Even though he tried to help out as much as he possibly could, Yixing soon began to see him break.

It was evident that the joy was completely out of Jongin’s body, for the boy never seemed to smile or laugh anymore. Nearly every night Yixing was kept awake by the heartbreaking sobs from across the hall, yet he didn’t know how to approach Jongin and pretended that he didn’t hear anything the following morning.

It didn’t help that Jongin refused to tell him what happened that day, why he suddenly woke up in a pool of his own blood and why Luhan and Kyungsoo didn’t come home anymore. The doctor merely became a shell of his former self, only stepping out of his room to handle a patient and sometimes, eat.

Even though he tried to help out as much as he possibly could, everything he tried never worked. He was frustrated; angry with himself, for not being able to support the doctor like how he did when Yixing first arrived. His earnest concerns for Jongin went to nothing, in through one ear and out the other.

He tried to force his help on Jongin multiple times, but it seemed like the boy was only interested in pushing him away.

“You should go home soon,” was his first, full sentence to the slider in days. “You should look for your Myungsoo.”

Yixing nodded stiffly from the kitchen table, where he was eating. He’d almost forgotten about his beloved, being so occupied with Jongin and the house. But he wasn’t sure about leaving the doctor here all alone. “I don’t know where he is…”

“And I have a theory,” Jongin replied indifferently, sitting down across from him. Tiredness was evident across all his features; he didn’t look much better than he had several days ago. “I’ve been studying your pattern of teleportation and it’s simple: you teleport when you think of places in detail. With that being said, I’ve theorized that you may be able to open a portal to your Myungsoo if you thought about him. No matter where he is, you’ll find him… Hopefully.”

Yixing bit his lip. “Do you really think it’ll work?”

“It’s just a theory. I’m not so sure, but it’s worth a shot. Don’t you think so?”

He nodded, shifting in his seat in order to prepare himself for thought.

“Wait. Before you open up anything, I want you to promise me something.” Jongin grabbed one of his hands and held them tightly. “Promise me you’ll find him. Promise me you’ll find your Myungsoo, so I’ll be able to find my Kyungsoo. I want both of us to find both of them… So just promise me, Yixing.”

“I promise.”

“Okay… Clear your mind. What does Myungsoo look like?”

Yixing closed his eyes, illustrating his every feature in his mind. “To start… He’s a little shorter than me and he’s got dark hair. He has really nice eyes and lips similar to a cat’s. He’s actually really weird now that I think about it, but at the same time… Affectionate. Caring. Loving. Perfect.”

If he had to label his lover with one word, it would be that one: absolute perfection. Nothing more, nothing less. He imagined the perfect Myungsoo, the person who was just so incredibly flawless to him.

A soft breeze blew against his face and prompted him to open his eyes. There it was; in the middle of the wall where the sink was supposed to be, was the shining blue portal.

Jongin saw it too, his eyes sparkling at the very sight of it. “… Wow… It’s my first time actually seeing an interdimensional doorway. This—This is amazing.”

Yixing stood, inching towards the hole. He looked over his shoulder and gave the doctor a glance. “Will you be okay by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine,” Jongin smiled for the first time in a while. “Go, and find him.”

“Yeah.” He waved briefly and stepped into the portal, disappearing immediately.

As he fell through the unwinding blue hole, Yixing realized that his heart wasn’t beating as fast as it used to; fear wasn’t constantly pumping through his veins and he was no longer afraid. Perhaps it was because he gotten used to teleporting here and there, or maybe it was due to the fact that his chance to see the love of his life was higher than ever.

He fell without a care. He fell until the lights faded once more and he landed face-first into a yard of soft grass.

Yixing picked himself up, scanning his surroundings and eventually concluding that he did not know where he was.

It was almost dusk, the sun setting over the horizon and painting the sky a dark orange. All around him were houses, lined against the street to resemble a suburban neighborhood. Lights were on in the homes, and around the block he could hear the soft laughter of children playing a game of tag. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Yet, there was a small feeling in the pit of his stomach that didn’t make him feel at all comfortable. It looked like he was in his world, but at the same time he wasn’t. It was like he fell into a carbon copy of his dimension but did not fit in anywhere.

Fighting against his gut, the slider trailed slowly to the house he landed in front of. He stood next to a window, trying his best to not seem like a stalker as he peered in.

Again, nothing strange to see; it was a normal kitchen with a normal pot boiling on a painstakingly normal stove. Just when he was about to question why he was brought here, a figure appeared in the doorway causing him to stop moving altogether.

This figure—a man— stepped into the kitchen and noticed him immediately. Rather than shouting for help or even being the slightest bit frightened, this man stared shockingly at Yixing whilst he stared back, also in shock. The two stood frozen for a minute, trying to comprehend the situation.

He’d recognize that face anywhere; those beautiful, captivating eyes and that soft dark hair crowning the person he would inevitably call—

“Myungsoo-ah…”

His voice barely came out to make due for the tear that ran down his face. His hands began to quiver, as did his knees. He couldn’t control himself; it’s been so long, too long. It was his very Myungsoo, in the flesh.

