Summary: Childhood promises are still promises, and the promise you exchanged with Kun as kids is no exception.
Pairing: Qian Kun x reader
Genre: friends to lovers au; angst; eventual fluff
A/N: This is inspired by Just like heaven by The Cure; I just kind of had this idea and whipped up a story and idk how i feel about it but spoiler theendingiskindacuteiguess idk this site lacks kun fics so i am here to provide for the people
“Do it again! Do it again!” You had gasped, watching the boy beside you with eager, excited eyes as he flipped an old pair of spectacles without touching them. He picked them up, placed them back on their original spot on the rock and wiggled his fingers, conjuring up his ‘magic powers’ before flicking them upwards. Your eyes were fixed intently on the spectacles, looking closely to see if he touched them, yet somehow the glasses moved on their own accord, making no contact with the boy’s magic fingers at all. Wide eyed, your jaw had dropped, and you had looked at him with so much awe and fascination. “You’re magic, Kun! How do you do it?”
“A magician never reveals his secrets.” He grinned smugly, tapping his nose. You rolled your eyes, huffing and leaning back on the twigs which held up your childhood fort. Dappled sunlight caught within the foliage of the trees above scattered across the earthy floor and twinkled on the lenses of the spectacles, casting small spots of light on Kun’s face.
“You never tell me.” You had whined, sticking out your bottom lip. “Can’t you just tell me one? Please?” Every time you had asked for Kun to tell you his magic tricks in the middle of the forest, he had giggled and shook his head, staying loyal to his duty as a magician.
“No way. If I ever told you, it was all be far less fun.”
Kun had been your best friend for as long as you could remember. When you both were little, he lived down the same road as you, and when you were seven you both made a secret den with the help of his father and your own in the middle of the forest, which your gardens backed onto. After long days at school you would both go and find it in the forest where the trees grew the tallest, and under the protection of the leaves you played and studied and sang until the sun started to set. Kun always sang more than you though; while you were much shyer and quieter, Kun was confident and longed to be a singer in the future.
In time you both started to bring your own belongings to the fort to decorate the small yet surprisingly stable space, filling it with old pillows and blankets, but the cherry to top it all off was the small, wooden sign which you had both painted, reading ‘Magic Palace of King Kun and Queen Y/N’. You had given it this particular name when Kun had begun to learn magic tricks, since you were always the first one to see them in the den. Kun would always show you his trick first because he always adored how you looked once they were complete. He loved the twinkle in your eyes as you stared at him, gobsmacked and entranced by what he could do. He loved how loudly you giggled, and how the song of your voice accompanied the birds high above.
Years of childhood secrets were whispered within your wooden palace and concealed within the protection of the trees. One day, you had laid back next to Kun on the soft, shabby pillows with a long sigh.
“What’s wrong, Y/N?” Kun asked, rolling over and propping himself up on his elbow. His arms and elbows were grubby from playing tag and rolling about outside, just like your own. You still remember the small smudge of dirt which swept across his cheek on that day.
“Kun,” you started, staring up at the sun filtering through the ceiling of the fort “when you go to middle school, will you still be able to spend time with me?”
His eyes had widened, before he nodded ferociously. “Of course, Y/N! Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you’ll make new friends, and I’ll still be stuck at junior school while you forget about me.”
Taking your hand, he sat up, pulling you up with him and looking you right in the eyes. “Y/N, I will never forget you. I promise you.”
You had nodded your head slowly, still terrified of the idea of Kun leaving you as he moved schools. The only problem with yours and Kun’s friendship was that he was a year older than you, and therefore in the school year above you, which had been of no trouble until then. It was selfish, but you were young and wanted everything to just be you and Kun forever, so the thought of him going to a new school where he wouldn’t see you every day and would instead replace you with new friends upset you deeply. Seeing so much sadness on your usually bright face upset Kun, as he squeezed your hands tighter.
“You know what, Y/N? When we’re older, lets run away and live in these woods and our palace together. We can live here forever, and I’ll be the King and you’ll be the queen, and I’ll show you every magic trick I know. How about that?”
“That sounds fun…” Looking down, you wanted to distractedly trace small shapes in the dirt, but Kun’s hands clasped around yours prevented you from doing so. The air of sadness still floated about you.
“Then promise me. Here.” Kun had insisted, holding up his pinky finger. After a moment, you looked back at him with a small, blooming smile and a shy nod as you linked your finger with his.
