Chapter Text

The Prompt

“Minho holds Felix close to his chest and soaks up all the pain from him, and when it's all gone and disappeared, he'll swallow it down so Felix doesn't see the tears on his face.”

Dear Prompter, I’m not sure what you imagined Minho to be or if he was meant to be supernatural at all but I hope you like what I came up with :)

The Characters

Felix: A human in his twenties, studying at university and sharing an apartment with Minho off campus, has recently been broken up with and Minho takes care of him

Minho: Not human*, able to soak up other people’s pain, living with Felix since he saw the other’s ad for a roommate when he needed a place to stay. It was supposed to be a temporary solution but then he found a job close by and Felix turned out to be a blessing in a lot of ways so Minho simply stayed.

*Minho’s “true nature” is based on the  ‘Sorgenfresser’, which directly translates to ‘worry-eater’ or ‘sorrow-eater’ in english. Here you can buy them as plushies with a zipper mouth (so children can write their worries onto a piece of paper and feed it to them, to get rid of their bad feelings) Minho’s true form will be a little less plushy though and a little bit more creepy ;)

The Moodboard

Chapter Text

“Shh, it's okay. Just let it out. You're gonna be okay…”

Minho was whispering soft words and sweet nothings into Felix's ears as he held the other close to his chest, rocking him gently, like a child. 

The younger was clinging to him, sitting in his lap so that he could wrap his arms completely around Minho’s shoulders and sob miserably against his chest.

It was painful to watch Felix’ slim frame shake with the force of it but Minho knew what he could do to help.

Felix had been so, so in love, but his boyfriend hadn’t just broken his heart he had obliterated it. And now Felix felt like he was bleeding out from it while slowly but surely choking on the pain. 

Minho knew it because he could feel it. All of it. Like the pain was his own. 

He was almost glad that Felix kept hiding his face against his shoulder because that meant he couldn’t see the way Minho’s face contorted in agony as he soaked up Felix’ heartbreak. 

He had to do it slowly, gradually, or else Felix would notice. Of course the younger did notice in a way; he’d told him before: ‘ Hyung, I always feel so much better after I’ve seen you ’ but Felix thought it was because Minho listened and cared and let Felix get everything off his chest - not because Minho was a creature that could feed on other people’s sorrow.

Minho couldn’t really describe what it felt like to soak up an emotion like that but if he had to he would have compared it to the taste of dark ink; thick and bitter, lingering in your mouth and tainting everything that came in contact with it. It didn’t go down easily, especially not when it came from Felix. 

Felix was a genuine person, open and affectionate and he felt so much that Minho often wondered how he could even contain all those emotions in such a small frame. 

Nonetheless he took Felix’ pain like it was his job because he couldn’t stand to see the other hurt.

-

After a little while Felix’ sobs died down and the only thing left were soft sniffles and the tight grip he had on Minho’s body as if trying to anchor himself on something solid.  

The older swallowed, again and again, to get rid of the concentrated pain that was stuck like a lump in his throat, choking him like Felix had been before. Slowly he got one arm out from Felix tight embrace to quietly wipe the tears off his own face before the younger could notice. 

His heart beat fast and hard against his chest but Felix kept his eyes closed, seemingly concentrating on his own breath as it slowly evened out - a calming technique that Minho knew the younger had learned from a friend who was having panic attacks every now and then.

“Do you feel a little better now?”, Minho asked, proud that his voice didn’t sound as raw and hoarse as it felt after swallowing down all that sadness.

“Yeah, I… I do,” Felix answered quietly but he didn’t make a move to get off of Minho’s lap.

The older didn’t mind. Strangely he liked having Felix close even though he knew it was better to keep his distance from humans. Sooner or later they always noticed that he was different , even if most of them couldn’t put their finger on what it was exactly that made him not quite human..

“Can I stay here tonight? Just… just so I won’t do something stupid like call him again?,” Felix added quickly, as if he needed to justify himself for his need for comfort. He should have known by now that Minho didn’t mind providing that for him; that Minho would have given him anything he asked for.

“Of course. Do you want to take a nice, hot shower before bed? I can make you that sweet tea with honey that you like and then we can watch an episode of your favorite show until you fall asleep. Does that sound good?”

Finally, Felix turned his head and looked at him properly. His face was red and blotchy, his eyes a little swollen from crying so much and yet to Minho he was still as beautiful as ever, with his shining eyes and soft, freckled skin.

“You’re so good to me, Minho. I don’t deserve you.”

The younger’s smile broke on the last words as Felix’ bottom lip started wobbling, a telltale sign that his mind was digging right into his wounded heart again. 

Minho could take away sorrow and pain but he couldn’t make the wound itself disappear. Felix still had to heal all by himself for that - but Minho would do his best to make sure that Felix knew he wasn’t alone and that the younger felt as loved and supported as he could.

“Just because your boyfriend treated you like shit doesn’t mean that this is what you deserve! It’s not your fault that asshole was too stupid to see your worth. You deserve so much more than that, Felix. More than your mind probably lets you see right now, but I swear, there are people out there who know that you’re precious and who will treat you as such.

You deserve to be loved and cherished, You’re perfect, Felix, just the way you are. And everyone who tries to restrict and confine you to their own beliefs or treats you poorly while blaming their shitty behavior on things you did or didn’t do can go fuck themselves!”

The hearty curse brought a teary smile to Felix’ bitten lips. Minho rarely cursed but when he did, he executed it the same way he would do everything else: with passion.

“‘m not perfect.” the younger mumbled, but Minho heard it nonetheless.

“I beg to differ. Normally I’d tell you to trust yourself most but on this very special occasion I’m pretty sure that I know better than you.”

“Everyone has flaws,” Felix insisted, sounding a little thoughtful but he still had that fragile little smile on his lips that Minho would have done anything to protect.

“I’m not denying that. Flaws or no flaws, you’re still perfect as you are though.”

Felix shoved him gently as an answer, then Minho shoved him right back and before they knew it they were playfully wrangling each other on the couch. Minho quickly gained the upper hand because Felix was a lot more ticklish than he was and he was not above using that to his advantage - so Felix didn’t have any other choice but to breathlessly surrender in the end. 

The younger's lashes were still wet from the tears before but his eyes were a lot brighter and he was finally laughing properly again.

Despite the sadness lingering in his system, Minho felt warmth flooding his chest at the knowledge that what he had done had taken some of the weight off Felix’ soul. Felix was doing better. 

He had done good.

Chapter Text

Minho often struggled with what he was even though he couldn’t exactly say why. Sure, he was feeding on people’s sorrow like a parasite but it didn’t hurt them and they even felt better after. 

He didn’t even create people’s sorrow first either just to feed on it later, like some of the others of his kind did - he simply took what was already there. Still, he had never really made peace with it. 

Sometimes he wondered if there was something wrong with him, if the others actually enjoyed the taste of sorrow, or if it was feeling more filling to them and less like a heavy weight in their stomachs the way it felt for himself. 

