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The doors to the MARS house slammed open, the force of the impact sending a sharp crack through the room.
A hush immediately settled over everyone gathered inside.
All activity came to a standstill.
Pepper lowered his phone, the metal casing shifting faintly beneath his fingers as his attention snapped towards the entrance.
Across from him, Thame instinctively curled his fingers into his palms, a tiny flicker of flame dancing between them before he quickly snuffed it out.
A fuming Jun was a rare sight.
In the three years they’d been a band, they had all seen Jun irritated, annoyed, and even downright furious. But this was different. His dark brown eyes flashed dangerously as he stormed towards the living room, anger radiating from every step.
Thame, Pepper, and Nano watched in silence, none of them quite sure what had happened—or who had been unlucky enough to cause it.
Nano shifted uneasily on the sofa, his body already beginning to change on instinct. A moment later, a pair of unfamiliar animal ears twitched atop his head before he hurriedly forced the transformation back.
And then they noticed the second thing.
Trailing closely behind Jun was a child-sized bundle of black.
The little figure clung tightly to a handful of Jun’s hoodie, stumbling along in his wake and refusing to let go. Every time Jun took another step, the child hurried after him, tiny fingers twisting more firmly into the fabric.
Jun finally stopped in front of them.
For several long seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Pepper slowly lowered his phone onto his lap.
“...What happened?”
“Alright, who the—” Jun cut himself off, glancing down at the child attached to his side. He took a breath, visibly reining himself in before correcting himself.
“Who did this?”
Thame and Pepper exchanged puzzled glances.
“Did what?” Pepper asked.
Jun’s jaw tightened.
“Who was the pathetic excuse for a sack of... of potatoes who messed with Dylan?” he demanded, deliberately raising his voice so everyone in the room could hear him.
“Sack of potatoes,” Thame muttered under his breath.
Jun slowly turned his head, fixing him with a stern look.
Thame immediately looked away.
After three years together, they all knew better than to push Jun when he looked like that.
“Shut up,” Jun said, though there was no real bite behind the words. His attention returned to the others. “This is serious!”
Pepper propped his chin in his hand, studying Jun with a furrowed brow.
“Could you please explain what you mean?
Who did what to Dylan?”
“And who’s the kid holding onto you?” Nano piped up.
The question drew everyone's attention to the child.
For a brief moment, the little figure seemed almost to preen beneath the sudden attention, shoulders lifting with a strange sort of pride.
Then the attention became too much.
The child quickly buried his face against Jun’s side, tousled grey hair disappearing into the folds of his hoodie.
Jun glanced down.
Something in his expression softened.
It was fleeting—so quick that anyone who wasn't paying attention might have missed it. But Pepper caught it.
So did Thame.
Jun looked back at them.
“He’s the reason I’m asking.”
That was enough to set everyone off.
Everyone began speaking at once, their voices colliding over one another until the room filled with a confusing din. Questions overlapped, accusations flew, and Nano started trying to figure out what was happening all at once.
The little boy startled at the sudden noise.
A small, unhappy whimper escaped him.
Jun's expression darkened immediately.
“Enough.”
The single word cut through the room.
Silence fell.
Jun looked down at the child again, and the sharpness drained from his face as quickly as it had appeared. He shifted his stance, carefully drawing the little boy closer against his hip.
“Hey,” he murmured.
His voice was barely above a whisper now, soft and soothing in a way the others rarely heard from him.
“You're okay. It's alright.”
The child's fingers remained curled tightly in Jun's hoodie, but his trembling gradually eased.
The others exchanged glances before settling down.
Taking the hint, nobody spoke.
“This,” Jun began, his voice grim once more, “is Dylan. I found him outside.”
His arm tightened protectively around the little body pressed against him.
“Thank God I'm always late, right?”
The last words were laced with bitter sarcasm, as though he were daring anyone to point out that, for once, his terrible habit of being late had worked in their favour.
At the sound of his name, the child slowly lifted his head.
He was tiny—barely three years old—and somehow looked even smaller bundled against Jun.
Wisps of soft grey hair formed a fluffy halo around his round, cherubic face, framing pale skin, apple-pink cheeks, and full little lips. His eyes were still slightly glassy from crying, lashes clumped together as he sleepily surveyed the unfamiliar faces around him.
Then Pepper's gaze dropped to what the boy was wearing.
It was unmistakably Dylan's signature black hoodie.
Except on a three-year-old, it was enormous.
The sleeves swallowed his tiny hands, the shoulders hung far too wide, and the hem dragged along the floor despite the child's best attempts to keep it from getting underfoot.
