Work Text:
The first time Por died, he was smiling.
Blood slipped through Teetee's fingers as the kingdom burned behind them. Smoke and iron filled the air, thick enough to suffocate.
And yet, Por smiled.
As if death wasn't frightening when Teetee was there.
"Don't cry..." he whispered, his voice breaking between coughs. "In the next life... find me first."
Teetee tried to stop the bleeding. Tried to hold him together. Tried to beg fate for mercy.
But the world ended first.
And then—
Teetee woke up.
His breath caught in his throat. His chest felt unbearably heavy. His fingers trembled against the sheets.
Darkness.
His bedroom was silent except for the rain tapping against the window once again.
That dream.
Again.
For months now, it had always been the same: a boy, a different life, and the same devastating feeling of loss.
Teetee dragged a hand across his face and took a shaky breath.
He didn't even know that boy.
So why did it hurt like a memory?
Still dazed, he made his way to the kitchen, bare feet cold against the apartment floor. The clock read 3:17 a.m.
An open notebook rested on the counter.
In the middle of the page was a sketch of a pair of eyes.
The same eyes from the dream.
Teetee froze.
He didn't remember drawing them.
The apartment remained quiet. Rain continued to drum against the windows as he stared at the lines on the paper, as if they might suddenly explain everything.
But they didn't.
Nothing did.
Over the past few months, his life had become an endless cycle of restless nights and dreams that felt far too real to be dreams.
Always the same boy.
Always the same eyes.
Always that suffocating sense of loss.
Slowly, Teetee closed the notebook.
His chest still ached.
It was ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.
How could someone miss a person who had never existed?
He rubbed his tired face and walked over to the apartment window.
The city felt distant at this hour. Rain blurred the lights into soft smears of color, making everything look unreal.
Like an old memory.
Then it happened again.
A flash.
Quick.
So quick he almost convinced himself he had imagined it.
Fragments.
Hands intertwined.
A beach.
Laughter carried by the wind.
And a quiet voice whispering:
"You always find me."
Teetee immediately stepped away from the window.
His heart slammed against his ribs.
This wasn't normal.
Definitely not normal.
He grabbed his phone from the counter, opening random apps just to distract himself.
Then he stopped.
There was a photo saved in his gallery.
A picture of the sky.
Gray clouds.
Rain droplets sliding down the lens.
Teetee frowned.
He didn't remember taking it.
He opened the image details.
Date: three weeks ago.
Location—
His stomach dropped.
It was a place he had never been.
Or at least...
He thought he had never been there.
"I seriously need help," he muttered with an exhausted sigh.
🌙
The next morning, exhaustion followed him all the way to the café.
Normally, the rich smell of freshly brewed coffee would have been enough to comfort him.
Not today.
Teetee tied his apron in silence, trying to ignore the dull ache behind his eyes.
"You look awful."
Jetana's voice came from beside him.
"Thanks for the honesty."
"No, seriously. Are you okay?"
The automatic response sat on the tip of Teetee's tongue.
I just slept badly.
But the words never came.
Because for the first time, he found himself wondering whether they really were just dreams.
During his shift, everything felt strange.
Too familiar.
The song playing softly through the café speakers sounded like something he had heard a hundred times before. A table tucked away in the corner stirred memories he couldn't quite reach. Even the sound of rain against the windows made his chest tighten.
And then the bell above the door rang.
Teetee looked up without thinking.
"Welcome to Yo—"
The words died on his tongue.
The entire world seemed to fall silent.
Because standing in the doorway was him.
The boy from his dreams.
Teetee didn't understand. He didn't know how this was possible. How someone he had never met, never spoken to, never crossed paths with could look exactly the way he did in those dreams.
Real.
Terrifyingly real.
His gaze locked onto the stranger.
His heart pounded so violently he could feel it everywhere—in his chest, his throat, even his fingertips.
It was so loud that he didn't hear North calling his name.
The glass in his hand slipped before he even realized his fingers had gone numb.
It shattered against the floor.
And suddenly, Teetee wasn't sure where the line between dreams and memories existed anymore.
The silence finally broke.
Someone behind the counter cursed under their breath.
A customer startled at the noise.
One of the employees rushed over to clean up the shattered glass.
But Teetee remained frozen.
His eyes fixed on that boy.
That face.
That overwhelming, devastating feeling of recognition.
