Ship/Member: Mingyu/Minghao Major Tags: time travel shenanigans Additional Tags: ANGST!! i'm sorry Permission to remix: pls ask!
***
Lost in time and space Aimless drifting in a far off place Hurtling through the vast unknown Staring straight into the pure, black void Drowning in the sea of stars Lost in a galaxy of cocktail bars Blinded by the neon lights I lie awake and say your name into the night -Lord Huron
Mingyu disappears in the middle of dinner.
They eat on the sofa because Mingyu wants watch a movie. A fruitless endeavor since he keeps talking over it, Minghao pausing at every interruption with a fond laugh. He teases Mingyu for buying a red wine - “we’re having fish Gyu, you should’ve gotten a Riesling” - and Mingyu pouts until Minghao concedes and opens it. Predictably, Mingyu spills wine on himself and Minghao laughs and laughs and laughs.
Then, Mingyu’s body sort of shimmers. A trick of the light maybe. Minghao blinks, rubbing at his eyes.
When he looks again, Mingyu is gone.
“Gyu?” he calls out in the empty apartment. Mouth dry, head spinning. Panic settling into him slowly because - where did he go? He was just here. “Gyu - Kim Mingyu come out right now!”
But Mingyu doesn’t come back, not for hours and hours. Minghao numbly calls Junhui, because if he calls the police they will think he’s lost his mind.
–
Minghao walks through the busy streets of Shanghai, a to-go coffee cup in one hand. He’s running through his pitch for his meeting later today, when someone tall approaches him. A frown spreads on his face as he prepares to step around them. Some people don’t know how to navigate foot traffic.
He freezes.
I’ve lost my mind, Minghao thinks faintly, when Kim Mingyu stops in front of him, completely unchanged from that miserable night five years ago. Down to the wine stain on his shirt.
“Hi Myungho,” Mingyu says softly.
Minghao throws his coffee at him.
–
Junhui sits him down, wrapping a blanket around his shivering frame, and holds his hand as Minghao stutters through an explanation. He nods once. “Hao, we’ll find him. Ah, don’t cry.”
“He’s gone,” Minghao manages to say. Gone, gone, left me.
Other people filter through the apartment throughout the night. Hansol, brewing him a cup of tea while Seungkwan clears away their half-eaten dinner. Joshua, gently coaxing Minghao into taking a shower. Seokmin, to carry him to bed at the end, Soonyoung crawling in beside him to hold Minghao when the tears come again.
Wonwoo arrives the next morning, with an apology, and an explanation.
–
“I’m sorry,” Mingyu whines, following Minghao as he continues to walk, fists clenched at his sides. “Please - will you stop for a second?”
Fuck you, Minghao thinks viciously, even though it is unfair. Mingyu didn’t choose to leave. Fuck you for leaving, and coming back now. “No. I have a meeting.”
“I always wanted to come back here with you,” Mingyu sounds wistful.
Minghao stops. He will not cry in the middle of the street. He turns to face Mingyu again, taking in his tired, rumpled appearance. “Are you real?” he demands. The words come out choked up, diffusing his anger.
Mingyu’s face crumples as he nods. “I’m sorry,” he says miserably. “Can I hug you?”
He opens his arms and Minghao falls into him.
–
Wonwoo’s words fly over his head. Time travel, and experiments, and unforeseen side-effects.
“I don’t understand,” Minghao says. “I thought your work was… theoretical.” Why hadn’t Mingyu told him anything?
“It was at first,” Wonwoo replies. To his credit, he looks Minghao right in the eye as he speaks. Explains just how he’s taken half of Minghao’s heart away. “We’ve been doing trials for the past year. It’s not… exactly legal, so Mingyu offered.”
Minghao closes his eyes. Mingyu’s voice echoes in his head. Hyung’s research is really cool… they need some money so I’m going to help… he said I could come to the lab! “What happened.”
Wonwoo sighs. “We put him through too many times. His atoms, they’re unstable now. They can’t stay put in the same place. He can come back, but we aren’t sure how.”
“He can come back?” Minghao demands, latching on to the words. A rope to pull him out of this hole he’s buried himself in, without Mingyu. “From where? Where is he?”
“It’s not where, Myungho,” Wonwoo says gently. “It’s when.”
