Chapter 1
Summary:
Chan hummed, forehead creased with worry as he searched Felix’s face. When his investigation came up with nothing to say what he had to talk about was bad, he let out a soft, exasperated breath and started the engine. The younger reached over to thread his fingers through Chan’s curls, watching them boing back up. He smiled softly.
Chapter Text
‘’Your condition is getting better, Yongbok-ssi, but I doubt Seoul’s air quality is doing anything to make it better.’’ His doctor, a woman of about 60, smiled gently at him as she organised some papers and slid them into a folder. ‘’I think you could use a few months out in the countryside.’’
Felix blinked, a sudden barrage of thoughts making their way into his mind. He would have to uproot his life, move everything, and then there was the issue of work, and how his boyfriend would get to the university every day-
‘’It is a big decision, Mr Lee, but only approach it if it works for you. All I’m saying is that it would have a good effect on your lungs. The air would help the swelling go down, and maybe those chest pains would become less frequent.’’ She handed him the folder, along with a prescription. ‘’I think we can keep the meds going, but lower the dose to one pill everyday, after meals. Bora will get a new bottle for you.’’
He stood up and bowed, thanking her for taking the time to see him, before heading out and into the reception. One trip to the pharmacy, and he was on the street, waiting for his boyfriend to pick him up. Even though it was spring, Felix was dressed up warmly, scarf wrapped around his neck, and hoodie zipped all the way up. With a tentative glance at the folder, he opened it. Listings for rental houses in Gyeongju, a historical country town out of Daegu. There were trains from another town nearby, and…it looked lovely.
He traced a finger over one of the pictures: a small hanok with pale wooden beams and a tiled roof, the courtyard dappled with sunlight. The listing said it had two bedrooms and a little garden out the back, enough space for a dog, maybe. Felix smiled faintly. It felt impossible to picture himself there, surrounded by quiet hills and the smell of village markets instead of car exhaust fumes.
The sound of Chan’s voice cut through his thoughts, and he looked up to see the elder coming toward him, dress shirt sleeves rolled up, and hair tousled, as if he had bolted out of his faculty staff room to pick him up. He hadn’t forgotten, Felix knew that, and it was endearing to say the least. Chan would never forget him.
He was pulled into a tight hug, arms wrapped around his waist as a gentle kiss was planted on the shell of his ear. Felix giggled and swiped at his boyfriend’s arm as they made their way to the car.
‘’How did your appointment go, baby? Did they have anything to say…?’’
Felix shrugged. ‘’I mean, they did, but it is definitely not what you’re thinking. It’s nothing bad, Chris, so don’t worry. I’ll tell you when they get home, yeah?’’
Chan hummed, forehead creased with worry as he searched Felix’s face. When his investigation came up with nothing to say what he had to talk about was bad, he let out a soft, exasperated breath and started the engine. The younger reached over to thread his fingers through Chan’s curls, watching them boing back up. He smiled softly.
‘’I promise, it’s nothing bad.’’
‘’You’ve should’ve just told me in the car!’’ Chan rolled his eyes playfully, mid flip through a listing. ‘’If it’s for your health lix, I’d do anything.’’
‘’I know, that’s why I had to ask you. You go into everything blinded by love, hyung.’’
Chan giggled. ‘’Is that really a bad thing? I can sort out the logistics once you’re not distracting me with that beautiful face of yours.’’ He shut the folder and leaned his chin on his hands. His tie hung loosely from his neck, shirt rumpled, and a pair of glasses balanced on his nose. ‘’I think we should do it. There’s a train, so I can get to work, there’s a doctor nearby, and the house is big enough to get a pet. I like it, babe.’’
Felix held his warm mug close to his chest, eyes sparkling with the dim light from the living room lamp. ‘’Thanks, Channie.’’
=
‘’Chris, I love you, but I swear if you keep looking at me every five seconds, we’ll crash. Eyes on the road, baby.’’
Chan blushed and nodded, hands flexing, then wrapping around the steering wheel as the van continued to bump along the old concrete roads. The rolling fields, giant clouds, and seemingly never-ending sky was beautiful. Felix smiled as he stuck his head out the window, the gentle breeze blowing his hair back and making his nose feel all funny.
Their furniture bumped around with every jolt, and with particularly bad potholes, Felix ducked his head back in the van just in case a chair came out from under the tarp and hit him in the head. The van came to a stop outside an old dirt pathway, and with a look at the map and address, he turned to his boyfriend. ‘’This…this is the one. I think?’’ He read the number on the small mailbox out the front, confirming with a nod. ‘’This is us! Looks exciting, don’t you think?’’
