Chapter Text
“Yup, I look good tonight.”
The restroom mirror reflected someone Felix had learned to love slowly. The boy with pale, freckled skin, soft brown eyes, and honey blonde hair tucked behind one ear.
He tilted his head, admiring the glow of his cheekbones under the dim lights, the gentle flutter of lashes that caught even the faintest glimmer. He pulled a lipstick from his pocket. A warm nude shade and leaned closer, applying it as if a ritual. The color made him feel alive, bold, pretty.
For a moment, he smiled at his reflection. I definitely look better than before.
Outside, music pulsed through the building, the bass thrumming like a heartbeat. The rooftop party was already in full swing when Felix stepped out, tucking the lipstick back into his pocket. The evening sky was an indigo dream, dotted with fairy lights strung across the edges of the terrace.
Laughter and chatter filled the air, glasses clinking, and the occasional flash of a camera capturing fleeting memories.
Felix slipped into the crowd, where his friends were gathered near a high table, nursing colorful cocktails with tiny cute umbrellas. “There you are,” Jeongin teased, raising a brow. “Fixing your face for someone special?”
Felix chuckled, settling next to them and reaching for the drink waiting for him was a bright pink concoction with a sugared rim. “For myself,” he replied, taking a sip. Sweetness and citrus danced on his tongue, warming him from the inside out. He felt good tonight, light as air, ready for nothing more than laughter and clinking glasses.
But then he walked in.
Hwang Sam.
Felix didn’t know his name yet, but the moment his gaze landed on the tall figure cutting through the crowd, the rest of the party blurred like background noise. Sam was denim and devastation, every line of his body sharp yet fluid. The sleeveless, faded vest clung to lean muscles in a way that suggested he hadn’t tried at all, but it didn’t matter. His jet-black, shoulder length hair was tied back lazily, strands falling loose, framing his jawline with maddening perfection. And his face? Oh God, his face. It wasn’t just handsome. It was magnetic. The kind of face that made you forget how to breathe, the kind of presence that didn’t just demand attention but owned it.
Felix felt it in his chest like a sudden drop. An ache. A silent, dizzying question: Who is he?
“Don’t even think about it,” Jeongin muttered beside him, breaking his trance. Felix blinked. “What?”
“That’s Hwang Sam,” his friend explained, leaning in as if saying the name too loudly would summon trouble. “He’s… bad news. Infamous, actually. Fuck boy. The kind of guy who’ll call you baby one night and forget your name the next morning.”
Felix’s heart stuttered, but his eyes betrayed him, dragging back to where Sam stood, laughing with someone by the bar. Even from across the rooftop, Sam’s smirk felt like a dare. “Seriously, Felix,” Jeongin warned. “Avoid him at all costs.”
But Felix couldn’t. Not when Sam looked like a living sin, carved out of sunlight and shadow, not when the pull was this strong. His fingers tightened around his glass.
As if sensing it, Sam turned. Their eyes locked. Felix froze.
A slow, knowing smirk spread across Sam’s lips. the kind of smile that said he’d caught someone’s secret and intended to keep it. Heat rushed to Felix’s face, and he quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the condensation dripping down his cocktail glass.
The night pressed on, but Felix’s thoughts stayed tangled around Sam like vines. He laughed at his friends’ jokes, nodded at the stories, but every time he glanced toward the bar, Sam was there, leaning casually, shoulders broad, eyes glimmering like something untamed.
When Felix’s drink ran dry, he excused himself, weaving through the crowd toward the table stacked with bottles and mixers. He reached for a new glass, his hand brushing cool metal as he poured, and only then did he realize someone had stepped beside him.
Sam.
So close he could smell the faint leather and warm spice of his cologne. Felix’s body went rigid, and instinctively, he glanced up and made the mistake of meeting Sam’s gaze again. Those dark eyes burned with mischief. Sam tilted his head slightly, a playful curl on his lips. “You’re staring, sunshine,” he murmured, his voice low and smooth, like velvet wrapping around every syllable.
Felix blinked, heart pounding, lips parting but no words came out. Felix couldn’t move. Sam’s words lingered between them, like static waiting to strike. Sunshine. No one had ever called him that. It felt dangerous and warm all at once, curling inside his chest, making his breath catch.
“I—I wasn’t staring,” Felix managed, voice barely above the music thrumming through the rooftop speakers.
Sam’s smirk deepened, his gaze unwavering. “You’re a bad liar,” he said, picking up a bottle of whiskey and pouring himself a drink. He moved with a slow confidence, every motion deliberate, as if he knew Felix couldn’t look away.
