Chapter Text
If one might ask Junhui what fever dream was the most unpleasant he had ever experienced it would have been the time where he dreamt that he was forced to bake cupcakes as a remedy for a terrifying pandemic. It felt too real, vivid if he might add. But, what was happening now was a contender against that baking red velvet related dream but more of a ‘is this real or did I wake up in an alternate world in front of a secret agent type of thing?’.
It wasn't an unpleasant or dreadful sight, however this incident alone makes his fist turn white while holding his bed sheets as if it’s his lifeline. He makes his toes curl under his blanket and bit his tongue a bit harshly indicating that yes, this isn’t a dream.
Rather than opening his eyes after seeing the figure in front of him, he tightened his eyelids shut, wishing that after a few seconds this person would leave or disappear out of thin air.
Minutes passed but the weight of the person sitting on the foot of his bed was still there. The man was still, no movement can be felt nor does a subtle creak of the bed can be heard. It was rather an awkward 5 minutes of silence with an abnormal breathing pattern made by Jun since why was a stranger here sitting on his bed with shades on in his barely lit room?
Still pretending to be asleep while thinking of an escape plan, he heard an audible sigh. A long one, to be specific.
“I know you’re awake Junhui.”
A sense of familiarity was felt, he heard this voice before though it was deeper in quality.
After a few silent seconds the person must have known Jun won’t reply. “I know you sleep with your eyes open, don’t change your habit now”
He opened his eyes slowly, his vision was met with a man looking at him with a neutral expression; his black shades were now on the tip of his nose revealing his alluring eyes. Junhui knows who this person was, specifically the person he does want to be with in his room, it was his close friend who he wants to have a romantic relationship with for two years now.
He hurriedly sat up, his right hand desperately searching for the lampshade’s switch and turned it on.
“Minghao”
“Yeah, that’s me.” The said man stood up, his socked foot was tapping Junhui’s wooden floor.
Junhui could only look at the man in amazement and a bit of confusion. The Minghao he’s looking at held so much power, his black slacks hugged his long legs, and the white dress shirt accompanied with a vest matching his slacks screamed elegance. He doesn’t look like the Minghao who smiles at him whenever he wins him a stuffed toy from the claw machine and he wasn’t the boy who lets him snuggle with his cat.
Jun was still planted on his bed, mouth sealed while thinking of a way to understand the situation at hand. He found his hand holding his nape out of embarrassment and chuckled nervously before replying.
“Don’t get me wrong but, you…”
Minghao quirks his eyebrows at Junhui’s unsure tone.
“Okay….don’t be mad but..” He finally moved his position, his eyes now staring at the man in front of him.
“Last time I checked you had brown hair instead of black with gray highlights which was yesterday? And you kind of look like you dipped yourself in sparkling water, especially your face.”
The other man in question could only stare with confusion at Jun’s remark, he placed his shades on his head. Now with his eyes bare of any glasses he looked at the man straight in the eye to explain what he just said. Junhui’s explanations are always weirdly specific even though they’ve been together for 20 years now and it’s still difficult to understand his mind.
Junhui continued his rambling when he realized what he said was understandably out of context.
“Not in the bad way of course, because yeah you look...beautiful as always, but you look more of a ‘I eat caviar in front of a balcony in France’ instead of the ‘I eat boiled eggs in the backyard kind of Minghao.”
Okay, that was more out of context Junhui thought, with a blush evident on his face.
To his amazement, Minghao laughed gently, a small smile settling on his face.
“What you’re looking at is called aging darling, not magical glitter dipping.”
Junhui gaped at what Minghao just said. Aging? If you do look at him closely his features grew sharper, his eyes had a level of maturity while looking at him straight in the eye, his voice was as smooth as silk not like the childish lilt his 18 year old crush has and damn, his smile now turned into a smirk.
The man standing in front of him leaned on the wall, his foot was impatiently tapping the floor.
“I’m 39 years old, from the future.”
Okay, his crush is 39 years old and is standing in his room like it’s nothing bizarre.
Totally normal. What does he do? Is this like a simulation of some sort? Does he pretend like all is well and dandy. Jun could feel his heart pounding louder out of nervousness, he managed to straighten his tongue and form a question he deems fine.
“So...why is a 39 year old Minghao inside my room?”
Minghao sighs again and sits down beside him, his feet now at ease but his hands are fiddling with the blanket, a hint of worry is seen on his face.
“We have to find our child.”
“Our...our child?!” Jun suddenly stands up, his hands are both at his scalp, he was shocked to say the least.
“We’re together? And...and we have a child? from the future?”
Okay, scratch that, his husband who is 39 years old from the future is now sitting on his bed, in his room like it’s a normal thing.
Minghao nods as a confirmation for Junhui’s questions, his hands were still impatiently fiddling with the sheets but his face was mischievously smiling at a confused Junhui.
“Yeah and our child didn’t ask for permission when he used my spell book.”
Junhui could feel his brain malfunctioning, he can’t just process this all at once.
“What! Spell book? Like bibbidi-bobbidi-boo type of magic?”
Minghao sighed for the nth time, why did he marry Junnie again? Oh yeah, he loves him. Nevermind.
“Long story for another time but our son came here in this timeline without even telling us and he might cause a terrible accident in the future if we don’t find him as soon as possible.”
Jun could only widen his eyes out of shock, he let himself fall back on his bed again and looked at the chipping paint on his ceiling.
“This sounds kind of like those cool tv shows late at night, but now that I’m hearing this from my partner who’s 20 years from the future who’s looking for our lost son it’s kind of hard to take in you know?
Junhui doesn’t know what he should feel. Should he be happy that he’s married to Xu Minghao or be worried because his future son was running free in this small town.
“Yeah, but I need your help. So can you?” The older man was now at his door frame, as he grabbed his shoes that he placed near the door.
“Of course, your 40 year old husband would be disappointed if I didn’t help you.” Junhui replied, emphasizing the word husband as Minghao rolled his eyes.
This is going to be interesting but tiring nonetheless. Heck, at least he knows his pining was not unrequited.
Junhui could even barely stand-up before Minghao threw him a jacket and told him to brush his teeth before going down stairs.
He was still in a daze. He knows they were supposed to hurry however just the thought of gaining quite a few major occurences that will happen to him made him look at his reflection for 2 minutes until the other opened the door and threatened to choke him with the waiting toothbrush near his sink.
Minghao’s voice was moving from every direction, seemingly out of ease. And finally went over to Junhui again, his head at the crack of the door.
“Okay I got your socks since you always wear the mismatched ones. And no, you’re not gonna eat fruit jellies since it's the crack of dawn, Junhui.”
“Didn’t know old Minghao would be this motherly.” He replied, voice muffled while brushing his teeth.
“I know right, kinda signed up as your future mother than your significant other and I’m kind of regretting it.”
Hearing this made Junhui pout with the toothbrush sticking out of his mouth, eyes wide with a sad comedic expression.
The older one smiled fondly while letting out a little laugh and finally entered the bathroom, patting Junhui’s head. “I’m joking, I love you, don't worry. Even though you're at your pizza-only phase.”
“Now hurry-up I want to find his ass and scold him, before 40-year-old Junhui comes home.”
Junhui could only feel the warmth of comfort and excitement of knowing that this will be the life he’ll have in the future.