Maybe the others suffered less from the emotions they were feeding on or simply didn’t care or maybe it was him who was the problem and he was less skilled or too young to properly shield his heart from everything he swallowed down. Whatever the reason was, Minho often felt like he was lacking or wrong being what he was.

Of course there was also the fact that he was living amongst humans, pretending to be one of them, having to lie and deceive his way into their lives until someone found out and he had to run again - but there were humans who did just the same, who were lying and manipulating their own kind and were absolutely fine with it, so again , maybe it was him who was the problem. 

Another issue was definitely his face. Selflove was supposed to be the key to happiness, wasn't it? But how could he love himself when he absolutely hated his true face? 

He felt way more comfortable in his disguise; with the human face that looked back at him through the mirror right now instead of the actual truth. 

Minho leaned forwards, putting his weight on the sink in the bathroom so that he could get even closer to the bathroom mirror. Like this he could see every detail, every inch of skin that was and wasn’t truly his at the same time. 

He could change little bits and pieces of his appearance, like his eye color, his hair and his teeth, but most of it stayed the same.

It made it difficult to hide and disappear whenever he had been outed as inhuman again so he did his best to alter his appearance with ‘human methods’ as well, like clothes and hairstyle. 

It made it difficult sometimes to feel a true connection to what he saw in the mirror but this time it was different. It might have something to do with how often Felix had told him that he liked his face too - even though it gave Minho a little stab every time he thought about it too much because he knew that even though parts of his current face were still his own, his true face wouldn’t look ‘beautiful’ to Felix in the slightest.

Minho sighed deeply as his thoughts wandered back to the younger.

He was alone tonight, because Felix had gone out to some party close by and Minho, who wasn’t a fan of crowds, had stayed behind. 

He didn’t like leaving Felix on his own but they were already with each other pretty much all the time and Felix needed to go out and get his confidence back up after the break up. A party would do exactly that.

Minho knew that Felix was probably drinking and dancing right now, looking as beautiful as ever without even trying, even more so when he was happy and enjoying himself. Before the end of the night at least a handful of people would have tried to flirt with Felix and take him home and who knew, maybe the younger would even accept and stay the night out and Minho would be all on his own tonight.

Minho knew firsthand how easy it was to fall for Felix’ charms. He’d never said anything or tried to become more than friends, obviously, as he felt like he was already taking advantage of the younger human by feeding off of him. He could be glad that Felix had let him become part of his life so easily, without even knowing who he was or where he came from in the beginning.

Minho didn’t talk much about his past as he didn’t enjoy lying but Felix had never pushed or questioned him for details, he’d just accepted that Minho was there and that they could both help each other out with rent. He needed Felix way more than that though, not just because the younger had become his sole source of ‘nourishment’ quite a while ago.

In contrast Felix would be able to live without him just fine. He’d find another roommate in a heartbeat, another friend or boyfriend … Felix didn’t need him. Not like Minho needed him.

For a moment Minho’s reflection in the mirror flickered in a way that shouldn’t happen, not when he was technically fine . Normally he was better at controlling himself but then again he had suppressed the truth for a very long time now so maybe… maybe it was time to let the monster out tonight.

-

Minho took a deep breath, closed his eyes and started stretching out his neck. Strangely the muscles there always stiffen up whenever he tried to change forms and so he needed to loosen them up first unless he wanted the change to be even more uncomfortable than it already was. 

Shifting back to his real form should have been easy, after all it was who he truly was and yet it took him forever to actually find the courage to open his eyes.  

Minho hadn’t looked at himself for ages, putting it off for so long that it felt even weirder now to see his true self in the mirror again.

He stared right into his own eyes; big, dark orbs that reflected nothing but black back at him. Technically he knew that his eyes weren’t fully black because there was still some white left around the edges but his pupils were so big and so dark that when he looked straight ahead it still seemed as if his eyes were entirely blackened out. Just like a demon would look in the movies.

Minho shuddered as he let his eyes trail further down his features, over the comfortingly familiar slope of his nose, over the sharpened cheekbones, then  back to the purple hair that he had started wearing as a human too. Finally, while overcoming his last hesitation, his gaze ventured lower and landed right on his mouth. 

He smiled, trying to look as friendly as he could but as soon as his lips opened just the slightest bit the image in front of him turned from uncomfortable to terrifying. What stared back at him reminded him of species of deep sea fish that he’d seen in a documentary before: some tiny, gray fish somewhere in the middle of the ocean, unassuming and seemingly easy prey - until they opened their mouth and revealed a terrifying amount of unnecessarily long and deadly teeth. 

His own teeth were just like that. They were too long and too white and he knew that if he pressed the tip of his finger against them he would have easily drawn blood.

Minho huffed in annoyance. It wasn’t as if he actually needed them, he didn’t bite his victims to get to their pain. A simple touch was enough, preferably skin on skin, but with enough effort and enough sorrow on his victims part he could do it with a tight touch through fabric as well.

Minho pushed his lip a little further up to inspect his teeth some more, transfixed by their stark white color - just like human bone was said to be.

Chapter Text

He was so immersed in his self-deprecating observations that he didn't notice what was happening around him - not even when Felix opened the door to the apartment. 

Felix wasn’t trying to be quiet on purpose as he toed off his shoes but he was slower and more careful than usual, simply because he was currently so drunk. When he tried taking off his jacket he even had to hold onto the wall for balance first because the alcohol in his system had him swaying so much.

After he had gotten rid of everything hindering Felix quietly sighed in relief before he carefully walked towards the bathroom on socked feet to splash some cold water on his face - but it never came to that.

Minho hadn’t locked the bathroom door, because he still thought that he was the only one in the apartment. Normally he was also so attuned to Felix emotions that he could literally feel the other’s presence when he concentrated on it, making it impossible for the younger to sneak up on him in games. Right now, Minho wasn’t focused on the other though and Felix was dizzy and subdued by tiredness and too much booze, so MInho didn’t stand a chance.

When the bathroom door opened it took both of them completely by surprise to see the other’s face in the mirror and Minho simply froze in shock. Instead of shifting back or hiding his face or doing something - anything - smart to help his situation he just stood there, completely unmoving, staring right at Felix through the mirror with his big dark eyes and his mouth full of predatory teeth.

For a second neither of them dared to move or speak, paralyzed by disbelief and the absurdity of the whole situation before Felix acted first and slammed the door shut with a bang. 

Minho barely even flinched at the sound. His muscles had all locked up in terror the second Felix had laid eyes on him and he was currently gripping the sink so hard that he was afraid it might actually crumble under his grip. Felix had seen his face. 

His real, actual, monstrous face that Minho had kept away from everyone since the last disaster that had almost cost him his head. 

For a moment everything was quiet again, the apartment eerily still considering that there were two people in utter emotional turmoil right now but then the panic set in, setting Minho’s nerves alight like liquid fire.

