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Donghyuck wakes up fully naked with his ass sore. When he looks to his right, he sees a familiar silhouette facing away from him. Half naked with his butt sticking out, his pants barely hiding that dump truck. Any sort of panic fades completely because this simply meant he had sex with Mark, his boyfriend of six years. But instead, Donghyuck feels confused because neither of them had been to the other's house in a month, let alone have sex.
Mark starts to stir in his sleep when Donghyuck realises the room is neither his nor Mark's. Now the panic starts to bubble because where the hell are they?
"Please tell me you're Donghyuck," Mark whispers, his voice in a tone lower than usual.
"Were you expecting anyone else?" Donghyuck replies instead as Mark flips around to face him, recognising that voice easily.
"No, but I woke up half-naked and saw that I was in a foreign room. To top that off, I felt a human behind me and almost lost my shit." Mark reaches with his right hand to cup Donghyuck's face. His touch was tender, it has always been tender. Donghyuck wonders how he had forgotten about that fact.
"Love, you look ten years older." Donghyuck's thumb caresses Mark's cheeks.
"Actually, so do you honey."
It was when Donghyuck sees a quick flash on his left hand on Mark's cheek that he realises he has been wearing a ring. He has a ring on his left hand, on his ring finger. There is a ring on his left hand's ring finger. A ring. A wedding ring. There is a wedding ring on his left hand's ring finger-
The panic that was bubbling exploded.
"There is a ring on my left hand, dear."
Mark’s right hand leaves Donghyuck’s face and pulls said left hand in front of his eyes. He lifts his own left hand which was buried in the blankets into view. Matching diamond rings that fit perfectly around their fingers. Mark shoots up from the bed and turns to the bedside table for his phone. He unlocks it and stares at it for a minute before the screen goes black. Mark unlocks it again and shows his lockscreen to Donghyuck.
The lockscreen shows a ten-years-too-old Donghyuck in a white button-down, drinking coffee at what seems like a cafe. But his eyes travel to what Mark probably wanted him to see.
9.07 a.m.
Saturday, October 25
"I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be Monday today." Mark lifts his phone back and uses his fingerprint to unlock the phone. He stares at the homescreen, probably unfamiliar with whatever is on his phone and taps on something and shoves it back to Donghyuck's face.
Donghyuck sees the calendar app and then looks at the top of the phone and almost falls off the bed.
2031, Oct
"We're 10 years into the future."
Mark nods and slides back into the bed where Donghyuck is still lying down, too dumbfounded to move. They face each other and Donghyuck studies Mark's older features. There are quiet butterflies in his stomach and Donghyuck wonders how long it has been since Mark truly looked beautiful in his eyes.
"You look beautiful."
Donghyuck blinked only to realise it was not his voice that spoke such words. Mark had been staring at him, the way Mark had looked at Donghyuck for years that faded in time. But perhaps looking a little older does things to their younger hearts. A hand touches Donghyuck's cheek once again and as usual, the touch is tender and light.
"You look beautiful too."
It is Mark's turn to blink in surprise. He smiles softly after a second and shifts closer, his legs now gently tangled with Donghyuck's legs.
"It's been a while since you've complimented me," Mark speaks up after another second.
"Says you," Donghyuck playfully scoffs. "I don't remember the last time you called me beautiful."
There is a flash of guilt that passes through Mark's eyes but Donghyuck does not blame him the slightest. Six years was a long time for feelings to fade out, especially when transiting from teenagers to adulthood happens. People change and that in turn changes relationships. Their love life went from peak desires and attention cravings to texting each other once every three days.
"I've always thought you were, or are beautiful you know. Just because I don't say it anymore doesn't mean I don't think you're any less beautiful, darling." Mark pokes Donghyuck's naked waist with the latter squirming, feeling ticklish. It has been a while but Donghyuck can feel his cheeks flushing from the sweetness of his boyfriend, or currently husband?
But then it sinks in Donghyuck that he has thought of Mark being less beautiful than before. Now, it is Donghyuck's turn to have guilt fill his eyes. Donghyuck looks down and then stares back at Mark’s face. No, that has never happened. Perhaps it is the comfort of knowing Mark for so long, of seeing him so often that the face has turned into simple familiarity. But Donghyuck uses his eyes and traces over Mark’s gentle yet sharp features.
Donghyuck realises he has never stopped thinking of Mark as beautiful.
“Say it more often then,’ Donghyuck pulls Mark a little closer and intertwines their fingers. Mark’s bigger and warm hand continues to fit in perfectly, something that Donghyuck concludes to have never changed ten years later. “I love it when you compliment me, dear.”
Mark blinks, somewhat nods his head while lying on his head and then smiles sweetly.
Sweet, Mark has always been sweet. Damn it Donghyuck, why have you forgotten literally the one thing that kept drawing you to Mark. When has this sweetness faded to nothing when Mark has always been, always will be, very clearly, so sweet and loving?
