#i need to figure out how to draw him cause once i do itll be over

[jarold-rat]

I still dont know how to draw him

[blackicedragons]

Bro I must get the lore on Cyril and Ignitus. How did they get together? Why did they decide to have a kid (specifically for the prophecy if I read right)? When did their relationship start going wrong? And, most importantly, is there going to be a parent-trap style subplot to try and get them back together?

OH THIS IS A DELICIOUS ASK THANK U OMG

okay so i actually, admittedly, have way more of this thought out than i should bc i dedicated hours of my time to daydreaming about this........//////MAJOR SPOILERS for some elements of the rewrite btw!!

our four main guardians have, in my canon, been incredibly close for many years. ignitus was always known as the wise-man and the voice of reason, and despite cyril's bad attitude, he was always honest and kept up with tradition to a fault. ignitus was good at difussing the bad situations cyril caused with his rude comments, but cyril often stood up for ignitus when the red dragon found himself to be a bit soft-spoken. the two had a deep respect for one another and they spent alot of time together as close friends.

when the year of the dragon was drawing close and the prophecy reared its head, ignitus and cyril were asked by a council of elder dragons to make the egg that would become their savior (yes, it is because red and blue make purple. im incredibly creative, i know!!!) the council figured that two heavily respected guardians that had excellent handles on their elemental abilities would create an ideal purple dragon for the future. the two initially weren't very keen on the idea, but they understood that they were only being asked to do so for the sake of their fellow dragons. eventually, they accepted the plea. ignitus was the sire and cyril was the dame in the situation (in the rewrite, spyro is mentioned specifically to have ignitus's horns and frills while also having cyril's eye shape and scale patterns)

intially, the two of them only did this because they saw it as their duty as guardians. yet, ignitus found himself fretting over cyril often. he would guide him around carefully, making sure he didn't stumble around given the weight of his belly during pregnancy. he got cyril food, groomed him, cleaned his room, and spoke about how he wondered what their egg may be like. though cyril was a bit bratty about everything, he was incredibly grateful for ignitus's diligence and patience. cyril would ask ignitus to stay in his nest for the night, and exclusively sought out ignitus for comfort and care. for the first time, cyril was being fairly polite and even seemed to be happier, and ignitus had come out of his shell. they spoke for hours about their egg's future, and then about their own. volteer and terrador jokingly referred to them as the "new pair of love doves". after some time, cyril was actually the first to confess that he loved ignitus (he was always a little too honest), having said "no one has ever chosen to put up with me for so long" and, despite being a little surprised, ignitus reciprocated, telling cyril that he "could never really grow tired of him". despite not knowing what the future held, the two decided they would do everything they could to raise their child together, and to be with each other through whatever the coming year would bring.

and then the raid happened. the temple was destroyed, chaos was everywhere, and the eggs were all shattered. cyril was injured, and ignitus, feeling frightened and panicked, sent their egg away to hopefully find a safer place to hatch. the war began not long after. although ignitus cared for cyril and stood beside him in battle, his guilt only grew as the war waged on. he couldn't help but blame himself for everything that had happened. cyril tried to talk him out of it, saying he was being irrational, saying that none of this could all possibly be his fault, saying there was nothing more ignitus could do. ignitus refused to listen, and put the blame for the war on his own shoulders, feeling that it was the only way he could properly take responsibility. the two of them fought harshly. ignitus couldn't come to terms with his own self-loathing and grief, and cyril couldn't find his softness and reasoning in a time when things were so hard. after their last fight, they didn't speak again, and cyril was captured a few days later. of course, ignitus entirely blamed himself, and lamented that the last words he ever spoke to cyril were words of anger and sadness, and cyril lamented the same in his cage.

when spyro arrives and frees the guardians, ignitus and cyril are intially very tense! they both never imagined seeing each other again, and they don't really how to apologize to one another and how to make up for all the negative energy and time between them. they barely speak to each other unless they have to, and they refuse to be in a room alone together for more than a few awkward seconds. spyro, ember, and flame can obviously see how weird they're acting, but terrador won't explain anything. the three kids go to volteer who, of course, literally can not keep his mouth shut about it. he tells them that ignitus and cyril were once together and deeply in love, but the war tore them apart. ember, seeing a touching love story in the making, decides "HEY!!! LET'S GET THEM TO MAKE UP!!!!" and literally drags spyro and flame into her plans. the kids do anything they can think of; sending the two guardians flowers from """"secret admirers", throwing around mushy-gooey poetic love notes, lighting candles everywhere, decorating the temple, and trying to set the "perfect romantic mood" for the two sad-sacks. eventually, they get caught, and cyril and ignitus bring them into the training room to reprimand them. not having the courage to speak up, ember and flame are silent, but spyro eventually confesses that volteer told them everything, and that the kids just want to see their guardians happy again. taken aback, the two send the children away, and are alone in the training room for the first time. after a bit of silence, cyril speaks up first. "you never apologized to me.." he mumbles, the air around him feeling cold. ignitus counters that cyril refused to speak to him. the two begin arguing, and it seems like this is just going to be another horrible fight, but the two war-torn dragons break down. ignitus admits that he feels its his fault because he sent spyro away, and he could never make up for all the pain the war caused those he cared about. he couldnt accept that it wasnt his fault because he was the head guardian, he needed to be better, he was SUPPOSED to be better. and he wasn't, and now it was all too late. after hearing this, cyril, for the first time in many years, found his softer side. he spoke gently, telling ignitus that no one expected him to do this on his own, and that he needed to learn to count on the others instead of expecting everything out of himself alone. cyril told him that, even though their future wasn't a happy one, at the very least, they were both there. and spyro had come home. after a bit more talking, there's definitely like, a super passionated lovey-dovey kiss and make up scene, and it closes with the two stupid boyfriends deciding theyre going to tell spyro the truth

AND YEAH BASICALLY THATS ABOUT THE GIST OF IT i am soooo fucking sorry this response got this fucking long but i genuinely adore this plotline and it makes me soft and fuzzy inside!!! and yeah basically their relationship is gonna go thru some ups and downs but itll develop alot more as the story goes alone and i think itll be alot of fun to show u guys!!!!! anyway ajfjfjjfd thank u for asking me this bc i was looking for an excuse to gush abt them lmao BUT if u have any other questions abt my rewrite or anything go ahead and ask!! thank u thank u thank u!!!! <3

[popatochisssp]

So your recent chapter in snips and snails has had me thinking. How would other skellies react if their bro started falling for their SO? Would they all be up for polyamory or would some tell their bro to get over it, or they break up with SO as to push them toward their brother. This information is important for my daydreaming

Anonymous: Heyo! Are you doing hc’s right now? If so, what are your ideas for a polyamorous relationship with sans/so/papyrus? I know you mentioned it with FGTC, but how would the other boys do? Thank you and ilysm!!             

