Chapter 98 - Paparazzi ( 2 )

A little while ago:

The fan sign event had ended and soon Felix would be returning to his parents home while I.M would be returning to his. But there was a struggle going inside Felix to which he had not yet received a reply. Felix had long ago come out to his parents about his preference for boys and they had accepted him unconditionally. For so long when he had yearned for I.M, yet he had let consoled himself that I.M was a straight man and this nothing was possible between them until that time when everything changed! 

But even after that Felix had not dared to hope. I.M had maintained that everything was a mistake, making Felix only bear everything silently. He had suffered through the years, seeing I.M continuously fighting the attraction between them and refusing to accept his emotions. Felix had accepted his fate for the sake of having I.M's friendship and for the safety of their band. 

Though many fans shipped them together, he knew that of it was made public that he was not straight, their competitors would leave no stone unturned into humiliating them and there were several such homophobic people who would attack the others also.

But I.M was the one who changed everything when he insisted in going together for their break. When they had gone on a vacation, it was I.M who had initiated the intimacy. It was him who had wanted to explore their feelings. He had given Felix the hope and the courage to take the few steps in this direction and surrender the last of his heart.

Felix pushed I.M against the door and asked directly,"Are you going to confess to your parents?"

I.M tried to push Felix away but the man refused to move so that I.M could only sigh,"Felix! You know I can't tell my mom! She is too emotional. What if she is not able to accept it and in her agitation says something to some outsider? It could put all of us and everything we have worked so hard for, at risk!!"

Felix nodded but instead of letting go questioned,"Then I.M, can you at least promise me to not go on the blind date that your parents have arranged for you?"

This time, I.M's eyes lit with anger as he pushed Felix away and walked into the room, "Felix! I have told you to give me some time! Can you not be so insecure and trust me a bit!"

"I have trusted you I.M. Haven't I given you all the time already? I am willing to wait for you for eternity but the only thing Inask of you is that you not see other girls? Can you not use the contract and say that you are not allowed!"

"I have been doing that! But now that K and Alice are dating and they have public support, my parents feel that as long as I can find a good girl, I would be able to survive as well."

This time Felix backed away with moisture in his eyes. Even looking at him made Felix's heart hurt so he turned his back to him. His eyes fell on the small fruit knife on the table. In a trance, he walked to the table and picked up the knife in his hand. He was still looking at it when a rough and landed on his shoulders and he was pulled into a tight embrace. And then his lips were caught by I.M in a passionate kiss. Felix clutdhed the fruit knife in his hand carefully stopping himself from being weak and giving into I.M's seduction. Living like this was agony to him.

But Felix turned weak when I.M started to unbutton his shirt.

At the same time, Alice had just received a message from her own spies with a simple room number 1102 and 'paparazzi after fan sign". Taking a moment she remembered that it was Felix's room number. Immediately her eyes widened and she started trying to contact Felix or I.M. When both their numbers were unreachable, she decided to race to the room, since she was already here in the hotel. And that was when she noticed the paparazzi gathering slowly. Using the master key, she hurried in to the room next door before pushing open the connecting door. The two people in the room were in the middle of a passionate kiss when they jumped apart in fright. 

I.M who was unaware that Alice knew everything, started to stammer and think of an explanation but before he could even process anything, he was pushed wildly towards a door as Alice ordered Felix,"Put on your shirt."

But just as the door behind him closed, they heard the sound of the key card entering a slot. Thinking on her feet, Alice knew that if those loathed people didn't find anything, they would look for a way to search for the room. She just hoped that K would understand.. Discarding her jacket, she was about to take a few steps towards Felix when everyone walked in.

Back to the Present:

I.M and K stood toe to toe glaring at each other while Apollo explained the past and the probability that Felix and I.M had been together at the time and someone had tipped the paparazzi about this. Finally understanding, Gyeom nodded but asked,"How did you get hurt then, Felix?"

Felix pulled out the fruit knife from his pocket and threw it onto the ground explaining,"It took me a moment to understand Alice's intention and by then it had been too late to stop her. However I did not want to tarnish her image when she has already done so much so while everyone was busy questioning her, I did this.

Having heard that Felix was hurt, I.M turned to him but the other man stepped back and walked away from the people. "I am too tired. I want to rest first. Please leave everyone."

And slowly, after glancing withe varying expressions of worry in Felix's direction, everyone left the room. Everyone wanted to stay but at this moment, they knew the only person who could console Felix was I.M who was confused as ever. Only after the door closed behind everyone did Apollo turn to I.M and punched the man on the shoulder. 

"Stop playing with his emotions, you a**hole! If you want to be with him then find a way to be with him or let him free! Felix is not a toy."

Usually K would have pacified this matter but this time he also wholeheartedly agreed with Apollo and simply dragged Alice from there. He needed to teach her a lesson! Hadn't she promised him to not do anything rash?

Meanwhile Gyeom and I.M we're the only ones left in the corridor. I.M rubbed the sore spot where Apolo had hit him and asked Gyeom,"You also have something to say?"

Gyeom shook his head and turned to walk away but then stopped and said,"Brother, you are very lucky to have found someone like Brother Felix to love you. Don't let him go. It would be foolish of you."

I.M nodded how head but even then, he did not have the courage to go back to Felix and he trudged back to his own room.

Felix collapsed against the wall when everyone was finally gone. He had been silly when he had clutched the fruit knife, his head in the wrong place. But just as he had been about to give up that thought and once again be willing to accept the crumbs of affection that I.M had to offer, Alice had barged inside. That one moment had let him see the truth. The truth that I.M would never be with him truly. He has seen the look of horror on I.M's face as the other I'm an had tried to think of a lie to offer Alice. What would he have said if Alice had not pushed him away? Would he have claimed that he was straight and been seduced by him. I.M. was right. He was expecting too much.. I.M was so worried that he had never even confessed to Apollo, K or Gyeom. The others Felix could understand but the five of them were more than family! If I.M was not willing to confess his love for him in front of them, then how would he accept Felix in front of the world? 

Finally, Felix wiped away the tears that flowed out of his eyes and went to his room. Opening his bag, he pulled out his music book and glanced at the pages and pages of music he had written when he had been happily in love.. Tearing those pieces to smithereens, Felix threw them aside, before collapsing onto the bed.