[September 16th, 2019]

When Kris Wu appeared back in the basement lab of his new place, the one that Junmyeon hadn’t touched, the blinds were still drawn and the lights were still dimmed, giving the usually brightly-lit, pristine lab the same eerie, on-the-verge-of-death feel that being back in his old house with Junmyeon had given him.

Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun were no longer on the floor of the lab, and WJM-0522 was powered off, slumped over against the wall.

That was strange, as Chanyeol knew that WJM-0522 always had to go back to a charging station when not in use, and the robot was programmed to do the same when running on low battery. 

Kris wanted to wander more about the house, find Chanyeol and Baekhyun, force Chanyeol to send Baekhyun back, but instead, he found himself sitting at the empty lab table, where he had previously that day. His back was to the powered-off WJM-0522, and Kris slumped over onto the lab desk, placing his head into his arms, shutting out the little light that still filtered through.

He tried to distract himself, but that feeling from five years ago, that hole in his chest that ate at him, slowly crawling up and out, engulfing him whole, had settled back in the pit of his stomach and was already dragging its fingers along the underside of his chest, brushing at his heart that already ached enough as it was.

Perhaps seeing Kim Junmyeon was a bad idea, a stupid use of the machine (which he still needed to name, maybe brainstorming names was a good distraction). He thought it would give him closure, help with his grieving and recovery process, but he found himself back at square one, as if it was October 29th, the day after Kris had sat in a hospital waiting room for what felt like three separate enternities, different people coming in through different phases. He had that same crushing, black-out feeling, almost like a hang-over after the wildest night of your life, and then you found yourself wishing you could go back and have that much fun because you knew you would never enjoy yourself as much as you did last night ever again amidst your piercing headaches and throwing up your guts. 

Kris wasn’t an amputee, and he didn’t know any amputees, but he assumed that this feeling is what amputees felt after getting amputated - like an essential part of you was missing that you had went practically your whole life with and had depended on so much was just so suddenly gone and your balance was upset and you found yourself unable to do simple tasks and that frustrates you, but also reminded you so much of what you were missing and how much you loved him. 

Kris let out a few shuddery breaths, trying to recollect himself. Tried to think of distractions, because it was better to distract himself than to actually deal with it, but everything he tried somehow led him back to Junmyeon. He couldn’t help but think that Junmyeon would have the perfect name for his machine, know a movie Kris hadn’t watched that would make him feel better, know what tea would calm him down, have a good book reccomendation, have a corny joke that wasn’t funny but Kris would laugh anyways, not because he thought it was funny, but because Junmyeon would laugh at his own stupid joke and that made Kris laugh and Junmyeon’s laugh alone was the best sound in the world, like someone had turned happiness into a sound to be played at the gates of Heaven, or wherever Junmyeon was now, because wherever Junmyeon was was where Kris wanted to go and even the deepest pit in Hell would be their own blissful Heaven. Junmyeon would know whether or not going back to see him was actually a good idea and what planets were making him sad and the scores from last night’s hockey game and who Kim Jongdae was dating now. 

“Kris?”

Kris shot up at the sound of his name to see Park Chanyeol and Byun Baekhyun making their way down the staircase. Baekhyun was dressed differently; he had lost the long jacket that buttoned at his waist and chest and the uncomfortably tight pants for an oversized hoodie and dark jeans that were still kind of tight, but not as bad as before.

“Have you been crying?” Chanyeol asked. Kris shook his head, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve and sniffing. “I know you’re not high; I’d be able to smell it.”

“I’m not high,” Kris insisted, sniffing again despite denying that he had been crying. Chanyeol clued in, and instead of teasing him like he would usually, he let the subject up. “Where were you guys?”

“I just took Baekkie around town.”

“I have learned very much, sir,” Baekhyun began, and Kris prepared himself for another lengthy speech of dialogue. “Such as the existence of a device called ‘e-cigarettes’ which are a more developed version of the cigars we have in my time. I have learned local words, such as ‘cyattie’, but I refuse to use it because it can be seen as degrading. I do not need more public opinion around me; my acquainatnces - and even people who I have not had the pleasure of being company with - believe that I am homoual, purely based upon the fact that I live alone with Mr. Oh. However, if people start believing in the fact that I am a homoual anymore than they already do, I will surely be burned at the stake alongside Bae Joohyun, as word as shifted from I to her, as people believe her to be a witch.” 

Kris pushed himself up off of the table and leaned back in the chair, slumping in it. “Chanyeol, I think it’s time you bring Baekhyun back,” he made no eye contact as he spoke, but instead ran his finger over a small dent in the surface of the table. It was from years ago, when Junmyeon was healthier and had once visited his and Chanyeol’s old lab, and Junmyeon had placed his machine at the time a little too harshly on it. “You know he can’t stay here for long.”

Chanyeol and Baekhyun exchanged looks, and then Baekhyun spoke. “But sir, if I may add my own opinion to the matter, as this matter concerns I - I do not wish to go back, sir. I wish to stay here. Staying here will mean that I cannot cause any ‘ripples’ back in my time, and my presence here cannot affect time and events that have not yet taken place.”

