Me: At that moment, I didn't think... my fingers just moved on their own, forming a plot without my conscious knowledge. Anyway, enjoy this whimsical AU of mine!
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Normal POV!
After spending time with someone for six years, five of them dating that person, and four years living together, it only takes a single glance for Kishiar to know exactly what Yuder needs.
So when his lover stumbles out of their shared bedroom looking worse for wear, Kishiar does not hesitate to usher him into a seat on the dining table, immediately going off to prepare tea. It's not a good pair with the breakfast he prepared, but the bacons and eggs he cooked will most likely be ignored until brunch if the disconcerted expression on Yuder's face is any indication.
Kishiar slowly guides Yuder's hands into holding the cup, coaxing the younger into drinking the warm tea to help calm his troubled heart. Yuder doesn't resist and lets Kishiar take the lead, visibly slumping once the warm liquid enters his mouth.
Wordlessly, Kishiar takes a seat adjacent to him, quietly gripping his arm as a form of comfort, acting as his anchor.
Before long, Yuder opens his mouth and starts.
"It's happened again."
There's no need to say more, because Kishiar already knows what that means.
Something unique to his lover that he's shared with no one else but Kishiar is his ability to dreamwalk, temporarily inhabiting the body of another Yuder's existence in a different reality. He does not have control over when it happens, only that it happens occasionally after entering a deep sleep.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
Cautiously, as though he's facing a frightened animal, Kishiar intertwines their hands together, patiently waiting for Yuder to continue. Something is obviously weighing on the other's mind, and Kishiar doesn't want to pressure him into talking lest he wants a repeat of what happened the last time Yuder dreamwalked.
It happened several months ago, but the memory sears itself into Kishiar's mind like an unhealing scar. At that time, Yuder had woken up panicked and unseeing. It took hours for Kishiar to ground him, and even then it wasn't until weeks after that Yuder told him what happened.
Even after seeing it for himself, Kishiar could never dare imagine what Yuder must've felt to wake up in an unfamiliar body, wounded and blind to his surroundings with no one around to pacify him.
"Nothing bad happened."
'So something did happen.'
Kishiar nods, keeping his thoughts to himself, but the tense line on his back relaxes a bit from the admission, and it's almost funny how he's been comforted instead of the other way around. Now with his worries settled, he takes another guess.
"Then, did you get to speak with my counterpart?"
Earning silence in response, Kishiar takes it as his answer.
During the last disastrous night when Yuder dreamwalked, Kishiar thanked the stars that there's another version of him that exists in that alternate reality. It's reassuring to know that another Kishiar is there to look after his beloved when he's unable to. Some would call it lucky, but Kishiar likes to believe that any version of themselves are fated to meet one way or another.
"I think he was waiting for me."
This piques Kishiar's interest. Although his Yuder had met his counterpart, the Kishiar of that reality chose not to disclose anything to the other Yuder. Based on the situation on the other side, Kishiar can understand, and even his Yuder agreed to keep his little adventures a secret from the other version of himself.
"Did you learn something?"
There must've been a reason why the other Kishiar is eager to meet his world's Yuder, and based on the story that followed, Kishiar can only listen in contemplative silence.
Even with the words coming out of his own mouth, the dazed look on the shorter's face tells him that Yuder himself couldn't quite believe the things he's saying. By the time he's finished relaying information from the other world, Yuder casts Kishiar an expectant look, as if seeking guidance.
The gesture makes Kishiar's lips twitch, touched by how much the other trusts him. It takes time to earn someone's trust, Yuder's especially, and even more to become someone reliable he could turn to.
"It's all so needlessly complicated."
"But it explains a lot. The conflicting memories make much more sense now…"
Kishiar nods, agreeing with Yuder's comment.
Whenever Yuder inhabits his counterpart's body, he also gets their memory. But for some reason, he seems to be getting two different memories of the same events. On top of his own body's memories, the only thing keeping Yuder sane is that this world is completely different from the one where his counterpart lives in.
The different era between realities helps him distinguish which memories are his and which belong to the other, but even then, there seems to be some complicating factor that makes it difficult to properly discern the other Yuder's memories in a comprehensive manner.
Who'd have known it was because his counterpart was a regressor? It explains the dual memories, but this only makes things harder for his Yuder.
"Are you going to be alright?"
"It's not so bad. My counterpart considers the first game as a part of his past, instead of a repeat of his life."
Yuder shrugs, and he looks more relieved now that he's said it aloud.
Kishiar hums, subconsciously tracing circles in the back of Yuder's hand with his thumb.
"It looks like Yuder has also started to trust the other world's Kishiar."
Considering the memories his Yuder acquired, they expected that earning that one's trust will be a daunting feat even with the rapport the other Kishiar established with the more standoffish counterpart. It took a while, but he succeeded, which makes it easier for the two of them.
From where he's seated, Yuder noticeably agrees.
Although it has nothing to do with them, other than his Yuder being able to spectate over the other reality, the two had taken it upon themselves to help as much as they can, if only to offer a fresh set of perspectives. They don't have the power to interfere, since Yuder can only immerse himself for a limited time in his other body, and even if they're dealing with their counterparts, it doesn't give them the right to make impactful decisions that will greatly affect the course of that reality's life.
And maybe it's because it's another version of them that they feel the need to meddle in some way they're able to, but there's also the lingering thought of what may happen to the Yuder of this world should something untoward were to happen to his counterpart. It's not the afterlife he worries for, but survival. After all, possessing a body comes with the wounds and painful sensations along with it.
There's also the emotional turmoil both can suffer from if anything is to happen to their partner's counterpart, but Kishiar quickly shakes the thought away. Instead, he gives Yuder's hands a squeeze.
"If I know myself well, then I'm sure my counterpart will do everything in his power to keep his Yuder safe. For now, I'm content with knowing that he's become a reliable figure in Yuder's life."
It's no good to worry about things that haven't happened yet, so it's best to focus on what they can do as separate entities to prevent that from happening.
And knowing Yuder, there's no doubt that his counterpart will also keep the other Kishiar in check should he go too far and compromise his own safety in the process.
The thought alone seems to appease Yuder, and he looks more collected and put together now than he was when he woke up, causing a pleased smile to form on Kishiar's lips.
"They'll be okay."
Because they have each other, too.
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Me: Trying to get Yuder to talk is like pulling teeth. I'm sorry but I guess I was trying too hard to fit some stuff into the story without just lore-dropping it all in one go. Now that I finished this small thang borne from impulse-writing, I will now focus on writing some prequels for my other Turning fic! It's gonna take longer to finish but if you vibe with me, feel free to join mydiscord server (tdNdHA9)!
~~~CHAO!~~~