Archive of Our Own

"are you sure this isn't something stupid? what if we get sent into an apocalypse movie?" Seungcheol's words linger in the air for a moment.

"they won't do that. and even if, you wouldn't actually die. we just need to match the storyline." Jeonghan replies, eager to start this new form of entertainment.

Jeonghan and Seungcheol, best friends since childhood with more of a love-hate-relationship. Jeonghan, the younger of the two, had dragged Seungcheol to take part in a new trend.

that being, recreating movie story lines together in a virtual reality. no one knows how the company does it, but once you enter their room, it is actually as if you're in the movie.

some secrets better stay hidden though.

Jeonghan heard from his cousin that it was quite fun to do it together with someone, so he decided to get Seungcheol to do it with him.

which both of them would later regret terribly.

"alright, let's just get this over with." Seungcheol sighs, as the simulation starts to fade into that of a castle chamber.

"oh wow, I wonder what movie this is... it's supposed to be five, right? and we need to complete one story, no matter how long or short, to get to the next, yeah?"

he turns to where Jeonghan was supposed to be standing, but all he sees is an empty room.

"where.. where the heck is that guy?!" He mumbles under his breath, as he starts to search the room for hints of the movie.

until he is met with a game-system-looking like screen, floating in the air in front of him.

"Hello. We welcome you to our movie simulation. You are currently in the story of-" Seungcheol reads out loud, before...

"what the–"

"–fuck?!" on the other side of the story's city, or rather kingdom, Jeonghan's reaction is just the same as that of Seungcheol.

"Cinderella?! are you fucking kidding me-?!" he yells quietly, furious that he and Seungcheol just had to be sent into these types of movies.

the screen, also shown for Jeonghan, shifts.

"Your role will be 'Cinderella', called 'Cinder'. Your counterpart's role is Prince Charming. Your objective is to get to the end of the storyline, by matching the lines. Good luck."

Jeonghan sighs as he sits down on his- Cinder's- bed. "you can't be serious..."

"Cinder!" one of Cinder's stepsisters calls out, "where is my tea?!"

with another sigh, Jeonghan gets to work. "this better be over soon..."

after hearing about the ball like in the original story, he designs the 'dress', in this case suit, for himself that will be torn by his stepsisters anyway.

it was quite a hazard, even with the mice, as Jeonghan himself has absolutely no idea how to sew, even less design anything.

"this is part of my dress!" "this belongs to my blouse!" "how dare you use my precious skirt for this ugly work of clothing!" all sorts of words fly across the air, until his stepsisters are done with destroying the suit.

the sisters and the stepmother leave with evil grins on their lips. just as the stepmother closes the door to leave to the ball with her daughters, she speaks to Jeonghan.

"good luck going to the ball now, Cinder." she slams the door shut.

Jeonghan rolls with his eyes. "finally that wrench and these girls are gone. how the hell can I even live with my real sister anyway..."

he turns, seeing the suit torn to shreds. "kinda sad though, I actually had to put all my hard work in that." he walks to the gardens, awaiting the next part of the story.

the fairy godmother.

and he's not left disappointed, as soon after he sits at the fountain a magical light appearance before him and turns into an elderly woman with a hood and wand.

"Cinder, darling dearest, are you okay?" she asks, her voice laced with concern.

"I feel fine. they merely ripped the suit apart." he tries to act his part, but it feels incredibly weird to him.

hopefully Seungcheol is doing better than him, although he's not the focus of the story yet.

with a quick blow of magic coming from the wand of fairy godmother, a new wardrobe attire for Jeonghan is created.

and it's a dress. oh how Jeonghan must love that, am I right?

"um.. fairy godmother?" she nods. "yes Cinder?"

"would it be too much to ask for a suit instead of a... dress." as the realisation makes its way on the fairy's face, she makes an 'oh' shaped with her lips.

she lifts her wand up again, releasing another wind of magical air, that transforms the ball dress into a suit in sky blue and white-shining colours.

"my apologies," she smiles at Jeonghan, "it's been quite a while since I've done anything but a dress for all my lovely princesses-" she chuckles, her eyes seemingly laughing as well.

"I love all my beautiful girls, but it's refreshing to have a young man like yourself under my responsibility."

she then remembers the ball, and goes on to transform a pumpkin into a carriage, with the mice as horses and the dog as a butler.

"goodness..." Jeonghan mumbles to himself at seeing this ridiculous scene.

"hush hush, go to your carriage, Cinder! you don't want to miss out on the crown prince's ball after all!"

she rushes him to sit in the carriage, and as the newly transformed horses start to gallop, she only yells after him.

"be back before the clock strikes twelve, or your magical experience will fade, Cinder!"

Jeonghan didn't need to hear, he knows about that very well. but a little reminder wouldn't hurt, that's for sure.

once he arrived at the palast, he can already see the lights and hear the classical music from the inside.