The boy looked just as shocked as he was.
Maybe even more.
Because there was something in his expression that was worse than surprise.
Fear.
As though this meeting was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid.
As though this meeting was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid.
The boy was slightly shorter than him. As he slowly approached the counter, the question that left his lips made Teetee's entire world tilt off its axis.
"...Did you remember this time?"
The words came out quiet.
Almost broken.
Teetee felt his heart skip a beat.
"What?"
The boy immediately seemed to snap back to reality.
Like someone realizing they'd said far too much.
His expression shuttered.
"Nothing."
And then—
he left.
Just like that.
He turned around and walked out of the café before Teetee could even react.
The bell above the door chimed.
And then he was gone.
Swallowed by the rain.
"Tee? Tee? TEETEE!"
North's voice finally broke through the haze.
A light smack landed on the back of Teetee's head, pulling him out of his trance.
"Ow— what was that for?"
"Oh my god, man!" North stared at him in disbelief. "I've been calling your name for ages. You looked like you'd seen a ghost."
Teetee blinked.
"I... I don't know what happened. Damn, the glass..." He glanced down at the shattered pieces on the floor and immediately pressed his palms together in apology. "Seriously, sorry, man."
North snorted.
"Hm. It's fine. Well, not really fine, because you broke a glass." He pointed at the mess. "But I was worried about you. You practically scared that customer away."
Teetee let out a long sigh.
"Did you know him?" North asked, curiosity written all over his face.
Teetee hesitated.
"No..."
The answer felt wrong the moment it left his mouth.
"...but it feels like I do."
North stared at him.
"Huh?"
"Nothing." Teetee laughed nervously. Too quickly. "I don't know him, man. Maybe he just... confused me with someone else."
The excuse sounded weak even to his own ears.
Still, he silently prayed North wouldn't ask any more questions.
Fortunately, his friend only shrugged.
"Anyway, let's clean this up and get back to work."
Teetee nodded.
They returned to their tasks.
North casually pushed a mop across the floor, singing along to whatever song was playing through the café speakers.
Meanwhile, Teetee sank deeper and deeper into his thoughts.
Into the stranger's face.
Into those impossible words.
"Did you remember this time?"
The question echoed in his mind for the rest of the day.
⏳️
That night, Teetee dreamed again.
But this time, it didn't feel like a dream.
It felt like a memory.
Warmth.
So much warmth.
The scent of the sea filled the air as the wind tangled through his hair.
Laughter.
Teetee slowly opened his eyes.
A beach.
A beautiful stretch of shoreline, crystal waves rolling beneath the golden light of the setting sun.
The sky burned orange, painting the entire ocean in shades of gold.
And he was there.
Younger.
Smiling.
Alive.
Por stood a few steps away, holding an old camera, the lens pointed directly at him.
"Stop taking pictures of me."
"I can't," Por replied with a laugh. "You look too good in summer."
Teetee's heart tightened painfully.
Everything felt too real.
The wind against his skin.
The sound of the waves.
Por's smile
All of it.
Por walked over and sat beside him in the sand.
Their shoulders brushed.
Familiar.
Effortless.
As though they had done this hundreds of times before.
"Do you believe in fate?"
Teetee heard himself ask the question.
Por fell silent.
For a few seconds, he said nothing.
Then his smile faltered.
Just a little.
"I don't know."
Something in his voice sounded wrong.
Sad.
Like someone carrying an answer too painful to say aloud.
"I think believing hurts less."
The world trembled.
And suddenly, the dream changed.
Rain.
So much rain.
A bus pulling up to a crowded stop.
People rushing inside.
Others running for shelter beneath the storm.
And across the street stood Por.
Tears glistened in his eyes.
"Wait!"
Teetee tried to run toward him.
But Por only smiled.
That same sad smile.
The smile of someone who already knew how the story ended.
Then he spoke.
"In every lifetime..."
His voice was almost lost beneath the rain.
"...I always find my way back to you."
And then he stepped onto the bus.
And disappeared.
Teetee woke with a gasp.
A broken cry tore from his throat as he bolted upright in bed.
Tears streamed down his face.
His chest hurt so badly it felt impossible to breathe.
It took him several seconds to realize he was shaking.
The room remained dark.
Silent.
But the feeling wouldn't leave.
Por's touch still lingered on his skin.