Felix’s cheeks burned. He grabbed a fresh cocktail, hoping the cold glass might steady his trembling fingers. “I wasn’t,” he repeated weakly, but even he didn’t believe himself.
Sam leaned slightly closer, his arm brushing Felix’s as he reached for a lime wedge. The contact was brief, casual, yet Felix felt it like fire against his skin. He hated how much it rattled him.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” Sam asked, voice lower now, intimate in the chaos of the party. Felix hesitated. “Does it matter?”
“Not really,” Sam said with a shrug, sipping his drink. “Just makes sense. A face like yours? I’d remember if I’d seen it before.”
No one had ever looked at him this way, like they saw past the layers of lipstick, freckles, and bravado. He turned away quickly, forcing himself back toward his table before he drowned in those dark, teasing eyes.
“ Felix! ” Jeongin waved him over as soon as he returned, giving him a look that was almost annoyed but worried. “What took you so long?”
Felix tried to sound nonchalant. “Just... picking a drink.”
Jeongin’s gaze flicked toward the bar, where Sam now leaned casually, watching Felix with that same infuriating smirk. “Don’t tell me he talked to you,” Jeongin groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
Felix’s silence said enough. “Felix, I’m serious,” Jeongin whispered, leaning closer. “Hwang Sam is trouble. He’s the type to make you feel like the only person in the room, just before he forgets you exist.”
Felix swallowed hard. Maybe Jeongin was right. Maybe Sam’s kind of charm was poison dressed as candy. But as Sam’s gaze locked with his from across the rooftop, Felix couldn’t ignore the pull. It was magnetic, reckless, like standing on the edge of a cliff and wanting to jump just to see what it felt like.
Minutes later, Felix found himself drifting again, his friends lost in their own conversations. The party had grown louder, wilder, dancing bodies, flashing lights, the scent of alcohol and something electric in the night air. Felix slipped away, following the string of fairy lights toward the far end of the rooftop, where the city sprawled out below like a glittering sea.
He didn’t expect Sam to follow.
“Careful, sunshine.” The voice sent shivers through him. Felix turned to see Sam leaning against the railing, his sleeveless denim vest open just enough to tease a glimpse of his toned stomach. Under the soft lights, his skin looked golden, his black hair loose now, brushing his cheekbones.
Felix’s breath stopped again. Devastating. There was no other word.
“Why are you calling me that?” Felix asked, trying to sound steady. Sam stepped closer, the distance between them shrinking to something dangerous. “Because you look like sunshine,” he said simply. “Warm. Bright. Impossible to ignore.”
Felix’s heart hammered against his ribs. He gripped the edge of the railing, afraid his knees might give out. “You don’t even know me,” Felix whispered.
Sam tilted his head, eyes glinting. “So? I know enough. I know you’ve been staring all night. I know you’re not like the rest of them. I’m Sam by the way.”
Felix bit his lip, looking away toward the city lights, but Sam’s hand suddenly brushed against his. Light, fleeting, but enough to send heat rushing through his veins. “You should stay away from me,” Felix said, but it didn’t sound like a warning. It sounded like a plea he wasn’t sure he believed.
Sam chuckled softly, low and rough, leaning just close enough for Felix to feel the warmth radiating off him. “I don’t think you want me to.”
Felix’s phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him back. It was Jeongin, probably wondering where he’d gone.
Sam’s eyes lingered on his lips, on the rose-colored smudge he’d carefully applied in the restroom earlier. “That color suits you,” Sam murmured, his tone like silk. Felix’s breath trembled. “I should… go back.”
“Go on, then.” Sam leaned back casually, but the look in his eyes promised this wasn’t over. “I’ll find you later, sunshine.”
The rooftop had shifted from wild laughter and cocktails to something softer as midnight approached. The DJ slowed the tempo, letting a mellow track roll through the air. The city lights shimmered beyond the railing like fireflies, and Felix found himself leaning against a high table, watching people sway to the rhythm.
His phone buzzed with another message.
[Jeongin: Where did you disappear to again? Don’t let Sam get to you.]
Felix sighed. He wasn’t sure if it was too late for that warning.
Because here he came, Sam, all denim and mischief, threading through the crowd with the ease of someone who owned every pair of eyes in the room. Felix tried to focus on his cocktail, on the condensation dripping down its side, but he felt Sam’s presence before he saw him.
“You really think you can hide from me, sunshine?” Felix turned, startled. Sam was already there, leaning against the table, close enough for Felix to smell his cologne again, warm spice mixed with something darker. The slow, almost predatory curve of his smile made Felix’s breath catch.