Minho jumped into action like someone had suddenly pushed him, acting purely on instinct instead of thinking things through. 

The only thing he knew was that he couldn’t open the door, because he couldn’t face Felix again, not right now, probably never again - so he chose the only other exit there was for him. 

With one single fluid motion he jumped up onto the window sill like a cat, using his strength and well trained inhuman senses to balance there for a moment and look outside to check if there was anyone outside. Despite the fact that it felt like this night couldn’t get any worse he was rather safe than sorry. 

When he was sure that no one was around to witness his escape he climbed through the open window and then further up onto the roof to flee; from Felix, from their apartment, from everything he had held dear these last few months.

His human face was securely in place again as he was climbing up, making his way to the top of the roof and then further, right across. For a moment he imagined what he would look like from below to a human, if Felix would think that he was crazy or suicidal if he caught a glimpse or if the younger would simply see him him for the monster that he was. 

The thought had a sudden pain tear at his insides, like a fishhook lodged deep in his chest. Why did he have to shift tonight? Why did it have to be Felix of all people who saw him? He might have been able to talk his way out of the situation if it had been anyone else, to lie and gaslight until the human who saw him doubted their own eyes.

He knew that it would work because he had done it to others before, but to Felix? He couldn’t imagine looking into Felix trusting eyes and gentle face while telling him that he couldn’t trust himself any longer. 

Minho was trying to stay calm, to focus on the task at hand and not slip up or fall off this goddamn roof but the hammering beats of his heart were blocking out everything else. 

It was already too late. He would have to run away again, to leave everything behind and start anew, get a new home, a new job, a new roommate …

The thought of leaving Felix behind was the worst one of them all so he quickly pushed it aside and tried to think about it as rationally as he could. This was about survival, not about what he wanted. 

He needed to change his appearance again, his occupation, his name…

The memory of what his name had sounded like on Felix’ tongue almost had him stumbling. He didn’t want to lose that. Maybe he could keep it, at least his name but he knew he shouldn’t. Felix already knew a lot about him, too much if he was honest but it had been so easy to open up to the younger, to talk to him without thinking at all about the consequences.

Now he had to pay the price for it. If Felix used the information he had gathered together with Minho’s name to come looking for him he’d find him in a heartbeat.

That was, of course, if Felix wasn’t too scared or angry, too disappointed or disgusted with him to even consider coming after him. 

Minho had managed to climb down a rainwater downpipe and was already halfway through the next driveway when he stopped dead in his tracks. Until now he had only thought about himself, his own fear and disappointment at having to run again - but what about Felix? 

Not knowing what the other might be feeling right now while also being unable to help was a concept so foreign and surreal to him that it felt like someone had pulled the rug out right from under his feet.

He had no idea if the younger was terrified or heartbroken, if he was properly in shock or helplessly confused and the thought of leaving Felix alone like this made Minho feel nauseous. He had tried to make Felix feel better when he was around, not be the cause for his pain. 

Minho remembered when he had started to care about Felix’s feelings first - not just the ones he could swallow down - and how in a very fond, very weak moment he had promised Felix that he would always be there for him.

It had been a lie, obviously, as Minho couldn’t promise anyone anything for the future considering he couldn’t even control his own but in that moment he had meant it and Felix’ smile had been worth all the guilt that had followed and lingered in his heart right after since then.

If he had known that this promise was what would keep him from running away and saving himself he might have answered differently. However, as it was, Minho couldn’t run anymore.

The promise was tugging at his heartstrings, harder and harder the more he thought about leaving Felix behind without even knowing what the other was currently going through.

He… he simply couldn’t .

As stupid as it was to even think about going back, Minho couldn’t help it, he needed to know that Felix was okay or at least as okay as he could be when faced with a monstrous revelation like that before Minho could give in to the voice of reason and run like he should have in the first place.

Chapter Text

There was no use in sneakily climbing roofs now that he had chosen to face the younger and so Minho took the ‘normal’ way of making his way back, which was walking on the barely lit street until their apartment came back in sight.

He knew that what he was doing right now was utterly stupid, that getting back there meant possibly risking his own life and making everything worse for Felix but… maybe he could explain? 

Not what he was or that he expected Felix to still live with him, just so the other would know that he had never meant to hurt him and that he’d never ever harm him.

Minho shuddered at the thought of how Felix might answer him. People tended to act out when they were scared and even though Felix was definitely not a violent person Minho had learnt the hard way that self-protection and defense could look completely different and out of character on some people. 

The moment humans were swallowed by fear - like when they were faced with a monster - they usually attacked first and asked questions later. If Felix would turn out to be like that…

Minho stood frozen in front of the door, completely torn between his survival instinct and what his heart was telling him to do. 

It was stupid to stand here and wait, it wouldn’t change anything. It would be safest to just leave, to run and hide again and hope that Felix would call a friend, someone who would be able to calm him down and soothe him the way no one else but Minho had managed to do so far -  but he simply couldn’t do that, he couldn’t walk away before he had checked up on Felix first so the only thing left to do was walk in and face it all now.

“Please, don’t make me regret this…” Minho whispered quietly to himself before turning the doorknob, ignoring the way his heartbeat picked up speed and how the lump in his throat grew bigger and bigger with every step. 

Carefully Minho made his way in, body tense and senses on high alert, ready to turn around or defend himself in case it was necessary but the further he got to the apartment the more confused he became. The lights were all out and there was no sound coming from the apartment at all. No one was running around frantically or yelling on the phone. 

Had Felix bolted right after he’d slammed the door shut and Minho hadn’t even noticed? Or was he hiding somewhere in the apartment in the dark, probably armed with some kitchen knife, too scared to turn on the light while hoping that “the monster” wouldn’t hurt him as long as it couldn’t see him?

Minho’s heart clenched painfully at the thought of Felix curled up in some dark corner, scared and alone, fearing for his life. Maybe he shouldn’t have come back after all. Maybe he’d only scare Felix further and instead of making it hurt less he would hurt them both by trying to mend what couldn’t be mended. 

Did he really want to see the look on Felix’ face when he turned on the light? Did he really want to know what the trust and affection in those beautiful eyes would be replaced with?

Minho bit his lip to keep himself from spiraling further. He had tried the same thing before, talking to someone that he had thought was his friend, thinking that all the time spent together would make a difference. Instead, he had learnt that fear was way stronger than trust when it came to humans and that being a ‘monster’ automatically turned him into their worst enemy, no matter his intentions towards them. 

Minho sighed deeply. It was better to get this over with. Check on Felix, break his own heart if he had to, then run and move on - if he could. 

With shaking fingers he reached for the light switch, then hesitated again. Should he call out to Felix first? It might give Felix the time to arm himself or attack him - but it would definitely be better than being blinded by light all of a sudden.

“Lix?” Minho’s voice trembled and he swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. What if Felix didn’t want him to call him by his nickname any longer? “Felix? I’ll turn on the light so you can see me, okay? You don’t have to be scared, I’m… I’m not going to hurt you.”