His voice still echoed inside Teetee's head.
"In every lifetime..."
Teetee squeezed his eyes shut.
This was getting worse.
Much worse.
And for the first time in months—
he was afraid to fall asleep.
🌙
Over the next few days, Teetee started avoiding sleep.
He did everything he could to stay awake—or at least exhaust himself enough to stop dreaming.
Coffee.
Music blasting through his headphones.
The television running long after midnight.
Anything.
Because every time he closed his eyes, he ended up somewhere else.
Somewhere Por existed.
And every single time, he lost him.
On the third night of barely sleeping, Teetee eventually dozed off on the couch.
That was all it took.
His mind carried him somewhere else once again.
Snow.
This time, there was snow.
Cold air burned his lungs as hurried footsteps crunched through the thick white blanket covering the ground.
The freezing wind bit at his skin.
Teetee didn't know where he was.
He didn't know who he was.
But then he saw him.
Por stood on the opposite side of a train platform.
A dark coat wrapped around his frame.
Snow dusted his hair.
His desperate eyes searched the crowd while his lips, reddened by the cold, trembled with every shaky breath.
He was looking for someone.
Looking for him.
Teetee's heart immediately began to race.
Even before the memory surfaced.
Even before the crushing wave of longing.
Por found him.
And the moment he did, relief shattered across his face.
Like someone finally finding something they'd been searching for far too long.
He pushed through the crowd without hesitation.
Without thinking.
Until he reached Teetee and cupped his face with freezing hands.
"You didn't come yesterday."
His voice trembled.
Teetee didn't understand.
But the ache in his chest told him he should.
"I waited for hours."
A train whistle echoed in the distance.
And suddenly, fear appeared.
Not fear of Por.
Fear of the ending.
That awful feeling that this was slipping away again.
That he was about to lose him.
Again.
Por noticed.
He always noticed.
His thumb brushed gently against Teetee's cheek.
Tender.
Almost desperate.
"Don't make that face."
"What face?"
A small, sad smile tugged at Por's lips.
"The one you always make before you leave."
The world stopped.
For a moment, everything froze.
Then—
a flash.
Blinding lights.
Metal screaming against metal.
People shouting.
And blood.
So much blood.
Teetee saw Por shove him backward with all his strength as the deafening sound of an explosion tore through the world around them.
And then — darkness.
...
Once again, Teetee woke up screaming.
His entire body was shaking.
In contrast, his apartment remained exactly the same—quiet, safe, untouched.
But he could still smell the smoke.
Still feel Por's hands holding his.
Still hear those words.
"The one you always make before you leave."
Teetee got up from the couch too quickly and nearly stumbled.
He needed air.
Needed to get out.
Needed—
His phone vibrated on the coffee table.
An unknown number.
No profile picture.
No saved contact.
Just a single message.
Unknown Number
"Are you okay?"
Teetee froze.
A second message appeared almost immediately.
"You looked scared that day."
His heart lurched.
Because he didn't need to ask who it was.
Not after the way those words made something inside him ache.
His fingers trembled over the screen.
Before he could stop himself, he typed back:
"Who are you?"
The reply came almost instantly.
"You really don't remember me."
Teetee stared at the message.
His breathing became uneven.
"What the hell is happening to me...?"
The words barely made it past his lips.
A tear slipped down his cheek.
Then another.
Panic twisted inside his chest, tangled together with emotions he couldn't even begin to name.
Fear.
Longing.
Grief.
Hope.
It felt like being trapped inside an endless nightmare.
Teetee never replied.
In fact, he spent nearly ten minutes staring at his phone screen without being able to think straight.
You really don't remember me.
The sentence felt wrong.
Heavy.
As if it carried years of exhaustion behind it.
In the end, he turned his phone off completely.
Because some part of him already knew the truth.
If he kept talking to that boy, everything would get worse.
Spoiler:
It got worse anyway.
⏳️
Over the next few days, Por started showing up everywhere.
Not literally.
But in the little things.
In the blurred reflections on train windows.
In the soft songs playing through the café speakers.
In the scent of rain clinging to customers' coats.
In old movies playing on the television of the restaurant next door.
Everything reminded him of Por.
Even though he barely knew him.
Or maybe that was exactly the problem.
The worst part wasn't the mystery.
It was the familiarity.