For a moment, nobody said anything.
Something about the sight seemed to drain the remaining tension from the room.
Nano's expression melted first.
A quiet, helpless coo escaped him.
“Oh, my God.”
Thame’s lips twitched into a fond smile, while even Pepper’s stern expression softened.
Jun, meanwhile, barely seemed to notice their reactions.
His attention remained fixed on the little boy in his arms, one hand resting carefully against his back.
They weren't particularly close—Jun and Dylan had never been the inseparable type.
They worked well together, trusted each other onstage, and had spent three years sharing rehearsals, performances, and more arguments than either would care to admit.
But seeing Dylan like this had done something strange to Jun.
Something he didn't quite understand himself.
And judging by the way his arm remained firmly wrapped around the child, he wasn't about to let anyone else get close enough to figure it out either.
Nano let out another soft sigh.
“No one is going to survive this.”
Jun shot him a look.
Nano smiled innocently.
Not when Dylan looked this small.
And certainly not when Jun was holding him like something precious.
Jun barely made it two steps towards his usual seat before Dylan followed.
Tiny arms immediately wrapped around his waist, the little boy practically anchoring himself to him. He shuffled along behind Jun, stubbornly keeping himself tucked against his side as though the thought of being separated from him was unbearable.
Nano’s mouth fell open.
“Dylan?” he echoed, staring at the child in disbelief. “That’s our Dylan?”
The little boy peeked out from behind Jun.
His eyes were dark—an unusual shade that almost resembled sharp sapphires under the light. They met Nano’s for barely a second before Dylan shook his head and quickly buried his face against Jun’s stomach.
His tiny arms tightened around Jun’s waist with an almost manacle-like grip.
Jun barely reacted to the sudden clinginess.
Instead, he immediately placed an arm around the little boy, holding him securely against his side as Dylan burrowed closer.
His free hand moved instinctively through the child's soft curls, gently smoothing them down.
“How many other Dylans do you know?” Jun retorted, lowering his voice so as not to startle him.
Despite the sarcasm, his arm remained firmly wrapped around the little boy.
Dylan seemed perfectly content with that.
He rubbed his cheek sleepily against Jun’s stomach, making a tiny, contented sound before his lips parted.
“Junny.”
The room went silent.
Jun froze.
It was the first thing Dylan had said since they arrived home.
For a moment, Jun simply stared down at him, his fingers still resting gently in the child's curls.
Then his expression softened.
“Yeah,” he murmured, almost too quietly for anyone else to hear.
“I’m here.”
“There might be another Dylan somewhere in this big city,” Thame offered, apparently trying to provide a reasonable explanation.
Jun’s head snapped towards him.
“Does it look like I care about any other Dylan?”
He wanted to scream it.
Instead, he gritted his teeth, his arm tightening instinctively around the little boy clinging to him.
“My—our—Dylan is a child!” Jun exclaimed.
“There is no logical explanation for this!”
The sheer exasperation in his voice made Nano pause.
Then an evil grin slowly spread across his face.
“My Dylan?”
Jun's face went blank.
“Don't.”
“I'm just saying—”
“Don't.”
“He's rather different as a kid,” Pepper noted, mercifully interrupting Nano before he could make things worse.
Jun exhaled, grateful for the reprieve, only for Pepper to immediately follow it with another question.
“How come he’s so attached to you?”
Jun froze.
The warmth that had briefly faded from his face returned in full force.
He looked away, suddenly very interested in the wall behind Pepper.
“I don't know.”
The answer came far too quickly.
Nano's grin widened.
Jun pointedly ignored him.
Despite the worry still pooling heavily in his stomach, something tender began to soften his features as he looked down at the little boy nestled against him.
Dylan was still clutching his hoodie, his cheek pressed comfortably against Jun’s stomach as though he'd found the safest place in the world.
A small smile tugged at Jun’s lips.
“Dylan said he liked my hair,” he finally admitted.
His fingers drifted through the child's curls again, almost absentmindedly.
“So I let him play with it before I used my materialisation magic to coax him home.”
He paused, glancing down at the boy.
“He followed.”
The room fell quiet for a beat.
Nano stared at Jun.
Then at Dylan.
Then back at Jun.
And something about the sight made his expression soften.
Because, despite all the panic and confusion, Jun looked strangely natural like this.
Gentle.
Protective.
Warm.
And Nano couldn't help but think that, perhaps, it wasn't all that difficult to understand why Dylan—older Dylan—would eventually fall in love with him.
