Time (Stray Kids 2 of 2) 139 Dreams

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☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ: ⋆.:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

You sat on the couch between Chan and Changbin, watching the TV as the other groups showed off their performances for the introduction stage. Each group was amazing in their own right but you weren't worried. You had faith in your boys and you knew they were going to give it their all and blow away the competition. "I'm gonna grab something to drink. You guys want anything?"

"Sprite!"

"Lemon tea."

"Do they have Pepsi?"

"I want Sprite too, please."

"Sparkling water."

"I regret asking," you muttered, stuffing your hands into your pockets as you made your way out of the waiting room and down the hall, turning the corner into a small dead-end with various snack and drink machines. You went down the mental list, getting one drink at a time and setting them on the bench that sat beside the right-most machine. Once you had gotten everything, you chose your favorite drink and started to add the last of your change. "Are you kidding me? I'm really short 100 won..." you groaned, forehead knocking against the machine.

"Here."

You lifted your head, blinking at the coin sitting against a palm. Your eyes followed the arm up, meeting warm dark brown eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

You bowed, taking the coin from him. "Thank you, uh...?"

"Wooyoung," he introduced himself with a bow, his smile lighting up his face. "I'm a member of ATEEZ. And you are?"

"Y/N. I'm..." you paused. Were you the unofficial ninth member of Stray Kids? Nah, that seemed too far of a stretch. Their fan, then? You were pretty sure he'd report you to security if you told him that. Cheerleader? The thought of that made you cringe.

Wooyoung watched you curiously, his head tilted to the side.

You realized he was waiting for you to finish and you gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm friends with Bang Chan from Stray Kids."

His eyes lit up. "Oh, nice! You came here to support them?"

"Something like that." You slid the coin into the machine, finally able to get your drink.

"That's so sweet and cute. I'm surprised the producers gave you permission."

You choked on the drink at the comment.

"Are you okay?" he questioned in surprise, patting you softly on the back. And then it seemed to click in his mind. "Oh, I get it. They snuck you in."

Your wide eyes met his own, nothing the amusement lingering there. You honestly didn't know what might happen if they found out, but you assumed the worst and did not want to be the reason why Stray Kids was kicked out of Kingdom. You set the drink down and put your hands together, giving him a pleading look. "Please don't tell anyone!

He smiled warmly. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you so much," you breathed out with relief. "I should really get back to them."

"It was nice meeting you, Y/N-ssi. I hope we can talk again sometime."

"You too, Wooyoung-ssi." You smiled at him before leaning down to wrap your arms around the drinks, holding them tightly to your chest. When you thought they were secure enough, you started to stand up but when you lifted them up, the drinks in the middle started to slip, forcing you to set them down quickly before they could fall and bust open.

Wooyoung giggled. "Would you like some help?"

"I don't want to bother you..."

"It's no bother at all."

You sent him a grateful look before taking half of the drinks, waiting for him to grab the other half then the two of you started down the hall. The silence wasn't awkward and to your surprise, you found yourself wanting to know more about him. "What position are you in ATEEZ?"

"Vocalist."

"Ah, I can see that."

"What, you don't think I could be a rapper?"

You looked him up and down before making a face. "Well~"

He pouted, bumping his shoulder against your own. "How rude. I could totally be a rapper if I wanted to be."

"I believe you."

"You definitely don't."

"I definitely don't." You stared at each other for a moment before you both grinned, laughing bubbling up between you. It was a strange feeling, one you couldn't quite wrap your head around. You honestly weren't fond of people and you certainly didn't seek out others, but something felt different about Wooyoung. He didn't feel like some stranger you had just met, he felt like an old friend you had known for years. You felt completely at ease around him. It was something you couldn't understand, but you weren't too worried about it.

It felt right and that was good enough for you.

☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ: ⋆.:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

Over the time you spent at Kingdom, you had steadily been getting closer to the members of ATEEZ. Much like Wooyoung, the other members were kind and warm, welcoming you into their circle as if you were old friends. There was no sense of awkwardness between you and they accepted your presence without a second's hesitation. Stray Kids had taken notice of this, of course, and they were happy that you had gained new friends.

