Chapter 12: Off the script 2

Grey was the first to walk out of the dressing room, casually throwing a peace sign over his shoulder. Zach followed right after him, dragging Mitchell, who was humming some random tune and trying to harmonize with himself.

Kelvin was about to leave too, his usual calm and collected self, when Felix's voice stopped him. "Kel, wait. We need to talk."

Kelvin paused, one hand on the door handle, clearly debating whether to just walk out anyway. "Can it wait? We're supposed to be on set in like five minutes."

"No," Felix said firmly, stepping closer. Without thinking, he reached out and intertwined their fingers, holding Kelvin in place.

Kelvin froze, glancing down at their joined hands, his eyebrows shooting up. "Felix…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the two makeup artists in the corner, who had been quietly packing up their brushes and palettes, let out the loudest squeal.

"Oh my God!" one of them whispered loudly to the other.

"They're so cute!" the other added, barely able to contain herself.

Felix immediately turned red, and Kelvin looked like he was about to die on the spot.

"Let's… let's go," one of the makeup artists said, grabbing her things in a hurry. "We didn't see anything!"

"Nothing at all!" the other chimed in, practically sprinting out of the room with her kit.

The door shut behind them, leaving an awkward silence in their wake.

Kelvin cleared his throat, his eyes still on their hands. "Uh, Felix, you might want to let go."

Felix tightened his grip instead, giving him a serious look. "Not until you hear me out."

Kelvin sighed dramatically and leaned against the doorframe, still trapped by Felix's grip on his hand. "Fine. You've got five minutes. Shoot."

Felix narrowed his eyes. "Why have you been ignoring me?"

Kelvin shrugged. "I haven't."

"Liar!" Felix snapped, jabbing a finger into Kelvin's chest with his free hand. "You avoid eye contact, you leave the room when I enter, and you've been spending more time in the studio than usual. What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," Kelvin replied, his tone annoyingly calm, which only made Felix's blood boil more.

"Seriously?" Felix scoffed. "So it's just a coincidence that you're acting like a distant ex-boyfriend?"

Kelvin raised an eyebrow. "Ex-boyfriend? Please. If I was your ex, you'd be crying and writing breakup songs by now."

Felix gasped, clutching his chest like Kelvin had just stabbed him. "Excuse me? You think I'd cry over you? As if!"

Kelvin smirked. "Yeah, sure. I can already picture you sobbing in your room, writing, 'Why did Kelvin break my heart?' "

Felix gaped at him, then huffed. "Oh, you're hilarious. Maybe you should quit Rune and become a stand-up comedian."

Kelvin leaned in slightly, his smirk widening. "Oh, so you'd miss me if I quit?"

Felix turned defensive. "That's not what I said!"

"You didn't deny it," Kelvin teased, leaning back like he'd won.

Felix rolled his eyes so hard it looked like they might get stuck. "You're impossible! Forget it, I don't even care why you've been avoiding me anymore."

"Oh, so now you're the one ignoring me?" Kelvin shot back.

"I hate you," Felix muttered, crossing his arms.

Kelvin chuckled. "No, you don't."

"Ugh!" Felix groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "You're the worst!"

"Yet you're still here holding my hand," Kelvin pointed out, holding up their still-intertwined fingers with a smug grin.

Felix looked down, his face heating up. He immediately let go and shoved Kelvin's shoulder. "Get out of here before I really lose it!"

Kelvin laughed as he straightened up and walked out the door. "You're so fun to mess with, Felix."

Felix stood there, fuming and muttering under his breath. "I swear, one day, I'm gonna kill him. Or kiss him. Maybe both."

Felix stormed out of the dressing room after Kelvin, catching up with him just as they were being ushered onto the set. Without even looking at him, he muttered, "You're insufferable, you know that?"

Kelvin, with his classic smirk, replied, "And yet, you're still walking next to me. Can't resist, huh?"

Felix rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't pop out.

As they reached the set, they noticed the seating arrangement. Kelvin and Felix were placed in the front, with Zach, Grey, and Mitchell behind them like unruly kids on a family road trip. Felix stared at the setup, then at Kelvin.

"Great. We're the parents now," Felix mumbled.

Kelvin chuckled. "Just don't expect me to help with the 'dad' duties. I'm more like the cool uncle who shows up with snacks and leaves when things get messy."

"Cool uncle? More like the annoying neighbor," Felix shot back, but they both ended up sitting down anyway.

The show kicked off with the host announcing the first task: "Let's see who can draw the best picture of their bandmates… blindfolded!"

Few minutes later, when the timer ended, everyone took off their blindfolds to reveal their "masterpieces." Kelvin held his up first, grinning proudly.

"Behold! My work of art!" he announced.