“That much hasn’t changed,” Nano mumbled, looking innocent when Jun glanced at him questioningly. “He’s like a duckling imprinting on the first thing he sees.”
Jun sighed in exasperation.
“Shut up, Nano.”
“Junny?”
Dylan’s voice, quietly furious, caught everyone off guard.
“Junny angwy? Who make Junny angwy?”
He looked around the room defiantly, squaring his tiny shoulders as though he were preparing to fight whoever—or whatever—was responsible for Jun’s distress.
A surprised murmur rippled through the room.
There was something ridiculously endearing about the grey-haired little boy, especially with the way he mangled Jun’s name three times in the span of a few seconds.
Jun barely heard the others.
Instead, he crouched down until they were eye level, his attention focused entirely on Dylan.
Watching him interact with a child like this was almost surreal.
“No, Dyl. Everything’s fine. I’m not angry, see?”
Jun flashed him a quick smile.
Dylan was quick to reciprocate, the corners of his tiny mouth lifting into a shy little smile.
“Angwy people don’t smile, right?”
“Mhm.”
Jun gently patted his head, and something in his expression softened even further when Dylan’s smile grew brighter.
“Now, are you okay?” he asked. “Do you want something to eat?”
“’M okay.”
Dylan shook his head.
Jun shrugged and reached for a muffin, apparently deciding that if the child wasn't hungry, he might as well eat something himself.
The moment he straightened, however, he realised Dylan’s hand was still firmly wrapped around his.
He glanced down at their joined hands.
Then at Dylan.
The little boy merely looked back at him as though this were the most natural thing in the world.
Jun had no idea why Dylan was still clinging to him.
Apparently, neither did Dylan.
When Jun finally walked towards his usual seat, the little boy followed without hesitation. He wrapped both arms firmly around Jun’s denim-clad leg, cheek resting against the small of Jun’s back as though he'd found his new favourite place to hide.
Jun went completely still.
Heat rushed to his cheeks.
He sincerely hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt.
Because this was ridiculous.
This was Dylan.
Except it wasn't, not really.
Not the Dylan Jun knew.
Not the tall, effortlessly charming man who could walk into a room and somehow make Jun forget whatever argument they were having. Not the infuriatingly confident bandmate Jun had spent three years insisting he wasn't particularly close to.
This was a three-year-old version of that same person.
A tiny, soft-spoken child who still had trouble pronouncing Jun's name.
And somehow, that made the situation even more disarming.
Jun looked down at the little arms around his leg.
“Dyl?”
The boy hummed in response, apparently comfortable enough to use Jun as a human support beam.
“You planning on letting go anytime soon?”
Dylan shook his head.
Jun exhaled through his nose.
“Thought so.”
Behind him, Nano made a suspicious choking sound.
Jun slowly turned his head.
Nano was covering his mouth with one hand, shoulders shaking.
“Don't,” Jun warned.
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were about to.”
“I was merely appreciating the situation.”
“Appreciate it silently.”
Nano's grin only widened.
Jun turned away before he could say anything else, but the faint warmth remained in his cheeks.
For all his complaints, though, he didn't try to pry Dylan away.
Instead, he reached down and gently ruffled the boy's curls.
Dylan immediately relaxed against his leg.
And Jun found himself smiling despite everything.
Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.
Terrifying, confusing, completely impossible to explain—
but not bad.
At least, not while Dylan was looking at him like Jun was the safest person in the world.
The following day, Jun found himself still trying to make sense of the situation.
This had to be some sort of witchcraft—unfamiliar, inexplicable, and, quite frankly, above Jun’s pay grade.
Objectively, the most powerful person among them was probably Dylan himself. If anyone could figure out what had happened and how to reverse it, it would be him.
Unfortunately, that option was currently sitting in Jun’s lap at roughly three years old.
So much for that.
Jun glanced down again, only to notice Dylan staring intently at the muffin still in his hands.
Without a word, he pulled off a small piece and held it out.
Dylan's entire face brightened.
He took it eagerly, stuffing the bite into his mouth with both hands. Within seconds, chocolate was smeared across his cheeks and around his lips.
Jun stared.
“Messy.”
Dylan grinned at him.
Jun sighed, but there was a smile tugging at his own lips.
“Thame, you should ask Po about this,” Pepper advised, drawing Jun’s attention back to the others. “They might have an inkling of what to do in this situation.”
Dylan paid absolutely no attention to their discussion.
Instead, he happily munched on the rest of Jun's muffin when Jun eventually handed it over, apparently unconcerned with the chocolate now coating half his face.