The only answer was silence and so Minho took a deep breath and switched on the light. There was no one in the hallway, no one in the kitchen or in the other rooms that he could see from here. It was as if Felix had never even been here - except that his shoes and jacket were still at the coat rack, right next to where Minho was standing.

Slowly and carefully Minho made his way through the apartment with his whole body tense and ready to act on whatever he’d be faced with. However, nothing happened.

There were no frightened sounds coming from a corner or things that had been thrown at him to make him leave - which had happened to him with other people before. Felix simply seemed gone. The other hadn’t locked himself in his room or the bathroom, nor did he hide in the pantry or had taken a knife from the kitchen like Minho had feared.

Except for the shoes and jacket nothing proved that Felix was home - until Minho realized that the heap of covers bundled up on the sofa was moving.

“Felix?”

Again there was movement but still no answer.

Carefully Minho rounded the couch and saw a tuft of Felix blonde hair sticking out from the shapeless bundle.

“Are.. are you hiding?”

With trembling fingers he reached for one of the blankets, lifting one edge of it to get a glimpse of Felix’ face and then dropping it immediately when he received an unhappy groan.

“‘s too bright!” Felix burrowed deeper into his nest of covers, hiding his face as best as he could. “‘m asleep!”

His words were slurred but there was no trace of fear or deceit in them. He wasn’t hiding from Minho, he was hiding from the light because he had been asleep!

Minho stared at him in utter shock. Did Felix really just see his true face and instead of screaming or crying or freaking out he had simply laid down on the couch in the middle of the living room to sleep?

“Are you… are you alright?”

"Mhhm…headache. Too much to drink.” came the muffled reply.

Minho reached out, hesitantly and ready to flinch back in case Felix would pull away or start screaming but the younger let him touch his shoulder without any reaction at all. 

Minho moved his finger until they met bare skin before closing his eyes and concentrating on Felix's emotions. He felt a little guilty using his abilities on Felix while the other was barely conscious and vulnerable like this but he needed to know.

There was exhaustion, mainly, with a hint of nausea and disgust but Minho was pretty sure that it wasn't directed at him but rather due to the amounts of alcohol Felix had apparently consumed. That was it. No hidden fear or terror underneath, just the effects of a night out gone wrong.

Minho's knees almost buckled with relief. He was safe. He wouldn't lose Felix or the life he had built, he could continue like nothing had happened. He didn't quite understand his luck but he’d eagerly take this second chance.

Maybe the other hadn't really seen his face and had just slammed the door shut before the moment he had realized the bathroom was occupied or he had fled like this because he had felt sick and needed some air or maybe it was the alcohol that had made him forget. 

Whatever the reason, Minho was immensely grateful for it and he would make sure to never get in a situation like that with Felix ever again. From now on he’d never show his own face around the apartment, not even behind locked doors.

With his inner turmoil subsided Minho focused back on Felix who was still miserably bundled up on the couch.

“Hey, what do you say about going to sleep somewhere more comfortable, hm?”

Felix shook his head and immediately stopped with another groan.

" Can't. Dizzy. ", he mumbled.

Minho had to keep himself from cooing at Felix cuteness.

 “Do you think it would be okay for me to carry you or do you think it’s bad enough right now that you’d get motion sickness?”

Instead of an answer Felix pulled down the covers enough to reach out for him and Minho couldn’t help the fond smile that spread on his face. “I’ll take that as a yes then.” 

He lifted the younger up easily, together with all the blankets that he was wrapped in and then carried him into his room like a human burrito. There, he carefully placed the younger on the soft mattress and waited for Felix to move and spread out more comfortably on the bed but the other only sighed and stayed exactly as he was.

“Are you good like this? Do you need anything? Some water maybe?”

Felix sneaked out a hand to blindly reach for the cushion and burrow his head in it. Only then did he manage to answer. 

“Mhm, no.. already had some. ’m fine”

Minho contemplated bringing a glass of water over nonetheless to put it on Felix’ nightstand in case the younger would wake up during the night and be thirsty but the younger seemed so out of it that sleep was probably the more important option right now and disturbing him felt criminal.

“I see. I’ll let you go to sleep then. Call out if you feel sick or need anything else. I’ll leave my door open for you.” he whispered, ready to leave the room but a sleepy sound made him turn right back.

“M’nho?” Felix blinked blearily at him but he waited until he was sure that Minho was listening before he continued. 

“Thank you. For takin’ care of me. Now and… and always . You’re so sweet.”

Minho smiled back at Felix as the warmth spreading throughout his body extinguished the last of his worries.

“No problem.” 

Quietly Minho closed the door behind him, while swallowing down the words that were still on his tongue. They were shaped like ‘Only for you’ and ‘I’ll take care of you whichever way you want me to’ but he’d make sure to never spell them out. Almost losing Felix tonight was enough to bring him back to his senses.

He would play it safe from now on.

Chapter Text

The next morning Minho woke up with a start. His heart was beating heavily in his chest and his throat was dry like he had just woken from a nightmare but he couldn’t remember anything he might have dreamt. Only after the memories from last night came back to him did he manage to relax. He was fine. 

He had messed up but luckily the alcohol in Felix’ system had done its part to cover it all up and Felix would be okay. At least mentally, because Minho was sure that physically Felix felt like hell right now. 

Minho got up, not really trying to be particularly quiet until he heard something coming from the kitchen.

Curiosity got the better of him and he quickly went to check, only to find Felix already up and about. The younger had cleaned up and wore fresh clothes too which meant he had been on his feet for a while now.

“Good morning?”

Felix turned and gave him a smile even though he looked pretty tired. There were deep shadows under his eyes and his hair was only messily put up, something that Felix normally took his time with. 

Nonetheless Minho felt his heart soften immediately in Felix’ presence. He was so weak for the human it would have been pathetic if anyone knew.

“Why are you up that early? You didn’t even make it to your bed on your own last night so I was sure you’d be sleeping in.”, Minho asked him carefully, but Felix just shrugged his shoulders.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

The younger was apparently in the midst of making breakfast and preparing fruit. He was looking down on his hands while cutting but his head was cocked aside as he was talking to Minho. It looked as if his focus was more on the conversation than the task at hand, something that always gave Minho an uneasy feeling. He wanted Felix to be safe - even if it meant not getting his attention this time.

However, he knew from experience that Felix wouldn’t just let him take over so Minho took another knife and joined in to help Felix finish faster instead. 

“Were you feeling nauseous during the night?”, Minho asked sympathetically, but Felix shook his head.

“No, it was fine. I just had really strange dreams, that’s all.” Minho waited for Felix to elaborate but the younger stayed unusually quietly. Normally Felix shared his thoughts and feelings easily so having him all quiet by his side was an uncomfortable change.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Minho didn’t like pushing the other like this but the queasy feeling wouldn’t just go away.

Felix shrugged his shoulders.