"and Seungcheol had to put up with that? wow..." he mutters, as he gets out of the carriage and walks up the stairs, leading him to where he must go.

the guards give a slight bow to him. he must seem like royalty with these clothes of his. only upon entering the castle does he remember the importance of his shoe.

"but wouldn't it be weird if the crown prince was looking for a guy to be his match..?" he shakes his head, thinking he shouldn't worry about that, since this was just virtual after all.

as he enters the ball room, he is stunned to see so many young ladies and men, dancing to the music, talking to each other and getting drinks.

it's a masked ball, so Jeonghan wears a mask over his eyes as well. one in white and silver, shining like the moon.

he goes through some of the crowds people, searching for Seungcheol. although he merely hadn't seen him for some hours, he somehow felt the strong urge to see his face.

and to his surprise, Jeonghan sees him standing alone on the balcony, his stepsisters bugging him to dance with them.

"your highness, please! I dance the best in this kingdom!" says one of them.

"no, I am! I am the older sister, I have longer experience!" they continue to bicker, while Jeonghan snatches Seungcheol away from them, to one of the halls leading from the ball room.

"Jeonghan?" Seungcheol asks, recognizing his friend immediately.

"the one and only." the younger grins, "although, in this story you might just call me Cinder."

he then rolls his eyes, his playfulness dropping as he leans against Seungcheol.

"God, why did we have to get the Disney category for this! I have so much respect for Cinderella now, and I know stuff I do not want to!" he cringes.

the other chuckles. "but hey, we're almost done with this, are we not? you just gotta lose your shoe, I find you tomorrow and boom! done!"

"sorry to break it to you, but we still need to dance. and honestly, if this was realistic, people would judge the crown prince for trying to find a guy, to literally marry."

Seungcheol's face drops. "would you judge him?"

"no, I'm not a homophobe. but we live in a different time, so if I was born in this kind of time, I probably would since I'd be raised to." he shrugs it off, not thinking much about it.

"alright. let's just dance and you leave shortly before midnight, this isn't reality, so they won't judge. probably..." he mutters the last word, Jeonghan unable to hear it.

the younger gives an awkward smile. "I can't dance for the life of me, Cheol."

"but I can." Seungcheol smiles again, "I'll lead you. you won't have to do anything, okay?"

"okay..?" captivated by Seungcheol's smile for an unknown reason, Jeonghan gets dragged back into the ball room, all eyes on them.

"oh shit... those are too many people for me.." he sears under his breath, looking back to the older.

"it'll be fine, Jeonghan. come on, let's dance!"

and they danced, in a way Jeonghan could have never imagined Seungcheol to be able to. he would have complained about having to play the role in the story that was female, but Seungcheol did such a good job as Prince Charming.

and the time they danced, enjoyed the night and just talked, he almost forgot about the storyline they needed to match.

and he heard the clock strike twelve sooner than he thought he would.

"Cheol, I gotta go!" he looks around, slightly panicked.

Seungcheol's eyes go wide, as he hurries Jeonghan to go outside the castle.

"okay, go, go! we'll see each other tomorrow anyway..." he mutters, as he sees Jeonghan run down the stairs, only the shoe staying on one of the steps.

as Jeonghan's carriage fades away, he goes to pick up the shoe, and can't help but smile, his heart and stomach feeling warm.

it had been one of the most enjoyable nights he had spent together with Jeonghan, even though it was virtual and not real. he knew that the laughter they shared was real, and only that mattered to him.

the next morning, he prepared to leave the castle and find 'Cinder', find Jeonghan.

accompanied by some guards and the King's advisor, he searched for the one that would match the silver-blue shoe.

and once he had gotten to 'Cinder's' house, he could feel a shiver run down his spine.

as the door was opened by the stepmother, the daughters behind, he could hear them scream.

"mother, is that the prince?!" "mother, mother! what is going on?!"

annoying girls. he internally sighed.

"madam, do you perhaps have a son that could fit this shoe?" the woman's eyes darkened.

"I do not have a son. but perhaps my daughters–" that second, Jeonghan came down from Cinder's room.

"oh, the crown prince? what would he be doing here?" Jeonghan had to hold his laughter, and looking straight at Seungcheol wasn't helping, so he just diverted his gaze.

"would you- erm- be willing to test this shoe and see if it would fit you?"

the stepmother and sisters were practically fuming at this point, and just let everything happen due to their frustration.

and seeing that the shoe fit Jeonghan perfectly, their faces went as red as tomatoes.

"I've found you! how blessed I am to meet you again, Cinder!" he embraced Jeonghan in a hug, when shortly after the simulation faded back to the white void from before.

"that was fucking exhausting." Jeonghan spoke with a sigh, getting out of the hug.

Seungcheol let out a laugh. "hell yeah. I wonder which Disney movie will come next..."

"hopefully not something where we have to kiss for the plot." Jeonghan shivers, while Seungcheol scratches his back awkwardly.

but oh, they would most definitely have an experience like that. because their next movie to recreate, was "Sleeping Beauty"...