“I wasn’t hiding,” Felix muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.
“Sure you weren’t,” Sam said, his tone amused as he reached for the last slice of lime on the table and bit into it. His jaw flexed, and Felix found himself staring. Again.
Sam’s gaze softened but grew sharper all at once. “You know, if you stare at me like that, I might start to believe you want me.”
Felix’s chest tightened. Maybe I do, he thought but didn’t say. He turned toward the railing instead, trying to escape the gravity between them. But Sam followed, stepping so close Felix felt the heat of his body against his back. “Dance with me,” Sam murmured.
Felix blinked, flustered. “There’s no dance floor.” Sam grinned, tilting his head toward the crowd of people lazily swaying near the DJ booth. “There is if we make one.”
Felix didn’t know how it happened. One moment he was gripping his drink like a prize, and the next, Sam had taken it gently from his hand and set it aside. The music’s slow rhythm wrapped around them as Sam’s hand found Felix’s waist, warm and steady. Felix’s pulse stuttered. “Yah—”
“Relax, sunshine,” Sam whispered, his lips dangerously close to Felix’s ear. “You’re too tense for someone who’s been looking at me like I’m the last star in the sky.”
Felix hated how much Sam’s voice crawled under his skin, how easily he could unravel Felix’s composure. Still, he let Sam guide him into a slow, swaying rhythm, their bodies just close enough to feel the heat between them.
Sam’s fingers traced the hem of Felix’s shirt. “You really are something, sunshine. Soft, but not breakable. I like that.”
Felix tried to step back, but Sam’s gaze pinned him in place. It wasn’t just the infamous smirk this time. There was something unspoken, an intensity Felix couldn’t name. Before Felix could respond, the crowd shifted, and someone new entered the rooftop.
He wasn’t expecting to see him.
At first, Felix thought his mind was playing tricks on him. The man walking into the party looked like Sam, same sharp jaw, same dark eyes, but dressed in a way that screamed the opposite of Sam’s wildness. A white button-down shirt tucked neatly into dark slacks, black tie knotted perfectly, glasses catching the light. The contrast was striking: where Sam looked like chaos, this one looked like order, like control.
Felix couldn’t look away. “Ah,” Sam muttered, following Felix’s gaze. His smirk faltered. “Of course he’d show up.”
“Who…?” Felix asked, his voice quiet. Sam’s tone was clipped when he replied. “Hwang Hyunjin. My twin brother.”
Felix’s eyes widened. “Twin?”
Sam chuckled without humor, leaning down so his breath brushed Felix’s ear. “Don’t get any ideas, sunshine. He’s nothing like me.”
Felix wasn’t so sure. Hyunjin had already drawn half the party’s attention just by existing. His composed aura was magnetic in a way that was entirely different from Sam’s fire. And when Hyunjin’s gaze swept the rooftop and landed on Felix, it felt like time stopped.
Hyunjin didn’t approach right away. He stood near the bar, speaking to someone briefly, his expression unreadable. Felix couldn’t shake the feeling that Hyunjin was sizing him up or maybe silently asking why Sam’s hand was on his waist.
Sam noticed too. His grip tightened slightly, and he leaned closer, his voice low. “Don’t let him fool you with that polished act. He’s got sharp edges too.” Felix didn’t respond. Because for the first time that night, his thoughts weren’t tangled around Sam. They were drifting toward Hyunjin. Toward the quiet power in the way he adjusted his glasses, the soft glint in his eyes that seemed to see straight through him.
The song ended, and Felix pulled away, needing space, air, something.
“I need another drink,” he said quickly, slipping from Sam’s hold. Sam’s smirk returned, but there was something tense behind it now. “Go on, sunshine. But don’t let him charm you. He’s good at pretending to be the good guy.”
Felix ignored him and made his way toward the bar, his pulse quickening. Hyunjin was already there.
Their eyes met again, and Hyunjin’s lips curved into the faintest, most devastating smile. “You look like you could use something stronger,” he said, his voice smooth but carrying an undercurrent of amusement.
The blonde stiffened, unsure if he was ready for this new storm. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat as Hyunjin handed him a glass. It wasn’t the sugary cocktail he’d been drinking earlier but something darker, richer, whiskey, neat.
“You don’t seem like the type to drink this,” Hyunjin said softly, his gaze steady as if he could read the hesitation on Felix’s face. “But I think you can handle it.”