“Nah, it’s nothing worth sharing. I don’t even know why my mind came up with it anyways…” 

The last part was spoken more to himself, as if Felix was so deep in thought that he had forgotten Minho was still right there with him. 

Minho swallowed hard. This was not how he had expected ‘everything being back to normal’ to feel like.

“I’m curious though. It looks like you’re still thinking about it. Maybe talking about it helps to get it out? It doesn’t have to make sense. Dreams rarely do, don’t they?” He pretended to be all casual while continuing to slice some apples but honestly he couldn’t care less about them at that moment.

Felix shrugged his shoulders again and bit his lip, contemplating for a moment before he finally sighed.

“I mean, yeah, maybe it helps talking about it but it’s.. weird. And I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, so…are you sure you want to hear this?”

Minho started to sweat. This was going into a direction he definitely didn’t want to go but if he changed his answer now then Felix would still be caught in his own head and Minho wouldn’t be any smarter. 

Maybe it really was just some weird dream that had nothing to do with last night’s incident and Felix would feel better with some reassurance.

So he turned, facing Felix fully who was standing awkwardly at the kitchen table and gave him a smile that felt more like a grimace than anything else. “Sure. I’m even more curious now to hear what’s gotten you all bothered like that.”

Felix looked up at him and suddenly Minho felt pinned, like an insect under a magnifying glass.

“I dreamt that I came home to you last night, after the party. You were still up and waiting for me but you were… you weren’t you. Not really. You looked different, like a.. like some kind of predator. You had these big black eyes, like empty holes in your face and your teeth, they were like…  shit, Minho, are you okay?”

Minho blinked, utterly confused and only when he followed Felix’ panicked gaze did he realize what had happened. 

He had still been holding onto the knife that he had sliced the apples with and somehow, for some reason he had gripped it so tightly and wrongly that it had sliced the inside of his hand. There was blood dripping down the counter but he didn’t feel the pain yet. His body just felt numb.

Felix had seen him after all. He hadn’t been too drunk or out of it to forget and now he knew. Felix thought that it had been a dream right now but he might realize that it had been reality later on or still see him differently now simply because of what his unconscious mind was trying to tell him. 

Felix had called him a predator, with empty eyes and unnatural teeth. He had said that MInho hadn’t looked like ‘himself’ in that dream and the worst part was that it was true. He was a monster wearing a different face - only that Felix was talking about the wrong face being fake.

Minho flinched back before Felix could touch his hand.

“I’m fine, it’s nothing. I’m sorry I scared you, I should have been more careful.” 

“Minho, you’re bleeding! I can help, I…”

“It’s nothing, really.” Minho tried a reassuring smile but it wavered and Felix only looked more worried. “It looks worse than it is, you’ll see, I’ll just put a bandage on and it’ll be healed in no time, .”

Felix took his other hand before Minho could turn away and flee from the situation, the small wound a welcome excuse to hide both his face and feelings from Felix right now.

“Minho, I’m sorry.”

Minho shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I asked you to tell me what was bothering you and you told me. I mean, surely anyone would be bothered if their roommate turned into a monster in the middle of the night.” He chuckled, trying to just laugh it off but it hurt to know that one look at him had been enough to make Felix think the worst of him. A predator, out to hunt him. 

“No, Minho, listen… it has nothing to do with how I truly see you, I promise! I don’t even know why that stupid dream bothered me so much, probably because I know you’re nothing like this. You’re not a monster! You’re as far from being one as possible and…”

Felix broke off when Minho made an involuntary sound, soft and wounded.

“Ah, it’s just.. my hand does hurt a little bit now. I’ll better patch it up.”, Minho tried to explain but the lie felt heavy on his tongue.

“Yeah, of course, sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you..”, Felix was quick to apologize and yet he held onto him just a moment longer before letting go. 

Minho could feel Felix eyes on him all the way back to the hallway.

In the bathroom he left the cold water running, pretending that he needed to cool his hand and find a plaster, as if he couldn’t just easily heal on his own. Another lie to keep up appearances.

Another reminder that he wasn’t quite human.

Chapter Text

Something was different between them after that. He wasn’t sure if it was solely on him and if it was just paranoia that made him feel like Felix was acting differently, but he truly felt like Felix’ eyes lingered a little too long on him sometimes. As if the younger was watching him more closely for some reason. 

Minho himself was definitely more cautious and tense than before, trying to figure out if Felix gaze had always been that questioning or if the younger was simply picking up on Minho’s changed behavior too and was mirroring it in turn. 

Whatever it was exactly that was happening between them, it had definitely managed to drive them further apart.

It was incredibly difficult to handle, even just the small things, like watching Felix hug a cushion during movie nights instead of leaning against him so he could hide his face against his neck whenever it got too scary for him like Felix had always done before.

When Minho closed his eyes he could still feel the phantom weight of Felix's head on his shoulder or imagine that the feathery softness of the younger’s hair accidentally brushing against his skin wasn’t just a memory. His heart kept on aching whenever Felix left his room at night to go to his own bed instead of sneaking under the covers with him for a little while or whenever Felix reached for a blanket of his own instead of sharing Minho’s in search of warmth. 

Nonetheless Minho didn't dare to ask what exactly had brought these changes as he feared that he already knew the answer to it all: Felix had seen his real face and even though he had convinced himself that it had just been a dream his survival instinct was telling him to keep away from Minho at all cost. 

If he was honest with himself he could be happy that Felix was still willing to be in the same room with him. After all you didn’t keep close to a monster, you ran or you killed it, that’s what any reasonable person would do.

It had been quite a while since he'd felt properly lonely, because Felix had always made him feel so warm and welcome before, but now the apartment started to feel foreign again and Minho remembered what it felt like to have the cold creep under his skin and settle there permanently. 

Yet he still longed for Felix, so badly that he rather chose to hurt himself again and again just to be close to him instead of doing the reasonable thing and avoid him altogether.

The strange tension between them finally broke when they were watching a movie together and reaching both for the popcorn at the same time. When their hands met Felix flinched back like he'd been burnt and Minho felt like he’d been stabbed right in the chest. 

Felix was scared of him.

Minho withdrew his hand without taking any of the snacks and made himself as small as he could without being too obvious about it. He tried not to move and didn’t reach out for the popcorn again. He couldn’t have eaten anything anyways right now because his throat had closed up so tightly that even swallowing felt barely possible.

He tried not to think about what else in the room he would have been capable of eating and instead looked straight ahead to the TV, entirely blind to what was happening on screen as he pretended that he didn't notice the way Felix was carefully studying his face. 

“Minho? Can we talk?”

Felix sounded small and Minho instinctively made himself smaller. After a moment he turned towards the younger because Felix seemed to wait for it even though Minho would have rather kept his eyes ahead. 

Facing Felix’ request head on would also mean facing the possible consequences which could be anything from Felix asking him to explain himself to being asked to leave right now. But what choice did he really have? 

