It was his future house. With his future boyfriend. Or husband. Or-oh god, Joshua. He paused mid-step, heart doing somersaults in his chest.
Then he heard it-
scruff...scruff...hic...
He stopped dead in his tracks. Head tilting slightly. That wasn't Cheol or Joshua.
He turned slowly toward the slightly ajar door from where the sound came. It was dim inside, warm-toned, almost glowing, like something sacred lived in there. Cautiously, he stepped in, only to feel his entire body freeze.
His eyes swept across the room.
Family pictures-
Frames hanging neatly on the pastel walls-
Photos of him. And Joshua. Together. Laughing. Holding hands. One where he had Joshua in a back hug while kissing his cheek. Another where Joshua was making a cake and his future self had flour on his nose, clearly giggling.
"Oh my god..." he muttered, his face rapidly heating up. "Is this-our-did we-oh my GOD."
His brain short-circuited. He slapped both hands over his face, squeaking like a middle schooler.
Seungcheol's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. He clutched his chest.
This is our bedroom...
His knees wobbled a little.
Then it happened again-
A tiny, breathy hic.
He spun around slowly toward the crib tucked neatly against the wall.
And there.
Lying peacefully, surrounded by plush toys and wrapped in the fluffiest of blankets, was the tiniest baby he'd ever seen. Wisps of soft hair, chubby little cheeks, lashes too long to be legal. The baby squirmed slightly, making soft grumbly noises and kicking up a foot like they were dreaming.
Seungcheol's entire soul disintegrated on the spot.
"Oh..." he breathed, tiptoeing forward like the baby was made of glass. "So you were making the noises, huh?"
He crouched by the crib, hands resting on the edge, blinking down at the baby like he couldn't believe something so perfect existed. His voice came out a whisper-gentle, reverent, utterly undone.
"Are you mine... too?"
The baby yawned in reply.
Seungcheol bit his lip, holding back a squeal.
"I have a baby with Joshua. A real baby. A whole baby. With Joshua."
Seungcheol fell to his knees beside the crib, heart now a puddle on the floor. "Oh my god. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die right here. This is too much for my brain. Joshua and I made this?!"
He paused.
Then turned scarlet.
"Wait, WAIT. That means Joshua and I must have-" He slammed both hands over his face again, heat crawling down his neck to his toes.
His face exploded into the most flushed shade of pink imaginable as he melted into the floor right then and there.
"I'm gonna pass out."
He gripped the crib's railing like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.
"I... I made this with Joshua," he whispered to himself, completely stunned, voice barely audible. "I literally created this tiny human-with Joshua-holy sh-"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Because the baby suddenly smiled. And Seungcheol forgot how to breathe.
T.A.P. - Temporal Access Prototype - 2
Start from the beginning