—

"looks like it's going to the next one." Seungcheol remarks, as they fade into the next movie. and again, they do not end up at the same place.

"typical Disney," Seungcheol huffs, finding himself in what seems to be a village's street market, "always making the 'love interests' not know each other before. annoying."

he walks down the street, looking for any hint of what this movie might be. as he turns in frustration after a while, he spots a huge castle in the distance, that seems to be surrounded by some heavy wildlife.

more specifically, hedges with red roses.

"oh hell no." Seungcheol turns again, seeing the town board on the plaza he currently finds himself on.

"100 years of sleep– will prince Jeonghan finally awake from his curse?"

he reads, and already feels like this won't be a fun day in the simulation at all.

"this fucking simulation," he murmurs under his breath, "are you seriously gonna make me kiss my best friend to continue this..?"

simple put, yes.

so, Seungcheol makes his way to the castle after somehow getting the necessities he could need.

he immediately sees skulls in the hedge, red roses growing through their eyes. but some of the roses aren't red, but white.

he decides to just test his luck and walks up to the first part of white in between red roses, and surprisingly they open up for him.

"that's all it took? seriously?" he continues to walk through multiple layers of white roses, before he finds the castle right in front of him.

"Disney does have great designing skills, I gotta leave them that much." with the dagger he picked up somewhere, he marches through the last pieces of hedges blocking the gates of the castle.

soon after, he spots sleeping animals and people, asleep in their steps from 100 years ago.

"who the hell would come up with fairytales like these?" some of them were pretty brutal, and Seungcheol wondered why no one questioned that.

but while thinking, he found the tower Jeonghan must be sleeping in, so he went up the endless stairs, feeling exhausted pretty quick.

"this is not what I do sports for..." and as he's about to give up, he spots daylight coming from above him. the end of the stairs.

Seungcheol enters the room, and immediately sees Jeonghan laying on the bed, hands folded on top of his stomach, in pretty clothing and his long hair gracefully falling on his face.

he looked almost majestic, with red lips and a calm expression. he seemed so peaceful, as if there was not a single bad thing that could shake him.

Seungcheol's heart beat faster the longer he started at his best friend's face, and he pondered if he really needed to kiss him to wake him up.

but as he leaned over the younger, he couldn't help himself, even if this hadn't been what he needed to do. he just wanted to kiss Jeonghan.

"sorry..." he mumbled his apology, thinking Jeonghan would hate this moment once he realised in what fairytale they were.

Jeonghan would never willingly kiss Seungcheol. the latter was just weird for feeling this way about his best friend. who would ever want to kiss their best friend?

Seungcheol tried to think those thoughts away, as he leaned down and made his lips meet that of Jeonghan. it was a short moment, but he liked it.

and he hated how much he liked it.

Jeonghan's eyes flickered open, and as soon as he realised how close his face was to Seungcheol's, he immediately pushed the older away.

"what the fuck!" he sat up and looked around. "what fairytale is this?!"

Seungcheol sat down on the bed, giving an awkward smile.

"sleeping beauty. you're the beauty." realisation made its way on Jeonghan's face, and a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.

"did- did you just kiss me?!" upon hearing no response but just the uncomfortable silence, he buried his face in his hands.

"I can't believe this is one of the movies we had to recreate... how much of bad luck can you have!" he sighed.

"anyway, it's good that it's over, I guess." Jeonghan shrugged, but didn't seem to notice that Seungcheol felt.. hurt.

of course he wouldn't like you. he's glad he wasn't conscious. he can't like you. you're just his best friend.

you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.
you're just his best friend.

"Cheol, you okay? we're fading to the white void again." Jeonghan's voice made Seungcheol snap back to reality and out of his thoughts.

"yeah, totally fine. hopefully the next movie is better, haha." he still feels awkward, and just hopes Jeonghan won't notice.

and hopefully the next movie won't require them to do things lovers would do. and either the next one would help or not.

although that might be seen differently from each perspective...

so, Seungcheol had to decide for himself if "Beauty and the Beast" wasn't as awkward as "Sleeping Beauty."

—

this time around, they didn't find themselves being separated from each other like the two times before.

but when Jeonghan opened his eyes again, the person in front of himself looked different.

"Cheol, what the fuck-" he couldn't stop himself from cussing at seeing his best friend in a beast like form.

Seungcheol, having looked down at himself now, stumbled over his feet, his eyes wide in horror.

"why do I look like this?!" he yelled out, looking at his reflection in one of the windows behind him.

Jeonghan coughed, "I think we might be in 'Beauty and the Beast'." he spoke carefully. he could see Seungcheol didn't like this look of his own body at all.

upon having calmed down, Seungcheol started to eye the place. they were in the castle of the Beast, where it held Belle captive.

although it seemed like the storyline had already progressed, seeing that Belle wasn't in a cage anymore.