“Okay, I promise you. I promise that I’ll run away with you.”
The following autumn, everything slowly began to fall apart.
As soon as Kun began middle school, he started to have less and less time to spend with you due to his much more demanding studying schedule. Just like you predicted, he started to have new friends, and you felt so empty and lonely as you started to go to your fort more frequently without him. Of course, you had other friends at school who you could spend just as much time with, but it never felt the same without the magical aura which Kun carried around with him.
The following autumn, you began middle school. You attended the local school, which happened to be the same one which he attended, and although you thought you had finally gotten used to seeing less of Kun, as soon as you saw him at school again you only began to long for him more. However, the more you saw of him, the more distant and out of reach he felt from you. Things were different in the new setting; he was in the year above, and people in the year above were scary, so you decided it would be best to keep your distance. You didn’t want to embarrass yourself or look disrespectful. In doing so you couldn’t help but feel that you were betraying him, breaking your promise to stay with him forever by not staying with him at all. However, you often kept a look out for Kun. Maybe it was an old habit, and although the two of you barely spoke anymore, he was still your friend and you loved him. Sometimes if you crossed each other in the hallways, Kun would smile and wave at you, and you would smile and wave back, cherishing the fleeting moments so, so deeply in your heart.
By the middle of your second year (Kun’s last year), your new friends had soon caught onto how you would always look out for him. They saw the sense of longing in your eyes and how they yearned for the past times with Kun, but they also began to misinterpret this as something else.
“Y/N, you’re always staring at that upperclassman. Do you know him?” Daiyu, one of the first friends you had made at school once asked, looking at you with a slight look of concern. You were both sat eating lunch underneath a willow tree, through which you gazed absentmindedly at Kun, who was sat more towards the centre of the field. Not quite catching her words, you asked “Pardon?” before taking a first bite into an apple. Daiyu rolled her eyes and laughed, crossing her legs. “That boy over there, the one you keep on staring at. Do you know him?”
Suddenly embarrassed with your behaviour, you nodded, as a flood of pink filled your cheeks.
“He… Yeah. I know him. We used to be friends when we were younger.” The words ‘used to’ had felt like a sudden stab to the chest. Daiyu nodded, sticking her elbows into the sides of her knees and slouching to rest her head in her hands. Her eyes drifted over in his direction, and you followed her gaze, catching him laugh. He looked genuinely happy, and as glad as you were to see him smiling, it pained you that you weren’t smiling by his side. “We used to play together every day” you began, not really thinking about your words. “We live on the same road, so we’d always go to each other’s houses, but where we really spend most of our time was at a small fort we had in the woods at the back of our houses. I still visit it as often as I can, just to see if it still stands, but now that Kun is never with me it never feels the same.”
Both you and Daiyu continued to look at him under the protection of the willow tree. “He’s called Kun, huh?” Daiyu asked rhetorically, adding playfully “Do you fancy him?”
At her question your heart suddenly rammed its way into your throat and you felt like you can’t breathe. After years of being so close to him you loved him as a best friend, hell, you had even promised to spend the rest of your lives together, but you didn’t dare say that to Daiyu. When you hadn’t responded to her for a moment, Daiyu looked back at you first with confusion then suddenly surprise.
By the end of that school year, things only got worse, and you started to believe that your friendship with Kun couldn’t be salvaged.
When he had graduated middle school, Kun moved to a special school in the city in order to pursue his dream of being a musician. The day you found out about his plans to move, his parents had invited your family over to his home for dinner. At first you were surprised, even nervous to go back to Kun’s house. You hadn’t visited in a very long time, and Kun seemed like such a different person by then, so you felt like you were going to see a stranger. You could tell that he felt that same when you both finally spoke again. As he had opened the door to greet your family, as soon as he saw you, you could see the nostalgia swimming behind his eyes, all which he struggled to conceal behind a friendly smile.
Kun was very polite that evening. When he offered to lay the table in preparation for dinner, your own parents encouraged to you join him, so, of course, you did. And at that moment when you were both in the kitchen collecting crockery, you both had felt the heavy realisation that this was the first time you both were alone together in three years. Kun was the first to speak.
“I’m sorry, Y/N.” He sighed, pulling open a cupboard and collecting bowls. You were by the cutlery draw – from all the years you had spent at the house, you still knew it inside out. Biting your cheek to supress your own nostalgia, you had simply responded “For what?”
“For not spending time with you anymore. For not speaking to you at school.”