At first.

As time passed and you spent more time with ATEEZ, the members of Stray Kids grew restless. Since they had first met you, you had become a constant presence in their life, a sense of security and comfort for them. With no other friends, you spent all of your time with them, and then when you started to spend your time elsewhere, it left a hole in the group that felt glaringly obvious to them despite their efforts to ignore it. More than anyone, Felix was growing worried.

He truly did want to be happy for you - you had stepped out of your comfort zone and made new friends that made you happy. He was proud of you for that but part of him was also worried. It felt as if every day you stepped farther away from him, away from the group. Had there always been this distance between you? Had he pushed you away by being too clingy? If this continued, he feared that he would lose you completely.

Han was in a similar boat. Since the day the two of you met, you've always bickered and argued, but he didn't hate you. He thought of you like a sibling, someone he enjoyed teasing and would go to war for, but he worried that you might not know that. Had he pushed you away with his constant need to argue with you? Did you believe he hated you so you started to distance yourself? He felt guilty.

The other members were having similar thoughts, though not nearly as strong as Felix and Han. The only one who seemed at ease by this whole situation was Chan who had an unbreakable bond with you. He was so proud of you and he thought it was a wonderful idea that you spent time away from his group. He loved you but he didn't want you to grow tired of the group and he felt it was important that you got your own space. He sensed the worries of his members and did his best to ease their fears, but he knew you were the only one who could conquer those fears.

While the boys performed their part of round three, you sat in the waiting room with Bang Chan, Han, Changbin, and Seungmin. The dance unit had taken the stage by storm, consisting of Felix, Minho, and I.N. from Stray Kids, Seonghwa, Wooyoung, San, Yeosang, and Yunho from ATEEZ, and finally, Peniel from BTOB. Each group was powerful on their own but together? They were an unstoppable force. Their recreation of EXO's Wolf left you speechless, your mouth hanging open. And when Felix jumped through the air to be caught by Wooyoung? You felt your heart skip several beats in fear and you grabbed so tightly onto Chan's arm that he was sure it would leave a mark, but he was also filled with fear, Felix's name passing his lips much like a parent scolding their child when they're about to do something really stupid.

The second they finished, you rushed out of the waiting room and down the hall to greet them. Felix was the first person you saw and he gave you a tired, proud look, his eyes sparkling like stars. You stepped forward toward him when two blurs filled your vision, arms wrapping tight around you on both sides until you were squished between Wooyoung and San.

"Were you watching?" Wooyoung questioned excitedly, a goofy grin on his lips.

"I was. You guys did such an amazing job! Thank you for catching Felix."

"Of course. No way was I going to let him get hurt."

San tilted his head at you. "We were really cool, right?"

"Yes, you were," you replied before pausing, fighting back your grin. "But Yunho was way cooler."

Yunho, who had been approaching the three of you, grinned widely. "I knew I was your favorite."

"Not a chance," Wooyoung complained, pouting at you. "I thought I was your favorite!"

San shook his head. "That crown belongs to me, Wooyoung."

"I refuse to accept that. Y/N, who is your favorite?"

You hummed, tapping your chin as you looked up at the sky. "My favorite member, hm... it's gotta be..."

San and Wooyoung looked at you expectantly while Yunho struggled to hold back his laughter.

"Definitely baby bear Jongho."

"Yah!"

Jongho, who had just come up behind the group, blinked in surprise hearing his name. "What's definitely me?"

You pulled away from the two boys so you could approach the maknae, squishing his cheeks between your palms. "You are definitely my favorite member. So adorable and talented and cuddly like a bear. Not to mention those high notes! How could it possibly be anyone else?"

Jongho's cheeks darkened at your compliments, his ears turning bright red. Yunho couldn't hold back his laughter anymore when he saw the shocked faces of Wooyoung and San and the two boys started to complain loudly.

Jongho smiled softly, resting his hand over yours. "Thank you."