Jun watched him for a moment before giving in.
“Come here.”
He carefully pulled Dylan into his lap and used his thumb to wipe away the chocolate from the corner of his mouth.
Dylan simply grinned up at him, small teeth on full display, his dark eyes sparkling with delight.
Jun's heart did something distinctly unpleasant in his chest.
He quickly blamed it on the situation.
“We can only try,” Jun said, turning his attention back to the others. “He obviously can't figure out how to change back.”
He gestured towards mini-Dylan, who was currently far more interested in tracing one tiny finger over the MARS lettering printed across his green hoodie than listening to their conversation.
Jun shook his head.
“C'mon, Dyl. Let's go for a walk.”
He held out his hand.
Dylan immediately reached for it.
His tiny fingers curled around Jun's slender ones, and he nodded so enthusiastically that his grey curls bounced.
Jun nearly wilted with relief when another sunny smile appeared on the boy's face.
“Yeah,” he murmured. “That's it.”
He gave Dylan's hand a gentle squeeze before leading him towards the door.
He could only hope this ended soon.
Because it was already plenty weird being in love with a man who had somehow turned into a three-year-old.
And Jun really didn't need to discover how much worse it could get.
The best explanation Po could provide was that Dylan had somehow managed to get himself into enough trouble with a more powerful magic-user that they had decided to turn him into a child.
Jun stared at Po.
Then at Dylan.
Then back at Po.
That explanation made absolutely no sense.
His gaze drifted towards the little boy sitting nearby, happily playing with Jun’s fingers as though they were the most fascinating things in the world.
This person wanted revenge on a hot guy by turning him into an adorable three-year-old?
What kind of convoluted logic was that?
Jun decided he didn't want to know.
A few days passed, and Dylan still hadn't returned to normal.
At first, Jun was convinced they'd find a way to reverse the spell quickly. Then a day passed. Then another.
By the third day, he was seriously considering hunting down whoever had done this himself.
He even started wondering where he should begin looking.
Then he saw Dylan laughing.
The thought immediately disappeared.
Dylan was sitting on the floor, happily using his telekinesis to make Nano's crotchet cats float through the air. The cats drifted lazily from one side of the room to the other, completely at the mercy of the little boy's magic.
Dylan giggled loudly each time one changed direction.
Nano watched in horrified fascination.
“Dylan, please don't throw my cats at the ceiling.”
Dylan giggled harder.
Jun's heart melted.
Completely, utterly, hopelessly.
He watched as Dylan sent another cat floating gently past Nano's head, the little boy's face lighting up with pure delight.
Jun sighed.
Maybe hunting down the magic-user could wait.
Because, honestly, he would simply be doing the world a disservice by ridding it of mini-Dylan.
In an unsurprisingly short amount of time, Dylan managed to worm his way into the hearts of every single one of their friends.
Again.
Pepper bought him clothes that actually fit, Thame took him on trips to the arcade, and Nano crocheted him a small army of stuffed cats and bees—which Jun might have to keep for himself when all of this was over...
Provided Dylan allowed him to.
It was almost ridiculous how quickly the entire household had adapted to having a three-year-old Dylan running around.
Not that Jun could complain.
Not when the little boy had become such a constant presence in his days.
“You’re staring,” Thame remarked.
Jun immediately tore his gaze away.
“I’m not.”
Across the room, Pepper was demonstrating his ability to manipulate metal for Dylan, who watched with wide-eyed fascination.
A moment later, the little boy began to float into the air.
Jun nearly fell out of his chair.
His heart jumped into his throat before his brain caught up.
Dylan was perfectly fine.
More than fine, actually.
He was grinning from ear to ear, dimples flashing as he floated effortlessly above the floor.
Jun exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax.
Of course Dylan could take care of himself.
He had telekinesis, after all.
Still, Jun's shoulders didn't fully loosen until Dylan looked around the room with a delighted little laugh.
Thame watched him for a moment, an unmistakably knowing smile tugging at his lips.
“Jealous?”
“Hardly.”
“Of course.”
Jun rolled his eyes.
But he didn't deny that he had been watching.
And perhaps that was the problem.
Somehow, despite all the chaos, having Dylan around had become strangely comforting.
Jun found himself looking for him without meaning to. Listening for his laughter.
Checking that he'd eaten. Making sure he was warm enough.
It had only been a few days, yet the thought of this little version of Dylan disappearing felt oddly bittersweet.
Sometimes, Jun enjoyed sleeping in the sun.
