Work Text:
Mu Sicheng was running. Wind blowing past his face, he climbed up the tall, stone wall. Someone was shouting behind him, but he couldn’t make out the words.
Standing on top of the wall, Mu Sicheng turned around. A man with long, brown hair stood below, looking up at him. Or, Mu Sicheng assumed he was looking at him, but his face was blurry, features unrecognizable.
A butterfly entered his vision, its blue wings glowing. His eyes followed it, until it landed right on the stranger’s face. A pair of golden brown eyes appeared on the blurry face, staring straight at him. The eyes were filled with hatred, undisguisable disgust—
He was awoken by the beeping of his alarm.
“Fuck…” He mumbled, fumbling to silence the annoying noise.
Slowly, he rose from bed, making his way towards the bathroom, careful to not disturb his roommate.
Hot water rained down on him like a waterfall, washing away the early morning grogginess.
Mu Sicheng has had strange dreams lately. Every night, he ran throughout a strange building, chased by a man without any distinguishing features except brown hair.
Last night was the first time he had ever seen the man’s eyes.
Those eyes, golden brown like honey, glowed under the light. They seemed to bewitch him, enchanting his very soul with their gaze.
Mu Sicheng turned the handle, and the comforting rainfall turned into a small drip. The bathroom was silent as he stood there, aside from the occasional drip drop from the shower.
Going throughout the rest of his morning routine, he wondered about the dream. People didn’t typically remember their dreams, and if they did, it wasn’t in much detail.
Yet, he could recount every moment of the dream in perfect detail. It felt less like a dream and more like… memories.
“What a stupid thought,” Really, this was driving him insane. Luckily, the bore of college classes managed to distract him, and he forgot all about the strange man from his dreams.
…
Armand was running. He was chasing someone, legs burning as he tried to catch up. Yet the man got further and further out of reach, reduced to a blob of brown and red in his vision.
He needed to catch up.
He didn’t know why he needed to catch this man, but instinct poured out of his soul, consuming him. He needed to catch this man, for if he didn’t he might…
Disappear forever.
The man had climbed up the stone wall now, truly out of reach.
Looking up at the man with monkey headphones around his neck, detest bubbled up from his stomach. But along with it… something else rose to the surface. An emotion he didn’t recognize, yet it pained his heart all the same.
A blue butterfly flitted past his vision, flying past the stranger’s face.
Red. Red eyes appeared on that blurry face, looking down at him with… amusement? Just who was this person—
“Armand! Stop sleeping on the job!” His manager’s voice woke Armand from his slumber.
Sitting up with a start, he realized he had fallen asleep on his keyboard, a long string of nonsensical letters on his screen.
“Next time I catch you sleeping, you’re fired!” The manager walked off, leaving Armand alone with his thoughts.
He didn’t mean to fall asleep at work, truly. But… recently, Armand hadn’t been getting much sleep. Every night, he dreamed of a strange… yet oddly familiar man. And every night, without fail, he would wake up when the man ran out of sight, unable to fall back asleep.
That was the first time he had kept up with the stranger, and the first time he had seen part of the other’s face. And yet, he didn’t feel surprised at all by those eyes. It was as if he had seen them before, gazed at them closely, brushing a finger over his eyelashes.
“…Better get back to work…” Armand mumbled, deleting the letters his head had written.
Later, he thought. He’d figure it out later.
…
Mu Sicheng dreamed again. This time, he wasn’t running. He was sitting on a grassy hillside, the man who had been chasing him sitting at his side. They were laughing, chatting words he couldn’t hear.
He looked up into the starry night sky, an indescribable sense of peace washing over him.
“Mu Sicheng…” Called the stranger next to him.
Looking back, lips suddenly became clear on that blurry face. Light pink and smooth, but he somehow knew, if he were to reach out and touch them, they would be softer than a feather.
His name was called from those lips, with concern and care, causing Mu Sicheng’s heart to flutter.
“Are you o—“
BEEP. BEEP.
“God fucking damn it!” Mu Sicheng threw his noisy phone across the room, trying to drown out the noise by smothering his face in a pillow.