"I refuse to accept this," Wooyoung huffed, hand on his hip. "I met you first and helped you carry your drinks. How am I not your favorite?"

"That's not right," San frowned at him. " I met Y/N first. Remember? You didn't know where Stray Kids' waiting room was and I showed you."

"That doesn't seem as cool as drink carrying."

"How is drink carrying 'cool'?"

The two started to discuss the issue and Yunho used this chance to grab a hold of you and Jongho, tugging you down the hall toward ATEEZ's waiting room despite your protests.

Felix watched all of this unfold, a heavy feeling settling in his chest. It was obvious that you had come to love them and they loved you, as well. The thought of you completely forgetting about him made him want to cry but he tried to swallow down those negative emotions.

"You guys were great!" Hongjoong praised his members when they returned to ATEEZ's waiting room. "You killed it."

"Killed it? Nah," you shook your head, lips twitching up into a grin. "They destroyed it."

"Aw," Wooyoung threw his arms around you, rubbing his cheek against yours. "You became an Atiny!"

"Did I? I don't remember that happening."

"It happened the moment you met us," San replied, repeating Wooyoung's answer on your other side, squishing you between them once more.

"Yeah, that didn't happen." You tried to wiggle free from their grip but they had no intention of letting go anytime soon. "Let go of me."

"Never!"

You sent a pleading look to Seonghwa, making him chuckle at your misery before taking action. "Okay, guys, let Y/N go before they decide they don't want to be an Atiny anymore."

Wooyoung gasped dramatically, pulling back so he could give you a surprised look. "You wouldn't dare."

"I wouldn't."

He released a satisfied sigh and you grinned.

"Because in order to leave, I'd have to be in the club, to begin with, and I'm not ."

"Yah!"

You snickered as Wooyoung and San started to complain yet again, talking over each other. You reached your hands out to Hwa and he smiled, taking them into his own before tugging you away from the two chaotic males.

Yunho blocked them when they tried to follow you. "Run while you can!"

Seonghwa chuckled, giving you a light push toward the door. You didn't need to be told twice, giving the boys a wave before darting out of the room, heading straight toward Stray Kids' waiting room so you could check on your boys and praise them for their performance.

When you stepped into the room, though, you immediately felt a sense of uneasiness and sadness lingering in the air. Were they upset about their performance? Changbin was the first to notice your arrival and he smiled, but it was clearly forced.

"Why the long faces, boys? You did an amazing job out there, you should be proud." Felix met your eyes and a sad smile tugged at his lips as he stood up. You held your arms out to him, smiling when he tucked himself against your body, his face buried in your neck. You combed your fingers through his hair, humming softly. "You really scared me with that jump, Lixie, but you nailed it. You were so cool."

"Thank you..." he replied softly, nodding as his fingers curled around the back of your shirt. But then his shoulders started to tremble, fears falling onto your skin and startling you.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" You tried to pull back to look at him but he increased his grip on you. "Did you get hurt?" He shook his head no. "Then why are you crying? If you made a mistake, it's okay, Lix. That performance easily outshined any mistakes you might have made. I bet no one will even notice."

The other members wouldn't meet your eye when you glanced around the room, keeping their heads down and their shoulders tense. A frown tugged at your lips.

"This isn't about the performance, is it?" you questioned, already knowing the answer. "What the hell's going on?"

It felt as if the silence stretched on for ages and no one was willing to speak up. They wouldn't even look at you aside from Chan, but you could tell he had no intention of speaking. It was a problem the members were having and they needed to speak up and put their feelings on the table so you could understand them. Changbin finally glanced up at you, standing up from the couch with a frown tugging at his lips. Knowing that no one planned to voice what they were all feeling, he decided he would be the one to do so.

"The truth is... we're all worried... about losing you. We've been with you for years and we've never seen you take to someone like you've taken to ATEEZ. You got so close to them so quickly and you've been spending so much time with them lately and we..." he glanced away, taking a moment to compose himself before meeting your gaze again. The pain in his eyes surprised you. "We love you so much, Y/N. You're family to us, always supporting us no matter what we do. The thought of losing you... we can't bear that. If we did something wrong, something that upset you, you can tell us and we'll fix the problem."