So when he blinked his eyes open to find a shadow passing over his face, he wasn't particularly surprised to find Dylan standing over him.
Still three years old.
Still unmistakably Dylan.
“Junny!”
The boy waved his arms excitedly, nearly smacking Jun in the face with the sheet of paper clutched in one tiny hand.
“Hey, Dyl,” Jun murmured.
Before he could say anything else, the air was promptly squeezed out of him when Dylan threw both arms around his neck.
Jun let out a startled laugh, automatically wrapping an arm around the little boy to steady him.
“Having fun?”
“Yeah!” Dylan exclaimed, pulling back just enough to beam at him. His eyes were bright and sparkling with excitement. “Po taught me awt stuff!”
“Art stuff?”
Dylan nodded enthusiastically.
“So what'd you make?”
The sheet of paper was immediately shoved into Jun's face.
“Oh?”
Jun took it, leaning backwards so he could actually see.
And nearly burst into tears.
It was a drawing.
A very wobbly red heart took up most of the page, with Jun's name messily scrawled across the middle in uneven letters.
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
His gaze moved from the drawing to Dylan.
The little boy was watching him expectantly, his expression filled with nothing but childish innocence and pride.
“Junny happy?”
Jun swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat.
He stared down at the drawing again.
He would trade every painting he'd ever made without a second thought for something given to him by the person he loved.
And that realization hit harder than he expected.
Because this wasn't the Dylan he knew.
Not really.
This was a child who had no idea what the future held, who didn't know the complicated feelings Jun had spent so long trying to ignore.
And yet, somehow, he had still managed to make Jun feel cherished.
Willing his voice not to crack, Jun answered slowly.
“I love it.”
Dylan beamed.
The smile was so bright that Jun had to look away for a moment.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Dylan immediately threw his arms around him again.
Jun laughed softly, hugging him back.
For the rest of the day, Jun kept a close eye on the little boy, manifesting toys whenever Dylan started to grow bored and making sure he always had something to occupy himself with.
It worked.
Mostly.
“Junny is the best!” Dylan suddenly exclaimed from across the room.
Jun nearly cried.
He turned his face away, grateful that Dylan was far too busy playing to notice the blush spreading across his cheeks.
“Yeah?” he called back, forcing his voice to sound casual.
Dylan nodded enthusiastically.
“Best Junny!”
Jun pressed his lips together, fighting a smile.
He didn't know whether he hoped Dylan would remember these tiny adventures when he eventually returned to normal.
Or whether he hoped he wouldn't.
Because if adult Dylan remembered all of this—the way he clung to Jun, the way he called him Junny, the afternoons spent playing together, the little red heart with Jun's name in the middle of it—
Jun wasn't sure he'd ever be able to look him in the eye again.
And yet, as he looked at the little boy happily playing nearby, he found himself wishing he could keep just one piece of this.
Just one tiny reminder that, for a little while, Dylan had chosen him.
In the middle of the night, Jun woke to the quiet sound of footsteps outside his bedroom.
For a moment, he lay perfectly still, half convinced he'd imagined it.
Then came another soft shuffle.
Jun propped himself up on one elbow and quickly flicked on the bedside lamp.
“Dyl?”
A small figure appeared in the doorway.
“Junny,” Dylan whispered.
He looked sleepy, his grey hair sticking up in every direction as he padded towards the bed.
Jun's expression softened immediately.
“What are you doing up?”
Dylan didn't answer.
Instead, he climbed onto the bed without a hint of hesitation, crawling straight towards Jun as though there had never been any question about where he belonged.
Jun blinked at him.
“You wanna sleep here?”
Dylan nodded.
Jun sighed quietly, though there wasn't any real annoyance behind it.
“Alright. Come here.”
He lifted the covers, and Dylan immediately wriggled underneath.
Jun switched off the lamp before settling back down, then pulled the blankets neatly over them both in one smooth motion.
For a few seconds, Dylan was still.
Then the squirming began.
A tiny foot nudged Jun's shin.
Then a knee bumped his thigh.
Dylan shifted closer, apparently determined to find the most comfortable position possible—which, judging by his efforts, seemed to involve being in direct contact with as much of Jun as humanly possible.
Jun stifled a tired laugh.
“Comfortable?”
“Mhm.”
Another wiggle.
Then another.
Eventually, Dylan seemed satisfied.
He curled himself against Jun's side, one tiny hand resting against his shirt while his head settled into the crook of Jun's arm.
Jun stared into the darkness for a moment.
This had become normal somehow.
Having Dylan follow him around.
Having small hands reach for his.
