Of course, San hadn't stopped teasing Hongjoong about the whole encounter. Hongjoong found seventeen new messages from the man once he woke up. They ranged from innocent smiling emojis that conveyed a far less innocent meaning to outright direct questions about whether Hongjoong and Seonghwa had banged after their date.

Hongjoong punished him with silence as he went about his day. He got dressed and ate while he checked on Seonghwa. The man had asked him via text to tell him once he woke up and whether he had rested well. Giddy at his attention, Hongjoong texted him he had risen and slept well. It took Seonghwa only a few moments to reply. He responded that Hongjoong had done well.

They shot some messages at each other while Hongjoong ate. Seonghwa had finished most of his reports successfully and spent his day at work running on coffee. When Hongjoong learned that the other man despised the bitter drink, he had to chuckle fondly.

They settled on an earlier sleeping time for Seonghwa since he was reasonably tired after his all-nighter. Hongjoong promised him to be there early and rushed to get ready. Today, he was overjoyed to be meeting Seonghwa again soon. His thoughts raced with the reminders of Seonghwa's gentle kisses and his affectionate words. In between, he got distracted by the sudden memory of Seonghwa sprawled out on ochre sheets beneath him, his cheeks flushed.

Hongjoong batted at the thought as if it were a bothersome fly. It was too early to be thinking about Seonghwa and handcuffs in relation to him. No matter how curious Hongjoong was now about how different things would be if they had sex in real life.

As expected, Hongjoong couldn't fool himself. Throughout his ride to work, his mind supplied him with various ideas and teased him with thoughts of what would happen if Seonghwa's bold side appeared in combination with handcuffs on one of their proper dates.

Hongjoong was flushed and very distracted as he came to work. The speech Jongho dumped on him droned by, while Hongjoong stood behind Mingi to play with the man's hair. He fled to the attic with Jongho's full understanding and permission before San came in. Hongjoong didn't even need to explain himself. Whenever somebody wanted to flee from San, they had Jongho's unconditional support.

Due to his exhaustion, Seonghwa fell asleep on time. When Hongjoong skimmed the informative data of what was going on inside his head, he had to double-take the words.

"A wedding? Huh?" Hongjoong asked into the room as if it had an answer for him. He rarely doubted the monitor since it only read Seonghwa's brain waves and pieced the signals for certain objects and surroundings together like an image. But a wedding seemed like a sudden change of setting.

Hongjoong was confused about what to wear, so he went for a black suit hesitantly. For the fun of it, he wore a lavender coloured shirt beneath. He jammed his gun into his chest holster and stepped over into Seonghwa's dream ever so sophisticated.

He found himself in a little back room of a church. It was decorated in white and pink flowers that crawled up the desks and walls like pretty mould. Seonghwa stood at a table with his back to Hongjoong as he fastened his cufflinks and tie. The suit on his body hugged his form charmingly and shone blindingly white in the sunlight falling through the open window.

Hongjoong sat down on the only available chair that was free of wedding-related clutter. A little spider had made its web under the armrest. With a gentle blow, Hongjoong destroyed it and sent the insect flying.

"What are we doing today?" Hongjoong leaned back comfortably as he crossed his legs. With a fleeting smile over his shoulder, Seonghwa sorted through his impeccable hair with careful fingers.

"Marrying. I'm the groom." Seonghwa eyed Hongjoong subtly through the mirror. Pretending not to notice, Hongjoong put his head down on his hand in feigned nonchalance. He battled the mean stab of jealousy in his chest.

"Who's your lucky person? Yeosang, by any chance?"

Seonghwa had to chuckle. Some nervosity that came with the responsibility of a wedding tightened his eyebrows, but he knew well that this was a dream.

"It's you, actually. But the other version of you."

"Me?" Hongjoong's mouth dropped open, dumbfounded. When Seonghwa snickered at his ridiculous expression, Hongjoong glanced at the door. He had to consider killing his dream double off just so he would stop claiming Seonghwa for himself already.

Hypocritical, he was aware. Hongjoong himself was the sole reason Seonghwa's subconscious had taken things here.

"Moving fast, right? Even for me. Not that I can complain, though. Without wanting to overstep my boundaries, but from all I know of you, you'd make excellent marriage material. At least better than Yeosang."

"You underestimate him. With Yeosang as your husband, you'll never have to be cold in winter. He has the wood chopping down. I can't chop wood."

Amused, Seonghwa came over to him. He leaned forward, having to put one of his long legs further back when they disrupted the movement. As his fingers settled on the armrests so he could hover over Hongjoong, Hongjoong tilted his head back. Their faces were inches apart, little breaths brushing each other's skin. Tension crackled between their matching smirks.

"There are always emergency ways on how to avoid freezing," Seonghwa whispered. Hongjoong withstood the urge to pull him in and mess up his clothes in the progress. Instead, he smoothed his itching fingers over the expensive fabric of Seonghwa's suit jacket.

"I wouldn't mind trying those out. They sound fun." Hongjoong glanced between Seonghwa's eyes and his lips. He had yet to receive his welcoming kiss.

However, just as Seonghwa bent to connect their hovering lips in a tingling kiss, the door opened. Faster than Hongjoong could catch up, Seonghwa stood back up and straightened his spine. In the door stood his grandmother, and she eyed the two of them suspiciously. Hostile, Hongjoong scowled at her.

"Seonghwa. What is taking you so long, sweetheart? Your wife awaits you." She eyed Hongjoong with disdain, and he did the same back to her. With a sigh, Seonghwa gestured for Hongjoong to follow as they left. Curious how the homophobic tendencies of that grandmother would play out in this dream, Hongjoong smoothly snuck out behind them.