Well, the short version of these questions seems to be– “Can I make it work if I want to smooch both brothers?”

And the answer to that question as far as I’m concerned is yes! Ultimately, all skeles would be down for this kind of relationship!

…But some of them are going to have an easier road than others.

Yes, it’s the ‘fells that are on the Struggle Bus, of course it is, those boys have issues.

Undertale:

They’re a great combo!

They already know each other so well and love/respect one another that looping you into their relationship as a romantic branch is the easiest thing in the world.

They both balance the other out really well, to the point that dating them both might even make for a more harmonious relationship than choosing just one: Papyrus won’t shy away from lecturing Sans when his laziness may be letting you down, and Sans knows how to gently point out when Papyrus might be unintentionally talking over you or pushing too hard at something.

There’s no jealousy between them and you’re all grown, mature adults more than capable of navigating a three-person relationship.

Underswap:

Another great choice!

Much like the classic Sans-Papyrus pair, the Sky-Paps match-up isn’t just functional, it’s hyper-functional.

Their brotherly relationship is strong and they’re great at meeting and handling situations as a team, and you’re no different. Most of your time with them will be spent as a trio rather than duos with an odd man out since that’s what they do anyway– you’re just along for the ride! When one-on-one time does come around, they’ll pass you off to the other without hesitation, no jealousy to be found and just a nuzzle on your cheek and an encouragement to have fun.

Even the usually clingy Sky doesn’t mind giving you and Paps space when you want it since there’s no one he trusts and loves more than his (big) little brother, and Paps might actually feel a little more driven to impress and woo you when he sees the lengths Sky regularly goes to. Maybe he can’t one-up his big brother’s efforts, but it reminds him that you’re special and deserving of the attention and he’ll show you so in his own, more understated way.

They balance each other out in so many ways that it won’t ever feel like you’re trying to juggle them to make things work. As long as you love them, they’ll love you right back and your relationship is practically self-sustaining!

Underfell:

You must not be shy of challenges, because you’ve gotten yourself into some rocky waters with this one.

They’ll both agree to this pretty quickly without much fuss– sharing a datemate with their brother, the only person who always had their back underground and would die for them, and vice versa? Of course, there’s no one they’d rather trust you with than their own brother!

They say that, and for the most part they do mean it, but… there are some very well-buried landmines here and you will find at least one of them in the course of this relationship.

For Jasper, it’s bitterness: here’s yet another thing in his life that he’s giving up for his brother’s sake. It’s not Pyre he resents but the situation and how exceedingly unfair the circumstances of his life have been so far. He lost his childhood to raising and protecting Pyre while he was young, and then he had to play his toady and listen to barked orders and snapped insults so Pyre could maintain a fearsome reputation and neither of them would get too severely messed with. And then now here’s this, a datemate he can’t even keep all to himself because you love his baby brother, too. It stings, but he’ll try to quash it down since he loves you and Pyre too deeply to ever want to cause problems for you.

Meanwhile Pyre is masking his own issues, namely jealous insecurity. He loves Jasper, too, and he deeply respects the sacrifices his big brother made for him Underground both in adolescence and adulthood, but…well, it’s not as if he had it easy! Jasper’s initially low HP meant that no matter how strong a fighter he was, there’d always be somebody who saw him as easy EXP, somebody trying to kill them both because they could– that was why he worked his way up to Captain of the Royal Guard and trained so hard to become an efficient, deadly soldier, so that he could be intimidating enough that most monsters wouldn’t even want to try attacking him or somebody under his command. That’s why he had to distance himself from everyone else, even the brother he was trying to protect, just in case someone tried to take advantage of a social connection. He was completely emotionally isolated for a long time, with a lot weighing on his shoulders: his duties, his brother’s safety, his own safety, and Jasper…

Jasper didn’t have to shoulder any of that once Pyre took responsibility.

Pyre knows, intellectually, that Jasper suffered at least as bad for a long time, but emotionally it hurt and made Pyre a little angry to see him socializing freely with the lowlifes at Grillby’s and sleeping openly at his illegal hot-dog stands. Jasper couldn’t have been totally carefree, no one could be underground, but he had the luxury of being very close to it thanks to Pyre’s status, which Pyre maintained at his own expense. And now, it feels like Jasper is taking advantage of him again, casually charming his way into your good graces and seducing you away from him.

He’s fairly certain he’s going to lose you, actually, since he knows that his older brother is the more personable of the two of them and he hates the waiting, he kinda wants to just end it himself and let Jasper have you…

But, same as Jasper, Pyre loves both of you dearly and he knows that abruptly breaking up with you would hurt you, and that Jasper would figure out why he did it and be even more hurt plus guilty over it, so he bites his tongue.

They’re both going to stew in silence over it and are fully committed to doing so for the rest of your natural lives– you’re going to have to mediate this if you want to have any hope of a healthy relationship.

It won’t be too hard to figure out what’s going on with them individually, they’re both very salty skeletons that can mostly keep quiet about the things bugging them, but there’s a lot of snide and bitter quips muttered under their breath that you’re usually close enough to hear and draw conclusions from. At that point, you need to sit down with them and force a discussion; play whatever hard-ball you must to get them to talk, this is too important to sweep under the rug just because it’s awkward and painful.

They’ll be stilted at first and need a lot of prodding to keep going, embarrassed that their datemate is playing counselor for them, but soon enough they’ll start talking on their own. Yelling on their own. Screaming at each other and breaking shit on their own.