No, it never faded, has it? Mark is the kindest and sweetest boyfriend ever possible. Donghyuck knows, Mark has never been anything short of sweet to him ever and Donghyuck wonders when he ever started doubting Mark’s constant love for him.
Donghyuck feels like crying, just yesterday he had been crying on Renjun’s shoulder wondering if this six-year-long relationship was going to end just like that. He had not seen Mark for a month and distance had nothing to do with that. Mark says it is because he is tired, then Donghyuck says it is because he is tired from being busy, then Mark says because he is tired from being swamped with work that keeps him busy. The list can go on and on.
“It’s been a while,” Mark pulls Donghyuck closer, tucking his chin above Donghyuck’s head with his arms now thrown over his boyfriend’s, no, husband’s naked body. “Honey you’re cold as always.”
“I’m not cold, you’re the one with a hot body sweetie.” Donghyuck retaliates but he snuggles closer with his face buried in Mark’s naked chest.
“Was that supposed to be suggestive?”
“I refuse to answer that.”
Mark laughs and Donghyuck can feel the vibration of Mark’s chest as the foreign room lets the laughter bounce on the walls. They stay that way for a while, time passing by as if events of yesterday or 10 years and one day ago never happened. The text from Mark says he is going to Jaemin’s house instead even though they had planned to meet that day and Donghyuck calling Renjun for an emergency crying session.
“Why did you cancel on me, love?”
Mark sighs and rubs quiet circles on Donghyuck’s back before patting it with a quiet rhythm.
“I panicked.”
“About what?”
Mark stops his hand mid-air and pushes Donghyuck slowly so they are looking at each other face to face. Their eyes are now at the same level, the way Mark loves to do when talking to Donghyuck. Because looking into your eyes feels more genuine! Mark once tried explaining but Donghyuck has no problems with it: he just likes looking at Mark’s dark orbs.
“I was afraid that,” Mark closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, “I’d see you walk towards me from afar and the first thought that comes to mind wouldn’t be ‘I miss him’.” Mark opens his eyes with a faint smile on his lips.
A pause, silence. Then Donghyuck feels his eyes sting and there are tears welling up. It was mutual, the fading feelings and the lack of anything other than the fact that they had been together for so long.
“But it looks like I was worried for nothing.”
Donghyuck looks up and tilts his head questioningly. The tears immediately halted at the tear ducts. Mark chuckles and wipes the tears off and kisses below Donghyuck’s eyes lightly.
“Think about it babe, we are transported 10 years in the future, I honestly thought I’d be more freaked out.”
“But you’re not freaking out,” Donghyuck points out.
“Because I realised that we’re not only just married,” Mark slides his hand down Donghyuck’s torso faintly, making Donghyuck squirm at the touch, “we’re happily married! Just think about it and look at us! You’re butt naked, I’m half-naked and the wallpaper on my phone is still you.”
“Still me?” Donghyuck teases but the faint blush on his face gives away any playfulness he was intending to give. His heart beating against his chest in embarrassment, in happiness, in love.
Mark rolls his eyes and reaches behind him for his phone again. He starts scrolling with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. The room is silent with only the sound of the air-conditioner, raking up the electricity bill that future them will have to deal with.
After a while, Mark’s face lights up and turns the phone to Donghyuck. It is a picture of Donghyuck 10 years ago, or just three months back where Donghyuck was using his fingers to write in the sand. They went to the beach on a weekend for just under two hours before Mark had an urgent call to rush back to his office because some idiot forgot to submit the finalised magazine for printing.
“This has been my wallpaper for a while now,” Mark says before he brings his phone back and continues scrolling but not as long as before as he turns the phone once again for Donghyuck to see.
It is a photo that Donghyuck has never seen before but he can remember what it was about. 11 years ago or simply just last year when they attended Mark’s older brother’s wedding. Donghyuck sees his past self’s side profile gaping at the chocolate fountain in awe.
“Before that was this picture as my wallpaper.”
Donghyuck gapes at the phone, having no clue that he was the subject of Mark’s wallpaper while their relationship had been as exciting as a doormat for the past two years. He believes it was quite a feat for their sweet honeymoon phase to last for four years when most couples have it dead by the first four months. In a more comfortable and stagnating relationship, Donghyuck actually suspected Mark to have changed his wallpaper to one of his Kpop biases the way he did so before they started dating.
Mark on the other hand kept scrolling down and Donghyuck wonders if the year 2031 allows phones to be able to store more than 10 years worth of photos. Wait, cloud storage exists. Right, there are more ways to store photos than inside your smartphone. Time-travelling 10 years must be messing with Donghyuck’s 10 years too young brain.
“And look, sweetheart, this was my wallpaper before that.”
Looks like Mark was not done proving his point.
