The argument erupted over a seemingly trivial matter - a misplaced set of keys.

"I swear, Felix, you're so disorganized!" Chris exploded, his voice rising. "You never put anything away! You're always losing things!"

Felix, taken aback by Chris's sudden anger, felt a surge of resentment. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm trying to find them."

"Trying?" Chris scoffed. "That's all you ever do. Try. You never actually do anything."

Felix felt a wave of hurt wash over him. "That's not fair, Chris. I'm trying my best."

Chris's anger seemed to intensify. He stepped closer to Felix, his eyes blazing. "Best isn't good enough, Felix. You need to be better. For me."

Felix felt a knot of fear tighten in his stomach. Chris's words, his proximity, were terrifying. He felt trapped, cornered.

"You're scaring me," Felix whispered, his voice trembling.

Chris's face softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Felix. I didn't mean to…" He reached out to touch Felix, but Felix flinched back.

Chris's expression hardened again. "Don't you trust me?" he demanded.

Felix, his heart pounding, shook his head. He didn't know what to trust anymore.

Chris grabbed Felix's throat, his grip tightening. "Look at me," he demanded.

Felix, terrified, could only stare into Chris's eyes, which were now dark and menacing. Chris leaned closer, his breath hot against Felix's cheek.

"You're mine," he hissed, his voice a low growl. "You belong to me."

Felix felt a surge of panic. He tried to struggle free, but Chris's grip was like iron. He felt the hand tightening around his throat, cutting off his breath.

Terror, cold and paralyzing, gripped him. He clawed at Chris's arm, gasping for air.

Suddenly, Chris seemed to snap out of it. His eyes widened in horror. He loosened his grip, his face contorted with remorse.

"Felix," he gasped, "I… I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Felix, coughing violently, stumbled back, his eyes wide with fear. He stared at Chris, his mind reeling from the terrifying experience.

He didn't say a word. He just turned and ran, fleeing the apartment as if his life depended on it.

He didn't know where he was going, he just needed to get away, to escape the suffocating grip of Chris's anger, the terrifying glimpse into the darkness within him.

He found himself at his brother Minho's apartment, pounding on the door until Minho, startled, opened it.

Felix, tears streaming down his face, stumbled inside. Minho, alarmed by his brother's distress, pulled him into a hug.

"What's wrong, Felix? What happened?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Felix clung to his brother, burying his face in Minho's shoulder. He sobbed uncontrollably, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Minho what had happened. He couldn't bear to admit that the man he was in love with had almost choked him.

Minho, sensing his brother's reluctance to speak, held him close, stroking his hair gently. "It's okay, Felix," he murmured. "Just let it out."

~•~

Later, as Felix lay in his own bed, the events of the evening replayed in his mind. He tried to rationalize Chris's behavior, to find excuses for his outburst.

"He must be stressed," he thought. "He had a bad day. It won't happen again."

He blamed himself for upsetting Chris, for misplacing the keys, for somehow provoking his anger. He replayed every word of their argument, analyzing his own responses, searching for ways he could have handled the situation differently.

He didn't realize that Chris's behavior was a red flag, a warning sign of the darker side of their relationship.

He was trapped in a web of his own making, blinded by his love for Chris, unable to see the danger that lurked beneath the surface.
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We love minlix brothers!

-Mrin