The Curse Between Us

"Felix, hurry up!" Kelvin's sharp voice cut through the noise. "We don't have all day."

Felix glanced up, his eyes meeting Kelvin's in the mirror. The other man's brows were furrowed, his impatience palpable even from across the room. Typical Kelvin—always trying to control everything. Felix bit back a retort, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Relax," Felix drawled, leaning back in his chair. "We've got plenty of time."

Kelvin's jaw tightened, but before he could respond, their manager's voice boomed over the din. "Rune! Positions for the group shot!"

Felix rose, brushing past Kelvin as he headed for the set. But as their shoulders brushed, a sudden chill rippled through him, a fleeting sensation that left his heart pounding and his mind swirling with half-forgotten images: a throne room, blood-stained robes, and Kelvin's piercing gaze from another lifetime.

Rune had five members; the three younger ones- Zach, Mitchell and Grey, all twenty while, Felix was a year older than them and Kelvin was twenty-three.

As the five of them filed onto the set, Felix could feel Kelvin's glare burning a hole in the back of his head. He ignored it, instead focusing on Zach, who was already mid-argument with Mitchell over some minor styling detail.

"I'm just saying," Zach huffed, adjusting his oversized jacket, "if they wanted me to look like I raided a thrift store, they could've just asked. I know where to find better stuff."

Mitchell rolled his eyes. "It's called streetwear aesthetic, genius. Maybe if you didn't eat like a toddler, you'd understand trends."

Grey, perched on a stool near the edge of the set, snorted. "Yeah, Zach, stop being offended and embrace your inner chaos gremlin."

"I'll show you a chaos gremlin," Zach shot back, lunging toward Grey, only for Kelvin to step in with the precision of someone who's broken up too many of these clashes.

"Enough!" Kelvin snapped, holding up a hand. "Can we act like professionals for five minutes? Or is that too much to ask?"

Felix couldn't help it—he smirked. "Careful, Kelvin. That vein in your forehead's starting to show again. Might want to keep it under control for the photos."

Kelvin turned his glare on Felix, his tone icily calm. "I'll keep that in mind, Felix. You focus on keeping your… unique quirks under control."

Felix's smirk froze, and for a split second, he wondered if Kelvin knew more than he was letting on. But before he could respond, the photographer clapped his hands loudly.

"Alright, Rune! Group formation! Let's see some chemistry!"

Zach muttered something under his breath about "forced chemistry," earning another glare from Kelvin. As they shuffled into place, Felix found himself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the leader.

"Smile, Felix," Kelvin whispered, his voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Let's show the world how much we love working together."

Felix flashed a dazzling grin for the camera, leaning ever so slightly into Kelvin. "Anything for you, boss."

Kelvin's expression didn't falter, but Felix swore he heard the faintest growl escape him as the flash went off.

As the shoot went on, the photographer directed them into increasingly awkward poses. At one point, they were instructed to all "lean in as if sharing a secret," which led to an almost comical level of discomfort among the group.

"Who's even going to believe this?" Grey muttered, his face far too close to Zach's. "We look like a boyband cult."

-----

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the photographer declared, "That's a wrap on this setup! Great work, everyone!"

As soon as they were out of earshot, Kelvin turned to Felix, his expression a mix of exasperation and reluctant amusement. "You're too much to bear, you know that?"

Felix grinned, tossing a stuffed cat at Kelvin, who caught it reflexively. "And yet, you'd be lost without me."

Kelvin opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by Zach.

"Alright, who's ready for lunch? Because I am starving, and if anyone tries to make me eat another salad, I'm quitting the band."

Grey smirked. "Is that a promise?"

As the group dissolved into playful bickering, Felix glanced at Kelvin, catching the faintest smile tugging at his lips. For a moment, the tension between them seemed to fade, replaced by something almost... comfortable.

But as quickly as it came, Kelvin's guarded expression returned. Felix tucked the observation away, unsure of what to make of it, but certain it wouldn't be the last time he saw it.

---

Lunch was set up in their dressing room, courtesy of their ever-efficient manager, Rika. As the group filed in, the scent of fresh salads greeted them, along with a cheerful note taped to the stack of containers: "Eat clean, perform better! :)"

Zach groaned audibly, reading the note. "Perform better, my ass. I was promised carbs."

Mitchell rolled his eyes. "You eat like you're 10. This is probably good for you."

Felix plopped into a chair and poked at his salad with a plastic fork. The cherry tomatoes glistened mockingly at him, their shiny red skins daring him to take a bite. He grimaced. "This is basically rabbit food."

"Complaining already?" Grey teased, taking a bite of his salad without fuss. "Not surprised."

Felix didn't take the bait Grey had dropped, instead pushing the tomatoes to one side of his container precisely like a surgeon performing a hard surgery . "Why do they always put tomatoes in these things? They're gross."

"You're gross," Zach muttered through a mouthful of lettuce.

"I'm serious," Felix continued, now on a roll. "They're slimy, they're weirdly sweet—"

Kelvin, who had been silently eating at the head of the table, slammed his fork down with a sharp clang. The room fell silent.

"Are you kidding me, Felix?" Kelvin said, his voice cold and sharp. "It's just tomatoes. You're not five. Eat them or don't, but stop acting like the world revolves around your pickiness."

Felix blinked, momentarily stunned by the sudden outburst. Then, his pride kicked in. "I don't see how my opinion on tomatoes affects you, almighty leader."

"It affects everyone," Kelvin snapped, standing up. "You complain about everything—food, work, life. Do you ever stop to think about how exhausting that is for the rest of us?"

Felix stood too, bristling. "Exhausting? I'm exhausting? Maybe you should take a long look in the mirror, Mr. Perfect, because you're not exactly a ray of sunshine yourself!"

Kelvin took a step closer, his frustration boiling over. "At least I'm trying to keep things together! All you do is act like nothing matters and make jokes to hide the fact that you can't—"

"Stop!" Felix's voice cracked, louder than he intended. His body trembled as a strange sensation went through him.

Oh no. Not now.

He felt it—the curse becoming active, his body reacting to the stress. His hands tingled, his vision blurred briefly, and he could feel the shifting begin beneath his skin.

Panic clawed at him. He couldn't let them see. Not here. Not now.

"Felix?" Mitchell's voice cut through the silence, concerned.

But Felix didn't answer. Instead, he shoved his chair back, nearly tripping as he bolted for the door.

"Felix, wait!" Kelvin called after him, but he was already gone.

The rest of the group sat frozen, staring at the door he had disappeared through.

"What the hell just happened?" Zach asked, breaking the silence.

Kelvin's hands curled into fists at his sides, his mind replaying the last few moments. He hadn't missed it- the flicker of something strange in Felix's eyes before he ran.

Something wasn't right. And Kelvin was determined to find out what it was