They’ve been repressing a lot of emotions for a long time and now that they’re flowing it’s like a tsunami, one you should probably get out of the splash zone of while they get it all out.

You don’t have to worry about them actually hurting each other, there’s far too much love between them for that and once the anger and bitterness is out there in the open, they realize that, too. There’s gonna be tears and broken sobs and fierce hugging and that’s your cue to get back on in there and take care of your boys– they love each other, they love you, and you love them right back, it doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.

Once the dust is settled, you’re theirs for life, no take-backs. You came into their home, showed them love and affection, and helped them get their brother back after years of tension and walking on eggshells: if you think they’re ever going to let you go now, you’re dead-wrong.

There’s going to be days when you almost regret emotionally reconciling them because when they’re not bickering over petty nonsense or competing with each other, they are the most terrifyingly efficient team you’ve ever seen. They’ll casually join forces against you whenever it suits them and you don’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell. They love and respect you of course, they’d never hurt or take advantage of you, but the combined force of Jasper’s rough charm and Pyre’s slick cunning means that you’re not often going to find yourself ‘winning’ in your relationship.

On the bright side, your romantic life is positively scorching between these two fiery personalities and the loving passion they have for you is more than enough of a balm on any wounds you might take to your pride. ;3

Swapfell:

Deceptively easy.

At first, they’re both very excited and on-board for this. As far as they’re concerned, there’s no one better in the world to share their datemate with than their own brother, someone trustworthy that they love unconditionally and don’t have to worry about losing you to, since they obviously wouldn’t try to steal you from each other.

And that’s true, because if there’s a problem it won’t be something they did, it’ll be what you did. Or maybe more accurately, what you didn’t do.

There’s really only one way to screw this up, but it’s a hard and fast death sentence for the relationship if you start neglecting Rus or playing favorites with Mal instead.

Rus is a needy guy, not too prone to jealousy but very prone to insecurity when the conditions are right, and Mal is one of the hardest (albeit unintentional) hitter of those buttons. His big brother, the one who’s taken care of him his whole life, protected him and sacrificed for him, Rus thinks Mal is a really cool guy. He’s not surprised at all that you want to date him, but he is surprised that you want to date Mal’s living disaster of a brother, too.

If you’re not careful and spend too much time with Mal or side with him all the time or do anything that could indicate you have a significant preference for one brother over the other, Rus is probably gonna jump to some conclusions and now it makes sense to him why you’re not just dating his brother– it’s ‘cause it’s a pity thing…isn’t it?

Mal is the one you really want  but you or Mal or maybe both of you noticed his pathetic interest in you and decided to toss him a bone. To make him feel better. Yaaaay.

His aversion to conflict means that he’s definitely never going to say anything to either of you, ever, but his 'realization’ (whether it’s true or not, almost certainly not) is painful and he won’t be able to help sulking and shying away from your affection for awhile.

That, for Mal, is as good as an actual, physical red flag. He’s sharp and knows his brother well enough to piece together everything that’s happened in Rus’ self-deprecating skull and as far as he’s concerned, there’s only one course of action from here: he’s gonna try to wriggle himself out of the relationship entirely and push you towards Rus.

Mal loves his baby brother fiercely and since he already blames his failings as a pseudo-parent for the anxiety and insecurity he struggles with, the absolute last thing he wants to do is hurt him by taking his datemate away. It’s a no-brainer to remove himself from the situation if he’s distracting you from Rus, but once it’s progressed to this point, there’s no positive outcome for anyone.

Rus is now convinced he’s the pity-boyfriend and feels awful that you don’t get to be with Mal anymore because he couldn’t hide his dumb feelings better. Mal is upset that he can’t be with you, and a little upset with you for not loving his little brother enough to begin with and making this choice necessary. And of course, you’re gonna be hurting, too, because one of your boyfriends thinks he’s your consolation prize and the other isn’t even your boyfriend anymore.

But of course, that’s the Worst Case Scenario.

To make this work, you just need to be fair about sharing your time and affection, which in healthy polyamory, you should probably already be doing! But if for some reason, you can’t do that, skew slightly in Rus’ favor. Mal can be jealous and selfish but he’s more than willing to make room for his brother’s happiness, and he knows that he’s welcome to edge into yours and Rus’ time together if he really wants– Rus has no problems sharing, he just gets a little upset if he thinks he’s the second choice.

If you put in the time and effort to assure Rus that you’re dating him because you care about him, this actually becomes one of the easiest bro-combos possible. Mal and Rus have a less contentious relationship than the other ‘fell brothers and with less buried anger and bitterness between them their bond is already strong and relatively healthy when you enter the mix.

Your integration is like finding the perfect centerpiece to tie an already-stylish room together. Mal plans all the dates and budgets your time between them in the most efficient way possible, while Rus makes sure you and him still get some time to relax and screw around at home. They work very well together as brothers and as your co-boyfriends with about equal importance placed on each role, so you’ll feel nothing but cherished and wanted between the two of them. Make sure to return the favor!

Horrortale:

Yes, a fantastic idea!

They’re both delighted that you asked and agree to share you pretty much immediately, without even a little fuss.

Slate and Papy are arguably the most codependent of the brothers (understandably, considering their shared trauma of the famine) and they’re also probably the most emotionally open with one another as a result, so if a poly relationship seems like it’s becoming a possibility with you, they’re going to get everything talked out and openly agreed upon for a very smooth transition.

It’s actually…kind of an ideal situation for both of them, in a way? Their issues and insecurities are…well, there’s a good deal of them and they’re both a tad concerned that the weight of it might be too much for you alone. They don’t want to overwhelm you or put too much pressure on you just because they’re a little… ‘broken’ is the wrong word for it, but they’re far from undamaged, either!

But with the other brother in the mix, the same one who’s always been there to support his sibling even before you came along, so much of that pressure is taken off.

Slate doesn’t worry that you’re going to suffer from his dissociation and memory problems because he knows Papy is there with his sharp mind and attention to detail to pick up the slack. Likewise, Papy doesn’t worry quite so much on his bad days that you’re secretly unhappy or would be better off without him because Slate is around, who even with a hole in his skull is naturally charming and very skilled at reading people– if you had any complaints, Slate would know and pass them along so they could make you as content as possible!