The constant feeling that Por could appear at any moment.
As if some part of Teetee had memorized his presence long ago.
──────────
By Thursday, the rain had returned.
Teetee was wiping down tables near the window when the bell above the café door chimed.
His heart recognized him before his eyes did.
Por.
Standing near the entrance once again.
This time, he didn't seem eager to run.
The air felt heavier immediately.
Por wore a dark gray hoodie, his hair slightly damp from the drizzle outside. His eyes found Teetee's instantly.
And there it was again.
That strange expression.
A mixture of longing...
and fear.
As if seeing Teetee was both the best and worst thing in the world.
Teetee swallowed hard.
Por hesitated before slowly approaching the counter.
"What can I get for you?"
The question came out much faster than intended.
Too nervous.
Por noticed.
Of course he noticed.
His expression softened immediately.
"An iced Americano."
Teetee quickly wrote down the order, mostly to give his hands something to do.
Silence settled between them.
Heavy.
Strange.
Then Por spoke.
Quietly.
"Have you been sleeping?"
Teetee looked up at once.
"What?"
"You looked tired that day."
The way Por said it—careful, almost painfully gentle—made something tighten inside Teetee's chest.
Like someone who was used to worrying about him.
Por glanced away immediately afterward, as though realizing his mistake.
"Sorry. That's none of my business."
But it was already too late.
Because now Teetee was paying attention.
To the way Por spoke.
To the way he watched him so carefully.
To the way he seemed to choose every word with impossible caution.
As though he was constantly trying not to break something invisible between them.
Teetee handed over the drink.
Their fingers brushed.
And the world exploded.
──────────
Swords.
Screams.
Fire.
Por gripping his wrist as they ran through the corridors of a burning castle.
"Don't look back!"
Teetee's heart pounded so hard it hurt.
"Por!"
"Keep running!"
Then—
an arrow.
Straight through Por's chest.
──────────
The vision hit him like grief.
Real grief.
The kind that only came from losing someone who mattered.
Someone irreplaceable.
Teetee jerked his hand away.
The coffee nearly slipped from his grasp and crashed to the floor.
His breathing became uneven.
Sharp.
Panicked.
Por froze.
Because he knew.
The desperation in his eyes appeared instantly.
"What did you see?"
His voice came out low.
Tense.
But Teetee could barely answer.
Because the fear.
The pain.
The overwhelming sense of loss.
It all felt far too real.
Por closed his eyes for a brief second.
Like someone witnessing the exact thing he'd been trying to prevent.
Then he took a step back.
Creating distance.
Always distance.
And for the first time, Teetee realized something.
Por was afraid of him remembering.
Confusion crashed over him in waves.
Questions.
Too many questions.
Before he could stop him, Por paid for his drink and disappeared back into the rain.
Teetee rushed outside after him.
But the person he was looking for had already vanished into the crowd.
Gone.
Swallowed by umbrellas, headlights, and the endless stream of people moving through the wet streets.
"Tee?"
A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
Wave had appeared beside him.
"Hm?"
Then Teetee turned and immediately grabbed onto his coworker.
"WAAAAAVE."
The miserable whine that escaped him was enough to make Wave groan on instinct.
"Oh no. What happened this time?"
"What is iiiit, big mouth?"
"Aww!"
Every time one of his friends affectionately insulted him, Teetee reacted exactly the same way.
And every single time, it made them laugh.
"So what's the deal with that customer?" Wave asked. "He's been showing up almost every day now."
Teetee let out a sigh as he locked the café door and leaned against it.
"I don't know either..."
His gaze drifted toward the rain-soaked street outside.
"...but I think I'm going to find out soon."
Wave narrowed his eyes.
"You're acting really weird, man. Still having trouble sleeping?"
His tone was serious, but only because he was worried.
Teetee nodded.
"The nightmares are getting worse."
"Then why don't you stay at Aunt Ohn's place for a few days?" Wave suggested. "Nothing heals emotional damage faster than aggressive maternal energy."
That actually made Teetee think.
"You know what? You're right. I haven't visited her in forever." He glanced at his friend. "Want to come? You and Jet?"
"Nah, can't." Wave grinned. "I'm visiting my parents this weekend."
Then his grin widened into something suspiciously smug.
"I'm bringing Thee with me so they can finally meet him."
Teetee couldn't help smiling.