"So," Jeonghan looked up at hearing Seungcheol's voice, "we just need to... make that Gaston guy come here and like-- push him off of the castle?"

the younger responded with a nod. "yep. and seeing that he's really fond of Belle, so in this case me-- wait, why do I always get the role of the princess?"

he sounded slightly frustrated before continuing; "anyway, since he's fond of Belle, I can just manipulate him into coming here sooner." he wore a mischievous grin.

"after all, it says nothing about waiting for the NPCs, right?" Seungcheol could only shake his head at the scheming face of his friend.

"sure, write a letter. the sooner, the better, I don't wanna be stuck like this for too long." he replied with an internal sigh.

and not long after, Jeonghan was already sitting at the dining table, a feather dipped in ink in his hand and the paper on the table.

the feather moved swiftly over the piece of paper, leaving graceful words on it in a pretty writing, specifically to imitate that of the role of Belle.

Seungcheol could only stare as Jeonghan wrote his lines, writing the manipulative words like they were nothing. sometimes, Seungcheol wondered how he could adore the younger guy full of mischief as much as he did.

"alright, I'm done!" Jeonghan held up the paper, a grin painting his lips and an aura of pride surrounding him.

he handed the paper to Seungcheol, who began to read Jeonghan's work of art.

"Gaston,
I know I haven't always been as enthusiastic about you and your words, but now, looking back, I regret not having listened to you. all the books led my curiosity on, and I couldn't help but fall into the cruel trap of a beast, living in the castle of the dark and cold forest.
I am writing to you in secret, my lines cry for help. I beg of you, kill this monstrous being and save me from this misery. I want to be forever grateful to you, so please. I don't know if it will let me live much longer. I don't know how much time you will have, so come fast! don't underestimate this monster, it's big, full of blood hunger, anger, and power.
your dearest Belle."

"god Jeonghan, you're so manipulative..." the older muttered, giving his best friend a doubtful look.

"of course, no one should underestimate me." he only chuckled. "let's see how fast that guy gets here."

"what does he look like again? I haven't watched Beauty and the Beast in quite a while." Seungcheol questioned, giving the paper to one of the servants to deliver it.

Jeonghan shrugged. "he's not my type, that's for sure." Seungcheol's eyes grew a little wider than before.

"not your type? what do you mean?" it almost sounded like Jeonghan was open to the idea of having a romantic relationship with a guy.

"I mean-- I understand why Belle doesn't like him. hell, if I was actually her, I would have killed him before he even spoke a word."

although that didn't sound too positive either, he hadn't given the fact that Gaston was a man as an argument or reason.

so maybe Seungcheol had a chance after all?

no. you're not worth someone like him. he's not gay. he's your best friend, he'll never like you. he's straight. he likes girls, not boys like you, you disgusting--

"Hey- hey Seungcheol!" Jeonghan, snapped his fingers in front of the other's face to get his attention. "you're spacing out again, stupid." he smiled.

"oh yeah-- sorry." he returned the smile, even if weakly.

they waited for Gaston to get the letter and then start his act on approaching the Beast's castle.

it wouldn't even take over a day, but for the remaining calm hours they had, Seungcheol struggled to even pass by a mirror and just stayed in the library the entire time.

meanwhile, Jeonghan had explored the castle but didn't find anything interesting, so he tried to find the older again.

and when he spotted him in the library, alone and head low, it stung in his heart. he didn't know why, after all this wasn't permanent.

but it must have been hard for Seungcheol to see himself as a monster, like Jeonghan had described in the letter to Gaston.

when Jeonghan sat down next to Seungcheol, the latter already drowning in his emotions, it was bound to not be a happy moment.

"do you really think the Beast looks like a monster?" he asked, his voice quiet and not looking up.

"do I look like a monster right now?" his tone of voice sounded hurt, and it tugged at the heartstrings of the younger, seeing his best friend so down.

"no, of course not. I only wrote that for the sake of the manipulation, you know that." he spoke quietly whilst leaning closer to Seungcheol.

"but doesn't it feel strange to see my like this? like a beast? don't I look hideous..?"

Jeonghan immediately shook his head. "no! god Seungcheol, you know I'd still be your best friend, even if you looked like this." he really tried to convince the other.

"because I know your appearance isn't equal to your personality. you have an amazing personality, and that's nothing I'm gonna argue about. it's just a fact."

Seungcheol slowly started to look up, meeting the brown eyes of Jeonghan. oh heavens, he could look into those eyes for eternity and just fall deeper and deeper in-- yes, in what exactly?

"Cheol, even if you were a beast, I'd still love you just the same, okay?"

"wait-- love-?" Seungcheol's words accidently slipped out of his mouth.

"yeah, obviously." Jeonghan let out a chuckle, and Seungcheol's heart melted at the sight before him. "you're my best friend, and I love you as that."

oh.

"haha, yeah." the older couldn't think of a suitable answer.

but he didn't need to, since they started hearing all the village residents outside the castle just that second.

"come on, let's finish this story and hurry to the next." Jeonghan stood up, holding his hand our for Allie to take.

and he did, before they walked to the balcony of the castle, seeing all the people.

