Dongmin stared at the image of himself on the computer screen and thought, very briefly, that he looked rather good.
And then he wondered how he had fallen in love with Bin.
Not that Bin wasn’t a good friend and a good person, but…Bin? He never had an ounce of romantic feelings within him to fall in love with Bin.
But this Dongmin, staring back at him from the computer screen, somehow had.
Dongmin sighed and leaned back in his chair as he considered the complexities of interdimensional travel. He had been to many realities before and had encountered the same humans over and over again, and he still could not quite figure out how they all seemed so similar and yet so different. In some universes, Dongmin no longer existed. In others, he was exalted and in others he was despised.
He never cared about himself, though. Finding his alternate self was not a priority. The only Dongmin that mattered to him was him.
But every single Myungjun mattered.
He started his journey to save Myungjun’s life, to stop other interdimensional travelers from taking him and using him and sacrificing him for the greater good. Yes, his blood contained powerful antibodies that could possibly save all of humanity from his time and place, but Dongmin had seen them sacrifice Myungjun over and over again. The virus that plagued his own people was no closer to being eradicated, and yet Myungjun continued to die in vain, to save a humanity he would never know.
Sometimes he volunteered himself to die in a single, selfless act and nothing Dongmin could say made any difference. Other times, he was forcibly led to his doom and Dongmin always arrived too late.
Finally, though, Dongmin had come across a stable universe and a Myungjun who was not yet caught and not yet killed and not yet ready to die selflessly. This Myungjun was in school for theater (a lucrative job in Dongmin’s own universe) and enjoyed camping (a pastime Dongmin knew nothing about, on account he lived on Mars and camping was nonexistent) and enjoyed eating a food called fried chicken (Dongmin only consumed lab meat and was still getting used to the taste of Earth food).
He was determined to keep this Myungjun alive.
He heard the door unlock, and he shot up from his chair, his heart hammering with anticipation. When Myungjun walked into the tiny studio apartment, Dongmin relaxed and sat back down again.
“It’s you,” he breathed out, thankful the scientists from his time had not yet arrived. Myungjun raised a hand in greeting. “Hello, old man,” he said.
Dongmin raised his eyebrows as Myungjun deposited a small grocery bag onto the kitchen counter. “You don’t have to keep calling me old man.”
“I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to call you,” Myungjun replied. “You’re in your forties and you’re living with a young, innocent, naive boy who is only twenty-two.” He held a hand to his chest and theatrically murmured, “The scandal of it all!”
Dongmin scowled. “Before my world got hit with the plague, most men lived until they were one hundred and fifty – by all accounts, I’m still young and in my prime.”
“Not here,” Myungjun retorted, and then he pulled something out of his bag and displayed it proudly to Dongmin. “Here, I got you my favorite snacks. Squid flavored!”
“Squid?” Dongmin repeated, squinting his eyes at the package. He had no idea what a squid was, but Myungjun had teased him plenty for not knowing basic concepts (Myungjun’s words, not his), so he didn’t want to voice his confusion.
“It’s a sea creature,” Myungjun explained.
Dongmin nodded as if he did understand. “So…similar to fish and whales and sharks, then?”
“Eh.” Myungjun did not further his explanation and instead tossed the snacks over to Dongmin, who just barely was able to catch them. He glanced at the creature on the front and realized it looked quite similar to an octopus. It must be in the same family. He would have to research more about squids.
“We don’t have sea creatures on Mars,” Dongmin murmured. “Earth is rather abandoned in my time, so I have not gotten to visit the oceans. And most of the realities I visit are void of ocean life – or it’s not something I spend my time looking for.”
Myungjun raised his eyebrows, curious as to Dongmin’s previous reality. Dongmin did not often delve into his life before coming to Myungjun’s time and place, as he did not want to bring up his deceased lover too often.
But fortunately Myungjun did not ask questions. His eyes drifted over to the laptop, which still showed an image of this world’s Dongmin.
“Research,” Dongmin quickly explained. “It’s…um, I was just curious as to how I am in this reality.”
“A bore,” Myungjun replied. “You only put up with me because Bin is my friend.” He began to rifle through the rest of his groceries. “I think I like this version of you much better. You’re…more mature. Physically and mentally.”
“You like mature men?”
Myungjun grinned mischievously and shrugged his shoulders. It wasn’t an answer, but Myungjun was often like that. He teased often and made silly comments and remarks and liked to play around. It was what drew Dongmin so close to him. In every world, in every reality, he longed for Myungjun. Without him around, life felt meaningless.