"About time. Thee's great."
"Exactly."
"Still, thanks for the idea."
"No problem. Now come on. Let's clean up before closing."
And just like that, another day came to an end.
For Teetee, however, the memories of what had happened refused to fade.
They replayed endlessly inside his mind.
Again.
And again.
And again.
⏳
Back at his apartment, Teetee found himself staring at his phone for far too long.
Waiting.
Maybe for a message.
Maybe for answers.
The apartment felt too small that night.
Too quiet.
He closed the door behind him and stood there for several seconds, his heart still beating far too fast after what had happened at the café.
Por's fingers brushing against his.
And then—
fire.
Swords.
Blood.
The arrow piercing Por's chest.
Teetee immediately squeezed his eyes shut.
No.
He didn't want to think about it again.
But he couldn't stop.
Ever since Por had appeared, his mind felt split in two.
Reality.
And something else.
Something ancient.
Something impossible.
He tossed his backpack onto the couch and walked into the kitchen, trying—and failing—to steady his breathing.
Because he could still hear Por's voice.
What did you see?
The question wouldn't leave him alone.
Neither would the desperate look in Por's eyes afterward.
Like someone watching a tragedy begin all over again.
Teetee rubbed his tired face and picked up his phone.
He hesitated.
For a long time.
Because he wasn't even sure why he was doing this.
Maybe he needed answers.
Maybe he wanted to see Por again.
Maybe some part of him simply couldn't stand Por's silence.
Eventually, he opened their conversation.
His fingers trembled as he typed.
Teetee
Who are you?
...And how do you know these things?
That thing I saw today.
Why did you ask me what I saw?
Do you know something?
Unknown Number
Read ✓✓
Almost immediately, Teetee's heart began racing.
But no reply came.
The minutes crawled by.
Slow.
Frustrating.
Then his phone vibrated.
Unknown Number
You should try to get some sleep.
Teetee stared at the message in disbelief.
Teetee
???
Teetee
You talk like you know what's happening to me.
Unknown Number
Because I do.
Teetee
Then explain it.
Silence.
Again.
No response.
Teetee felt irritation rise immediately.
Because Por kept doing this.
Showing up.
Looking at him as though he carried the weight of an entire universe on his shoulders.
Saying impossible things.
And then disappearing.
As if he were constantly running away.
Or worse—
As if he were trying to run away from whatever he felt for him.
Teetee threw his phone onto the couch harder than necessary.
Damn it.
This was driving him insane.
Ever since Por had walked into the café—
Ever since those flashes of memories exploded through his mind when their hands touched—
He hadn't been able to think about anything else.
Before getting ready for bed, he texted his mother to let her know he'd be spending the weekend with his family.
The television stayed on in the background, some random channel flickering across the room.
He fought sleep with everything he had.
Determined to stay awake until exhaustion dragged him under.
Because if he was exhausted enough...
Maybe he wouldn't dream.
Maybe he wouldn't see Por again.
Maybe, for one night at least, he could escape the memories waiting for him on the other side of sleep.
The next morning was Friday—his day off.
So he left early and headed to his family's house for the weekend.
He needed to get out of that apartment.
He needed sleep.
According to Wave, a "maternal environment" might actually be the cure.
At the very least, he needed distance.
Distance from the dreams.
Distance from Por.
Distance from whatever was happening to him.
The roads were still wet from the overnight rain by the time he arrived.
The sky remained stubbornly gray.
His mother smiled the moment he stepped inside.
"I thought you were working today. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
Teetee forced a small smile.
"I just... needed some rest."
Her expression softened immediately.
She noticed the exhaustion.
Of course she did.
But she didn't press.
"Hm. Alright. Take your things to your room. I cleaned it yesterday, just in case." She pointed toward the hallway. "Then come eat something."
Teetee nodded.
"Okay. Where's Dad?"
"He went out to take care of a few things for me, but he should be back soon." She smiled. "I'm making your favorite for lunch."
That alone was enough to make something inside Teetee relax.
Being here.
Being home.
For the first time in days, he felt like he could breathe.
"Thanks, Mom."
Then he headed upstairs.
──────────
His old bedroom looked almost untouched.
The same walls.
The same furniture.
The same faint scent of old books mixed with rain drifting through the window.
Strange.
It felt like stepping back into a life that no longer completely belonged to him.