He wanted to jump and embrace the other male, but he couldn’t move. He was too overwhelmed with utter joy that his limbs stiffened in their places. Myungsoo didn’t move either, so they continued to stare at each other for several unnerving moments. Eventually a second person unknowingly strode into the kitchen, and Myungsoo took it upon himself to grab that person and make him face away from the window, shielding Yixing from being discovered.

Their voices were a bit muffled through the glass, but the slider could make some of their conversation out. The unknown person said something along the lines of “what is it, Soo?” Myungsoo then shook his head and said something about going upstairs to take a bath. The latter nodded, planting a soft kiss on his forehead—much to the surprise of Yixing— before leaving the room. After making sure he was gone, Myungsoo quickly ran out of the house and confronted the slider.

“What are you?” The younger whispered loudly while grabbing his face and examining it close. “And why do you look so much like Yixing?”

“… I-I-I am Yixing…” He uttered, attempting to remain composed.

Myungsoo frowned a bit and forced open his mouth to look inside. “No, Yixing just went upstairs to warm up the bathtub. Are you an imposter?”

“N-No! I really am Yixing. I-I’m just… From another dimension…”

A silence enveloped them, largely characterized by Myungsoo’s impassive staring. After what seemed like forever, he finally let go of Yixing’s face and studied him. “… Well Yixing—err, you—didn’t lie to me yet… But just to make sure; what’s my favorite color?”

“Black!” Yixing answered immediately.

“Why?”

“Because the darkness gives you comfort when you’re anxious.”

“When did we first meet?”

“… U-Uh, wait… I know this…” He shut his eyes, racking through his brain for any date, any place, any time, but he came up blank. He began to panic, because the last thing he needed was for his beloved to doubt him and possibly call the cops.

Suddenly, Myungsoo began to laugh. He stared at the younger male oddly, wondering just what was so funny. “That… Yixing always had the same reaction when I’d ask that question. You really are Yixing, aren’t you?”

His warm, trusting smile almost had the slider in tears again. “… Y-You really believe me?”

“Yeah. Although, if you’re from another dimension like you said, why are you here?”

“I… I was looking for you.”

Myungsoo pointed at himself, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Me? Am I lost?”

“I travel to dimensions through portals. A while ago, a portal opened in our apartment. You and I, we both got in and got separated… Ever since, I’ve been looking everywhere for you…” Yixing shifted his gaze down, shielding his eyes. “I-I really miss you…! Please come back…”

“Aw, Yixing…” The other wrapped his arms around him, giving him warmth in the cool night air. “It’ll be okay. I say that, but… I don’t think I’m the one you’re looking for. You know, right? I belong here, in this dimension. I belong to this world’s Yixing. The Myungsoo you’re looking for—your Myungsoo— is somewhere else… I’m sorry Yixing; I can’t go back with you. I have to stay here, with my Yixing.”

He stepped back, wiping away the slider’s tears with his sleeve. “I know you can find him. If you’re anything like the Yixing I know, I know that you never give up. Think, Yixing… Where do you think he is?”

“I… I don’t know. Can you think of anything? Since you are him…”

Myungsoo pursed his lips, looking up at the dark sky as if it’d give him answers. “I don’t know if this will help but… Sometimes, I have these dreams. They’re the same dreams and I don’t get them often, but I remember them well. I dream about this world. It has a city like ours, all the shops and stuff. But there were hardly any people. The only people in that world were me and Yixing… Or you, technically.”

If prior events were any indication, Yixing knew that whenever he thought of a place, he would go there. He went to Jongin’s place when he saw that painting in their home. He travelled to his world when he thought of the city in it. He came here, to this world when he thought of perfection—the perfect life with Myungsoo, in the suburbs where they could live together; the perfect Myungsoo.

Then what did his Myungsoo think of before they got separated? Yixing thought back, as hard as he possibly could.

“I know where he is.”

As soon as he uttered those words, a hole opened up in the middle of the lawn, not far from where he initially landed. Myungsoo jumped in surprise when wind started to blow against them. “Is-is that it? A portal?”

“Yeah,” Yixing breathed in deeply. “It is.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Myungsoo met his eyes again and grinned. “Go and find me.”

The elder man smiled as well. “Y-Yeah, I will. Thanks for everything.” He hurriedly jogged over to the hole and stared down at it. After a moment, he looked over his shoulder. “Can I ask you something?”

Myungsoo blinked, but nevertheless nodded.

“How’s life with your Yixing?”

Before he could answer, the front door slammed open and two tiny, cheeky children came running out. They latched onto Myungsoo’s legs, their high-pitched giggles lighting up the darkness.

Yixing stared at the kids—a boy and a girl—in surprise. The thought eventually materialized in his mind: “We have kids?”

“Yeah, they’re both rascals. But you love them anyway,” Myungsoo laughed. “To answer your question, my life’s perfect. Nothing short of it, just perfect.”

The latter nodded, staring fondly at their kids for a moment more before stepping forward and falling into the hole. Not a second later, the portal closed and their lawn returned as if nothing happened.

“Daddy!” The little girl called, reaching out to him. “Who was that? He looked just like Xing daddy!”

Myungsoo picked her up and began to return to the house with the little boy still stuck to his leg. “He’s someone I love just as much as Xing daddy. Now come on you two, I told you to take a bath!”