Felix chuckled and picked up his jacket from the car seat, following the elder up the path. Chan held his hand out, giggling as Felix took it. As they reached the top of the hill, the younger panting softly behind Chan, the house came into view. It was big, with various halls and rooms coming out from the main building. The garden was slightly overgrown, and the cobblestone path was covered in moss and grass.
Chan put his hands on his hips, a smile spreading across his face, and Felix mentally documented this moment of pure puppy-ness.
Felix shook his head, grinning despite himself. “You really weren’t joking when you said it needed a little work,” he said, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face as he took in the weathered shutters and ivy crawling up the walls.
Chan turned toward him, eyes bright and full of excitement. “It’s got character,” he said defensively, though the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement. “Just needs some love.”
“Love, huh?” Felix raised a brow. “Pretty sure it needs a power wash, a new roof, and maybe an exorcism.”
Chan laughed, the sound echoing faintly in the open air. “You’ll see. Once it’s cleaned up, it’ll be perfect.” He started up the last few steps, tugging Felix along by the hand.
Felix followed, the weight of Chan’s hand, warm in his, made his heart do little flips. As they reached the porch, a faint creak sounded beneath their feet, and a few leaves drifted down from the overhang. For a moment, Felix imagined the two of them here, Chan hanging up the laundry, music spilling from the open windows, the smell of old books floating around them-
“Alright,” Chan said, fishing for the old brass key in his pocket, “ready to see our new project?”
Felix smiled softly. “Lead the way, hyung.’’
The key turned with a stubborn click, and the door swung open with a sigh, the scent of dust and old wood hitting them. Felix scrunched his nose and let out a soft cough. ‘’Musty.’’
‘’But it’s nice! We can set up the mosquito nets and the beds and just lay on the floor tonight. If your back will cooperate with our busy lives, that is.’’ Chan smiled, the concern genuine but disguised behind lighthearted banter.
Felix put his hands on his hips, looking around the walls as he searched for signs of a light switch. ‘’Does this place have electricity, or is that old?’’
Chan huffed playfully. ‘’Of course it has lights! But…electricity all through the house is another story. I don’t think the kitchen is electric, but coal and wood will do just fine.’’
‘’Really reconnecting with our self sufficient roots, huh?’’
He hummed, letting out a sigh of relief as he flicked the light switch on. The bulb above them flickered for a moment, before becoming brighter. It barely lit up the front entry, but it made a warm feeling nestle in Felix’s chest. Maybe this would be better than he thought…
‘’Right, I’ll go get our stuff then.’’ Chan waved and soon Felix was alone in the hall, hands by his sides, sweater sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He felt guilty that he couldn’t really help, but when he heard the sound of the van coming up, he realised that they had a little driveway. If you could call it a driveway, that is, it was more of a dirt path that was wider than the entry one.
Chan had his head stuck out the window, tongue on his lips as he concentrated on getting onto the grass, rather than rolling back down the hill, and when he was successful, he pumped a fist in the air in quiet triumph. Felix smiled and went to help collect the few books and chairs he would be able to lift.
The elder was already in the house by the time Felix had returned with a stack of books, fixing up shelves and laying down cardboard in places where the floor might get scratched by sharp corners. At the sight of his boyfriend, and his books, his eyes lit up. ‘’Are you okay, babe? They’re not too heavy for you?’’ He wiped some of the sweat off his brow and took the stack of books from him gently. ‘’Let me get those for you.’’
‘’It’s fine, hyung, i can lift a couple books.’’
‘’I know, Lix, but you’re supposed to be taking it easy while we’re out here, yeah? I’ll do all the heavy lifting.’’ he leaned in to press a kiss to Felix’s cheek, before giving him a gentle smile. ‘’Do you want to look around while I finish unpacking?’’
Felix shrugged. ‘’Sure. You’ll tell me if you need help though, right?’’
‘’Maybe~’’ Chan giggled as Felix swatted at his arm. ‘’Alright, alright! I’ll call you, don’t worry.’’
The younger huffed, but went to look around anyway, socked feet tapping quietly on the floor as he padded around. The living space was a reasonable space, but the real size was behind it. The bedrooms were large, with sliding doors that were already open to let in sunlight and fresh air. The kitchen was toward the back of the house, a rickety iron stove sitting next to a few cupboards and buckets. Felix poked his head through one of the doors. Boy, this really was a maze. After walking a little more, he found the bathroom, two big, wooden tubs in the corner, and a small stool for towels sitting in the middle. The bathroom was an outhouse just next to the bathroom, and the thought of using it at night made Felix’s nose scrunch.
He found his way back to the living room, but to his surprise, Chan had disappeared. ‘’Channie! Where did you go? Chan!’’