Teetee dropped his backpack onto the bed and began unpacking.
Then something caught his attention.
A wooden box.
Tucked away in the back of his closet.
Covered in dust.
He frowned.
He didn't remember it.
Curious, he pulled it out and carried it over to the bed.
The box was filled with memories.
Old medals.
Letters.
Childhood drawings.
School competition trophies.
A smile found its way onto his face as he looked through them.
Each item carried a memory.
A small piece of himself.
Then his smile faded.
Something had been scribbled onto the side of the box in childish handwriting.
A single sentence.
You always come back.
The air caught in his throat.
Because he recognized those words immediately.
Por's voice.
The dreams.
That endless feeling of longing.
Teetee's hands began to tremble.
He started digging through the contents more quickly.
Photos.
Drawings.
Folded sheets of paper.
Near the top sat an old notebook filled with childish doodles.
Absentmindedly, he opened it.
And froze.
Eyes.
Dozens of them.
The same eyes.
Page after page after page.
As if he'd spent years trying to draw them without understanding why.
His heart started pounding.
He turned another page.
A sentence covered the paper.
Written over and over again.
Don't forget him.
Don't forget him.
Don't forget him.
A chill crawled up Teetee's spine.
Then something slipped from between the pages.
A photograph.
His breath caught.
Slowly, he picked it up.
And the entire world tilted beneath him.
It was a picture of himself as a child.
But in the background—
almost hidden among the trees—
stood another boy.
Watching him.
The same eyes.
The same small smile.
Por.
⏳️
The bedroom felt too small for all those memories.
Teetee had been sitting on the floor long enough for his legs to start aching, yet he couldn't bring himself to move.
The photographs remained scattered around him.
The letters.
The drawings.
The blue bracelet.
And those eyes.
Always those eyes.
Rain tapped softly against the window of his childhood bedroom while the silence of the house slowly crushed him beneath its weight.
Because now there was no doubt anymore.
Por was real.
All of this was real.
His hands trembled as he opened another letter.
Maybe in another lifetime you'll choose me early enough that I won't have to lose you again.
His chest tightened painfully.
Another letter.
I still like the way you smile when it rains.
Another.
You always promise you'll come back.
And I always believe you.
Teetee shut his eyes immediately.
It hurt.
It hurt in a way that felt impossible to describe.
Deep.
Ancient.
Like his heart was finally remembering something it was never supposed to forget.
His phone vibrated on the bed.
It took him several seconds to notice.
Wave.
Teetee hesitated before answering.
"Finally."
Wave's voice came through immediately.
"Did you disappear from the planet or something?"
Teetee tried to sound normal.
Failed miserably.
"I just... needed to think."
Silence.
Brief.
Noticeable.
Because something was obviously wrong.
"Tee."
Wave's voice softened.
"What's going on?"
Teetee looked down at the letters scattered across the floor.
Without realizing it, his fingers tightened around a photograph.
"Have you ever missed someone you've never met?"
A pause.
"...That was weirdly specific."
A weak laugh escaped Teetee.
It broke halfway through.
"I think I'm losing my mind."
Outside, the rain grew heavier.
And then his eyes landed on something else inside the box.
A symbol.
Drawn on the back of one of the photographs.
A circle divided in half by what looked like stars.
The moment he saw it—
the world disappeared.
──────────
Fire.
So much fire.
The castle burned around them.
Teetee could hear screams in the distance while blood slowly slipped through his fingers.
Por was kneeling in front of him.
Desperate.
Crying.
"Stay with me. Please... just this once."
Teetee tried to breathe.
Tried to stay awake.
But he was dying.
He knew it.
The cold had already begun spreading through his body.
Then Por cupped his face with trembling hands and looked up toward the ruined sky above them.
And begged.
"Take everything from me."
His voice broke.
"All my lives."
His tears fell freely.
"But let him live."
Something answered.
Teetee couldn't see it.
Only feel it.
Ancient.
Vast.
Terrifying.
"You will carry the memory alone."
Por didn't hesitate.
"I accept."
"You will find him in every lifetime."
"And lose him in every one."
Tears fell onto Teetee's face.
Even so, Por smiled.
That same small smile.
Painful.
Loving him despite everything.
"Then I'll find him as many times as it takes."
Por's tears fell onto Teetee's face.
Even then, he smiled.
That same small smile.