–
“Stay with me,” Minghao murmurs in the quiet early morning, Mingyu’s arms heavy around his waist. He knows Mingyu needs to call Wonwoo, they need to figure out what’s going on with his body, where and when he’s been.
Minghao doesn’t care about Wonwoo’s stupid research. He doesn’t care that technically he’s five years older than Mingyu right now. He just wants Mingyu to stay. Needs it.
Mingyu continues to sleep in his arms.
–
Everyone protests when he puts their apartment up for sale. “You can’t just leave!” Seungkwan snaps in a fit of anger. Vernon calms him with a touch, but Minghao can see the silent accusations in their faces.
You have to be here for when he comes back.
But it’s been a year, and Minghao is tired of waiting. Tired of this empty apartment, and every little thing that reminds him of Kim Mingyu.
“Don’t run away.” Junhui looks sad when Minghao tells him he’s moving back to China. “He’ll come back to you. You know that.”
No. Minghao doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know anything about Mingyu now. Not anymore.
–
Once, Mingyu was running late for dinner. He texts his apologies, with a stupidly cute Katalk sticker and Minghao loves him too much to be truly annoyed. He waits, asking for another cup of tea from the waitress.
His phone buzzes. Mingyu. Minghao picks up, exasperated. “I know you’re running late. No need to call.”
“Myungho.” Mingyu sounds strange. Almost agitated. Minghao frowns. ”Wait for me, won’t you?”
“I already said I would?” Was he drinking with Wonwoo and the others at the lab? That might explain it. “Where are you, right now?”
Mingyu lets out a noise that makes Minghao’s stomach drop. “Mingyu?”
“I love you,” Mingyu replies desperately. Minghao is frozen in his seat. “I love you, and I will always come back for you. Wait for me.”
He hangs up before Minghao can say anything back.
When Mingyu finally arrives, Minghao stands up to smell his breath. “Did you get drunk?” he asks suspiciously. “You were weird on the phone earlier.”
Mingyu laughs. “Oh yeah? What did I say?”
Minghao blinks at that. He doesn’t remember.
–
Minghao wakes up in his apartment in Shanghai, alone. Resigned, he stares up at the ceiling, wondering if it’s going to take another five years to see Mingyu again.
[FILL] when you are, where i am
Major Tags: time travel shenanigans
Additional Tags: ANGST!! i'm sorry
Permission to remix: pls ask!
***
Mingyu disappears in the middle of dinner.
They eat on the sofa because Mingyu wants watch a movie. A fruitless endeavor since he keeps talking over it, Minghao pausing at every interruption with a fond laugh. He teases Mingyu for buying a red wine - “we’re having fish Gyu, you should’ve gotten a Riesling” - and Mingyu pouts until Minghao concedes and opens it. Predictably, Mingyu spills wine on himself and Minghao laughs and laughs and laughs.
Then, Mingyu’s body sort of shimmers. A trick of the light maybe. Minghao blinks, rubbing at his eyes.
When he looks again, Mingyu is gone.
“Gyu?” he calls out in the empty apartment. Mouth dry, head spinning. Panic settling into him slowly because - where did he go? He was just here. “Gyu - Kim Mingyu come out right now!”
But Mingyu doesn’t come back, not for hours and hours. Minghao numbly calls Junhui, because if he calls the police they will think he’s lost his mind.
–
Minghao walks through the busy streets of Shanghai, a to-go coffee cup in one hand. He’s running through his pitch for his meeting later today, when someone tall approaches him. A frown spreads on his face as he prepares to step around them. Some people don’t know how to navigate foot traffic.
He freezes.
I’ve lost my mind, Minghao thinks faintly, when Kim Mingyu stops in front of him, completely unchanged from that miserable night five years ago. Down to the wine stain on his shirt.
“Hi Myungho,” Mingyu says softly.
Minghao throws his coffee at him.
–
Junhui sits him down, wrapping a blanket around his shivering frame, and holds his hand as Minghao stutters through an explanation. He nods once. “Hao, we’ll find him. Ah, don’t cry.”
“He’s gone,” Minghao manages to say. Gone, gone, left me.
