A/N: I'm back! After a year of not updating! :D

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Felix spent the next week playing hide-and-seek with Changbin,  taking to sleeping with the other members or locking himself in his room.   

Jisung didn’t push him for answers, even though it was obvious the curiosity was eating at him. He let Felix hang around him for as long as he wanted and never pushed him away.  Jisung even hid Felix inside his room whenever the Aussie came shuffling in with a sheepish smile.   

“One day you’re going to have to tell me, you know?” Jisung said, scooting over on his bed to make room for Felix to  cuddle into his side.   

Felix hummed,  leaning his head against Jisung’s shoulder. “Maybe,” he said flippantly, very much sounding like he wasn’t. Jisung rolled his eyes,  focusing back on the movie playing on his laptop.   

“You’re a good friend,” Felix spoke up after a few moments of silence. Jisung shifted  and scoffed , nudging Felix with his shoulder.     

“I am the  best  friend, excuse you.”  Jisung said in mock offense, sending Felix a -eating grin.   

“Shut up and accept my compliment,” Felix whined, purposefully pitching his voice in the way he knew Jisung hated.   

Jisung sent him a glare and shot back, “You know how I feel  about your aheago girl voice! The disrespect I get for sheltering you is astounding, get out  of my sight,  you ungrateful heathen.”  

Felix laughed, “Aw, don’t be like that, Jisung-ie!”  Jisung looked about ready to take a pillow and nail him in the face with it when the door to his room opened.   

Both of the boys turned the ir heads to the entrance, Felix’s laughter dying down  when  his eyes met Changbin’s. Jisung cocked his eyebrow and asked, “What’s up, Changbin-hyung?”  

Changbin barely spared a glance at Jisung as he directed his statement to Felix , eyes determined. “We’re talking. Get out here.”  

Felix fidgeted in his spot, anxiety gnawing at his stomach. “Um, can I choose not to?” He asked in a small voice.  Jisung  looked at him in concern before  the  realization  came over his face.   

“So that’s what was up,” he mused. A thoughtful look flickered across his  face and he nodded to himself. “Okay, Felix,” he said,  setting the laptop aside and shoving Felix away from  him . “Time to talk it out with Changbin-hyung.”  

Sending a betrayed look to his best friend, Felix cried out, “Jisung!” His fri end shrugged and gesture d  to  where Changbin was advancing towards him with a determined gait.   

“I mean, it’s either you do it willingly or get dragged into it. Might as well make it less painful for everyone involved.” Jisung turned a blind eye to Changbin grabbing Felix and swinging him over his shoulder.   

Ignoring Felix’s squirming and protesting, Changbin said flatly, “You have no choice.”  The younger boy deflated and hung limply from his shoulder as he sent a miserable look towards Jisung.   

Jisung , the little he was, waved them off with a cheeky smile and wink. “Have fun!” He called after them.   

Felix held in a whimper and resigned himself to his fate. “Hyung,” he said softly, watching  Changbin’s  legs move forward without pause.  

Changbin  sighed, pausing shortly to open his door. “It’s time to talk,” he set Felix down gently and locked the door, moving in front of it to block all escape routes. “Why have you been avoiding me?”  

Felix crossed his arms and ducked his head down. He shrugged and flinched when  Changbin  stepped closer to him. “ There;s  no avoiding this talk,”  Changbin  murmured, “No Chan to hide behind and no  Jisung  to protect you. Just you and me, Lix.”  

Changbin  reached his hand out and curled it around the nape of Felix’s neck. “Come one, Lix.” He cooed, massaging him. “You know you can tell me anything.”  

“I don’t want you to hate me,” Felix breathed out, eyes welling up and lips trembling. “I’m scared of how you’ll react.”   

Changbin’s  eyebrows furrowed. “Felix,” he said firmly, “there is nothing you could ever do that would make me hate you.”  

“You might change your mind after this.” Felix knew full well he was dragging his confession on, but he’d never been more nervous in his life. Not even confessing to those boys back in Australia, still young and only thinking of love in terms of hand holding and hugs. He’d never liked anyone with the force of his feelings for  Changbin  – and it had never been so dangerous to speak it into reality.  

The  older’s  hands clasped Felix’s in his own. “I can promise you fully that I have no capability in me to ever hate you.” He ducked his head down until he met the younger’s eyes. “Please tell me?”  

Felix bit his lip, squeezing  Changbin’s  hands before taking a deep breath and nodding. “Okay.”  

Changbin  looked at him expectantly and Felix swallowed the lump in his throat. This would make or break the entire team and Felix dearly hoped it would turn out well.  

“ Changbin-hyung ,” Felix started, “I have a crush.”  Changbin  furrowed his eyebrows.  

“On you.”  

Changbin   in a breath and backed away. Felix felt his heart break when  Changbin  let go of his hands.  

“You... what?” He sounded disbelieving. “You have a crush on me?”  

Felix nodded.   

“Does anyone else know?”  Changbin  asked, an unreadable look in his eyes.  

“Chan- hyung  and  Jisung-ie . They’re the only ones I told.” Felix replied, kneading the bottom of his shirt. “You... you obviously don’t have to feel the same as me, but I really hope this won’t affect our relationship with each other and the group too much.” He was rambling and he knew it, but the complete silence  Changbin  was still in made him too nervous to function properly.  

He hadn’t said anything yet, but the distance between them and the lack of smile on his face made him afraid. “Felix...” He finally spoke up. “I’m so sorry.”  

Those three words sent a sharp pain through Felix’s heart and he looked down, pursing his lips to keep the tears inside. He knew this was the most likely outcome, but knowing it and having it happen wasn’t the same. He wanted to run away, he wanted to hide in Jisung’s arms and he wanted to cry everything out until he fell asleep.   

“It’s okay.” His voice was small and quiet from holding in his hurt. “Please don’t hate me.”  

“Of course not!”  Changbin’s  passionate reply made him flinch out of shock. “I told you, didn’t I? Nothing you could ever do would make me hate you. I’m just sorry I can’t return your feelings.”  

Changbin  brought Felix into a tight hug, his hair and letting the younger cry into his shoulder. “I’ve always seen you as a little brother, but I  promise  you that this won’t change how I treat you and how I feel about you, okay?” Felix nodded against him and sniffled.  

They separated and Felix wiped his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m just... going to go now,  hyung . Please let me have some time to get over you.”   

“Yeah, of couse, take all the time you need.” Felix unlocked the door and shuffled out, closing it with a soft click. Minho was standing outside, completely still as he stared at Felix.   

“Hey,” he said softly, “ Jisung  wanted me to come find you.”  

Felix nodded, “I was going to him anyways.” Minho looked like he wanted to say something before changing his mind and simply patting his head.   

Jisung  looked up expectantly with a wide smile on his face before it fell when he saw the tear-streaked face of his best friend.  

“Lix?” He asked as Felix collapsed against him with a soft sob.   

“He apologized to me.” Felix breathed out, burying his face into  Jisung’s  chest. He heard his best friend in a breath.  

“Oh, Lix...”  Jisung  whispered, wrapping his hands around the younger. “Oh, baby, it’ll be alright.”  

“I don’t feel like it’ll be right now.” Felix said, hot tears flooding his vision and nose clogging up. “I’m sad and I want to go to sleep.”  

Jisung  laid his head on top of Felix’s. “Then go ahead,” he said, “sleep and feel better when you wake. ” Felix nodded, hugging him tighter.  

“I love you,  Jisung-ie . Thank you for staying with me.” Felix whispered to his best friend.  

“Of course.  I’m with you for the long run,  always.”