The end result is that they both relax and don’t psych themselves out quite as much as they might without their brother, and you get to see them as close to their old, pre-horror selves as they can get. Papy is a little more confident and Slate jokes around more and they both treat you like you make the sun rise every morning because you’re the one that loves them both enough to let this relationship be a thing they can have and that’s so cool.

There’s not a drop of jealousy over you from either of them, especially when they can see first-hand that you’re making their brother as happy as you make them, so this is a pretty harmonious and loving match-up, with a lot of potential for success!

[cloudynames]

The Earth Fell in Love with the Moon

okay the long awaited story is finally here!! jesus christ it took so long i am s o r r y. all that matters is that its finally here and i hope you all enjoy <33 this is one of my favorite pieces ive written in a long time so i hope itll satisfy everyone

Word Count: 6,468

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Sensual themes, swearing

lets get it

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If there were two things you were good at, it would be creating new gadgets and rejecting opportunities. Every step of your life, carefully crafted, led you to achieve your dream job at NASA. Out of the ordinary, you weren’t actually all too interested in space. You fell in love with rockets and mechanics. The sound of metal clashing and seeing your creation come to life fascinated and drew you in, trapping you within the life of a mechanic. However, you preferred to use your proper title of ‘Head of Maintenance and Mechanics.’ Life was extraordinary with a powerful position, having seen things no ordinary person would. Coming home covered in soot and sweat was fulfilling and you wouldn’t want it any other way nor felt the need to make additions.

As a result, rejecting the continuous romantic advances from a new trainee named Kun forced you to become abnormally professional when it came to denying someone of any desires, work or romance related. He arrived in the spring with an abundance of other rookies and as spring faded into summer, many of his comrades dropped like flies soon realizing the commitment it took to become a master of space.

Everyone left except a few, one of them being Qian Kun. Kun was a flame. No, not like a bonfire flame, ready to devour whoever got in his way of his dreams. Much to his dismay, he resembled a candle, barely burning and a threat to none.

Well, maybe a threat to you.

With a flat screwdriver in one hand and the other in a bag of screws, you started repairing the outside of the newest spacecraft, ready to be launched next season with high hopes for technological advances. You didn’t spend much time working on the rocket yourself due to your position but it seemed like everyone decided to take the day off in your department. Left mostly alone, you were running around to complete daily tasks while putting your foot forward for NCT 2XXX, also known as the pride and joy of your life.

Working with multiple people within the industry, you were one of the lead designers of NCT 2XXX, a marvelous spaceship with an exterior as strong as diamonds and interior just as remarkable. You have been with NASA for over five years and with NCT 2XXX for three. To say you were loyal to both projects was an understatement, you were unbelievably devoted. With a project as spectacular as this under your belt, you were bound to become one of the most famous engineers of all time. Perhaps in the future, historians would print the name with such care and remember the time from when they were a child, seeing the ship shoot off into sky for the first time.

Once the final screw for the plate was tightened into place, you sighed and peeped back at the row. It had only been a few minutes but it felt like forever, hunched over repeating the boring hand movements. Guilt exploded in your stomach. You’ve been assigning newbies to do this for months on end? A mental note was formed in your head, remembering to make sure they have some diversity.

A hand clamping down on your shoulder disturbed you greatly, almost spilling out bolts and screws from your pocket. Without turning around, you yelled, “Qian Kun! How many times must I tell you to leave me alone when I’m working!”

Giggles spill out of the offender as he shuffled closer to you. “Wow, this is what Head of Maintenance does all day? How come you never have time to talk me since you can multitask perfectly fine?”

Starting on a new row, you rolled your eyes dramatically, “Maybe it’s because I don’t want to talk to you?”

“Why are you so mean?!” Kun whines, pathetically stomping in place.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” You snap, turning around and giving yourself a serious case of whiplash.

“I’m on break but I can leave if you really want me to!” He tempts, a mischievous glint lingering in his eyes.

“What’s the condition?” You exhaled heavily, mentally preparing yourself for whatever he decides to shock you with today.

“Go on a date with me!” He pleads, sticking out his bottom lip and giving you puppy eyes. Sweat drops smeared his forehead and his hair was messy from his training. Dark spots soaked through his training uniform and his glowing, honey skin was covered in bruises and scars. As pitiful as he appeared, you clicked your tongue in annoyance and turned around.

“I’m not interested, space boy.”

“But I’m interested.” He counters, frowning and nearly throwing a temper tantrum. Was this man really an adult or a man-baby?

Your mother had taught you that patience would be the greatest virtue in life. She had made sure you expressed it every day, having you write down one thing each day that you had to wait for and the relief following. With a hushed voice, she told you that good things came to those who were patience--especially to those patient with people. Kun was putting this theory to the test today.

“Ah yes, because bothering me every minute of the day will make me fancy a date with your lame ass!”

Before he can respond, his training coach blows a whistle, signalling breaktime was over. He burns holes into the back of your head, observing intently as you rummaged through the wool bag for a knot.

“I’ll be back.”

With that, he left in a flash and leaving you to nearly scream his name.

If Kun said he was going to be back, he was going to be back.

Five hours later and a provided lunch break from a local mom and pop place, you were seated in the meeting room with a water bottle and notepad. Tapping incessantly, you wondered why the higher-ups called you in for today. They never ringed for you, only when they needed to figure out why a rookie was causing trouble.

Suddenly, a click was heard and the shuffling of men and women came herding in, murmurs spreading across the room. Once comfortable in their respective seats, the woman at the head of the table opened, “Ah, (y/n), our most important piece to NASA!”

Rolling your eyes subtly, you give a sickly, sweet grin, “Yes, yes. How may I be of assistance today?”

The projector snapped to life and the lights dimmed. You turned to the screen, waiting for further information.

“Well,” a man with glasses and slicked back hair states, “We have all seen you work on NCT 2XXX and do believe us when we say that it is beyond terrific! That being said, one of our previous correspondences had recently left us due to seeking more and become greedy in his work. We need someone to finish WayV, another rocket for a specialised group of astronauts.”