This was Felix , the human he cared for and Felix was uncomfortable with him. If Minho had to leave to make him feel better then he would, no matter how much it would break his own heart to leave the human behind and lose everything he thought he could keep for a little while longer. 

“What is it, Lixie?” His smile was sad but his voice was as soft as ever as the familiar endearment rolled off his tongue. It might be his very last chance to use it or to even call Felix by his name so he better took the opportunity. He didn’t want them to part ways on bad terms or for Felix to regret that he had let him in in the first place. 

He just hoped that Felix wouldn't cry. It always hurt the most seeing him cry but it would be even worse now, knowing that he was the reason for it and that he couldn't even swallow down the pain for Felix and make him feel better any longer. 

“There is something I need to tell you, about… about the night when I… thought I saw you after the party.”

There it was. Minho straightened up a little, biting his lip and trying to prepare himself for the inevitable blow. 

“I couldn't let go of it. It looked so real and I really couldn’t make sense of why my mind would have come up with something weird like this when all I’ve ever felt around you was safe. Then there was also the way you reacted, that morning after in the kitchen, when I told you about it and the way you seem so much more guarded since. I know I hurt you but it felt like there was more to it and so I… I started digging.”

Minho didn’t dare to talk and so Felix just kept going. 

“I did some research, in the library and on the internet. First I looked up everything about lucid dreams and hallucinations and when it didn’t get me anywhere I searched for the specifics of what I saw. I still remember what you looked like in my… my dream and somehow I ended up at a forum for old folklore and fairytales. There was a thread about monsters or…not monsters , really just… non-human-creatures or… or people? I don’t know what to call it, I mean them …”

It was painful to watch Felix struggle with his words like this, almost as painful as knowing what those words would lead up to. Felix wasn’t usually insecure like this, especially not with Minho. 

He wished he could have taken the weight off Felix' chest, to just tell him that he was right and that he had uncovered the truth but the realization of what it would mean for himself crept like ice under his skin and made him shiver.

Felix bit his lip when he noticed and Minho felt even colder.

There was no way out of this, no other exit strategy than lying and betraying Felix’ trust to save himself. However, he had already decided that he’d never do that quite a while ago so the only thing left to do was to let Felix voice his truth and take the fall.

Stupidly enough, there was still a tiny little part of him that hoped for a miracle and that maybe, just maybe, what Felix had found was something that he could actually deny. His hope became smaller and smaller though the more knowing Felix’ gaze looked.

“What are you saying exactly, Felix?” he asked, gently, as if this whole situation could end in anything but terror, “What did you find? Are you asking me if I’m a fairytale monster, ready to devour you at night?” 

He kept the details vague and his voice light, hoping the question could pass as a joke but they were both too serious to talk about anything but the truth. 

“No, Minho, I know you’re not.. not like that with me. You could have hurt me countless times before if you really wanted to, I’m aware of that.” 

Felix leaned closer, trying to make Minho look at him but the older simply couldn’t, not anymore. He had done everything to hide himself, had done his best for as long as he could and yet all it took for him to fail and lose everything was one single stupid mistake. 

Why was his heart so goddamn soft for Felix? He should have learned his lesson by now and never let anyone close, especially not someone like Felix, with his beautiful soul and bright eyes and …

“Minho.” Felix’ voice interrupted his thoughts as the younger reached out for his hand to unclenched the tight fist that Minho hadn’t even realized he was making. “Talk to me, please.”

Minho shook his head. They sat in silence for a moment in which Minho felt like he was being crushed under the weight of it and still he kept his mouth shut. Only the gentle squeeze of Felix’ hand broke his resolve into tiny pieces. There was no point in dragging this out, really. Felix already knew too much and he deserved the truth...

Chapter Text

“I don’t want to lose you.”, Minho confessed, his voice way too close to a desperate plea.

“You won’t…” Felix started but Minho interrupted him, unable to take the way Felix tried to console him any longer. It would only make things feel worse later on.

“You can’t say that without even knowing what I am.”

Felix was quiet for a moment and Minho feared that he had done it now, that Felix would pull back his hand and leave him right this moment but instead Felix just cocked his head.

“Does it matter?” 

Minho’s head shot up. “What?”

“Does it matter what you are when I know that you’re kind and sincere and that you were there for me whenever I needed you?”

Minho vehemently shook his head in return.

“Felix, I’ve been lying to you. I deceived you, every day, every week, for months . How can you even think about trusting me again?”

Felix's smile only made Minho feel even more confused.

“Because of this, of everything you are doing right now. You could have lied to my face or laughed at me and made me feel stupid for even thinking about anything supernatural. You could have threatened me or hurt me a long time ago if you wanted or even seduced me, if that’s what you were after. I would have let you.”

Felix' lashes fluttered close as he avoided Minho’s gaze for a moment and the older could feel the heat in Felix’ cheeks mirrored on his own face. He was too stunned to speak and Felix quickly moved on:

“I always thought you were special and you know I have an open mind, so what difference does it make if you’re not quite human?”

Minho couldn't help it, he burst out into desperate laughter. Then the tears quickly followed, all on their own. 

Before he had any chance to hide his emotional outburst or run from the situation Felix had already reached out to pull him in, hugging him close to his own body and rubbing soothing little circles over his shoulder blades into his back the same way Minho had done for him so many times before.

It didn’t make any sense, Felix had seen him and Minho remembered the shock on his face, all the disbelief and confusion in his eyes. 

How could anyone just accept him, let alone someone as perfect as Felix? He was a monster, a scary, disgusting creature feeding off others sorrow and Felix just… Felix was just hugging him and…

“Shh, you’re okay. I’ve got you, Minho. We're okay..”

The soft words were slowly filtering through Minho’s suppressed sobs, soothing him like a gentle breeze. He wished he could have just soaked up the comfort and selfishly stayed in Felix’ embrace as long as the younger would let him, but he couldn’t take advantage of him like that. As soon as he had the tears back under control he wiped his face and brought some distance back between them. 

This wasn’t over. Felix hadn’t fully seen him yet, at least not while he was sober. He might think that he was okay with what MInho was but seeing his face for real, with his eyes and teeth in all their sharp, predatory glory might change his mind. Minho would rather have that now than give himself over to hope just to get his heart crushed later on after all.

“Are you sure you want to know?” he asked, his voice still too raw and vulnerable for his liking.

Felix, however, didn’t even hesitate before giving him a nod and a serious expression. “I do want to know, but that doesn’t mean you have to show me right now. I meant what I said, you can take your time if you…”

“No.”, Minho interrupted him right away. If Felix gave him an out now he might have been foolish enough to take it, just to hold onto him for a little while longer. “I need to do this now. You need to see what we are really talking about. I won’t hold it against you if you change your mind, I promise, I just… I need to do this now before I’ll run out of courage.”

Felix tried to take his hand again but this time Minho avoided it. 

“Don’t, please. Just…We should get some distance between us so you don’t have to see me up close.”