Felix let out a soft squeak as Chan’s arms wrapped around him from behind, pulling him into his chest. ‘’I was just in the other room, baby. Did you need something?’’
‘’No- I was just looking for you-’’
‘’I set up my office! Wanna see?’’
‘’Kay-’’
As Chan led him into one of the smaller rooms off to the side, the sheer glare of the sun made him shield his eyes. The skylight and gentle breeze through the open sliding door tickled the hair on his arms, but as he looked around at the shelves, desk, and countless strewn pieces of paper, he found himself wanting to spend more time here. Sitting with Chan while he was working, or reading one of the many psych books that sat in piles on the floor.
‘’Do you like it?’’ Chan smiled from the doorway, hands on his hips. ‘’If you’re blown away by the light in here, wait till you see outside,’’ he joked. Felix gave him a side-eye, but took off his socks and stepped out of the door onto the grass. He let out a happy noise, the feeling of the blades in between his toes making him chuckle. It had been a while since he could afford to be so free, so normal, without the worry of getting sick if he didn’t have a jacket on.
He could get used to this.
Chapter 2
Summary:
They hadn’t had many quiet nights like this in a while, and Felix was warming up to the idea of staying here long-term. He leaned back into Chan’s chest, humming softly as the latter’s hands ran through his hair, massaging the scalp and twirling strands between his fingers.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Felix sighed happily as he sank in the water, the bubbles gathering around his neck and clinging to his skin. Chan was beside him, running a warm rag up and down his skin, hair plastered to his forehead, and face gentle in the soft light.
‘’Hyung. Can you wash me too?’’ Felix pouted, his eyes turning that to that puppy-like state that he knew his boyfriend couldn’t resist. He was right, like always, giggling in triumph as Chan smiled and poured some shampoo into his hair.
They hadn’t had many quiet nights like this in a while, and Felix was warming up to the idea of staying here long-term. He leaned back into Chan’s chest, humming softly as the latter’s hands ran through his hair, massaging the scalp and twirling strands between his fingers.
‘’The landlady should be coming by tomorrow, lix, but I don’t know if I'll be here to greet her. I met her while I was moving the van back down the hill, and she said she’d come and check up on you.’’
‘’Sounds good.’’
‘’I bet she’ll make you something delicious to eat.’’
Felix smiled as Chan’s hands moved to his body, rubbing his shoulders and back, working lotion into his soft skin. The water sloshed against his waist, eyes growing heavy with the relaxing warmth of the small bathroom. He didn’t realise he was supposed to get out until Chan gently nudged him and wrapped a towel around his shoulders as he stood up.
‘’C'mon baby, bedtime.’’
Felix nodded, leaning his head on Chan’s shoulder, making them walk awkwardly to the bedroom. The crickets outside seemed to get louder as the sun went down. Or maybe they were cicadas. Felix couldn’t tell, but the noise was getting out of hand.
He huffed and flopped onto his mattress, arms and legs spread like a starfish as he watched his boyfriend hang the mosquito net around them. The lamp above them flickered for a moment, before becoming steadier, then going out. Chan chuckled, the dark suddenly making the room a lot creepier.
‘’I’ll go get a lightbulb. Stay here, lix. Don’t want you getting lost.’’
Felix rolled his eyes at the implication of getting lost in their own home, but as he looked around the room, the outline of doors eerily black against the walls, he thought that he probably would get lost and end up scaring himself just from a creak in the floorboards.
He wiggled his toes in his socks as he snuggled under the duvet, the heat of the evening making him kick it off immediately after.
Chan’s footsteps echoed through the bedroom, and soon the lights were back on, and he was aggressively cuddling the younger like an affectionate boa constrictor.
Felix cuddled right back into him, shoving his face in between the elder’s bare pecs, letting his scent of bergamot and pear wash over him.
‘’S’okay for your back, baby? Doesn’t hurt?’’
‘’I’m fine, Channie, go to bed. You look so tired.’ Felix leaned in and kissed Chan’s cheek, fingers tangling in his curls, before picking up a discarded sheet from the side and throwing it over their bodies.
=
‘’See ya, Lix!’’ Chan smiled, pressing a kiss to Felix’s head before heading out, bag in hand as he rushed to catch his bus that took him to the train station.
Felix watched him go from the open window, waiting until he had left his line of sight before wandering back into the house. He could use the time to explore and maybe get a better mental image of where everything is, or he could lay in the grass and let the sun bake his skin.
Option two was a lot more desirable.
He padded out to the sliding door and put on his slippers before stepping onto the grass. The breeze was cool, but the humidity hung in the air like a thick fog. He let out a soft breath as it clogged his throat, and he coughed at the feel of it weighing on his shoulders.