“It’s okay, Kun. I understand why you had to do it. I have my own friends, anyway.” You uttered, not looking back at him in fear that you might suddenly crumble.
“It’s not okay. You don’t look the same anymore and I feel like it’s my fault.” He sighed, stacking the bowls onto a pile of plates. You took out the cutlery you needed and closed the draw, distracted from your thoughts as the wood, metal and plastic all clattered together.
“I guess I’m just growing up, Kun.” You attempted a smile, looking back at him. “I do miss you though. And now you’re going away I’m going to miss you even more.”
Kun had hesitated in thought, as if trying to conjure up the right words to say, but then quickly stepped forward, wrapping his arms around you so tightly that you could feel the tears behind your eyes begin to be squeezed out by his warmth. As soon as you were within his embrace you dropped the cutlery on the counter with a clatter, pulling him as closely to you as you could. You missed your best friend. You wanted him back.
For a small moment, you remained in Kun’s arms. He even went as far as to stroke your hair, listening to the small sobs which left your lips in whispers. “Hey, do we still have that promise?” He murmurs delicately.
“Shouldn’t I be asking that to you?” You replied, a small laugh making its way through your tears. When you looked up at him, you saw him softly smiling back at you, his own eyes glossy with nostalgia and regret.
“You know, maybe we should go back to the palace tonight.”
“No, it’s a bit old now, and we took out the blankets a few months ago.” You shook your head. “But I would love to go back some time.”
“Well, I’m not breaking my promise, so let’s hope it’s some time soon.” Kun grinned, wiping your eyes. You thought about Daiyu and how she asked if you liked Kun, and in that moment, you realised that yes, you did, but it was too late to tell him. He would be leaving in a few weeks’ time.
“I keep my promise too.” You smiled, turning to pick up the cutlery once again.
Looking back at that time now, you always wish that you had held onto Kun for a little bit longer.
After Kun left for the city, you lost most contact with him, and now the only way you find out about how he is doing is through his parents. You often hear good things though. Apparently, he made some good deals with good record labels and whenever you are home his parents tell you that he is praised highly for his voice. You, on the other hand, are now settled into university rather far from home, but not any nearer to where Kun is. Two weeks ago, you returned home for the holidays and you have not yet spoken with Kun’s parents, although from what your own parents have told you, it is better that you give them some space since Kun’s mother has recently fallen ill.
It’s a breezy late autumn afternoon, and you stand in the forest you call home. The air is cold, and you regret not bringing gloves, but still, just like you used to, you look at the old fort. The sign is weathered and green at the edges from where moss has begun to grow, but among the decay you still find it beautiful. Even if it is a pile of old interlocking twigs, you’re impressed by how even now, ten years later, it still stands strong. The fort is surrounded by a sea of gold and purple leaves, looking like some sort of autumnal moat and you sigh. “How suitable for an old palace.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more.”
A heartbreakingly familiar voice ripples not far behind you, and you quickly whip your head back to see if you’re not going insane. Surely enough, in a dark trench coat, grey jeans and sturdy boots, stands the butterfly of the boy you knew so long ago.
“Kun?” You ask, stunned as he steps closer to you. His hair is a soft auburn which matches the colour of the leaves he steps upon, and his face now looks sharper; more mature. As he approaches, you can feel your heart flutter once more, but you’re not sure whether it’s in attraction or in pure joy of finally seeing him again.
“Who else would it be?” He grins, his smile broad but humble.
“You… grew up.” You laugh, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear as the wind knocks it out of place.
“You did too. I almost didn’t recognise you.”
“Are you actually here though? I’m not going insane, am I? This isn’t some sort of magic trick?” You joke as he stops beside you. He teasingly prods your arm.
“See, I’m here. No magic. You seem much more confident than I remember though, has someone cast a spell on you?”
“Maybe university.” You laugh, stuffing your cold hands in the pockets of your jacket. Kun quickly notices, pulling his own gloves off and handing them to you. You gladly accept them and thank him.
“Wow, you’re a university student now? I can’t believe the queen of our palace is both beautiful and smart.” He sighs, stepping closer to the fort and running a finger over the sign. You feel your face flush red at the compliment, but you quickly brush it off and change the topic.
“Why are you here, Kun? Aren’t you meant to be in the city?”
“My mother is sick, and since it’s getting colder I want to help look after her. I managed to get some time off work to help her.” He turns back to you, a small, warm spark illuminating his eyes.