"holy shit..." Seungcheol whispered, "that's a hell lot of people." Jeonghan could only nod.

"hm.. alright, Cheol, you stay here, and I'm continuing to manipulate Gaston, then follow him up here so we can push him down."

Seungcheol couldn't reply, as the younger immediately hurried down to the gates of the castle.

and not three minutes later, Gaston stood before Seungcheol.

oh wow. there's really no wonder why Belle doesn't like him.

"you beast! how dare you capture my precious Belle in your filthy castle!" lucky for Seungcheol and Jeonghan, Gaston wasn't a smart person.

as he lunged forward with his sword, Seungcheol just took a step to the side, making Gaston tumble over the railings, only holding himself with his arm.

Jeonghan stepped forward to the railings, glancing down at Gaston.

"Belle! come on, help me up!" Gaston pleaded, his eyes desperate.

Jeonghan only raised an eyebrow. "weren't you the one that said those who waste their time on books can't be strong? according to that, I obviously can not pull you up."

he grinned, almost like a devil. "so sorry, Gaston."

and with that, he gave Gaston a last push, making him scream in agony as he fell down the tower of the castle, leading to his brutal end.

"wow. you're goddamn evil, Hani." Seungcheol let out a laugh from the back, having turned back into his normal self.

Jeonghan couldn't help but smile at seeing his best friend the way he was used to. "the world is cruel, I gotta adapt."

they both burst out laughing for a solid minute. just then, the system screen appeared behind Seungcheol, only making Jeonghan able to see it.

"Ending complete - Beauty and the Beast. Ending through Belle falling for the Beast, even while not a human."

Jeonghan stopped laughing. falling for the Beast? right, that was the key point as well, but he didn't think that was important in a simulation.

but seeing the story complete through that... wait, did that mean he-- he fell for Seungcheol? his best friend?

no, that had got to be an error in the system, he was convinced.

"Jeonghan, we're coming back to the void!" Seungcheol made him snap back to reality.

"oh yeah, haha." he shrugged the system's information off, thinking nothing of it. "let's see what's next!"

Snow White. it was Snow White that was next. and that would make for a nice continuation of Jeonghan's and Seungcheol's dynamic.

—

and just like before, Jeonghan found himself as the princess again.

"amazing." he huffed. by now he almost accepts it, it would have been weirder if Seungcheol had to play Snow White.

yeah, definitely weird.

he found that he was already at the cottage of the seven dwarfs, meaning the Evil Queen could show up any minute.

and speak of the devil, there was a knock on the wooden window.

Jeonghan looked outside, to see the Evil Queen in the appearance of an old lady, with black attire and a hood, as well as some pretty unsightly features.

"dear, you have such beautiful dark hair! wouldn't you want a comb to grace your beauty?" her old and cranky voice howled into the cottage.

"oh, but I am not supposed to take anything from strangers." it's all just acting, but Jeonghan did feel proud of himself for being able to play dumb characters so well.

the Evil Queen gave a terrifying chuckle, sending a chill down Jeonghan's spine.

"but there is no reason for you not to trust me, darling. see, I will give this to you without payment. it's a gift from me." and she handed him the comb.

he took it, showing er a fake smile before watching her walk off.

"God, that woman has a horrible laugh..." he mumbled, "let's just get this over with."

he then attempted to put the comb in his hair, and immediately fell to the floor, as if he fell into some sort of sleep.

and once he opened his eyes again, he blinked into the faces of seven small dwarfs, smiling and cheering at him for having come to life again.

there wasn't much to say about the rest of the day, just that Jeonghan almost burned down the entire cottage in an attempt to cook something.

next morning, he heard the old lady, actually the Evil Queen, knock on the window's doors again, and again leaned outside to hear her offer.

"it's so great to see you're alive and well my dear." her teeth were gritted in a hellish forced smile.

"today I've come with a new gift for you, see this-" she held up a piece of thread, used to bind a corset, "this beautiful thread shall make your beauty appear more youthful."

Jeonghan gave an innocent questioning look, hating the way how stupid Snow White could be.

"if you would accept this gift of mine, I'd gladly help you by assisting you to bind it." he didn't really have a choice, and just accepted.

the Evil Queen got inside the cottage to bind the thread for Jeonghan, and made it as tight as she could with her filthy hands, capable of magic.

and what a surprise, Jeobghan passed out again, leading to the woman leaving with a sheepish grin, thinking she had finally killed him.

but when she got to her castle, asking her mirror, "mirror mirror on the wall, who is the most beautiful of them all?" it still replied the same.

"it's Snow White, my Queen."

she was furious. "that wrench! can't that stupid girl just die at my hands?!" walking up to her brewing place, she prepared to make the infamous poisoned apple.

and the day after, she presented it to Jeonghan, again in the form of an old lady.

"darling, see this fine apple? it's so well raised, it'll give you the nutrients you need to become much more beautiful!"

but Jeonghan only replied according to the storyline; "oh, I'm not sure if I want to trust you... the past days, strange events keep taking place."

the Evil Queen smiles her villain smile, and takes a bite out of the not poisened side of the apple, the green side.

