a smile that belied the sheen of tears in her eyes. “Felix, I hope you know how much better you make us. Not just Jin, but all of us. We need your strength, your empathy, your softness. Thank you for choosing us to be your family when you had none. It has been an honor standing beside you.”
Felix pressed his lips together to keep them from shaking as he nodded at Yeji.
“Jin. You little brat.” Yeji laughed, but her tears welled up even more. “My little brother. You’ve always been the most important person by my side.” Her voice broke and she turned around for a moment to try to compose herself.
Felix felt Hyunjin’s arm tighten around his shoulders and he glanced up to see a tear on Hyunjin’s cheek.
“I remember before you met Felix, and how lost you were.” Yeji frowned at her brother, not bothering to brush away the tear that fell. “I didn’t know how to help you find yourself again, and it made me feel like a bad sister. But then you met Felix, and suddenly I saw you again, but even better than before.”
Someone pressed a tissue into Felix’s hand and he wiped his eyes. Hyunjin did the same.
“I love you guys and I will always be by your side no matter what. I promise to continue to work hard to be someone you can rely on whenever you need me.” Yeji held up her drink. “To Jin and Felix!”
Everyone raised their glasses and took a drink. Before Felix and Hyunjin could leave the middle of the circle, he saw Jian take over Yeji’s spot and he immediately felt a lump in his throat. She smiled at him in a way that made his heart want to burst like an overfilled balloon.
“Hi, oppa,” she teased shyly and soft laughter rippled through the onlookers as they watched the smile grow on her face. “I know it has only been a couple years of being family, but I wanted to thank you for being a good older brother who tries hard to take care of me. And thank you to Hyunjin, too, for being like my older brother while Felix was away. Thank you for loving our parents and helping me take care of them. I know how happy they are to have found you. I’ll do my best to be a good younger sister to both of you.” Jian shifted her eyes over the group of mostly strangers and lifted her cup. “To my brother. Congratulations!”
Leaving Hyunjin’s side, Felix went to hug Jian.
“Yah, Jin!” Minho called out from his spot. “You know everyone on this roof would kill you if you hurt Felix.”
“I know!” Hyunjin laughed, his cheeks red as he met eyes with his friend.
Felix’s breath caught in his throat as he remembered when Minho had said those same words to him once. Those words had haunted Felix, rubbing in his face how alone he was in the world. But now he stood on a rooftop and that rooftop was his. His eyes went to Hyunjin and he found his fiancé staring back at him. The rooftop was theirs. They had made their family together.
“I love you,” Hyunjin’s words were spoken too quietly to be heard, but Felix read his lips.
“I love you, too.” Felix walked back to Hyunjin’s side.
“Can you believe we met in a bathroom?” Hyunjin whispered into Felix’s ear, his hand holding Felix against the small of his back. Felix laughed and shook his head. Littered across both their collar bones and hidden under their shirts were marks of Felix’s favorite color.
“Can you believe the first time you brought me here we argued?” Felix smiled up at Hyunjin and felt butterflies in his stomach at the way his eyes dropped to look at Felix’s lips.
“Can you believe that you’re mine?” Hyunjin’s soft smile lifted the corners of his mouth. “Because I can’t.”
“Of course I am. You’re my tree.” Felix leaned closer.
“Pretty bird.” Hyunjin closed the space between their lips.
Shouts of horror, disgust and excitement erupted around them as they wound their arms around each other. They blushed at the knowledge of their friends and family watching them, but they couldn’t find it in themselves to care. Instead, they kissed again.
One, one thousand. Two, one thousand. Three, one thousand…
Felix gave up counting. They would kiss for the rest of their lives and that was enough for him.
The End.