Seonghwa walked down the petal-covered carpet leading through the middle of the little chapel at the appropriate pace. Meanwhile, Hongjoong followed the grandmother as she went to sit down in the front row. Hongjoong slipped into the seat right next to her and trained his eyes on the scene at the altar. Seonghwa had by now caught up with the other Hongjoong, who stood there blushing and shy. Only the white shirt under his black suit differed him from the actual Hongjoong. Fascinated by his angle as an onlooker, Hongjoong watched them grasp each other's hands.

Everything was as traditional and neat as Hongjoong would expect of Seonghwa. His family was there, recognisable by their shared features with him. Also some friends, but not terribly many. If far more than Hongjoong would want to see on his own wedding. Only San, who sat in the row behind Hongjoong next to a sobbing Wooyoung in his arm, was there for Hongjoong's side. Chuckling, Hongjoong concentrated again.

No pastor actually stood there. The book on the lectern seemed to talk by itself, adding a magical touch to the gorgeous venue.

However, just as the book-pastor asked the affectionate couple for their vows, grandma shifted next to Hongjoong. She stood up with an indignant screech, her face abruptly red in unsuppressed anger.

"No! I won't allow it! You won't marry a man!"

Fear twitched over Seonghwa's face. All mumbling fell quiet when the assembled folks turned to look at the grandmother. And with her words, the mood quickly turned sour.

Hongjoong slipped his hand inside his jacket. The muzzle of his pistol pressed against the woman's head the second he yanked her down to sit again. With a gasp, she eyed him angrily, but she didn't dare turn her head or defy him.

Hongjoong met Seonghwa's unsettled gaze. Upon his cheerful nod, Seonghwa picked up his dream again. Without stuttering, he mumbled his vows and the other Hongjoong did the same. This version of him was like a doll. A very bewitched and devoted one. The illusion of Hongjoong seemed to worship Seonghwa like a god, and Hongjoong had the time of his life watching how Seonghwa's perception wanted him to act towards him.

They exchanged their rings with giddy giggles. When the old woman in Hongjoong's grip tried to free herself and barrel in between, Hongjoong pressed the gun against her skull harder. Bitter, she held still once more. Her aged body was apprehensive, and hatred flared in her eyes like a shining beacon. It was the gaze of a venomous snake, a predator.

Hongjoong gifted her a lovely smile, his eyes no less sinister.

"Hold still. I won't allow you," he muttered in the privacy between the two of them. As long as Seonghwa didn't notice, it did not affect her, but Hongjoong felt better threatening her to the best of his ability. Her displeased grimace overjoyed his general helplessness in the situation.

The festivities ended with sweet kisses and radiant smiles of the newlywed pair. It took Seonghwa only seconds to stride from the elevated altar area down to Hongjoong. He completely ignored his fuming grandmother by his side as he leaned in to kiss Hongjoong. Trembles wracked his body from how ecstatic he was over the situation. Endeared by his excitement, Hongjoong allowed his open-mouthed kisses until his head spun.

The moment Seonghwa pulled back, however, his grandmother spoke up again. Uncaring of the deadly weapon pointed at her, she crossed her arms with a scoff.

"Is this how you are going to be? Come on, Seonghwa, grow up already. Aren't you too old to be fooling around? And with boys, no less?" Her sneer had Hongjoong grit his teeth. When Seonghwa paled, Hongjoong wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him close. As usual, he was petrified in fear, unable to talk back to her.

When the murmuring of the people around them picked up and the room darkened as if the sun had decided to set spontaneously in the distance, Hongjoong stood from his place. As the grandmother came after them, he pointed his gun right at her face once more.

"Shut it. This isn't your dream. Go bother someone else," Hongjoong hissed at her. He took Seonghwa's hand and led him away. Down the corridor and outside the chapel. Over the surrounding meadows and into a distance so undetailed and mysterious that it was the best attainable place to build something new.

In his pretty clothes, Seonghwa stumbled alongside him. The grass left green stains on the hem of his pants and his dress shoes, but neither of them minded.

"When will you have to meet her again?"

"Tomorrow. If I'm lucky her dementia has her forget again. Not that her sentiments change, but then she sometimes forgets her hatred for me." Seonghwa's voice shook, and no amount of reassuring touches of their intertwined fingers could soothe him.

"Please take care. Stay only as long as you need to, and call me right away afterwards. I will text you my number as soon as you wake up," Hongjoong pleaded with him. When Seonghwa nodded, a faint smile over being taken care of spread on his lips.

"See, you're a good husband. I knew I was doing the right thing."

Chuckling, Hongjoong glanced back at the chapel. It was gone already. Only smooth grass and the occasional tree crossed the lush hills. Out of breath, he pulled the two of them to a stop. His fancy shoes hurt his feet.

Seonghwa laughed when Hongjoong kicked them off carelessly and chucked them into the grass.

"The one you married is a different one. I can't substitute."

"Then" Seonghwa rose his hand to cradle Hongjoong's jaw gently. His eyes shone with adoration again, and Hongjoong's heart fluttered in response. "Then won't you be my boyfriend instead? Let's start there."

Charmed by the smooth timing of the man, Hongjoong pressed a kiss to his wrist. Then he gave Seonghwa a cheerful grin.

"Sure, why not?"

Seonghwa could sleep soundly the rest of the night, the memories of their kisses in the fields lingering on both of their minds.