Biting your tongue, you stared at everyone in amazement. “So I’m supposed to work on two projects?”

“Precisely.”

They left, shaking your hand and thanking you profusely for being so corresponding and helpful. The entire time, your mind was in overdrive. How were you supposed to finish two projects near the same launch date? It was near damn impossible! Of course they were sure to pay you more to compensate, but in such a short amount of time, maybe it was better to reject their advances. NASA had hired more engineers for this exact reason; why did it have to be you?

Staring at the blueprint on top of your wooden, almost broken desk, you reached over for your phone and checked the time. Midnight was plastered on your screen and you groan, extremely close to slamming your head on said desk. Your head was aching and your heart was pounding abnormally. Stress is an important part of life but after living life so plain and planned out, unforeseen problems caused you to lash out in your thoughts.

Marks began to appear on the sheet of paper as you sketched out a very, very rough version of the final product. With a haze clouding your mind and your eyes too focused on the design in front of you, Kun quietly snuck by and leaned down to your ear.

“Boo.”

Nearly falling back in your chair, you pushed yourself backwards with a hand on your chest. Kun, knelt over while dying of laughter exclaimed, “Oh my god! You should’ve seen your reaction!”

A rosy hue graces your cheeks, making you scrunch up your nose and return to your work. Mindlessly drawing hearts and stars and swirls in the corner of the paper, you mutter, “Why are you still here?”

“Aw, are you embarrassed? You never just ask me a question without calling me a name!” He teases, ruffling your hair and using a pointer finger to press deeply into your cheek.

Groaning, you push him away and huff, blowing the hair in front of your face to flip messily to the back. Kun wasn’t going to leave any time soon, especially if he was here already after his training period. You grab the stool which you were using to prop up your feet and slide it to the side of you, patting lightly on the top. He stares and points a finger at himself, asking ‘me?’ within his head. Adding an overdone nod finally connected the dots in his head, placing himself to the right of you.

“Are you going to ask my question or do I have to choke it out of you?” You threaten, playing with the lead in the pencil a little too much for his liking.

“Ah, well to be quite honest, I’m not sure. I guess I didn’t want to go back to the dorms just yet.” He reasons, avoiding your judgemental gaze.

Kun was a man of many talents. On his first day, officially hired as an astronaut, he entertained the conference room with a deck of cards, magically shaking one and flipping it over to reveal a heart. Your superiors were impressed, slowly falling in love with his charisma from day one. Then, a few days after while carrying in a shipment of new parts, you overheard a sugary voice singing in a tongue unfamiliar to you. Perhaps you lingered around the area longer than needed only for Kun to walk out with wet hair and still buttoning up a shirt. He flashed a smirk to you and strolled the opposite way, leaving you to slump against a wall, desperately trying to fan yourself off. From that day forward, his furrowed eyebrows and pushed back hazel locks had you stealing glances at the boy. One would be a fool to reject the attractiveness of Qian Kun. He was charismatic, talented, and handsome.

Although he was practically a Greek man, he was a terrible liar.

Humming in response and letting it pass by you for now, Kun broke the silence, “Why are you here though?”

“Well, I’ve been assigned a new project and unfortunately it won’t be completed during regular work hours, hence why I’m staying here at,” you took a swift glimpse at your phone, “12:17.”

“Do you at least get paid extra?” He asks, stealing a pencil from your desk and twirling it between his fingers.

Rolling your eyes woefully, “Nope.”

“So why do you do it?’ He questions, throwing a fit and muttering about how he’ll take it up to the higher-ups for you not receiving adequate pay.

With an exasperated yawn, you stare with him with stars within your eyes and a drowsy smile painted on your lips, “Because I love my job.”

Kun gawked at you, mouth slightly parted open. A lot of the time, you pushed him away yet here he was, sitting so close to you and conversing with you like close friends would do. With your tousled hair, falling upon your face and framing you beautifully, he gulped. Your doe eyes seemed to look into his soul and he was afraid you might find all his secrets he has casted away. The bags under your eyes and puffy, red cheeks displayed off the delicate side of you that he wasn’t sure you even possessed until tonight. At work, you were always headstrong and devoted. Seeing you in such a way had his heart pumping wildly, so much so that he almost led one of his hands to hold his chest for he felt that his heart was going to burst. You were hardworking, intelligent, and beautiful.

Qian Kun was simply smitten for you.

Increasingly, Kun had started to stay behind longer with you, assisting you as you worked late until dawn. He barely had any time to sleep but sharing secrets and giggling in the dusty work closet made up for all the time lost. Both of you would make fun of your superiors or play silly computer games in one of the research rooms while eating whatever Kun decided to cook that night. It wasn’t all fun however, you made sure of it. He would help you lift objects and hammer out sheets, bringing you closer to completing both WayV and NCT 2XXX.

Even though he stayed with you until ungodly hours almost every day, you questioned his true intentions. Every time you asked him why he stays late, he simply shrugs and answers with a joke. Deep down, you wished for there to be a hidden reason. Spending more time with the Chinese boy had you falling for him harder than before. Your hateful scowls turned into fluttering adorations and fluttering touches. A friendship was developing before your eyes and as you began to know more about Kun, you started to become dependent on the extra company.

For the past two days, you waited patiently near your desk for the boy to come bouncing to your side. Unfortunately, you would receive no call and were left to work in utter silence except for the melodic piano arrangements lulling softly in the background. As a result, this led you to believe Kun was upset at you. Flashbacks occurred in your head as you thought back to what could’ve frustrated the joyful boy. You did spill a sticky, dark soda on his white shirt just a few days before he disappeared. But was Kun one to hold grudges?

On the third night of listening to the same piano arrangement, footsteps emerged from behind you and you shut off your phone, turning your head before facing a sleep-deprived Kun. His face was adorned with purplish undereyes and stress written all over. He moved sluggishly, grabbing his usual stool before slowly setting himself on top. Kun watched with tired eyes, no life found within them at all.

