#there's like so many reoccurring themes no matter which au they are in JSOIFJSKPFFK

[thecosmicsen]

🎂  happy belated birthday month to fellow ghosty boy,  aka the soft boy Jaewoo is stuck to in any AU,  the one and only @phantombs​  !  🎂

*  :  ✮ ┆   the one in which they both bond with the afterlife  .

call it the synchronisation of two backgrounds harmonising that cultivated this very moment of Jaewoo enthusiastically bursting through Cường’s front door.  the trust that Cường has in him to provide key access speaks volumes of unfathomable confidence despite the striking contrasts between what the two deem as amicable greetings.  typically,  Jaewoo is akin to a sudden blast of nippy wind that tends to slap someone across the face with its sharp stinging icy breeze whereas Cường is the type to snore through category five typhoons.  this indisputable fact about the elder male is what provides Jaewoo with the brazen guts to invade his home so unabashedly since he knows that nothing will stir the unconscious figure.  as according to plan.

detecting the lump in the midst of the blankets,  Jaewoo now enters stealth mode as he navigates his way around the bedroom.  setting down the canister of helium with a slightly louder thunk,  he sucks in his cheeks in horror as he tersely waits to see if it elicits a stir or two out of Cường.  it doesn’t.  with a smug sense of achievement,  he proceeds with the first step of filling up confetti-filled balloons so he can robustly tie them in batches of three with blue ribbons.  what the true finishing touch is the polaroids of the abundant pictures he has taken of Cường over the span of time they have spent together.  besides the absolutely candid shots varying from Cường overlooking the speckles of freshly budded cherry blossoms to him randomly snoozing in an upright position on the park bench,  the polaroids consist of vintage filtered memory snapshots ranging from . . . 

one.  tiny coffee puddles lingering at the bottom of almost emptied mugs.  licked up cupcake crumbs.  overcast cherry blossom shadows merging with the tabletop.  the lining of plush armchairs overlooking the open cafe balcony.  pink-tinged cheeks from the open breeze.  a slumped over snoozing figure,  his mouth slightly agape as he snugly fits in the width of his chair.  it’s ironic really,  sleeping right after a caffeine dose  ?  classic Cường.

two.  rain-streaked panels.  the lazy streaks of dusk filtering through clearing horizons.  idly bustling of Cường’s back faced to him as he gently rifles through his collection of mugs.  thick woolly covered socks perched up together.  a low hum of a cheery tune.  the cheeky grin he flashes when Cường turns around with the familiar scolding look.  “  you’re going to be chilled to the bone,  wrap up the blanket tighter around yourself.  ”  the elder male warns him and he obliges.  

three.  dusted piano keys.  a pair of hands gliding across the ivory.  the other pair patiently listening,  and listening,  and listening.  time stands still in the air,  the concept being sapped away between the gaps of the keys as Cường plays the tunes of a piece so bittersweet.  reminiscing curls his lips downwards until Cường gently grabs hold of his hand and gingerly swaps it with his own.  “  learn to play with me,  ”  he jerks Jaewoo out of his transfixed spiralling stance that threatens to plunge him into a nostalgic dimension. 

four.  flash.  flash.  flash.  another piercing flash.  it washes him out,  bringing out the sallow side of his physical manifestation.  he’s suddenly very self-conscious.  all he is doing is walking along the river,  breeze tickling through his hair.  the only person he notices is Cường with his mobile phone pointed in his direction.  “  wait,  I’m not ready for a picture.  ”  Jaewoo protests,  immediately raising his hand up into a peace sign with a chirpy grin.  Cường snaps a few more before shaking his head,  a fond smile taking over.  “  you silly boy,  does the sun ever need to prepare its shining brightness  ?  nor do you.  ”

five.  buzzing electric hums crackle.  indignant yells from preteens cause a crease between Cường’s brows.  blaring beeps and glowing neon signs cram up any leftover space in the arcade.  they promise many bountiful rewards.  get your hands dirty,  you might win an oversized stuffed narwhale.  Jaewoo rubs his hands gleefully,  akin to a persistent fly about to dig into a tasty feast.  “  I know just the thing you need on the days you sleep for fourteen hours.  ”  pivoting to the flashiest claw machine with Line characters packed like sardines,  he eagerly hunches over with his tongue sticking out in concentration.  he will win this.  inserting his leftover cash in enthusiastically,  he aims the metallic grip of death to the nearest stuffed bunny.  taking in a noisy deep inhale to quell his adrenaline,  he jabs at the pretentiously gaudy red button for the claws to suffocate the bunny to victory.  it works  !  he didn’t expect it to in full honesty but now he can smugly brandish it to the amused male.  “  let’s call him Lele.  now you will never be alone.  ”