Felix opened his mouth right away as if to disagree but then he closed it again and did as Minho had asked. He even took a cushion to hold onto, the same way he had done during the last scary movie night and Minho was grateful for it - even if it gave him a little stab - for that little bit of extra protection that Felix would have when he’d be finally faced with the cold, hard truth and reality.

Minho closed his eyes before taking a deep breath and stretching out his neck, the same way he had always done and yet this time it would be entirely different. He’d never shifted in front of someone else on purpose before like this and if it felt absolutely terrifying. Like baring himself completely, showing his innermost self with nothing shielding him from judgment but his own vulnerable skin. 

Another shaky breath and Minho finally let go, letting his face shift back to the truth like he had done only a few days ago when his secret had still been properly hidden.

He could hear Felix’ soft gasp before he was even fully transformed and the last bit of courage left him in a rush. Minho kept his eyes closed even after he was finished, keeping his head lowered submissively as if that could do anything to hide what he looked like.

“Minho? Can you look at me, please?” Felix's voice trembled a little and Minho felt like crying again. He could’t and he wouldn’t though, he would just turn back and give Felix time to…

A soft touch against his cheek had his eyes snapping open in shock of their own accord. Felix had touched him! His true face!

He stared at the younger who still kept his hand on his cheek as if it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, his fingers way too close to the sharp rows of teeth that could tear through flesh like a knife through butter.

“There you are.” It sounded so silly and fond that Minho couldn’t prevent the shy smile and only when his lips stretched and his teeth came out did he realize what he had done. He quickly placed his hands over his mouth, trying to shield as much as he could from view but Felix wouldn’t let him.

He gently took Minho’s wrists in his hands and pulled them away from his face.

“Please, Minho. You don’t have to hide anymore. Not when you’re with me.”

Minho swallowed hard but his throat was suddenly so tight that he couldn’t get out any words at all. He wanted to let himself fall into the safety that Felix’ words promised, to just believe him and let himself be but he was too scared of what would happen if this sweet promise turned out to be wrong after all . Maybe Felix was intrigued by him right now, the same way humans got intrigued by car wrecks and danger but it couldn’t last or be something real, could it?

“How many people have you shown yourself to?” Felix looked at him expectantly and so Minho finally forced the words out. They sounded harsh and raw but it still was his voice so hopefully Felix wouldn’t flinch.

“Three.”

“Including me?”

Minho nodded. There had been more instances where people had seen him but the only times when he had shown himself willingly were now with Felix and two times in the very beginning when he had still been stupid enough to believe that someone who wasn’t like him could accept him the way he was. However, no one had ever witnessed his  transformation and no one had ever reacted the way Felix was doing right now.

Despite better judgment, hope started to blossom in Minho’s heart like a delicate flower.

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry.” Felix reached out again and Minho couldn’t help it, he flinched back on instinct at the younger’s words, immediately expecting something negative to follow. 

Felix' eyes saddened but he smiled at him nonetheless.

“You must have felt so lonely all this time. I wish I could have done something to make you feel safe enough to show me on your own.”

Minho quickly shook his head. The last thing he wanted was for Felix to feel guilty about all this. 

“There is nothing you could have done. I never wanted to burden you with the truth.”

“What burden? Minho, you letting me in won’t ever be a burden to me. You helped me so much, I don’t think you even realize how much it meant to me that you were there for me all this time. You allowed me to share my feelings, all of them, even if they were overwhelming. I’ve been told by others how uncomfortable it is for them that I feel so much,that I’m too childish and too emotional and should get a hold of myself. But you listened and took me seriously, like all of my thoughts and worries mattered to you. I feel like I can truly be myself around you, no matter what. 

So let me do the same for you, please. You not being entirely human is such a small thing considering everything else there is to say about you, there are so many reasons to lo… “ Felix broke off, a soft blush dusting his cheeks and coloring his skin. “So many reasons to like you. Our friendship doesn’t have to change now.”

Minho swallowed hard. This was the second time now that Felix had stumbled over his words and accidentally revealed something new to Minho. Had Felix really meant to say he loved him? Sure, Felix told his friends that he loved them too and there was absolutely nothing romantic about that but the way the younger had reacted and then rephrased it made Minho push a little further, just to be certain.

“Would you like that? For our relationship to change?”

Felix stilled and his eyes widened, as if he’d been caught red-handed. The soft blush from before darkened and spread out all over Felix’ cheekbones, emphasizing his freckles in a way that Minho found utterly adorable.

“N..no? I mean…what do you mean? We’re friends, we’ve always been… aren’t we?”

Minho just cocked his head. He still hadn’t gotten over the initial shock of Felix just accepting who he was and now it looked as if there was something even more unbelievable going on.

“Felix”, he softly interrupted the younger’s stutter, looking at him in a mixture of disbelief and hope.,“Do you actually like me more than that?”

Felix didn’t stand a chance, not with Minho looking at him like that, with curious eyes and open wonder.

Felix took a careful, trembling breath before biting his lip and casting down his eyes.

“Yes, I… I do. That’s not important right now though, you can just forget about it, I don’t want you to feel pressured. I’m not expecting anything from you in return and I promise, I swear , I won’t change my mind about you or do something stupid like out you for revenge to someone else after you reject me or anything like that, I know you wouldn’t…”

“Woah, woah, wait a second!” Minho placed his hands on Felix’ shoulder to make him stop talking. The younger had just confessed to him and instead of giving him a chance to react he had already given him an out right after, as if Felix was absolutely certain that Minho couldn’t feel anything for him in return.

Even now the younger didn’t look at him and for an awful moment Minho felt as if their roles from before were reversed now, with Felix offering up his truth and expecting Minho to break his heart for it in return.

“You seem awfully sure that I’ll reject you or could only want to be with you to hide my secret. Do you mind telling me why?”

Felix’ eyes snapped up to him in surprise. Minho had never been cruel to him before but asking him to spell out exactly why Minho didn’t love him felt pretty cold.

“Because… we’ve been living together for so long and… you’ve seen all of me. The childish side, the way I get pathetic when I’m in love, how needy I can get, how moody, how…”

Minho just smiled at him and Felix broke off, his heart clenching uncomfortably in his chest. 

“Felix, darling, are you really telling me right now that you think I can’t love you because I’ve seen all of you - right after you did exactly that for me? You know my secret now, you’ve literally seen all of my faces and still, you told me that you have feelings for me. How does it make sense for you that you can love me but I can’t love you in return?”

“But that’s different! You’re warm and compassionate and kind and patient and caring and…”

“And very, very close to visiting all of those awful exes of yours to make them regret that they ever made you feel like you are not any of those things. Yes, I’ve seen different sides of you but everyone has those. Most importantly though, it didn’t make me see you as bad or less , it only made me love you even harder!”