"see? there is nothing you'll need to worry about. just accept my generous gift." she hands him the apple, and Jeonghan takes a bite, of course on the red side.

and he falls to the floor, his body seeming lifeless as he did the two days before. but this time, the dwarfs won't be able to find what caused it.

the Queen leaves, and as she hears the words "you, my Queen." to her usual question, she feels satisfied.

it had been a few days, and Jeonghan laid on the hill near the dwarfs' cottage, in a coffin made of glass, so the beauty of Snow White can be admired.

the dwarfs mourn, when a prince passes by them on his royal horse. it's Seungcheol.

he knows what needs to be done, he figured out the tale they were sent to pretty early and had been waiting for the right moment since.

he gets to the coffin, and just takes a moment to appreciate the way Jeonghan looks so peaceful and graceful, once again sound asleep.

in the Disney version of Snow White and the seven dwarfs, Snow White needs to be kissed.

and Seungcheol just hopes to god that Jeonghan had prepared himself for that to happen. again.

because as the coffin is opened and he leans down, Seungcheol just knows that he doesn't mind, nor will he regret this.

he closes the gap, binding both of their lips together for a few, slow moments.

and seconds later, Jeonghan is awakened. but unlike the first time they shared a kiss in this simulation, he doesn't push Seungcheol, no.

he merely smiles at him, and gently sits up, seeming way too calm, if you asked Seungcheol.

"looks like you're always there to save me Cheol." Jeonghan had always known Seungcheol would have his back. they had always been inseparable.

Seungcheol returned the smile, even if weakly. "yeah.. you know I'm always just one step behind you."

always one step behind in worth. always... and forever...

they fade back to the void, that now seems.. darker, more serious and less like a game's checkpoint.

"oh wow... looks like we're getting to the real stuff. our last movie." Jeonghan remarks.

and just then, the system appears before their eyes, giving them a concerning and warning notice about their last storyline to match.

—

"ATTENTION. Your next experience was a movie by Disney. But you will have to recreate the original. WARNING! The original story portrays sensitive topics such as death, pain, abuse, pressure, nudity and viewing of a human as a pet. If you do not wish to continue, you will end your experience here."

"what.. the actual fuck..." Seungcheol can't help to swear. but who wouldn't be terrified at seeing such a warning?

"Jeonghan.. I'm a little scared." the elder admitted, turning his head to his best friend, who also seems a little out of it.

"say that twice... should we continue?" at Seungcheol's wide eyes, he elaborates, "I mean- it seems really scary, but I'm also so curious..."

after pondering over the choices, Seungcheol sighs. "well.. we shouldn't die in real life, so let's just... get that shit over with."

Jeonghan nods, and the void fades into a deep, dark blue setting. for Luis at least.

"Cheol? oh for heaven's sake, not again..." he looks around, and notices that his legs are.. not his legs.

"is.. is this The little Mermaid..?" of course Jeonghan had heard about the original story of the ever so lively Arielle.

a mermaid doomed to die. a story written to collapse, a love meant to be shattered.

and he could just guess that his best friend would be the one to "break his heart".

and he hated it, without knowing why. and in this simulation, Seungcheol should realise and know what was going on, and what needed to happen.

but without an explanation, Jeonghan felt afraid that Seungcheol's memories might be wiped away, just like that of the prince in the original "The little Mermaid".

he couldn't bear to think that his dearest friend could forget him, and toss him away like seafoam.

"@&!=/[£]1!" Jeonghan had to cover his ears at that shrill shriek, supposed to be the name of the mermaid he had to play.

in the original, the doomed being hadn't even had a name.

he turned, seeing one of the mermaid's sisters swim over to him.

"@&!=/[£]1, what are you doing here?" she questioned, her head tilted to the side with a curious expression.

"you will have to swim up to the surface today, it is finally your time, just like you always dreamed! come on, you can't miss it now!"

taken by the hand of the sister, Jeonghan was guided to the mermaid's family. the king, the other sisters and the grandmother, telling her stories.

"go on my child, it is your turn now." and without real control over his body, Jeonghan moved up to the water surface.

"this.. this place is so captivatingly dark..." he whispered to himself, looking around the deep blue sea.

and then he heard the storm. the storm that shook the boat of a beautiful prince of the human world, making him fall into the waves.

and Jeonghan recognised Seungcheol immediately. he swam over, and for the first time in a while, he found himself just... admiring the looks of his best friend.

he looked peaceful, despite being on the verge of drowning admits the sea.

right. Jeonghan had to save the drowning prince.

and he did. he dragged Seungcheol all the way to the shore, glancing at him every other second. why did he feel addicted to looking at his face, as if he was about to get stolen from him.

placing his best friend in the sand, humming a melody almost unconsciously, he thinks more about the original story of that mermaid.

it was much more dark, laced with death, pain and broken hearts.

and what Jeonghan remembered as well, was that there was a theory that the original author of "The little Mermaid", Hans Christian Andersen, had written the tale to a male friend that was getting married, in the form of a love letter.

their story would have been as tragic as that of the little mermaid, watching their beloved exchange vows and kisses with someone else, breaking their heart and darkening their souls.

but mermaids don't have souls.