Kris ran a hand down the side of his face tiredly, stretching the skin out underneath his eye. “You were never supposed to be here in the first place.” 

Chanyeol looked over to Kris, down to Baekhyun, and back over to Kris. “Can we have a second?”

“Whatever.” Kris waved them off. The two stood there for a moment, wanting Kris to leave so that they could have the lab to themselves, but forfeited rights after seeing Kris was not going to leave his spaced-out position in the chair. 

“Can I have the watch?” Chanyeol asked, stepping forward and holding his hand out. Harshly, Kris ripped it off his wrist and it into Chanyeol’s hand, who took it and led Baekhyun upstairs.

Kris could hear the two talk faintly; just their voices, as he couldn’t make out any words. He didn’t have the energy to stand up, and rather pushed himself off of the leg of the table to the other side, where he pulled open a drawer and rifled through the first aid kit he and Chanyeol kept on hand, balling up the gauze and pressing it to the deep puncture wound in his wrist, and then swiping it across to wipe the blood away. He didn’t bother to open any of the disinfectant wipes or even slather on some of the Polysporin they kept in there, just shook the gauze roll out and wrapped it around his wrist as best as he could with one hand. He didn’t secure it with a pin, rather just tucked the end in, and figured he’d change it once he bled through to the top layer or it leaked out the bottom or he lost feeling in his hand, whatever happened first. He lacked the energy to care, now.

He milled about for awhile longer, which felt like a week, when he realized that he could no longer hear Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

He wandered upstairs, walking around the kitchen and the den, peering into the washroom and the bedroom, only to find out he was alone. 

He figured that Chanyeol had convinced Baekhyun to return to his own time and stay there, and it dawned on Kris that he hadn’t given Chanyeol a vital stabilizer. He made his way back to the lab and tapped at the screen of the monitor that displayed Chanyeol’s vitals. They seemed regular enough; obviously better with the stabilizer, but nothing to worry about. His adrenaline was high, but that was likely just from travelling sans stabilizer. 

Kris knew Chanyeol was fine, and still kept an eye on his vitals. More time passed, more than Kris thought they needed, but perhaps time just worked differently when travelling or Kris was just that out of it. He had a long, eventful, and emotional day, and when he woke from the nap he had accidentally taken in the lab chair several hours later, the screen displaying Chanyeol’s vitals had fallen asleep. 

Kris found himself back up in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, pouring over a note ripped from a notepad Junmyeon had bought that Kris kept with him, solely for the note Junmyeon had written on the back of it.

remeber! appt @ 1400 love u ^^

Instead of Junmyeon’s flowy, neat handwriting (despite his grammar mistakes) was Chanyeol’s messy scrawl.

Kris,

I ve decided to stay in ----shire w/ Baekkie instead of returning here. Its been a short time, I know, but Im pretty sure i love byun baekhYun and theres nothin else for me her, but there is there with baek. Thanks for everything broha, ly lots. Sorry im takin the machine; idk how to bring it back lol but theres still plans and my report in my drawer. 

Wishing you all the best, and I know that someday we’ll meet again.

Yeollie 

No. No no no no no no no 没有 아니야 non nein nej 

Kris couldn’t believe he was left completely and utterly alone.

He had lost his best friend in the name of love, the love of his life is dead, his life’s work taken to another time.

He found himself stumbling around the lab, struggling to comprehend and deal with everything yet again.

In frustration, he swiftly kicked WJM-0522, which still laid limply on the floor, causing it to crumple over. He ripped the arm off, sending it flying to floor and parts scattering.

Kris himself also crumpled to the floor, curling up in a ball and his head between his knees, as if that would block things out and make things better.

Without much of a thinking process, Kris flew to his computer, typing in Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s names. Without much surprise, he found nothing.

He found himself needing to know not only what happened to the two of them, but to his machine as well.

Three weeks later, Kris found an old newspaper article from the 1850s in the basement of the library.

Byun and Park Burned at Stakes

Friday evening, both Mr. Byun Baekhyun and Mr. Park Chanyeol were burned at the stakes after Kim Yerim confessed to Park Jihyo about their homoual love affair. The pair was arrested by authorities that day, and placed in holding for several nights. They were given the chance to plead their case in court, but rather both plead guilty and were immediately sentenced.

Mr. Oh Sehun tried to refute the sentencing by claiming that both Mr. Byun and Mr. Park were not proper British citizens, but his refute failed. He now faces court trials for treason against the state, which is to take place two Thursdays from now. 

Before the burning took place, the two were asked if they wished to repent their sins in the presence of a priest, but both refused.

An anonymous source reported that Mr. Park’s last words were, “And I will love you even in my next life.” Mr. Byun’s final remarks were not heard or recorded.

“And I will love you even in my next life.” Junmyeon said gently, his voice a mere whisper, mainly because he had no other means of speaking as Kris held his hand tightly in his own, pressing Junmyeon’s cold, shaky palm to his lips.  

FIN