“Are you okay?” You ask, concerned, and place a hand on his shoulder. Rubbing small circles in his back, you hope to comfort him in such a time of distress.

“Yeah, training has just been really… rough.” He trails off, eyes falling to his lap and moving further away from your touch.

Nodding, you resume to your work. You wanted Kun to be here for the past few days, but why is it that when he appears, you wish to be alone? His cold presence disturbed you and your wish to disappear grew. An irritated Kun was not someone anyone would want to spend time with.

“They told me I would never be an astronaut.”

You nearly drop the circuit board as his voice falters, hoarse and defeated. Setting down the piece of technology, you scoot closer to him.

“Don’t listen to them.”

He laughs mockingly, shoving his head in his hands. “I have to. Our test results and training progress came out. My test results are fine; I’m average. Yet, my training scores are the lowest in the group of all the rookies combined. I got yelled at by my teachers and one of them said, very distastefully might I add, that I would never make it to the sky. He mocked me, saying I might have the confidence and cool factor but I would never accomplish anything or become anyone.”

When he lifts his head, his cheeks are stained with waterfalls and his lip quivers for relief. Out of character, you grasp him and pull him into your chest, hugging tightly. Tentatively, he wraps his arms around you and bursts into tears once more. Your skin feels hot and sticky from his hold and your lab coat rapidly becoming soaked from his cries. A hand drifts up to his hair as you curl his locks between your fingers, shushing him as his sobs grow in volume. The once joyful boy was now wailing in your arms about how he’ll never be good enough for anything. Heartache hurts, especially because Kun is so cheerful all the time. Never in a million years you would’ve thought that a day might come where he shows his piled up hidden feelings of stress.

His body gradually stops shaking and he removes himself from you, rubbing his cheeks and eyes. You pass him your water bottle and he laughs, taking a sip. Although he appears better, sorrow hides in his iries and your own tears well up. It’s time to repay Kun for all his charity.

“Kun, you’ve helped me throughout this entire project for Wayv. I think it’s time for me to help you.” You state, flashing him a wide smile.

“No! I’m okay! You don’t need to.” He argues, sulking.

Ah, there it was. His fiery personality made a come back from his recent gloomy demeanor.

“I want to and I will. That is final.”

His pout expands and your grin only grows as you return to the circuit board, knowing you won against Kun.

The next night, with two energy drinks and a haul of textbooks, the two of you laid down in one of the break rooms with the comfiest couches and softest blankets.

You examine one of his test scores, curled up in a blue comforter.

“Hm, your mathematics skills are off the charts good. Did you major in math?”

He nods, looking over terms in his notebook. Kun flips through the words too briskly for your liking. How did he even retain any of that information?

Scrunching your nose distastefully, you start, “You’ll never learn terms with definitions like that. Use flashcards or use an app that’ll repeat the answer and definition multiple times.”

His mouth hangs open, shocked at your abrupt reprimand. “I never had to do that! Math is so easy. You barely have to memorize anything! Only a few theorems but you could practically bullshit that.”

“Well, now you have to. Your biology is good but your physical science and engineering has work to be done.”

He lets out an obnoxious groan, snuggling deeper within the blanket wrapped around him. After a few moments of him complaining, he grabs a pen and a few flashcards, diligently writing down terms to definitions. You scoot closer to him, your head so close to leaning on his shoulder.

“Thank you.” A quiet voice whispers and he turns his head to you, a small smile graced upon his face.

“Of course. If you told me you were struggling earlier, I could’ve helped you more.”

A groan falls out of his mouth, “No, (y/n). You’re too busy with your projects anyway. I don’t want to bother you.”

“You’re not bothering me at all!” You grumble, bumping into him and having his pen spill from a perfect line to a crooked mess. He glares, relining his design.

“I felt like I was though at one point.” He confesses, tapping his pen repeatedly against his book, eyes piercing into yours like daggers. “Why did you try to push me away so much?”

Ah, you should have foreseen this. Kun was a curious man, hence the reason for striving to become an astronaut. He asks questions until he makes you beg to just shut up. All his teachers probably wanted to kill him by now due to his incessant whining. His goal, clear in mind, was to find out the reason behind your fake distaste for the cadet. Red as a ruby, you lifted your head and gazed back, faked your innocence, “What do you mean?”

He shoves his work aside and adjusts his entire body, muscles flaunting off. Has Kun always been so lean?

“Obviously I’m talking about a month ago where you wanted to punt me into space if you ever got the chance.”

“Haha, very funny.” You mock, truly laughing afterwards. “To answer your question, I don’t know what changed.” To take the leap of faith or not might’ve been the hardest decision in your life. Nothing in your life could’ve prepared you for this exact moment in life. Comparing this dangerous moment to everything in college, you rather take every course all over again. If he rejects you, you’re back to the mundane life you’ve always known. Although in the slightest chance he might accept you, life would be a fairytale.

Fuck it.

“Maybe it’s how your eyelashes flutter when you’re almost asleep or how you push your hair back just the way I like it. I don’t know when everything changed. To put it simply, I started noticing things about you that nobody else would ever notice. You like black coffee but if you didn’t have to restrain your calorie intake, you would order the sweetest thing on the menu. Whenever you laugh at something stupid, you throw your head back and hide yourself, embarrassed to be in the moment. But no, it could’ve been when you mumbled translations under your breath as you read instructions or how your fingers ghosted upon my skin late at night. I think I really am whipped for you--”

Kun gently grabs your face and closes the long gap between you two, his tongue licking your bottom one and exploring your mouth. Still focused on you, he unwraps himself from his cocoon and climbs on top of you, hands running through your hair, desperate and longing. He made you experience all this pent up emotion he had towards you and it felt as if you were floating on a cloud. It was dirty. Lying in one of the breakrooms with a boy, who you weren’t even dating, and having his hands roam all over your body.

His hips rolled against yours, making you gasp at the sudden contact. Whether it had been accidental or on purpose, you craved for the motion to happen once more. Kun smelled like vanilla and left your head hazy and light. Hands disappeared from your hair and moved under your shirt, his thumb playing with your waistband. His breath was sweet and tasted like the chocolate shared between the two of you just a few hours ago. He pulls away suddenly, a string of saliva forming and the sight has you heavily breathing. Kun leans down once more and leaves a kiss on your forehead and you reach for one of his hands, intertwining your fingers.