"ugh-" Seungcheol's eyes opened slowly as he coughed. Jeonghan's body was protesting still sitting on the sand, he needed to leave!

"Cheol, I'm sorry... please remember me when we meet." and his body won, having him hush away from the shore.

Seungcheol sat up, confused. he had realised the fairy tale the moment he found himself on the ship, but...

he was afraid for Jeonghan's wellbeing. the little mermaid had to suffer pain in her feet when she walked.

she turned to seafoam after sacrificing her life, turning into a ghost for the rest of her mermaid life years, counting 300.

she would obtain the soul she had craved since long ago so badly, but she suffered the reality of a broken heart.

Seungcheol didn't want to see his best friend suffer like that. he couldn't bear to see his best friend- no, the boy he loved, suffer because of himself.

"if only I could take his role..." but he couldn't. the simulation had set everything in stone, like a writer with his pen.

back in the ocean, Jeonghan continued his part of the story, by secretly swimming to the sea witch the next day.

"child, your love for such a prince is doomed." the witch speaks, her voice heavy and laced with knowing.

"but if it is truly your wish to obtain a soul, I shall give you a potion to gain human feet."

she takes a small glass filled with a glowing liquid and holds it up to the height of her eyes.

"once you drink it, it feel like a sword is pierced through your tail. you'll recover and gain your feet. you will dance like no human has ever danced. but-"

her voice turns into a warning one.

"-you will feel pain with every step, as if you are walking on shattered glass. in exchange for the potion, I will take your tongue, so you cannot speak."

Jeonghan gulps. he knew about all of this, but hearing it with the voice of the witch makes it seem much more real than he thought it would seem.

"if your desired prince marries you, you will obtain a soul, as part of his own will transfer into your body. at last, if he marries another, you will die and turn to sea foam at dawn after the wedding."

"so tell me, @&!=/[£]1, do you agree?"

Jeonghan doesn't have a choice. he nods, his voice shaky, "yes, I agree."

he takes the potion from the witch, and swims up to the shore. once he sits on the beach behind a few rocks, he drinks the liquid in one go.

he feels dizzy, as a sharp and terrifying pain is send through his body, splitting the mermaid tail in two.

he passes out.

"Jeonghan? Jeonghan, can you hear me?" the muffled voice of Seungcheol wakes the younger up again, and he finds that a few fabrics have been thrown over his body.

".....!" he wants to speak, but his words get stuck in his throat. he has no tongue.

"Jeonghan, I know, it's okay. you don't need to speak, I'm here now." Seungcheol's voice seemingly calms him down, and he takes a few deep breaths.

"alright, you are here now, so that means..." the older mutters, "..I have to be an asshole to you."

Seungcheol's words are monotone and direct, feeling like another sword, but this time through his heart.

and the older too feels a pain in his heart. he doesn't want to hurt Jeonghan like that. but he has to.

"I'm.. I'm sorry Jeonghan." the mentioned shakes his head frantically, meaning to say that it's okay.

it's just a simulation anyway.

"okay... let me just-" Jeonghan's eyes widen when the other pulls him up from the sand, holding him in his arms and starting to walk whilst carrying him.

Seungcheol smiles slightly. "at least you won't feel pain in your feet now, right?"

and Jeonghan's heart skips a beat.

over the course of days, Jeonghan's body almost forces him to dance. dance for Seungcheol and his companions.

but Seungcheol hates every second of it. he can see the younger's facial expressions signaling the piercing pain, his feet starting to bleed.

one night, when Jeonghan dances in Seungcheol's chambers, the latter sighs in a frustrated manner.

"Jeonghan, please.. please stop." he steps over to him and gently takes Jeonghan's hands in his own, gazing into his eyes with a soft stare.

"just come and sleep, hm?" he lifts him up once again, like he had done many times in the past week.

Jeonghan has to admit, seeing his best friend be so caring about his pain in this story is.. something that makes his heart flutter.

he can't explain, but every time it feels like a whole new experience. one he doesn't want to end.

Seungcheol helps Jeonghan lie down on the bed, before smiling and lying down himself, next to the younger.

that was another thing that made Jeonghan's heart beat faster. they had been sleeping in the same bed, as Seungcheol didn't want Jeonghan to sleep on the floor in front of the door like in the original story.

Seungcheol is... he seems different than before. did something happen in this simulation?

Jeonghan can't help but wonder and ask himself many more questions like these.

and except for the continuous pain Jeonghan felt every day, everything seemed okay.

until Seungcheol's "parents", in the story they were at least, suggested the arranged marriage with the neighboring kingdom's princess.