“Are you alright?” Myungjun asked him suddenly, and Dongmin realized he had been gawking and tearing up. He brushed aside his emotions with a quick wave of his arm and nodded his head.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re thinking about him,” Myungjun commented.
“Him?”
Myungjun raised his eyebrows, and Dongmin knew whom he was referring to. Him. The Kim Myungjun who could not fall victim to the plague. The Kim Myungjun in his own life who died prematurely after he had agreed to donate some blood in order to stop the virus. The Kim Myungjun who had been murdered and his body parts utilized for various cures and ailments. The Kim Myungjun who lived on through alternate realities, times, and dimensions.
“I always think of him,” Dongmin murmured, and he took a seat back at the desk. Myungjun watched him, curious, and Dongmin tried his best to offer a small smile.
“You know I’m not him,” Myungjun pointed out. “I’m…I’m different. Just like that Dongmin is different from you.”
“I’m aware. I’ve met many Myungjuns before. But you all share…some similarities. For example, you can all sing! And you’re all so goofy. I wish I could be as goofy and as carefree as you.” Dongmin laughed. “But you are the first who goes camping, which is an activity I cannot fathom. Why on earth would you go camping when you can stay inside? Granted, the air here is breathable, at least, which is more than I can say about Mars. Or even a lot of the Earths I’ve been to. I was fortunate that my calculations on this dimension provided me ample notice that the air was clear and I would not be subjected to a lack of oxygen. I think the scientists who are after you will not be as used to inter-dimensional travel and so perhaps they will falter when they realize that Earth here–”
He hadn’t realized Myungjun was so close to him suddenly, and he gave a start when Myungjun leaned over to kiss his cheek. He blinked and peered up at Myungjun, who looked rather embarrassed at his display of affection and quickly returned back to his groceries.
“What was that for?” Dongmin asked, his voice a bit hushed.
“Dunno,” Myungjun responded. “I felt like you needed it.”
“Did you also need it?”
Once more, Myungjun’s only answer was a grin, but that was just fine with Dongmin. He sat there, basking in the glow of that single kiss, and knew this is what he had been missing all along.
Fill: Astro (Kpop), MJ/Dongmin
And then he wondered how he had fallen in love with Bin.
Not that Bin wasn’t a good friend and a good person, but…Bin? He never had an ounce of romantic feelings within him to fall in love with Bin.
But this Dongmin, staring back at him from the computer screen, somehow had.
Dongmin sighed and leaned back in his chair as he considered the complexities of interdimensional travel. He had been to many realities before and had encountered the same humans over and over again, and he still could not quite figure out how they all seemed so similar and yet so different. In some universes, Dongmin no longer existed. In others, he was exalted and in others he was despised.
He never cared about himself, though. Finding his alternate self was not a priority. The only Dongmin that mattered to him was him.
But every single Myungjun mattered.
He started his journey to save Myungjun’s life, to stop other interdimensional travelers from taking him and using him and sacrificing him for the greater good. Yes, his blood contained powerful antibodies that could possibly save all of humanity from his time and place, but Dongmin had seen them sacrifice Myungjun over and over again. The virus that plagued his own people was no closer to being eradicated, and yet Myungjun continued to die in vain, to save a humanity he would never know.
Sometimes he volunteered himself to die in a single, selfless act and nothing Dongmin could say made any difference. Other times, he was forcibly led to his doom and Dongmin always arrived too late.
Finally, though, Dongmin had come across a stable universe and a Myungjun who was not yet caught and not yet killed and not yet ready to die selflessly. This Myungjun was in school for theater (a lucrative job in Dongmin’s own universe) and enjoyed camping (a pastime Dongmin knew nothing about, on account he lived on Mars and camping was nonexistent) and enjoyed eating a food called fried chicken (Dongmin only consumed lab meat and was still getting used to the taste of Earth food).
He was determined to keep this Myungjun alive.
He heard the door unlock, and he shot up from his chair, his heart hammering with anticipation. When Myungjun walked into the tiny studio apartment, Dongmin relaxed and sat back down again.
“It’s you,” he breathed out, thankful the scientists from his time had not yet arrived.
Myungjun raised a hand in greeting. “Hello, old man,” he said.
Dongmin raised his eyebrows as Myungjun deposited a small grocery bag onto the kitchen counter. “You don’t have to keep calling me old man.”