“So, you’re clearly experienced. Have you been kissing any other engineers other than me?”

“Shut up!” He yells, tickling you relentlessly for a minute before brushing your disheveled hair out of your eyes.

“Only you, baby. It’s only ever been you”

Midnight blue nights with Kun was the highlight of your life. Working all night till dawn seeped into Kun’s dorm fulfilled you and you wouldn’t have it any other way. It might’ve been harder to focus due to calculated distractions conducted by the mischievous boy but when it came down to crunch time, both you and Kun worked in perfect harmization. The beginning of summer morphed into a deep heat of August before you even had a chance to blink and walks to the convenience store to buy ice cream became a must to combat the humid heat.

Glancing at your phone, you inwardly groaned seeing the time was only five. It would be so long until you could see Kun again. With your brain being fried from all the hard work from the day, you took a break. Mindlessly, you scrolled through social media and caught up with the recent drama. Your break was cut short as a squeal was shouted directly into your ear and arms wrapped around you.

“What the hell--”

“Baby! I got in! They accepted me for Project WayV! I’m so excited!”

Your boyfriend’s eyes were gleaming with pure, unsaturated happiness. A smile melts onto your face and you envelope him in a embrace just as emotional as his. You had seen how hard Kun had been working for his goal. He would stay up nights on end studying and if he wasn’t studying, he would be assisting you in your projects. Sometimes he would stay at your house and you would do laundry, not forgetting to notice how the size of his uniform changed from an extra small, gradually transforming into a small and finally to a medium. If he wasn’t studying or helping you, he was training. Love filled you and contentment hugged every curve of your body. To say you were proud was an understatement. This had been everything Kun had craved for.

Would it be selfish, however, to hate the future? Yes, Kun had been working hard to become an astronaut but once summer becomes cool and sweltering, fiery red days fade, where would Kun stand? In the sky trapped in a box, gathering research for greedy scientists on the small earth below? Would you be alone once more as you were just a few months ago? Would you despise the blue, crystal region for stealing the one you loved the most?

Mustering all your strength possible into faking a grin, you exclaim, “I’m so proud of you dear, you deserve it!”

A piece of your soul chipped away from that moment and it became difficult to face the future. Kun would be gone. For a long time. The worst case scenario might arise and he might never come back.

You were never the villain in the story. Trying to delay Kun’s dream would make you the monster. No, you’re not the monster. Minoring in theatre in college helped you after all. Fake it till you make it, right?

If it meant you had to lose everything for Qian Kun, you would give everything in a flash.

Motivated, you labored away more than ever. Rarely ever leaving the station, you were hunched over and slaving over numerous tasks every day. A fool you would’ve been if you didn’t think Kun would notice. One thing could contest his love for the mystery of space and that thing was you. If his dear was feeling slowed down, he would pick you up and aid you.

“Let’s go get slushies.” He offered a hand out to you one late night, forehead covered in sweat from being stuck in a poorly air-conditioned room. You accepted his hand, letting him drag you on another summer adventure. Evil thoughts plagued your mind. Surely, this wouldn’t be the last trip?

The walk was mostly quiet, the only noise being made was when Kun nearly tripped over the curb.

(“How was I supposed to know that the curb was there!”

“By looking, sweetheart.”)

He bought you a cherry slushie, leaving him with a blueberry one. With syrupy hands, he grabbed yours and swang them between the two of you.

“Baby, can you enlighten me?”

Confused, “What’s up?”

Ah, Kun never fails to amaze you. He is simply too intelligent and observant for his own good.

“Are… you okay?”

“Nothing, precious.” A lie escapes you before you realize what you’re saying. Had you been so accustomed to lying that it slips out at this point?

Kun drags you to slow down, having you turn around and look at him. In the late summer evening with pink and orange mixing in the azure reflecting off his skin had your heart stop beating for a second. His plump pink lips were stained with blue and the sides of his hair were still wet from sweat. This picture perfect sight had you falling in love all over again. You wouldn’t see this scene again in an undetermined amount of time. If he went up to the beautiful atmosphere, how would you be able to hear his luscious voice? Could you bear to wake up every morning to a cold bed?

“Stop lying, (y/n).”

Another jump of faith this time more daring.

“I’m petrified.” You admit.

“Of what?” His voice is soft and gentle, so familiar and so heart-warming.  

“The future.” A tear falls from your eye and you feebly laugh. Where had it come from? Soon, you were full-on bawling. Kun rushes to your side in an instant, shushing you and hugging you.

Moments in life make us want to pause, rewind, fast forward, and record. In one instant, you wanted to complete all four. You would pause to savor this exact act and scene in life. If you were ever feeling down, you could rewind and relive this moment over again. To fast forward was dangerous, but it would need to be done to see the future for the two of you, something to look forward to. Finally, recording every single happening in this one frame to remember one of the last moments before the sky took away Qian Kun, your space boy.

“Baby, I’m scared too.” He reveals, shakily and nervously. “I don’t want to lose you, dear god I would collapse if I lost you.”

You nod, not able to respond or form a corrhent sentence. He speaks for you.

“You’re my first and last. Without you in my life, I would be so lost. I wouldn’t even be on the project for WayV! You’re my beginning and my end and everything in between. If you say no, I won’t do it. I will deny the project. Of course, NASA will be pissed at me,” he laughs, trembling upon your skin, “but if it’s to make you smile once more, even if it was one last time, I’ll do it.”

Rejection dances on the tip of your tongue. To say yes and have Kun next to you every day and night sounded like a fairytale. Your dream would truly come alive, yet where would Kun’s dream fall? With a heart begging no, ‘please don’t leave me,’ your mind wins once more against a terrible, cruel decision.

“My space boy, you’re so foolish. You have to go up there. No if, ands, or buts. That is final.”

With tears streaming down both of your faces, he tilts your head up and kisses you with more passion than the first night he confessed. It was a battle of love and bitterness. Your tongues fought over dominance, wanting to show the other their passionate feelings.