Felix looked at it and frowned. "Why does my head look like a potato with a wig?"

Kelvin smirked. "Because art imitates life."

Grey held up his drawing next, which was a chaotic mess of stick figures with huge, uneven heads and tiny bodies. "I call this The Attack of the Weirdos."

Mitchell's drawing was… unidentifiable. "Honestly, I don't even know what this is. Is that supposed to be me? Or a tree?"

Zach flipped his paper upside down, realizing he'd drawn the whole thing the wrong way. "Well… I think this is a masterpiece… of failure."

Then it was Felix's turn. With a casual shrug, he held up his sketch, and everyone gasped.

It was shockingly good—a quick but detailed sketch of the entire group. Each member was instantly recognizable, with just enough exaggeration in their expressions to make it funny but still realistic.

"Dude… what the heck?!" Zach exclaimed. "When did you learn to draw like that?"

Felix smirked. "Some of us have actual talent."

Grey groaned. "Okay, mom, we get it. You're good at everything."

Mitchell leaned in closer, pointing at his drawing. "You even got my weird eyebrow thing! How?"

Felix shrugged. "Observation skills. You all aren't that hard to figure out."

Kelvin looked at Felix's drawing and then at his own potato-head sketch. He quickly crumpled his paper and tossed it behind his chair. "Well, that's not fair. You didn't even need the blindfold, did you?"

Felix grinned. "Nope."

The host, who was barely holding in laughter, clapped his hands. "Alright, I think we all know who won this round. Felix, you're the clear winner!"

Felix flipped his hair, looking smug. "What can I say? Talent always wins."

From behind him, Grey muttered, "I bet Kelvin secretly thinks Felix takes him as his muse."

Felix turned around and smacked Grey on the arm. "Keep talking, and I'll draw you as a Lego next time."

The games rolled on, and the fans' requests got bolder and more ridiculous. The first task was a harmless one: "Recreate the iconic Titanic scene."

Grey immediately shouted, "Oh, Felix and Kelvin! This one's for you two!"

Before either could protest, Zach and Mitchell practically pushed them to the front.

Felix groaned, "Why can't you guys do this one?"

Mitchell shrugged. "Because it's not funny if we do it."

Kelvin crossed his arms. "I'm not doing that."

Grey grinned, nudging Felix. "Oh, come on, 'Jack.' Show us your acting skills!"

Felix rolled his eyes and muttered, "Fine. Let's just get it over with."

The host handed them a scarf to use as a prop, and Felix took Kelvin by the shoulders, spinning him around so they faced the imaginary ocean. Felix climbed onto the edge of the prop table while Kelvin stood behind him awkwardly.

"Hold my waist!" Felix snapped.

Kelvin hesitated, then lightly placed his hands on Felix's sides.

"Tighter! Or do you think I'm gonna fly off?"

Kelvin gritted his teeth and pulled Felix closer. The whole set erupted in laughter as Grey dramatically sang, "My Heart Will Go On," completely out of tune.

---

The show wrapped up with fans screaming for a second part with Rune, and the host, clearly entertained, smiled at the group.

"Would you guys come back for another episode?"

Before anyone could think, Grey grinned and pointed at Felix and Kelvin. "Oh, for sure! The fans need more Kelix comedy gold."

Zach nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, these two are practically carrying the entertainment."

Kelvin rolled his eyes while Felix gave an exaggerated bow, muttering, "Glad to be of service."

-

The group left the set and headed backstage to gather their things. The energy was still high, the boys chatting and laughing as they walked. But as they neared the van, Felix felt it.

It wasn't painful, but it was there—that familiar, unsettling sensation that told him a shift was coming. His heart raced as he swallowed hard, trying to calm his breathing.

Not now. Not here.

Felix paused in his steps, pretending to check his phone, but in reality, he was concentrating—forcing himself to stay in control. Kelvin, who had been trailing behind the group, noticed him lagging and stopped.

"You okay?" Kelvin asked, his voice low enough so the others wouldn't hear.

Felix didn't look up, still focused on steadying himself. "Yeah, just… uh, catching my breath."

Kelvin frowned, stepping closer. "You sure? You look pale."

Felix bit his lip, gripping his phone tightly. The shift wasn't strong yet, but it was creeping up, and he needed to get out of there fast.

"Don't worry about me, Kelvin. Go ahead with the others. I'll catch up."

But Kelvin didn't move. Instead, he crossed his arms and stayed there, his piercing gaze locked on Felix. "If you're not okay, you should say something."

Felix forced a weak laugh, though his fingers trembled slightly. "It's nothing, really. Go on."

The others were already a few steps ahead, but Kelvin hesitated, clearly unsure whether to leave or stay. Felix prayed he'd just walk away—because if he didn't, there was no telling what might happen next.