Only when he was met with silence did Minho realize that he had just confessed now in return, probably not in the best way possible considering he had started it with threatening violence to Felix’ exes. If he was honest though he hadn’t thought that he’d ever get to tell Felix about his feelings at all so it was probably fine that it didn't go perfect as long as it had happened. Now it was on Felix to decide what to do with that. 

“Do … do you mean that?” Felix’ eyes were shocked and shiny and his bottom lip wobbled suspiciously  “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better or to… to keep me quiet about all this?”

Minho inched closer, his face morphing back into his human version as the fondness overpowered everything else. 

“No, sweetheart. I’d never do that to you. This isn’t even new to me or something I’ve just figured out, I’ve…” he took a deep breath and then decided to let all his holed up emotions spill out. Felix had seen the ugly part of him and had stayed nonetheless, there was no reason to run from what Minho considered the most beautiful part of himself; his feelings for Felix. 

“I’ve been in love with you for quite some time now. I don’t see it as a ‘weakness’ that you feel so much, I love that you allow yourself to still be soft and gentle, even after the countless heartbreaks you’ve endured so far. I love the way your smile lights up a whole room and how your eyes carry so much of your soul. I love the way you’re so responsive and how you can’t really hide it when you’re hurt or sad, because I want to be there for you when that happens.

And not just for selfish reasons. I want you to rely on me and to keep you safe and happy and smiling for as long as I can. Will you let me do that?”

Instead of an answer Felix threw himself forward, hiding his face in Minho’s neck and sobbing into his shoulder. He was still trying to talk through his tears though which made his words come out choked and dampened. Minho still managed to understand. He would always understand him. 

“Wh..why didn’t.. didn’t you say any..thing before?” 

Carefully Minho caressed Felix’ back the way he knew would calm the other down. He had dried Felix’ tears so many times before but never like this, with himself being the reason.

“I would have never said anything to you if you hadn’t found out about me. It wouldn’t have been fair to you, roping you in without telling you the truth about me.”

Felix laughed, a wet little huff that made Minho’s mouth quirk up as well on its own accord. Felix’ emotions had always been contagious to him. 

“So you.. you would have just continued to watch me p..pine after you?”

Minho immediately shook his head. “I didn’t know you were pining, I would have never thought that someone like you …”

A small fist softly hitting his shoulder effectively shut him up.

“For s..someone who eats up feelings you still have an awful lot to learn about them.”, came the teasing reply from right against his shoulders.

“Hmm.” Minho smiled. It was strange to hear Felix talk about his nature and not react with terror or fear but he definitely could get used to that. “Teach me then?”

Felix raised his head at that request. “Teach you about feelings?” 

The younger’s tears had already stopped flowing but there were still some streaks along his cheeks. Minho took it as an invitation to gently cradle Felix’ face in his hands and wipe the tears off of him with his thumbs.

“Tell me whatever you want. I’ll listen.”

“Hmmm..” Felix’ eyes dropped down to Minho’s mouth and then back up to give him a contemplating look. “I can think of one or two things to teach you that feel a lot more important right now..”

Minho’s mouth suddenly felt dry but somehow he still managed to make his voice work. “Go for it then. You won’t have to hold back with me” 

It was very quiet, almost a whisper but Felix was so close that he could hear it just the same.

Their breaths mingled as Felix leaned in slow, so excruciatingly slow that Minho felt ready to vibrate out of his own skin. Right before their lips met Felix hesitated and Minho’s heart dropped in his chest but the younger just whispered a promise, right against his mouth.

“Just so you know - I’m gonna kiss you in your true form too someday. So you better not kiss with your teeth.”

Then Felix's mouth was on his and Minho gasped in response. 

Felix tasted salty and sweet, as the salt of his tears mixed with his natural sweetness. His mouth was warm and soft and already way too addicting for their very first kiss. Minho pulled Felix closer, right into his lap and Felix went willingly, putting his arms around Minho’s neck to be able to get even closer to him.

The human fitted so perfectly against his body that Minho sighed in content, an invitation that Felix immediately took to deepen their connection. Felix kissed him the way he did everything else; with passion, while putting his whole heart into it and Minho was grateful that he was already sitting because he could feel his knees getting weak at the way Felix’ tongue slipped into his mouth.

“You have no idea how long I wanted to do this..” Felix sighed against his mouth in between kisses, his breath fanning hot and sweet over Minho’s lips. 

The older felt dizzy with need right now and so it took him a while to respond. “You can tell me all about it. We have all the time in the world now. I don’t have a reason to run anymore.”

Felix smiled softly before diving in for another kiss.

“No more secrets and no more hiding. You can always tell me the truth now. And in return I promise that you’ll always have a reason to stay.”

A little extra - or 'epilogue for the curious'

For those of you that are worried about how Minho will feed himself now that Felix will be happier than ever because of him: Don’t worry, he won’t starve himself, he’ll still get his fill ;) 

Apart from the fact that Minho can go for longer periods without ‘eating’ and be just fine, he regularly gets a ‘nice meal’ from Felix watching heartbreaking movies with him during their movie nights (Felix enjoys those kinds of movies in general but he likes it even better now that he knows that Minho gets to feed from him afterwards ;))

Whenever Minho needs something more or different he can also call Felix’ friend Jisung (btw he was the one that taught Felix the breathing exercises that are mentioned in chapter one). 

Jisung has his anxiety mostly under control by now but it's still easier to know that there’s a way to make it ‘go away’ if he needs to. Whenever he feels like things are getting too much he can just call Minho and the other will make it better for him in an instant. 

Felix insists on Minho telling Jisung the truth though and even though Minho is terrified that Jisung might react differently from Felix he still trusts his boyfriend's opinion, so he does. 

The first time Jisung sees Minho's real face he lets out a high pitched scream (one that he later vehemently denies ever making) but after some adjustment time he's cool with Minho not being human.

It kind of snowballs from here because Jisung can't keep his mouth shut even if he tried (and no one told him to keep this a secret because both Felix and Minho thought that it was obvious that you’re not supposed to talk about your friend's boyfriend's inhuman nature to anyone) so Minho ends up with five other people knowing about him (aka Chan, Changbin, Hyunjin, Seungmin and Jeongin) 

Instead of treating Minho like a monster they take him as he is which does wonders for Minho’s self esteem. They do still tease him about his true face sometimes, but gently and in the same way they also tease each other (for example Changbin for his fondness of Hyunjin ;))

They also dare Minho to go as himself on Halloween and are dying with laughter when a girl about half Minho's size tells him he needs to “try harder next year” cause he's “really not that scary.” 

Minho pretends to be all huffy and indignant about it but he’s secretly very touched (and it helps heal the part inside of him that still insists he’s a monster even though that part has become smaller and smaller over time.) Somehow seeing himself in the mirror hasn't felt so horrible lately and he's not quite sure if it's because of Felix's love, the acceptance of his friends or both of it combined.

The only thing he does know for sure is that he's feeling happier than ever -and no amount of sorrow or anxiety for dinner could change that. 

The (very) happy end ;)