Painful.
Loving him despite everything.
"Then I'll find him as many times as it takes."
...
"TEETEE?!"
Wave's voice shattered through everything.
The world crashed back all at once.
Teetee realized he was crying.
Without even noticing.
His breathing was ragged. His hands shook so violently that his phone nearly slipped from his grasp.
"Tee, what happened?!"
But Teetee could barely hear him.
He finally understood.
Por had never been confused.
Never afraid of the dreams.
Never lost the way Teetee had been.
Por had known from the very beginning.
From the very first lifetime.
And through existence after existence, he had carried the memory alone.
Remembering someone who always forgot him.
Something inside Teetee broke.
Because suddenly, every moment of distance made sense.
The fear in Por's eyes.
The silence.
The way he always pulled away.
Por wasn't running from Teetee.
He was trying to protect him from the ending.
⏳
After that, Por disappeared completely.
No replies.
No messages.
He stopped showing up at the café.
He didn't even read anything Teetee sent.
Gone.
And the worst part was that Teetee finally understood what it meant.
This was how it always happened.
Before he lost Por—
Por always left first.
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By the third night without any sign of him, Teetee couldn't take it anymore.
Rain poured relentlessly from the sky as he left the house.
He had to find him.
His heart pounded too fast as he crossed rain-soaked streets.
Trying to think.
Trying to remember.
Then a memory struck him.
The bridge.
A place that had appeared in countless dreams.
A place that had always pulled at him like a magnet.
The bridge from that memory.
The one where Por stood alone beneath the rain.
Waiting.
Without thinking, Teetee ran.
And when he arrived—
Por was there.
As if the universe itself had brought them both back to this exact moment.
Again.
Por stood near the railing, staring down at the dark river below.
His hair was soaked.
His hands trembled slightly.
His expression looked far too tired for someone so young.
But when he heard Teetee's footsteps approaching, he closed his eyes.
Because he understood immediately.
Teetee remembered.
Finally.
The silence between them stretched endlessly.
Until Por spoke.
"You shouldn't have come."
His voice sounded broken.
Like someone already preparing to lose everything again.
Teetee felt his chest tighten painfully.
"How many times?"
Por didn't move.
"How many times have you died for me?"
Silence.
And somehow, that was answer enough.
Tears slid down Teetee's face before he even realized it.
"Since when have you remembered?"
A weak laugh escaped Por.
Sad.
Exhausted.
Slowly, he lifted his eyes.
And there were centuries of weariness inside them.
"Since the first time I lost you."
Something shattered inside Teetee.
Because no one should have to carry a pain like that alone.
No one.
"You've carried this all by yourself... all this time?"
Por looked away.
The rain partially hid the tears on his face.
"Someone had to remember us."
That was what finally destroyed Teetee.
Because across all those lifetimes.
Across all those worlds.
Por had loved enough for both of them.
Then Por took a step backward.
Distance.
Always distance.
"You should run from me this time."
His voice cracked at the end.
And suddenly Teetee understood.
Por wasn't afraid of the memories.
He wasn't afraid of the past.
He was afraid of love.
Because loving Teetee had always ended the same way.
With loss.
But this time—
this time was different.
Teetee crossed the distance between them immediately.
His hands cupped Por's face.
Firmly.
As if he was afraid he might disappear.
"I've spent lifetimes finding my way back to you."
His voice trembled with tears.
"Why would I run now?"
And finally—
Por broke.
The tears came all at once as Teetee pulled him closer.
And for the first time in all their lives—
Por stayed.
Slowly, he rested his forehead against Teetee's.
Both of them still trembling beneath the rain.
But for the first time...
there was no goodbye.
Only the sound of each other's breathing.
Only warmth despite the storm.
Only presence.
Teetee's fingers slowly slipped between Por's, intertwining their hands as if they already knew exactly where they belonged.
Maybe they did.
A shaky laugh escaped Por through his tears before he whispered:
"I missed you for entire lifetimes."
Teetee's heart ached.
Then he leaned closer.
Just a little.
Enough to answer against Por's lips:
"Then stay with me in this one."
The kiss happened softly.
Small.
Almost shy.
A brief kiss beneath the rain, as though they were both still learning how to exist in the same lifetime without having to say goodbye afterward.
And for the first time... the universe remained silent.
The End 🌙🌙🌙