an au where kyungsoo is set to leave on his one way ticket to america but theres a snow storm so his flight is delayed. in the course of this delay, he meets a younger guy named jongin, with a one way ticket to japan.

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Cold tendrils creep into his fingertips as he presses them against the tall windows, watching the steady flicker of a yellow light through the storm as a vehicle drives by below. He’s not sure where the horizon ends and the sky begins as the snowflakes seem like they’re falling upwards and sideways, whipped into a frenzy by the monstrous wind.

He sighs and moves back to his seat, slouching a bit into the soft, black leather. His lifeless eyes scan the flimsy, one-way ticket to America peeking out of his passport.

It’s amazing how much power this piece of paper has, he muses. He’s sure that this simple thing can bring him happiness, can swoop in and take him away from this desolate place where he’s been wandering around aimlessly like a phantom. He’s looking for something and he’s sure it isn’t here. He wants to find that heart-wrenching sense of purpose to plug the gaping hole in his chest, wants to find something to bring color back to his monochromatic life.  

He glares at the colossal feat of nature churning outside, the cause of a ten-hour delay to his flight plans. He stands up in a flash, annoyance fueling his sudden spurt of energy. He strides through the pristine airport with his backpack and rolling luggage until he gets to the bathroom, wanting to wash his face.

He stops.

His eyes are wide as he stares at the man groaning on the floor, a jacket and a rolling suitcase splayed on the ground beside him as he struggles to get up. So, Kyungsoo rushes forward and grasps the man’s upper-arm to help him.

“Are you alright?” he asks politely, concerned.

“Yeah, thanks--” And Kyungsoo watches as the man’s face morphs into one of surprise before he hears him laugh nervously. “Of course you’re here,” the man mumbles under his breath.

“What?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing. Thanks so much for helping me,” he says brightly, coming to his feet and adjusting his clothes. “I’m Kim Jongin.”

“I’m Do Kyungsoo,” he replies back with a chaste smile. This guy is kind of weird...

Jongin glances down at the ticket in the other’s hand. America. “Oh, you’re going to America?” he asks in as much curiosity as he can muster. “My flight to Japan just got delayed because of the storm too. It’s lonely spending ten hours by yourself in the airport, right? I’m just about to go get something to eat. Do you want to come too?”

Somehow, Kyungsoo feels like he knows him. There’s an odd tinge of nostalgia that diffuses through him when he looks at Jongin, as if he’s lingering somewhere in his long-buried memories. “Okay.”

Jongin pays for them both and, as they’re heading to some seats in a random waiting area, Kyungsoo catches a glimpse of the photo of a young boy and girl in his wallet. “Do you have children?” he inquires just as they sit down.

This seems to irk Jongin as he makes a strange face, unwrapping his sandwich. “Yeah,” he responds shortly, an awkward laugh accompanying his response. “How was your day?” he asks as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Kyungsoo pauses for a split-second, taken aback by the simple question. He watches Jongin’s serene face as he lies, “Good.”

Jongin stops chewing and just stares at him as if detecting his fib. “Really?” he pokes suspiciously, mouth in a hard line.

Kyungsoo’s hand massages the back of his neck, a sheepish expression on his face at being caught. “I’m tired,” he admits. Jongin seems satisfied with this and somehow their conversation seems to flow easily as if they’ve done this hundreds of thousands of times. It doesn’t take long before Kyungsoo’s face lights up wonderfully, grinning at Jongin’s remarks; he doesn’t realize how fulfilled he feels sitting here with him like this.

“So, why are you going to America?” Jongin asks suddenly as he stuffs the last of his sandwich into his mouth.

Kyungsoo mulls over this question for the billionth time, his emotions still unsettled. Jongin watches his gaze become distant, as if staring into his bleak past, and he wants to comfort him as a frown spreads on his lips. “You don’t need to tell me,” he states softly, his hand automatically Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

He listens to Kyungsoo’s exhausted sigh. “I just… I don’t know who I am. I guess that’s the easy answer. I don’t know what I’m looking for, but maybe I’ll find it in America.”

Jongin’s quiet for a moment and Kyungsoo mentally scolds himself for admitting such an intimate thing to a near-stranger. He straightens himself and tries to summon his best smile to wipe away his confession. “Sorry--”

“--You’ll find it.”

Kyungsoo’s face falls as he looks into Jongin’s steely yet tender expression. His nose tingles as he looks away, his eyelids burning with hot tears. “You don’t know that,” he whispers shakily.

And Jongin smiles assuringly at him as if he really does know. In that instant, all Kyungsoo wants to do is believe him, trip and fall into the unknown with him. “You’ll find it here, I promise,” Jongin repeats, the back of his fingers catching a fallen tear. “I found what I was looking for here and so will you.”

As he’s in the bathroom rinsing off his sticky face, he lets his fingers dangle underneath of the tepid running water. It feels as if his tension is easing out of him and there’s a sensation of fulfillment where the heaviness once was. He grins at his reflection in the mirror and, for the first time, he’s satisfied with the direction his life has taken.

He walks out of the bathroom and back to the waiting area, excited to talk to Jongin again. But, he finds the waiting area empty. His previously pleasant mood sinks and crumbles. Maybe he had to catch his flight, he theorizes, sitting down and glancing at his watch.

He realizes that there’s only ten minutes left until boarding so, he grabs his luggage. Just as he’s about to leave, he notices the photograph on the seat next to him. He recognizes the two children depicted as the same ones in Jongin’s wallet but, this time he’s able to see the picture more clearly.

He sees himself.

How? is the first question that appears as panic takes over. He flips it over and there’s writing on the back.

‘Don’t look too surprised two minutes from now.’

As Kyungsoo’s heading to the boarding area, he tries to decipher the meaning behind those words. He moves his thumb and sees a date eight years from now--

--He groans as he tumbles to the ground, his suitcase tumbling over and elbow hitting the floor. Disoriented, he registers that he had just collided with someone and he sees a hand extend towards him.

“I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?”

Don’t look too surprised two minutes from now.

Kyungsoo’s mouth is agape as he stares up at the other person despite the warning on the photo. He eventually swallows and a laugh escapes his throat at how ridiculous this situation is. The other person is starting to get nervous now, worried that Kyungsoo had hit his head and is now going insane.

“Do you need me to take you to the hospital?” he asks Kyungsoo.

And Kyungsoo takes his hand as the giggles fade, standing up. “I’m fine.” He stares into the other person’s face for a couple moments before he sees his cheeks redden with embarrassment. “I’m Do Kyungsoo. What’s your name?”

“Kim Jongin.”

I found what I was looking for here and so will you.

A/N: lol just finished my finals and this is what came out... don't laugh... in case you guys didn't get it: timetravel!jongin

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