. . .  a shrill whistle sounds from Jaewoo as he clambers towards Cường’s bedroom window.  a hoard of worn out older dogs struggle to float up to the window’s height.  but with the aid of Jaewoo’s awaiting palms,  they are safely directed into the warm haven of Cường’s birthday setup.  what’s left is the lighting of candles and the birthday.  the ghost had considered buying a massive rectangular cake to fit the few hundred candles on it but he reckoned that Cường wouldn’t be up for using all of his lung power on blowing out that many candles so he settled for placing fifty seven instead.  not a jibe to the other’s age at all.  

clapping his hands together,  Jaewoo motions at the expectant dogs to go huddle up against the sleeping figure in bed.  beyond eagerly,  they all contentedly clamber besides Cường as they are familiar with the man and his previous visits to the shelter.  the wholesome sight warms his heart and he hurriedly moves to snap a picture of the cosy sight before Cường can object.  by the looks of it,  he still hasn’t fully stirred from his slumber yet so Jaewoo takes the cue to finally begin the slow singing of the birthday cheer. 

“  happy birthday to you,  happy birthday Choi Cường,  happy birthday to you.  ”  the dogs happily grumble along to Jaewoo’s trilling voice in an unique harmonisation to celebrate the cheer of Cường entering another year of life yet again.  

Cường finally arises with groggy eyes,  hair sticking out in random tufts and incomprehesible noises that only those fully acquainted with deep sleep can fathom.  Jaewoo approaches him with his birthday cake,  eyes glazed with delight.  

“  make a wish !  ”  Jaewoo shoves the cake in front of him and Cường indulges him by huffing out the candles in three goes before tugging him onto the pile of puppies on the bed.  “  please don’t tell me you wished for more sleep.  ”  

alas,  Cường has already fallen back into a half-drowsy state but it’s okay.  the cake can wait.  

*  :  ✮ ┆   the one in which they both bear the weight of the crown  .

huff puff.  huff puff.  huff puff.  look at what lengths the young prince goes to.  it takes a lot of cautious scrambling on the ivy-clad bricks.  it surely would have been a call for an immediate plummet to death. had the prince not been thoroughly experienced with years and years of experience in exiting the castle grounds for invigorating quests for adventures,  he wouldn’t have made it beyond a single ledge.  as lithe as a cat,  he even managed to maintain his hold on a staggering wide window ledge that showcased an approaching candlelight,  presumably one of the many patrolling guards.  security had greatly intensified ever since that eye-opening hectic night of ultimate meetings of meetings.  the only leeway he was able to breakthrough and finally make through the fortress was through months and months of extensive study with the aid of prince Cường’s silent cues on illustrating ways on how the other may keep visiting him in his lonely desolate tower.  

evidently,  the legwork pays off since Jaewoo is able to navigate his way through the labyrinth of tenacious security personnel.  it’s extraordinarily exciting to be going through such leaps and bounds to visit your secret werewolf best friend,  son of the rival kingdom that your family swore an oath against  !  

entirely pleased with himself and his progress,  the young prince proceeds with his voyage to the grand tower window after ensuring with a peep that the patrolling guard has moved on.  he makes a quick mental note of how the fourth floor garrison seem to take around seventy five seconds for a quick sweep before moving on with his cat climb. 

it must have been a nasty shock for Cường to have his grand balcony doors thumped on frantically in the dead of the night.  Jaewoo can faintly make out the startled grunt followed by groggy scuffling towards the set of gold-plated doors.  the sight that Cường is faced with upon opening the doors with hesitance is one straight out of the many books that he’s read with Jaewoo in their more relaxed princely hang out sessions.  the moon crescent gently laminates Jaewoo’s tall and proud silhouette with its sheer pearly luminescence glimmering off the many encrusted jewels on his figure. 

“  prince Cường,  head of all mythical protection,  the defender of deep sleep and all other his realms,  you have officially lived to see and enter another blessed year  !  ”  Jaewoo enthuses,  his eyes dancing wild in delight with his self-perceived inspirational opening.  “  despite the beast inside,  quite literally if I may add,  you have persisted and floated through the face of adversity.  a very very joyful and happy birthday to you.  as my gift to you,  I must insist on you going out with me on this clear mid spring evening.  ”

to be expected,  Cường stares at him incredulously before opening his mouth to come up with a gurgle of excuses ranging from it being too late and the best birthday gift he can give is to have the longest nap.  this is all naturally dismissed by Jaewoo with a wave of hands although he switches up his tactic with pleading beseeching eyes. 