You released a breath as the words sunk in. "You guys are total idiots."

"What?"

"It's true that I really clicked with ATEEZ and I have no idea why... but even so, love is a two-way street. Everything you just said, Changbin, that's how I feel about you guys. You're my family, my ride or die. I would do anything for you guys and I honestly can't picture my life without you. Besides..." you paused, your eyes scanning the other members as they looked over at you. "What kind of Stay would I be if I didn't stay with you until the end?"

That definitely got everyone's attention.

Chan smiled, happy to see that you were all airing your feelings and sorting things out. "You finally admit it."

You scoffed, feeling your face warm a bit as you looked away. "Don't get used to it, brat."

Felix finally lifted his head, his glassy eyes meeting yours. "You really won't leave us?"

You smiled, cupping his cheeks and gently wiping away his tears. "I couldn't leave you even if I wanted to. Which I definitely do not. I love you so much, Lixie, don't you ever think otherwise." You pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before addressing the other boys. "The same goes for all of you. I hate to break it to you, but you're all stuck with me until the day I die."

The tension in the room melted, the members feeling relieved as their worries evaporated, replaced by warmth and love. Felix's smile lit up his face and he felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off of his chest.

There was a knock on the door and I.N. stood up to open it since he was sitting the closest. It was one of the staff members who informed them that they were being summoned. Before going out, each member gave you a tight hug and a peck on the cheek which you returned without hesitation, ruffling their hair because you knew it annoyed them. You waited for them to leave before turning to rest on the couch but Han was still there, standing in front of the couch with his head lowered, resembling a child that had been scolded.

"What is it?" you inquired softly.

He took a breath, lifting his eyes to meet yours, giving you an apologetic look. "I've always given you a hard time since the day we met, arguing with you and teasing you. Maybe I took it too far and that's why you started to pull away from us, but... please don't pull away from the others because of me. I don't hate you, Y/N. I love you and I'm so thankful that you've always been by our side. When I thought you were replacing us, I... it hurt and I panicked trying to think of a way to fix it. I'm sorry."

"Jisung..." you frowned, closing the distance between you. His words had gone straight to your heart and you couldn't help but pull him into a hug, though you convinced yourself that you only did it because you didn't want him to see your eyes tearing up. "You really drive me crazy sometimes and I've definitely pictured myself yeeting you off of a cliff, but you also keep things interesting. Love is a two-way street, but it also takes two to argue. I'm sorry if I pushed things too far and I want you to know that I don't hate you, either. How could I? You're that annoying ass little brother I never asked for but would fight the world for."

He scoffed at your comment, hugging you tighter. "Thank you, Y/N. I'm glad you're here with us."

"So am I. You guys would probably die without me, to be honest."

He scoffed, pulling away so he could give you a disbelieving look, but it quickly morphed into a smile which you returned.

A moment of silence passed by as the two of you just stared at one another.

"We tell no one about this."

"Agreed. I have my reputation to think about."

"What reputation? You're a glorified cheerleader."

"The hell'd you just call me, fake visual?"

You grinned at one another.

Chan, who had been listening at the door to make sure you didn't kill each other, poked his head around the doorway, quirking a brow. "You coming, Han?"

Han exchanged a look with you before nodding, his shoulder brushing against yours when he stepped past you to leave the room. You caught Chan's eye and he smiled. "I'm proud of you."

"For what?"

"Being my best friend and embracing our new family."

You hummed, finally settling down on the couch. "You know I'd do anything for you, Chris."

"I know," his expression was warm. "We'll be back soon."

You waved at him, waiting for his footsteps to fade before you released a sigh, sliding down on the couch. You felt bad that you had made your boys feel as if you didn't love them anymore and you promised yourself that you would spend more time with them so they never had to question your devotion again.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ: *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ:. ☁

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