Having a sleepy little voice call his name whenever something frightened him.
It was strange.
Far too strange.
And yet Jun couldn't bring himself to resent any of it.
His eyes gradually grew heavy.
He was almost asleep again when a quiet voice broke through the silence.
“Junny?”
“Mhm?”
“I wuv you, Junny.”
Jun's eyes snapped open.
For several seconds, he simply stared into the darkness.
His brain seemed to stop functioning altogether.
Then he shifted so quickly that he nearly fell off the bed.
“What?”
His voice came out strangled.
Dylan lifted his head, apparently confused by the reaction.
“I wuv you, Junny,” he repeated with complete confidence.
Jun opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
Nothing came out.
A hot flush crept across his cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of his ears.
He was suddenly incredibly grateful for the darkness.
Dylan, blissfully unaware of the effect he'd just had, continued.
“And I’m gonna mawwy you when I gwow up.”
Jun stopped breathing.
For a moment, he could only stare at the little silhouette beside him.
Of all the things Dylan could have said...
That.
His heart gave one hard, traitorous thump.
Jun swallowed.
“Well then,” he managed at last, forcing his voice to remain as steady as possible, “you’ll have to get me a ring.”
There was a brief silence.
Then Dylan nodded solemnly.
“’Kay.”
Apparently, that was settled.
Jun could hear the smile in his voice.
Dylan tucked himself closer, his soft grey hair tickling the crook of Jun's arm as his breathing slowly evened out.
“Night-night.”
Jun looked down at him.
Something warm settled in his chest.
“Goodnight, Dyl,” he murmured.
Dylan was already drifting off.
Jun remained awake for a little while longer, staring at the ceiling.
He told himself it was just a silly thing a three-year-old had said.
A child's promise.
A moment that would probably mean nothing once Dylan was himself again.
And yet, despite knowing that, Jun couldn't stop the small smile tugging at his lips.
He gently pulled the blanket a little higher around Dylan's shoulders.
“Get some sleep, troublemaker.”
Dylan mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep and snuggled even closer.
Jun's smile deepened.
Then, finally, his own eyes fluttered shut.
The first thing Jun noticed when he woke up was that his back felt extraordinarily warm.
Warm enough that it took him a few seconds to remember where he was.
His bed.
His room.
The fan he'd turned on before going to sleep was still humming somewhere in the background, circulating cool air through the room.
So why the hell was he sweating?
Jun groaned and tried to roll onto his stomach.
Or, at least, he tried to.
Something held him firmly in place.
“Huh?”
Still half-asleep, Jun glanced down.
A very familiar arm was wound securely around his waist.
His stomach dropped.
He froze.
Slowly—very slowly—he turned his head.
And shrieked.
“What the—why are you naked?!”
The man behind him jolted awake.
Dylan made a low, confused noise, blinking blearily as he lifted his head from Jun's pillow.
“Where the fuck am I?”
“In my bed!” Jun screeched.
Dylan frowned.
Jun's face was burning.
“You were three last night!”
Silence.
Dylan stared at him.
Jun stared back.
The two of them remained frozen like that for several seconds.
Then Dylan's expression changed.
His brows drew together.
His eyes widened.
And then—
“Jun?”
There was something different in the way he said his name.
Not Junny.
Not the soft, childish pronunciation that had become so familiar over the past few days.
Just Jun.
Adult Dylan's voice.
Jun's heart stumbled.
Dylan slowly pushed himself upright, the blankets falling just enough for Jun to hurriedly look away.
“Oh, God.”
His hand went to his face.
“Okay.”
He dragged his palm down over his mouth, visibly trying to process everything.
“I remember…”
His eyes flicked towards Jun.
Then his expression crumbled into mortification.
“Oh, no.”
Jun's stomach sank.
“What?”
Dylan covered his face with both hands.
“Oh, no, no, no.”
“What?”
“I remember everything.”
Jun's blood ran cold.
“Everything?”
Dylan peeked at him through his fingers.
“Unfortunately.”
Jun's mind immediately supplied a horrifying list.
The clinginess.
The muffin.
The drawing.
The way he'd called him Junny.
The marriage proposal.
Jun's eyes widened.
“The marriage thing?”
Dylan groaned.
“Yes.”
Jun covered his face.
“Oh, my God.”
“I know.”
“You said you were going to marry me.”
“I know.”
“You said you loved me.”
“I know.”
“You made a promise to get me a ring!”
“I know, Jun.”
Jun slowly lowered his hands.
Dylan was staring at him now, and there was something almost painfully vulnerable in his expression.