The house called him back, to lay on the wood planks with the fan pointing at him, but he persevered, walking to the edge of the garden.
He found the shade of a nice tree to sit in, back pressed up against the rough bark, eyes closed, and water bottle pressing against his leg, the condensation tickling his skin. The air was still, heavy with the faint hum of summer insects and the occasional passing moped or trailer from the road. Felix tilted his head back, the dappled light flickering over his face, and for a moment, he forgot time entirely.
The world narrowed to the sound of his own breathing and a bird that was hopping in front of him, head cocked as it watched curiously. The bird didn’t startle easily when Felix moved his foot, but when a woman’s voice broke the stillness, it flew away in a flurry of feathers and dust.
Felix looked up, eyebrow raised when his gaze landed on a woman who was standing on the stairs into the main room of the house, waving and holding onto the rail. He waved back, then hauled himself off the ground, dusting his pants off as he walked over to her.
‘’Hello! You’re Yongbok, right? Your lovely friend told me that you two had moved in as roommates! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Chunhee.’’ She smiled and bowed. Felix bowed in return, momentarily confused by her referring to the two of them as roommates.
He blinked for a moment, brain whirring, before he remembered. Ah. People here don’t really accept gay relationships. So, to keep up with the act Chan had set, he nodded. ‘’Yes! We thought we’d both chip into the deposit for a quieter life.’’
‘’That makes sense. City life can be very stressful, I’m sure. Now, about that condition of yours. Chan-ssi told me that you’ve been suffering from pleuritis since you were a child.’’
‘’I have- I moved here mainly for the fresh air. My lungs will be better without the gas fumes and cigarette smoke in Seoul.’’
‘’That sounds dreadful, dear. Here, why don’t you get all cozy in here, and i’ll start some a meal for you, and do your friend a favour by cleaning up a little bit.’’
‘’Thank you, Chunhee, but that isn’t necessa-’’
‘’That’s sorted then. I’ll bring you a drink as well.’’
Felix watched her leave, then slowly sat down on a rug that had appeared since he had last been in the living room. He hung his legs out the sliding door, humming softly as the sun warmed his knees. A long breath escaped his lips, deflating the tightness in his chest and letting his shoulders relax.
He glanced around the room, noting the cleanliness that had taken root instead of the mess of boxes, books, and random items from when they had moved in the day before.
‘’Would you like lemon in your tea?’’ A call came from the kitchen. Felix looked up, a small smile on his face.
‘’If it’s not too much trouble, thank you!’’
‘’Of course, dear!’’
Felix lay back on the rug, arms spread out, fingers tracing on the spines of a few of Chan’s books that had been left in a small pile near the pillows. He reached for one, picking it up and feeling the rough paper beneath his thumb.
The smell of dust wafted from the pages, and he noted that it must’ve been from the university library. Chan had taken him there once, and Felix had fallen in love with the tall shelves, dark wood staircases and long tables littered with late-night crammers.
He turned the book over in his hands, squinting at the faded label on the spine. Modern Poetics and Form. The title meant little to him, but he could picture Chan sitting under one of those green-shaded lamps, hair falling into his eyes as he scribbled notes in the margins, when he probably should be marking exams or responding to student emails.
Felix opened it to a random page. There it was, Chan’s handwriting, small and deliberate, cramped into the edges between paragraphs. He read a few of the words, not all of them making sense. Some were comments about rhythm, others little questions or arrows pointing toward underlined phrases.
He smiled. Chan always wrote like he was arguing with the author.
Felix ran his thumb over one of the penciled notes and wondered what Chan would say if he knew Felix was reading them now. Maybe he’d laugh. Maybe he’d be embarrassed. Or maybe he’d just say, “You wouldn’t get it unless you read the whole thing.”
Maybe he loved Chan more than he thought. Maybe living here, taking the time to breathe, being away from the stress of city life, opened his heart a little more. Maybe it was silly to think so much had happened in just a day, but he could feel it, there was no denying the way his heart throbbed a little more when Chan left his side.
‘’Here’s your tea, Yongbok. I’ll head back to my place for a bit, but if you need me, my number is next to the landline.’’
He looked up as Chunhee placed a porcelain mug of tea beside him, and he ducked his head a little, thanking her for the drink. She gave him a pat on the head and left, footsteps making the floorboards groan even after she had left.
Notes:
i'm a sucker for fluff, okay?!?
Peyn97 (Guest) on Chapter 2 Sat 08 Nov 2025 07:07PM UTC
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chans_sweaters on Chapter 2 Sat 08 Nov 2025 07:55PM UTC
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