Felix wrapped his fingers around the glass, his lipstick leaving a faint stain on the rim as he took a careful sip. The burn slid down his throat, sharp but warm, and he exhaled slowly. “I… wasn’t expecting something this strong.”
Hyunjin smiled faintly, his eyes glinting behind the delicate frame of his glasses. “Strong suits you.” Felix blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”
“You carry yourself like someone who doesn’t know how magnetic they are,” Hyunjin said, leaning on the bar with an easy confidence. “But it’s there. You walk into a room, and people notice. You don’t have to try, Felix. I heard your friend calling you that. Felix."
Felix didn’t know how to respond. It wasn’t like Sam’s compliments which was fiery, teasing, dripping with mischief. Hyunjin’s words were calm, precise, and devastatingly sincere, as if each syllable had been chosen to cut straight through him.
From the corner of his eye, Felix could see Sam standing near the edge of the rooftop, drink in hand, his dark gaze fixed on them. Even from a distance, the tension radiating off him was palpable. He looked like a storm about to break. “Sam doesn’t like to share,” Hyunjin remarked casually, as if reading Felix’s mind.
Felix’s lips parted. “You... know what he’s like?”
Hyunjin chuckled, a low, warm sound that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course. I’ve known him longer than anyone. He’s my twin, after all. Sam lives for the thrill. For the chase. But...” Hyunjin’s gaze softened as he looked at Felix. “You deserve someone who doesn’t see you as a game.”
Felix’s pulse skipped. “And you think that someone is you?” he asked, curious.
Hyunjin tilted his head, smirking slightly. “Do you?” Felix didn’t answer. Not immediately. His mind was still spinning from the way Hyunjin looked at him. Steady, unwavering, like he wasn’t afraid of what he’d find if he stared too long. Unlike Sam, whose smirk always seemed to be hiding a thousand reckless thoughts, Hyunjin’s expression was deliberate. Controlled. Dangerous in a quieter way.
The smaller one took another sip of whiskey, the warmth spreading through his chest. He leaned slightly against the bar, trying to steady himself. “Why are you here?”
Hyunjin’s smirk faded into something softer. “Sam invited me,” he said, brushing a stray strand of dark hair from his face. “He likes showing me the chaos he creates. Maybe he wants me to see the mess before he burns it all down.”
Felix frowned. “That’s… kind of intense.”
“Sam is intense,” Hyunjin said simply. Then, his eyes locked on Felix again. “But so are you, aren’t you?” Felix was about to answer when Sam appeared, cutting between them like a knife.
“Enjoying yourself?” Sam’s tone was casual, but his smirk was sharp enough to slice glass. He looked between Hyunjin and Felix, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. “Didn’t realize you liked my brother’s taste in whiskey, sunshine.”
Felix swallowed, glancing between them. The tension between the twins was like an electric current. It was buzzing, ready to snap. Hyunjin didn’t flinch. He sipped his own drink, unbothered. “Don’t be rude, Sam. Felix and I were just talking.”
“Talking,” Sam repeated, his tone dripping with mockery. “Is that what we’re calling it now? Flirting is not talking.”
Felix stepped back slightly, heat rushing to his cheeks. He wasn’t sure if it was from the whiskey or the weight of their stares.
“Sam,” Hyunjin said calmly, placing his glass down, “not everything is about you.”
Sam let out a short, humorless laugh. “Oh, please. Don’t act like you’re the saint here, Hyunjin. We both know you only show up when you see something you want to take.”
Felix’s breath hitched. Were they fighting over him?
“Chill,” Hyunjin said, voice smooth, almost icy. “Felix isn’t yours.” The way Hyunjin said his name 'Felix' sent a strange shiver down his spine.
Sam took a step closer to Felix, his hand brushing Felix’s shoulder possessively. “Careful, sunshine,” he murmured, his voice suddenly softer but edged with challenge. “My brother likes to play the good guy. But I know him. He’ll ruin you slower than I will.”
Felix’s lips parted, words caught in his throat.
“Why don’t you let Felix decide who’s worth listening to?” Hyunjin said, his tone sharp now, as if he’d had enough of Sam’s game. Felix’s heart pounded. Two identical faces, two completely different storms. One fire, one ice. Both crashing toward him.
Before Felix could respond, a voice called from across the rooftop, breaking the tension. “Felix! We’re starting another round of cocktails! Come on!”
It was Jeongin.
Felix exhaled, stepping back quickly. “I… I need to go back to my friends,” he said, slipping past them before either twin could stop him.
As he walked away, he could feel both sets of eyes on him. Sam’s smoldering with frustration, Hyunjin’s unreadable but lingering.
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