The embarrassment was still there.
But beneath it was something else.
Something Jun had never seen from him before.
Fear.
“I also remember how you took care of me,” Dylan said quietly.
Jun went still.
Dylan's gaze dropped to his hands.
“You made sure I ate. You walked around with me because I wouldn't let go of your hand.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “You even cleaned chocolate off my face.”
Jun's throat tightened.
“And the drawing,” Dylan continued. “You told me you loved it.”
“I did.”
Dylan's eyes lifted to his.
“I know.”
There was a pause.
Then Dylan exhaled shakily.
“Jun, there's something I need to tell you.”
Jun didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Dylan shifted slightly, putting a little more distance between them.
“I've liked you for a long time.”
Jun's breath caught.
Dylan gave a nervous laugh.
“Actually, that's probably the understatement of the century.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I've been trying not to make it obvious.”
Jun almost laughed.
“You're terrible at that.”
Dylan smiled faintly.
“I know.”
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Dylan's smile faded.
“I didn't tell you because…” He hesitated. “We're bandmates. We've been friends for three years, even if we aren't exactly the kind of friends who talk about our feelings.”
Jun looked down.
Dylan continued.
“And I didn't want to make things awkward. I didn't want you to feel like you had to answer me just because I told you.”
His voice became quieter.
“So I kept it to myself.”
Jun's chest ached.
“Then I turned into a three-year-old, apparently lost my ability to keep anything to myself, and confessed anyway.”
Despite himself, Jun let out a tiny laugh.
Dylan smiled.
“Yeah.”
His gaze dropped again.
“I just… I don't want you to think what I said last night was only because I was a kid.”
Jun's heart stopped.
Dylan looked directly at him.
“Because it wasn't.”
The room suddenly felt much too quiet.
“I love you, Jun.”
No teasing.
No playful grin.
No attempt to soften the words with a joke.
Just the truth.
“I don't know exactly when it happened. Maybe I should've figured it out sooner. Maybe everyone else already knew.” His mouth twitched. “Nano definitely knew.”
Jun huffed a quiet laugh.
“But I know I mean it.”
Dylan's expression softened.
“And if you don't feel the same, that's okay.”
He looked away.
“It'll hurt, obviously. But I'll respect it.”
Jun stared at him.
For three years, he'd convinced himself that whatever strange flutter lived in his chest whenever Dylan smiled was nothing worth examining.
For three years, he'd insisted they weren't particularly close.
For three years, he'd looked away whenever Dylan caught him staring.
And then Dylan had turned into a three-year-old and somehow dismantled every excuse Jun had built.
He'd spent days holding Dylan's hand.
Tucking blankets around him.
Wiping chocolate from his face.
Listening to him call him Junny.
And somewhere along the way, Jun had stopped pretending he didn't want to be the person Dylan reached for.
Now Dylan was sitting in front of him, vulnerable and waiting for an answer.
Jun's heart hurt.
Not because the answer was difficult.
Because he'd wasted so much time being afraid of it.
“You're an idiot,” Jun whispered.
Dylan blinked.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I don't think that's an answer.”
“It is.”
Jun finally looked at him.
“I've been in love with you for so long that I convinced myself it wasn't love.”
Dylan went completely still.
Jun swallowed.
“I thought we weren't close enough. I thought I was imagining things. I thought maybe I just…” He laughed nervously. “I don't know. Liked having you around.”
Dylan's lips parted.
“And then you turned into a kid.”
A helpless smile tugged at Jun's mouth.
“And suddenly you were following me everywhere, holding my hand, calling me Junny, and somehow making me worry about you every second of the day.”
His eyes softened.
“I hated how much I liked it.”
Dylan stared at him.
“So…” he whispered.
Jun nodded.
“So, yes.”
Dylan's expression changed so quickly that Jun almost laughed.
Shock.
Relief.
Disbelief.
And then the brightest smile Jun had ever seen.
“You do?”
Jun rolled his eyes, though his own smile was already betraying him.
“Yes, idiot.”
Dylan laughed.
It was quiet and breathless, like he couldn't quite believe what he'd just heard.
“You love me?”
Jun's cheeks warmed.
“Don't make me say it twice.”
Dylan's smile softened.
“Please?”
Jun sighed.
“I love you.”
Something in Dylan's expression broke open.
He reached for Jun slowly, giving him plenty of time to pull away.
Jun didn't.
Instead, he closed the distance himself.
He kissed Dylan.
It was soft at first.
Tentative.
Almost disbelieving.