With blue and red tongues mixing and leaving each other’s lips with purple, bruised lips, you two took the longer route home. You might’ve minored in theatre, but you weren’t sure if majoring would’ve helped you from seeing Kun’s sparkling, chocolate-colored eyes. The entire time felt like you were under a lie detector. Perhaps in some alternate universe, the two of you would’ve never expressed your doubts..

Fall knocked at your door quicker than you had anticipated. Trips to the convenience store dwindled and stops at either Kun’s dorm or your apartment became more popular. Time was ticking away slowly and the two of you tried to spend as much time together. With each fun, spectacular day came with a night full of depression. Kun’s time was slowly draining and his launch date snuck up on you. He would be in space for nine months, one of the longest trips done in recent years. It terrified you but it motivated you to work harder than before. For him.

So that he can come back safe.

October 15, the day that was another page to mark in history and another date to burn in your mind. Waking up in your cold, sad apartment had you crying before you had even stepped into the bathroom. Traces of Kun were left all around. His hoodies, draped over chairs, left a cut in your heart, piercing every vein in your body. Fate was cruel. What was more cruel than fate was free will. If you said pleaded to him to not leave you, he would be next to you right now in the scalding, hot shower, leaving butterfly kisses across your nape.

Today would be another performance; a test of your acting abilities. To fool everyone and make them believe that you were the happy, supportive partner. Your mind drifted away at your workstation, not paying much attention to the world around you. People noticed and caught on fast, offering a hand when you needed an errand run down to Mission Control or a speedy calculation.

Never did anyone say you were good at acting.

Dreadfully, you glanced at the clock and gulped. Take-off is in less than two hours and Kun wouldn’t be able to see anyone in due time. You rush around the building, asking superiors and juniors if they had seen the boy. Following directions from Head of Security, you rapped your fist against the waiting room door.

“Come in.” A soft, possibly tearful, voice whispered, just loud enough to hear on the other side of the door.

Opening the door and closing it gently, a hug greeted you from inside the room. Vanilla overwhelmed your sense and you melted in Kun’s arms, gripping onto him with a strong force.

“Love--” You begin but are cut off abruptly by Kun’s lips crashing into yours. A pattern forms and you both fall into the rhythm, quiet moans slipping from the sinful mouths of both. Kun had this amazing power to make you lose all train of thought when with him and you forgot every dreadful moment leading up to this point until he broke away.

“Where do I start?” He laughs anxiously, a hand pushing away the hair in his face. “God, I’ll miss you so fucking much. It hurts so much thinking about it.” Kun takes your hand, dragging it to his chest and letting you feel his heartbeat. His heart beats rapidly and you clench the protective suit.

“I’ll miss you more.” You murmur, planting kisses upon his neck. He pulls away and chuckles at your sour expression.

“Let me talk for once. Doll, I truly will miss you. I ran to the convenience store to print out every photo I had of you in my phone so I would have it on the trip.” He snickers, a tear falling from his eye and you reach out to wipe it away. If only you could erase every tear he’ll have after he’s gone.“It’ll be hard, but I’ll try to record every day without you so you can watch it once I’m back. You know I don’t like talking about myself, but I’m so afraid of this trip. It’s dangerous as hell and there might be so many complications. Believe me, this world will not take me away without seeing you one last time. Don’t worry, baby. I will be okay.”

You were whimpering at this point and huffed stiffly with each passing second. Everything you wanted to hear was coming out of Kun’s mouth, but knowing that he’ll be gone in just a few hours stings at your skin. He recognizes this and rubs your back, letting you live in this scene. After your weeping slowed down, he requested a wish, something so personal and hopeful.

“You’ll wait for me?”

With a pathetic giggle, “If you bring me back a star.” He bursts out in laughter, doubling over. Always so lighthearted.

“I love you.” He confesses, a sorrowful expression painting his face.

“I love you more, space boy.”

Words left unspoken stopped at your tongue. Kun wouldn’t know that he was your star that night.

And the nights before.

He was the star of your life.

--------------------------------

A cloud of white exhaust spreads over the sandy field and the whole of NASA erupts into joy. Many are hugging their friends, some are with their lovers. The cameras pan back to the crowd, bouncing around and cheering as the gigantic, white spacecraft launches itself into the sky. The launch was successful, no failures or any worries. You checked every single valve and bolt yourself, of course it would be perfect.

Watching through a glossy window, your hand touched where the earth met the sky. The more you stared into the abyss, the more you appreciated the beauty. It wasn’t a single shade of blue, no. The sky, your sky, mixed with all shades of baby blue and flecks of gold and white shimmered brightly. It was like if someone took a paintbrush and went over the canvas repeatedly until they ran out of paint. If this glistening azure sky was so gorgeous, how did the deep blues of space match up to this competitor?

The clouds earn the sky extra points but with images of stars from past years makes your heart flutter in amazement. Humankind has accomplished so much in such little time and you, scientists and creatives, are leading the battle for improvement. Kun is a pioneer to this philosophy. One of the most brilliant leaders.

All the pieces locked into place as you observed the last gusts of white sputter and disperse. The moon and its gravitational pull kept the earth from getting out of hand and too far away to connect. Kun was the moon and you were earth, constantly being pulled to Kun whenever you wanted to shut down and hide from everyone. The simile makes you smile and you peer up, a tear escaping your duct. Hopefully Kun is viewing you from the oh, so tiny aircraft.

--------------------------------

Kun eyes the tiny earth, still strapped in his seat but able to obtain a view. He wishfully sighs, a smile breaking out onto his face.

He prays that you know he’s looking down at you, dreaming of a time where you could see something just as beautiful as right now.

Ah, maybe not as beautiful as he thought. He still has you, waiting patiently for his return. Now, you are the most ethereal sight he has ever had the chance to look at.

As soon as he receives the green from Mission Control, he unbuckles himself and moves to the supply room, reaching for one of the cameras and moving to a relatively quiet spot. With a deep breath, Kun turns on the camera.

“Hi baby, it’s your favorite space boy. Welcome to space, day 0!”