Later that day, Mu Sicheng was sitting in the back of a lecture hall. The professor was droning on, something math related. Slowly, his attention shifted back to the dream of last night.
Just who was that man, who called his name with such love and care? Just the other night, the same person had gazed at him with such loathing, like there was nothing he abhorred more on this planet.
That stranger was always chasing him, yet now they were chatting like friends? Questions and doubt consumed his thoughts, curiosity overwhelming his focus. Mu Sicheng didn’t care about school, he had to find out what the fuck was up with his dreams.
But, unfortunately, he’d have to do it after his test. Turning his focus back to class, the strange dream was pushed back out of his thoughts.
…
That man, who he always seemed to be chasing, was now sitting next to him, gazing at the night sky. Armand ran his fingers through the grass, enjoying the peaceful silence.
“Armand…?” The stranger spoke, head turned in his direction.
There was a pair of chapped lips on that blank face, calling his name with worry. Armand longed to lean forward, to press his lips against the stranger’s. To caress them, to feel his skin against his own.
Yet, something stopped him. A brief hesitation, holding him back. He shouldn’t, Armand thought, not with him.
But why? What is so special about this man?
He never got the answer, waking up a second later. Glancing at his phone, the time read 4:00 AM.
Armand sighed, sitting up in bed. He knew sleep wouldn’t come back for him anymore, so he got out of bed slowly, fixing himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Taking a seat on the lone couch in his living room, he began to ponder.
His heart ached when he thought about that man, with his red eyes and chapped lips. He seemed so very familiar, yet Armand didn’t even know his name. Does such a person even exist? Or is it just his mind playing tricks on him in loneliness?
He brought several energy drinks to work with him that day, not wanting to risk his job. He didn’t enjoy work, but it paid nicely and really, he had no other option.
I wonder what that person does for a living… if he’s real, Armand thought to himself, before turning on his computer and distracting himself in the endless work.
…
Mu Sicheng fell to the ground, pain overwhelming his body. Vision shaky, he stumbled towards the unfamiliar man. He reached up, his arms turned into sharp monkey paws, and tore open the other’s throat. Blood caked his hands— or, paws.
The mysterious man’s face was no longer obscured, but honestly, Mu Sicheng wished it wasn’t visible. Pain, shock, anger, all flashed through the man’s face, now stained with blood. He even looked… close to tears.
BANG!
Another shot rang out, piercing Mu Sicheng’s temple.
Mu Sicheng felt his consciousness slipping, killed by a man he did not know.
Mu Sicheng jolted awake, breathing heavily as he remembered the dream. A dull pain still radiated in his head, as if he had really been shot.
A single tear fell from his left eye, dilated and shaky. He looked down at his hands, clean and pale.
His heart throbbed, emotions bubbled up in his throat that felt foreign, yet… so very familiar. Confusion, betrayal, anger, sadness, and even… heartbreak.
“Shit…” Mu Sicheng didn’t know how to explain these emotions. Was it really just a dream…?
“What are you doing up so early? It’s only 6 AM…” Liu Huai yawned, turning on his bedside lamp.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you, I just…” He trailed off. How could he explain it? No way Liu Huai would believe him, it sounded like something from a movie.
“… Have you been feeling well lately? You’re always spacing out during class, and you seem a lot more tired.”
“Oh, it's just, uh… I’ve been having some bad dreams recently, keeps me up at night.”
“Damn, like some scary nightmare shit?”
“Not exactly… just…” Mu Sicheng paused again. “AHHHH FUCK! I DONT KNOW HOW TO FUCKING EXPLAIN IT!! IT JUST MAKES ME FEEL… so…”
Liu Huai didn’t talk, letting his friend vent his built up emotions.
“…It’s so overwhelming, and, yeah, a little scary. I just have so many questions and… no answers.” Mu Sicheng began. “I died in my dream last night. I was shot twice, for no fucking reason at all. I'm terrified that, If I fall asleep again… I might really never wake up.”
“…” Liu Huai listened seriously. “Why don’t we go do something today, to take your mind off it? How about bowling? Or maybe karaoke?”
“No, don’t waste your time on something so stupid.”