Then Dylan's hand came up to cup the side of Jun's face, and something inside Jun finally relaxed.
Like coming home.
Jun eventually pulled back, his forehead resting lightly against Dylan's.
By the time they emerged from the bedroom, the rest of MARS were already awake.
And waiting.
Nano was sprawled across the sofa with one of his crocheted bees in his lap. Thame was nursing a cup of coffee, while Pepper sat beside him, scrolling through his phone.
All three looked up at exactly the same time.
Jun stopped walking.
Dylan stopped behind him.
Silence.
Nano's eyes narrowed.
Then slowly widened.
“I'm back,” Dylan declared.
“Good.”
Pepper glanced at Jun.
“And?”
Jun frowned.
“And what?”
Pepper's expression remained perfectly neutral.
“Are you two finally going to stop pretending you don't like each other?”
Jun froze.
Dylan looked at him.
Nano gasped dramatically.
“You knew?”
Pepper shrugged.
“It wasn't particularly difficult to figure out.”
Thame nodded.
“Honestly, I thought you two would confess months ago.”
Jun stared at all of them.
“You knew?”
Nano looked offended.
“Jun, I knew before you knew.”
“That is impossible.”
“You spent three years staring at him.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
“I absolutely did not.”
Dylan raised a hand.
“You did.”
Jun slowly turned towards him.
“Whose side are you on?”
Dylan smiled.
“Yours.”
That shut Jun up.
For approximately three seconds.
Then Nano made a strangled noise.
“Oh, this is disgusting.”
Jun threw a cushion at him.
The room erupted into laughter.
For the first time in days, Jun felt the tension that had been sitting in his chest finally disappear.
Dylan was himself again.
Tall.
Annoyingly handsome.
Infuriatingly charming.
Entirely too smug.
And standing beside Jun with a smile that made his stomach flip in exactly the same way it always had.
Nothing had changed.
And somehow, everything had.
That evening, after the others had gone to bed, Jun found himself sitting outside beneath the stars.
He heard footsteps approaching.
He didn't need to look.
“Can't sleep?”
Dylan sat beside him.
“Not really.”
Jun smiled faintly.
For a while, they simply sat together.
Then Dylan reached into his pocket.
“I got you something.”
Jun raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
Dylan pulled out a tiny crocheted bee.
Jun stared at it.
“Nano's going to kill you.”
“He gave it to me.”
“Of course he did.”
Dylan turned the little bee over in his hands.
“I kept it.”
Jun's expression softened.
“You kept all of them?”
“Most of them.”
“Most?”
“Somehow Nano's cats keep disappearing.”
Jun snorted.
“Not my problem.”
Dylan smiled.
Then his expression became quieter.
“I meant what I said this morning.”
Jun looked at him.
“I know.”
“I don't want this to be something we only acknowledge because everything got weird.”
Jun's fingers curled around the little bee.
“It isn't.”
Dylan reached for his hand.
Their fingers intertwined.
Jun looked down at their joined hands, then smiled.
“So… where's my ring?”
Dylan blinked.
“Your ring?”
“You promised.”
A slow grin spread across Dylan's face.
“You remembered?”
“I remember everything too.”
Dylan laughed.
“Give me some time.”
“How much?”
“A few years?”
Jun pretended to consider it.
“Acceptable.”
Dylan leaned closer.
“Good.”
Their shoulders touched.
Then Dylan pressed a soft kiss against Jun's temple.
Jun closed his eyes.
For a brief moment, he pictured the tiny boy who had clung to his hoodie, called him Junny, and declared with absolute certainty that one day they would get married.
It had seemed ridiculous then.
Impossible.
Something Jun could only laugh about.
But now, sitting beside the man he had secretly loved for years, Jun realized that perhaps the little boy had known something before either of them had been brave enough to admit it.
Jun rested his head against Dylan's shoulder.
“You know,” he murmured, “I think I liked you better when you were three.”
Dylan laughed.
“Liar.”
“Maybe.”
Dylan squeezed his hand.
“Junny?”
Jun smiled.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
The words no longer startled him.
They felt warm.
Familiar.
Like home.
Jun lifted his head and kissed him.
“I love you too.”
And somewhere inside the MARS house, Nano's voice suddenly rang through the night.
“I KNEW IT!”
Jun pulled away.
Dylan burst out laughing.
“I'm going to kill him.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Definitely tomorrow.”
Dylan tugged him closer.
“Tonight?”
Jun smiled.
“Tonight.”
And for once, Jun wasn't late for anything.
He was exactly where he was supposed to be.