“  I swear in the name of all things that I love,  this will be a minimal effort journey for you,  your highness.  ”  Jaewoo holds his hand on his chest to declare his oath.  “  outside your grounds,  I have brought a sled with a comfortable makeshift that I specially made for you.  please please please.  I shall carry you along the entire time.  you only need to walk the distance to and from your bedroom to outside the grounds but even for that,  I can piggyback you for when we are out of sights from your garrison.  ”  

Cường sighs in defeat,  knowing that it takes far more energy to Jaewoo who doesn’t take no as an answer either way.  the duo had been continuously going out for either one of Jaewoo’s gutsy expeditions in his quest for seeking fantastical legends or heading for a cosy hangout in his secret shed hangout.  so it is a familiar cause-and-effect process that Cường has grudgingly gotten accustomed to.  

soon enough,  the two are bundled up warmly and exit their usual and lesser dangerous route from within the castle instead of dangling off precariously on tower walls.  as they veer near the edge of the perimetres of the castle grounds,  Jaewoo begins to piggyback him as promised.  with Cường’s thick plush cape enveloping his body too,  Jaewoo enthusiastically leaps towards the awaiting royal sled concealed underneath the moss of an oak.  

“  see,  I made it like almost exactly like your real bed which you love to lay in so much  !  “  Jaewoo gingerly lowers down Cường after ensuring every speck of leftover moss is flicked off.  almost immediately,  Cường nestles himself underneath the main heavyweight blanket with his eyes flitting shut which is a sure sign that Jaewoo must have accurately devised a mobile sleeping quarters for the lethargic prince.  with the toothiest grin,  Jaewoo leaves his nap to him in peace before securing the sled to his armour.  

as they traverse through the grounds,  a route that Jaewoo deliberately scoured for its even ground to avoid jilting Cường too much,  the night begins to sink in deeper.  an expert in creating handheld torches,  Jaewoo lights the way for himself and his drowsy reluctant companion through the sweeping grand grounds of eclipsing trees.  thankfully, the destination in mind for the birthday isn’t too far off so much of the night isn’t wasted on the journey time itself.  

they arrive to a clearing that opens up the dull moonlit night with a large lake in sight.  there is already a boat awaiting for them  (  a product of Jaewoo’s meticulous birthday planning  ).  the barely illuminated body of water does not do justice for the usual daytime blue-green depths as the night overcasts its murky shadow.  in fact,  it would have been totally understandable if Cường was to believe that Jaewoo dragged him out in the midst of the night to kill him in this open valley.  ironically,  the birthday boy does reflect similar sentiments as he questions Jaewoo as to why they have come here but he does thank Jaewoo for bringing him out in the open air.  

“  behold my dear friend,  you shall see why I brought you here.  ”  Jaewoo holds out a hand in plea before sticking the burning torch into the ground near the docked boat.  “  I’m going to transfer you to the boat now.  I made it extra comfy for you,  do not fear.  ”   admittedly,  the wooden boat does look slightly shabby from what the torch’s amber lighting shows up.  yet the confines of the boat are layered thick with nothing but fleece plush-lined winter blankets and opulent feather pine-stuffed pillows directly from Jaewoo’s palace.  

transferring Cường to the boat takes no more than a second,  the birthday prince not weighing more than mere grapes to Jaewoo who is amped up on adrenaline.  blowing the touch out,  must to Cường’s skepticism,  he hops into the boat eagerly before grabbing the oars to paddle them out and away from shore.  the atmosphere drastically dips to an eerie cloudless night with not a source of light to be found yet Jaewoo keeps on paddling and paddling and paddling.  

“  what do you bring me here for  ?  ”  Cường questions yet again,  sounding helplessly bewildered.  Jaewoo swats at him.  

“  ssshhh,  you’ll see in a moment.  don’t be too loud now  !  ”  Jaewoo playfully jibes despite being several pitches higher than Cường.  setting the oars now with definitive decisiveness,   he stops paddling as he opts to shoulder another blanket around himself.  “  any moment now . . .  ”

as if just to vehemently rebel against Jaewoo’s words,  the pair are left in the sweeping frigid silence in the enveloping darkness.  the lake is completely still.  the air almost stagnant from its lifelessness.  Jaewoo frets about Cường falling asleep again.  before he can reach out for Cường’s arm to harshly pinch.  it begins to appear.  

the fireflies begin to leisurely appear.  each warm glow emitting slowly one by one until it begins to reflect against the clear lake depths,  stark in its crystal clear glowing luminescence.  it starts off with ten good fireflies darting around until a few hundred more show up to entirely brighten up the entire body of water like one of the radiant lantern festivals celebrated in the kingdom.   some begin to glimmer near the boats which causes a cascading effects of pale yellow to light up all around them.  finally Jaewoo can glimpse the entirety of Cường’s face who looks utterly in awe.  he gently holds a finger out,  witnessing how a firefly immediately beckons to his fingertip.  it warms up the features of his face significantly.  

this once,  Jaewoo remains serenely silent as he soaks in the magical sight of the fireflies and their endless etched out glittery reflection on the still lake’s surface.  glancing back to Cường,  he brings out the hidden sack of pastries so he can gingerly stuff one in his mouth. 