Other people filter through the apartment throughout the night. Hansol, brewing him a cup of tea while Seungkwan clears away their half-eaten dinner. Joshua, gently coaxing Minghao into taking a shower. Seokmin, to carry him to bed at the end, Soonyoung crawling in beside him to hold Minghao when the tears come again.
Wonwoo arrives the next morning, with an apology, and an explanation.
–
“I’m sorry,” Mingyu whines, following Minghao as he continues to walk, fists clenched at his sides. “Please - will you stop for a second?”
Fuck you, Minghao thinks viciously, even though it is unfair. Mingyu didn’t choose to leave. Fuck you for leaving, and coming back now. “No. I have a meeting.”
“I always wanted to come back here with you,” Mingyu sounds wistful.
Minghao stops. He will not cry in the middle of the street. He turns to face Mingyu again, taking in his tired, rumpled appearance. “Are you real?” he demands. The words come out choked up, diffusing his anger.
Mingyu’s face crumples as he nods. “I’m sorry,” he says miserably. “Can I hug you?”
He opens his arms and Minghao falls into him.
–
Wonwoo’s words fly over his head. Time travel, and experiments, and unforeseen side-effects.
“I don’t understand,” Minghao says. “I thought your work was… theoretical.” Why hadn’t Mingyu told him anything?
“It was at first,” Wonwoo replies. To his credit, he looks Minghao right in the eye as he speaks. Explains just how he’s taken half of Minghao’s heart away. “We’ve been doing trials for the past year. It’s not… exactly legal, so Mingyu offered.”
Minghao closes his eyes. Mingyu’s voice echoes in his head. Hyung’s research is really cool… they need some money so I’m going to help… he said I could come to the lab! “What happened.”
Wonwoo sighs. “We put him through too many times. His atoms, they’re unstable now. They can’t stay put in the same place. He can come back, but we aren’t sure how.”
“He can come back?” Minghao demands, latching on to the words. A rope to pull him out of this hole he’s buried himself in, without Mingyu. “From where? Where is he?”
“It’s not where, Myungho,” Wonwoo says gently. “It’s when.”
–
“Stay with me,” Minghao murmurs in the quiet early morning, Mingyu’s arms heavy around his waist. He knows Mingyu needs to call Wonwoo, they need to figure out what’s going on with his body, where and when he’s been.
Minghao doesn’t care about Wonwoo’s stupid research. He doesn’t care that technically he’s five years older than Mingyu right now. He just wants Mingyu to stay. Needs it.
Mingyu continues to sleep in his arms.
–
Everyone protests when he puts their apartment up for sale. “You can’t just leave!” Seungkwan snaps in a fit of anger. Vernon calms him with a touch, but Minghao can see the silent accusations in their faces.
You have to be here for when he comes back.
But it’s been a year, and Minghao is tired of waiting. Tired of this empty apartment, and every little thing that reminds him of Kim Mingyu.
“Don’t run away.” Junhui looks sad when Minghao tells him he’s moving back to China. “He’ll come back to you. You know that.”
No. Minghao doesn’t know that. He doesn’t know anything about Mingyu now. Not anymore.
–
Once, Mingyu was running late for dinner. He texts his apologies, with a stupidly cute Katalk sticker and Minghao loves him too much to be truly annoyed. He waits, asking for another cup of tea from the waitress.
His phone buzzes. Mingyu. Minghao picks up, exasperated. “I know you’re running late. No need to call.”
“Myungho.” Mingyu sounds strange. Almost agitated. Minghao frowns. ”Wait for me, won’t you?”
“I already said I would?” Was he drinking with Wonwoo and the others at the lab? That might explain it. “Where are you, right now?”
Mingyu lets out a noise that makes Minghao’s stomach drop. “Mingyu?”
“I love you,” Mingyu replies desperately. Minghao is frozen in his seat. “I love you, and I will always come back for you. Wait for me.”
He hangs up before Minghao can say anything back.
When Mingyu finally arrives, Minghao stands up to smell his breath. “Did you get drunk?” he asks suspiciously. “You were weird on the phone earlier.”
Mingyu laughs. “Oh yeah? What did I say?”
Minghao blinks at that. He doesn’t remember.
–
Minghao wakes up in his apartment in Shanghai, alone. Resigned, he stares up at the ceiling, wondering if it’s going to take another five years to see Mingyu again.