“It’s not stupid! Come on, it’ll be fun. We can invite some other friends too, take a break from the stress of studying and, dreams, I guess.”
“…Alright, karaoke sounds fun, I guess.” Liu Huai was right, he needed to take his mind off the man in his dreams, to do something other than worry.
Knowing his friend wouldn’t get any more sleep, Liu Huai stayed up with Mu Sicheng. They chatted, played games together, and chatted some more, until sunlight began to seep in through the window.
…
BANG!
Armand fired off a shot. The mysterious man hobbled towards him, as if to attack.
BANG!
Another shot, finishing him off. His lips moved, saying something, but Armand couldn’t make out the words.
Whatever the man said though, it caused tears to trickle down his eyes. Anger faded into grief, then twisting to shock when he realized his throat was mangled and bloody.
He collapsed to the ground, the other’s face now visible. Red, lifeless eyes stared at him in shock, unblinking. His mouth was slightly open, as if in the midst of speaking. Blood trickled down his head, from the bullet he had lodged in the other’s skull.
Armand fought with all his might to stay alive, to stay conscious. But it was no use, life was fading from his body.
A man approached the dying pair, cloaked in black and carrying a long, black whip. Vision unclear, Armand could only make out a pair of piercing blue eyes on the figure.
Fear was the last thing he felt, gazing at those eyes, before his own slid shut for the last time.
Armand sat up in bed, hair a mess and sweat dripping down his back. Sobs erupted from his throat, neck no longer torn to shreds. He didn’t know why he was crying, where these tears came from. But he couldn’t help it, curling up on top of his blanket, trying to calm the ceaseless tears.
His throat burned, from crying, from lack of water, even from the dream, that man and his monkey paws ripping his throat apart.
Some time later, Armand’s tears stopped flowing. He still felt the need to cry, but he was all dried up, not a single drop left in his golden brown eyes.
Now all he was left with was tiredness, but he couldn’t bear sleeping. What if he fell back asleep, only to see that man lying dead in his arms?
He wouldn’t be able to handle it.
…
Later that day, Mu Sicheng walked along the sidewalk, on his way to karaoke, alone.
Solitude only made the doubtful thoughts stronger, who was that man, why did he shoot him, why was he so god damned familiar?! He shook his head, erasing the thoughts from his mind.
Just then, a blue butterfly flew across his vision. Following the insect with his eyes, he spotted a certain… someone. Across the street, a man walked by himself. Honey pupils focused on his phone, long strands of brown hair brushing past his soft lips.
Mu Sicheng’s eyes widened, it was… the man from his dreams. No doubt, he was sure of it. He stepped towards the man, only to get pulled back.
“Woah there, don’t go running into traffic!” Liu Huai had a hand on Mu Sicheng’s shoulder.
“Oh… hey, Liu Huai.” Mu Sicheng tore his gaze away from the man, greeting his friends eagerly.
On the opposite side of the street, Armand’s focus was broken by a familiar butterfly landing on his phone screen. Startled, Armand’s hand jerked, and the butterfly flew off. He watched it fly away, towards the other side of the road.
Someone stood there, that familiar stranger. He was turned away, but Armand would always be able to recognize him, no matter what.
Mu Sicheng walked off with his friends towards the karaoke building, turning back just for a moment.
Red met brown, gazes intertwining across the busy street. A large truck drove past, blocking Armand’s vision. When the truck was gone, so was that warm gaze.
Mu Sicheng turned his head away, laughing and conversing with Liu Huai.
Armand reached a hand out, as if to stop the other man from leaving. He didn’t know this man, never has. What a silly thought, that maybe, if he could just get closer to him, all his questions would be answered.
“…Stupid.” Armand put his arm down, turning away and walking off.
The monkey and the butterfly went their separate ways, walking in opposite directions. Mu Sicheng partied hard at karaoke, forgetting about the stranger he had locked eyes with just a few hours ago. Armand sat down in a restaurant, greeting his brother. The siblings hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and soon, after endless chatter, Armand too forgot about the other man.
That night, the two slept peacefully, unburdened by dreams of another life.