The picture on the phone was blurry and very obviously taken in secret and in a rush. It was a picture of Donghyuck in the air to try and reach the ceiling of Mark’s old dorm room but very obviously failing. Donghyuck remembers that moment, Mark had maintained his 4.0 GPA despite the high possibility of flunking one of his papers and so Donghyuck came over to celebrate with flowers and stacks of pizza and fried chicken. For some reason, the conversation had flowed to trying to jump and touch the ceiling which Mark easily did but Donghyuck had failed miserably.
“Why would you mock me like that love,” Donghyuck pouted.
“It’s a cute photo of you babe, I like it very much obviously,” Mark snickered before putting his phone back onto the dresser behind him and leaning closer to Donghyuck once again, their faces now just a few centimeters apart.
Donghyuck thinks before he turns over and finds a smartphone sitting on another dresser behind him. He reaches out to it and unlocks it.
It is Mark smiling in a white suit.
Donghyuck knows he has a habit of using one wallpaper and only changing it when he can no longer find his previous wallpaper when he upgrades his phone. So while he, by default, has 18-year-old Mark as his wallpaper for the past four years, to see Mark in a white suit just feels a little different. It solidifies the fact that they are really married and his past? Future? Him from somewhere on this timeline has decided to finally change it to married Mark.
“You’re not 18 on my lockscreen anymore babe.”
“Future you finally changed it! Damn, that took a hot minute,” Mark grinned and craned his neck to see Donghyuck’s phone. “Oh? Do you think this is from our wedding, sweetie?”
“You’re really just accepting all of this craziness huh,” Donghyuck places his phone back to the dresser and snuggles into Mark’s chest. “Freak out a little more love.”
“It’s hard to freak out when I’m bubbling in happiness that we’re married darling, do you not feel the same?” Mark pulls Donghyuck away just to look into his eyes.
“If you realised honey, I’m not freaking out either.”
Mark giggles at that and pulls Donghyuck’s face back into his chest. His arms wrap around Donghyuck’s neck and head gently so as to not suffocate his lover. Donghyuck throws his arms around Mark’s torso and his legs tangled up even tighter this time, breathing in the scent of Mark. Looks like Mark’s general body scent never really gets any different.
They stay that way, neither of them wanting to move. The digital clock somewhere across the room ticks away and despite all the possible questions of how long are they going to be here, how far do they have to act their part as their future selves and what would their friends react if they found out that Mark and Donghyuck were not quite exactly who they are.
But in the arms of a lover that feels and smells like home, Donghyuck flutters his eyes closed and realises that he never fell out of love. He has always been in love, he just got so used to being in love that he has forgotten what it truly felt to be out of it. Because if he was out of love, the comfort, the joy, the peace, the tenderness, the sweetness, and everything Mark is to him would not feel as right as it does now, as it always does.
Mark nuzzles his face into the top of Donghyuck’s head, earning a quiet jab in the waist from Donghyuck.
“I honestly thought that my love for you was fading, but to think that I’m just used to loving you that I thought I stopped,” Mark mumbles, his lips pressed against Donghyuck’s curly hair.
“Do you have telepathy dear? Because I literally just thought of that.”
“Maybe I do, love.”
“I know you’re joking honey, but we’re also 10 years into the future so this becomes a lot more believable if you really do have telepathy.” Donghyuck laughs and Mark laughs together with him.
They hug tighter as if there was any space left between them in the first place. The warmth coming from Mark and the blanket draped over him gives him no room for alertness and Donghyuck drifts off to sleep.
When he wakes up, he is in a room he is familiar with. His small bedroom where he grew up because screw society who looks down on people who still live with their parents. His university is just a 10-minute walk no way in hell is he moving to the dorms to live with other people when he can wake up to his mum baking fresh pie for breakfast.
But instead of his usual routine of dragging himself out of bed, eyebags and tired body to school, he jumps out of his bed and grabs his phone. 18-year-old Mark staring right back at him the moment he unlocks and Donghyuck knows he is back. Whatever happened to him was probably a dream but he still feels the urge to call his boyfriend just in case. The phone rings, one, two seconds and then.
“Lov-”
“Donghyuck! My dearest darling, my sweetest princess, the love of my life, did you happen to dream about being in the future?”
“Uh, yeah? Wait, did you?”
“Yeah, I did.” A pause. Then Mark speaks again, “I love you.”
Donghyuck laughs, the surrealness of the situation catching up to his logical brain. But as always, Mark is sweet, loving, and kind so Donghyuck does what he knows best.
“I love you too,” Donghyuck breathes and smiles, “and I’m pretty confident I’ll love you even for the next 10 years.”
Mark laughs and Donghyuck feels his heart beating. It is slow, calm, unlike the once-raging butterflies that attacked his stomach or like the once heart racing on a high-speed chase. But Donghyuck knows this is right, the comfort and healing that brings peace to his life is something only Mark can do. Because he loves him.
Because they are both in love.