“I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to call you,” Myungjun replied. “You’re in your forties and you’re living with a young, innocent, naive boy who is only twenty-two.” He held a hand to his chest and theatrically murmured, “The scandal of it all!”
Dongmin scowled. “Before my world got hit with the plague, most men lived until they were one hundred and fifty – by all accounts, I’m still young and in my prime.”
“Not here,” Myungjun retorted, and then he pulled something out of his bag and displayed it proudly to Dongmin. “Here, I got you my favorite snacks. Squid flavored!”
“Squid?” Dongmin repeated, squinting his eyes at the package. He had no idea what a squid was, but Myungjun had teased him plenty for not knowing basic concepts (Myungjun’s words, not his), so he didn’t want to voice his confusion.
“It’s a sea creature,” Myungjun explained.
Dongmin nodded as if he did understand. “So…similar to fish and whales and sharks, then?”
“Eh.” Myungjun did not further his explanation and instead tossed the snacks over to Dongmin, who just barely was able to catch them. He glanced at the creature on the front and realized it looked quite similar to an octopus. It must be in the same family. He would have to research more about squids.
“We don’t have sea creatures on Mars,” Dongmin murmured. “Earth is rather abandoned in my time, so I have not gotten to visit the oceans. And most of the realities I visit are void of ocean life – or it’s not something I spend my time looking for.”
Myungjun raised his eyebrows, curious as to Dongmin’s previous reality. Dongmin did not often delve into his life before coming to Myungjun’s time and place, as he did not want to bring up his deceased lover too often.
But fortunately Myungjun did not ask questions. His eyes drifted over to the laptop, which still showed an image of this world’s Dongmin.
“Research,” Dongmin quickly explained. “It’s…um, I was just curious as to how I am in this reality.”
“A bore,” Myungjun replied. “You only put up with me because Bin is my friend.” He began to rifle through the rest of his groceries. “I think I like this version of you much better. You’re…more mature. Physically and mentally.”
“You like mature men?”
Myungjun grinned mischievously and shrugged his shoulders. It wasn’t an answer, but Myungjun was often like that. He teased often and made silly comments and remarks and liked to play around. It was what drew Dongmin so close to him. In every world, in every reality, he longed for Myungjun. Without him around, life felt meaningless.
“Are you alright?” Myungjun asked him suddenly, and Dongmin realized he had been gawking and tearing up. He brushed aside his emotions with a quick wave of his arm and nodded his head.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re thinking about him,” Myungjun commented.
“Him?”
Myungjun raised his eyebrows, and Dongmin knew whom he was referring to. Him. The Kim Myungjun who could not fall victim to the plague. The Kim Myungjun in his own life who died prematurely after he had agreed to donate some blood in order to stop the virus. The Kim Myungjun who had been murdered and his body parts utilized for various cures and ailments. The Kim Myungjun who lived on through alternate realities, times, and dimensions.
“I always think of him,” Dongmin murmured, and he took a seat back at the desk. Myungjun watched him, curious, and Dongmin tried his best to offer a small smile.
“You know I’m not him,” Myungjun pointed out. “I’m…I’m different. Just like that Dongmin is different from you.”
“I’m aware. I’ve met many Myungjuns before. But you all share…some similarities. For example, you can all sing! And you’re all so goofy. I wish I could be as goofy and as carefree as you.” Dongmin laughed. “But you are the first who goes camping, which is an activity I cannot fathom. Why on earth would you go camping when you can stay inside? Granted, the air here is breathable, at least, which is more than I can say about Mars. Or even a lot of the Earths I’ve been to. I was fortunate that my calculations on this dimension provided me ample notice that the air was clear and I would not be subjected to a lack of oxygen. I think the scientists who are after you will not be as used to inter-dimensional travel and so perhaps they will falter when they realize that Earth here–”
He hadn’t realized Myungjun was so close to him suddenly, and he gave a start when Myungjun leaned over to kiss his cheek. He blinked and peered up at Myungjun, who looked rather embarrassed at his display of affection and quickly returned back to his groceries.
“What was that for?” Dongmin asked, his voice a bit hushed.
“Dunno,” Myungjun responded. “I felt like you needed it.”
“Did you also need it?”
Once more, Myungjun’s only answer was a grin, but that was just fine with Dongmin. He sat there, basking in the glow of that single kiss, and knew this is what he had been missing all along.