“  happy birthday,  your highness  !  ” 

*  :  ✮ ┆   the one in which they are both reliant on coffee and stacks of books  .

yeah,  birthday,  it's your birthday.  if I die,  bury me inside the Louis store,  they ask me what I do and who I do it for and how I come up with this shit up in the studio.  all I want for my birthday is a big booty hoe  !

it is six in the crisp fresh early morning.  the scatter of April’s cherry blossoms softly breeze past the windows.  in the far off distance,  the blue buses agilely shuttle to their timely scheduled stops.  what is there to greet the overambitious joggers is the bountiful stretching of the clear blue skies and its cheery sunshine companion.  what a landscape of utmost urban tranquility. 

skrr,  skrr,  wrists movin,  cookin',  gettin' to it cookin', I'm in the kitchen,  yams everywhere  !

this lyric accurately reveals where the culprit of the booming bass music is located.  what should be another college boy routine of panicked last minute waking up,  rolling out of bed,  brushing teeth and forgetting to comb before running out of the house is not happening.  it’s pulverised along with the vibrating bass that resonates through the tight budgeted walls. 

ah,  Yeezy,  Yeezy,  how you do it,  huh  ?  it's my birthday,  I deserve to be greedy,  huh  ?

whether the actual birthday boy is begging for the chance to be greedy or the chaotic sound source in the kitchen is debatable.  the April birthday boy is was soundly fast asleep in his bedroom underneath the newly gifted weighted blanket and he must be too groggy with early morning drowsiness.  he groans as the bass violently shakes his bed before waiting a few moments to see if the music will miraculously switch off.  perhaps this spring day will bless him with a power shut off to banish the ruckus.  

I show up with a check to your work place then hand the valet the keys to the merces.  tell the DJ play your song,  this shit come on.  what I'm seeing from the back I can't front on.  they ask me what I do and who I do it for  !

as fast as Cường’s lethargic feet will transport him to the kitchen despite it being a mere few steps in their apartment,  it feels like eternity to him.  as he languidly inches towards the kitchen,  the deafening birthday song begins to ring his ears.  it elicits a slight grimace out of him.  his only plan is to lower the music volume to five before noiselessly dragging himself back to bed to flop down to prolong his sixteen hour nap. 

however,  his plans are rapidly crushed to itty bitty microscopic bits the moment he stumbles across the sight of Jaewoo haphazardly dancing along with ardent strong passionate strokes in the midst of the glammed up kitchen.  stray confetti and metallic balloons litter the countertops and corners.  a stack of presents line up on the island as a standout centrepiece on the counter set up for two.  the warm scent of fresh souffle pancakes fill up the air and berry compote compete to overwhelm senses along with the brewing green tea.  when Cường is set to open his presents after breakfast,  he will come to find out that Jaewoo has purchased a drawstring hoodie pillow,  an interesting choice of a pillow,  another ostrich pillow for classes,  an aromatherapy eye pillow,  microwaveable slippers,  a book light for philosophical bedtime reading,  a golden ratio notebook,  a poster,  and a self-heating coffee mug. 

“  finally,  I was beginning to wonder how long it would take to bait you out of bed  !  ”  Jaewoo chirpily waves at the dopy figure in the middle of his twirling hands up motion,  who is seemingly flabbergasted.  it’s an overload of various stimuli to all take in at once at six in the morning.  but to his credit,  Jaewoo begins to lower the volume to a decent level that won’t burst eardrums.  

“  who are those presents for  ?  they better be for you.  I told you,  you didn’t have to do anything for me.  silly boy.  ”  Cường finally remembers how to vocalise after awakening slightly.  

wiggling his finger at him,  Jaewoo jubilantly shakes his head with a smug smile before grabbing hold of the other’s shoulders to steer him to sit down on the island stool.  “  so you are allowed to do whatever you want for my birthday but I can’t do the same  ?   if you do not accept these presents then I will have no choice but to start playing Tinashe at full volume.  you know how her songs get me going.  ”

it appears to be that Cường receives the message so he expectantly grabs his chopsticks.  with a triumphant grin,  Jaewoo pours out a cup of green tea to him before pouring out a bowl of seaweed soup for him.  “  eat up birthday boy,  live a very long healthy prosperous life.  who else will I take to astronomy club  !  I need you alive  !  ”  with his eyes sparkling mischievously,  he then whispers out one final.  “  happy birthday Cường.  ”