"darling, I know it's very sudden. but it will benefit you and our kingdom. our people will have more food and land to farm, and we will have another strong ally." the queen spoke, the king nodding.

"yes son, think about it. you cannot say no to such an opportunity." the king remarked.

Seungcheol's eyes were shaking, looking from one to another.

"no. I don't love the princess. I-" he had to say he loved the woman of the temple.

because in the original, the prince thought that the woman from the temple was the one that had saved him from drowning.

"I love the woman that rescued me. the woman from the temple." he spat out, every word feeling like a knife to his own heart.

he loved Jeonghan. and no one but him.

at the following revelation that the temple woman had been that princess all along, having been sent there for her education, the royal engagement was announced.

Jeonghan felt his heart shattering when he heard of the news by overhearing two maids.

but the worst part was, he didn't know why his own heart shattered. it shouldn't be he himself, it was just the mermaid. but it felt so real.

when Seungcheol slowly walked into his chambers that night, Jeonghan standing in front of the bed, waiting for him, the younger quickly approached him, tugging at his shirt.

"Jeonghan... it's almost over." a hurtful smile was placed onto Seungcheol's lips.

"but before-" he took Jeonghan's hand, "let's do one more thing together, okay?" his smile turned sincere again.

Jeonghan nodded, and was soon after dragged to the beach to the specific place where Seungcheol had found him after Jeonghan had drank the potion.

"Jeonghan-" he turned to the younger- "will you allow me this dance?" his smile was bright, and Jeonghan just couldn't reject those eyes, sparkling at no one but himself.

he nodded, an unconscious blush creeping on his cheeks, only visible in the night's moonlight.

Seungcheol got in formation, leading Jeonghan in the same way he had when they recreated their first movie, Cinderella.

that memory made Jeonghan smile, despite the intense pain in his bleeding feet.

they shared that night together, telling each other in silence that it was okay. that they'd be okay.

the following morning, a wedding ship set sail. Seungcheol, the princess, Jeonghan and the entirety of all the important people with it.

the wedding had taken place, Jeonghan watching from the back of the crowd, feeling pained and... empty.

his heart hurt, but he felt so lifeless that he didn't even care anymore.

he only met Seungcheol's gaze once that night, before Jeonghan stayed on the deck alone, in the darkness of midnight.

Seungcheol's gaze was telling him, "I'm sorry."

and Jeonghan knew he was. he knew, and he wouldn't let the story confuse his mind. it was okay.

alone on the deck, he spotted the five mermaid sisters, their long hair cut short, just up to their chins.

the eldest of the sister's carried a dagger with her, and Jeonghan knelt down to the edge of the ship.

"@&!=/[£]1! we've come to give you this!" the sister spoke, while another continued.

"we swam to the sea witch, and in exchange for our hair, she gave us this dagger."

the next sister followed. "if you kill the prince this night, and let the blood drip on your feet-"

the fourth sister finished the sentence. "-you will turn to a mermaid once again!"

and the last sister ended with her words, before the sisters swam into the sea again: "@&!=/[£]1, follow your heart. I know you will make the right choice for yourself."

Jeonghan took the dagger, now left awake alone on the ship.

"but I can't... I can't do it." was all that his mind would let him say.

he went to the ship chamber of Seungcheol and the princess. there they laid side-by-side, sleeping peacefully.

just like the little mermaid, he couldn't. and that was his own feeling, not that that the story gave him.

at dawn, he threw himself and the dagger over the edge of the ship, turning to seafoam with the first sunlight.

he felt the warmth of the sun, and knew that he had completed the story.

just like the little mermaid, he had become a child of the air, who would roam over the earth for the rest of his mermaid lifespan and do good deeds to obtain a soul.

and with his eyes closed, he faded into the void again. and to his relief, it was light again.

he turned around a few times, and spotted Seungcheol after a few seconds, who was also on the lookout for Jeonghan.

upon meeting eyes, they both smiled brightly, and Seungcheol ran over to the younger, and surprisingly embracing him in a hug.

"woah, hold on!" Jeonghan huffed, "are you that glad to see me again, huh?" he chuckled.

"yeah no shit." Seungcheol sighs as he pulls away.

"but really, that was scary." it was quiet for a moment. "did your feet hurt bad?"

Jeonghan shook his head. "no, I've already forgotten about it."

"that's good..." the older let out a laugh of relief.

"seems we're done, eh?" Jeonghan looked around, to see the door out of the void open, to which Seungcheol nodded.

"yeah, looks like it." he smiled, "let's go home then."

"yeah, let's go home. it was quite nice, but next time I'd prefer another category other than Disney." Jeonghan laughed.

"next time?" Seungcheol frowned, "don't you dare make me do that again."

after a short silence, the both of the burst into laughter, happy that they completed the simulation but also glad that they mastered it.

"I won't, I won't!" Jeonghan replied after calming down a little, playfully wiping a tear from his eye.

"..."

"but actually speaking, Hani."

"I'm glad that I have you to go through thick and thin.

"...yeah, me too."