“Hey, how about we try and climb in here and I’ll show you some magic, just as I promised you all those years ago?” He suggests, crouching down to the small plank of sticks which acted as the door to the fort.
“Do you still do the magic?” You laugh, following him round. He looks back at you, his eyes and smile bright.
“Absolutely, look.” He digs into his pocket and pulls out a packet of playing cards, waving them next to him. “Ta-da!”
A big grin spreads on your face as you laugh, delighted and craving to see Kun’s magic once more. “Are we even going to fit in here? We’re grown adults now…” You giggle, childishly getting onto your knees and following Kun into the fort. The both of you manage to squeeze inside; Kun sits cross legged while you hold your knees close to your chest. Kun rolls up his sleeves.
“So,” Kun begins, a mischievous glint in his eye “what would her highness like to first?”
“Are you seriously sticking to the king-and-queen thing?” You ask, shaking your head with a slight blush. Kun pouts, his eyebrows furrowing with solid sincerity.
“Of course! We always used to talk that way in here and today is not exception, so, please pick a trick.”
“You know which one is my favourite.” You smirk, hugging your knees a little closer to you for warmth. Kun nods once, digging his hand into his pocket.
“Very true. Which is why…”
“I brought these!” From his pocket, Kun fishes a pair of glasses, just like the ones he used to use for his magic tricks. He sets it on the small rock between you two, just like he used to, and you watch closer than ever.
“Right, before you start, I’m ten years older therefore ten times wiser than I used to be. I’m going to figure out how you do this this time.” You state, determined to call out Kun’s trick. You never looked up how to do it, because as Kun said so long ago, that would ruin the fun. Kun just smirks and shrugs.
“You won’t figure it out, but I’d love to see you try again.” He claps his hands, rubbing them together and hovering them above the glasses, and your eyes fix on his fingers. “Okay… three,” he counts “two, one!” He lifts his hands, and the glasses flip over, off the rock. You beam, cheering and tilting your head. He really didn’t touch them at all.
“How?! How do you do that?!” You exclaim, your laughter bouncing around the small walls of the fort. Kun’s grin is wide, and you can see the adrenaline dance in his eyes as he relives the excitement of the old days.
“It’s magic.” Is all he says, his eyes finding yours. He can see the joy in your face, and it fills his body with warmth and comfort and nostalgia. You feel the exact same, as if you have suddenly become his mirror counterpart, just like you used to be. As you fall into each other’s gazes, you eventually quieten your laughter into a soft giggle, when he states “I missed that laughter a lot.” His face softens and he leans back onto the tree behind him. “You know, Y/N, I was a real idiot in middle school. I should have spoken to you more often. I shouldn’t have just stuck with my friends because it wasn’t cool to hang about with the lowerclassmen. I’m so sorry for being such an immature idiot.”
“Kun, I told you then and I’ll tell you again now, it’s okay.”
“You know, I wanted to kiss you then. On the night we told you I was leaving.” He starts to frown, and you sit in disbelief, eyes widening a subtle fraction. “I should have kissed you.”
“We hadn’t spoken in ages, it would have felt weird-”
“Y/N, please can I kiss you?” He looks you right in the eye, and you’re suddenly reminded of the day you first made your promise. Your chest starts to flutter, and suddenly you’re nodding your head.
“O-of course.” You stutter, blushing profusely. He reaches over, placing a cold hand on your cheek which cools your racing blush, before leaning closer towards you. You tilt your head to the side, and notice a small smudge of dirt on his cheek, just like before, and at the sight of it you feel a sudden rush of need as you push yourself forward, meeting Kun halfway and pressing his warm lips to yours. The whole idea is so surreal to you that it feels like a dream. He’s still for a moment, probably in shock at your sudden move, but he soon begins to kiss you as you readjust your sitting position, now kneeling on the rock between the two of you. With you on slightly higher ground, he moves the hand on your cheek to the back of your head, tipping your head down so he can kiss you more deeply; tangling his fingers in your hair while his other hand presses into the small of your back and pulls you closer. Your own hands move to cup his face, eventually sliding back into his golden-brown hair as the need and longing between you increases.
Kun’s lips are soft, as is his skin, as is his hair. They’re warm, and you press yourself closer into him to catch all the warmth he radiates. He doesn’t hesitate to pull you closer either. He feels safe and warm and you can feel the years’ worth of love in every one of his movements, be that his lips against yours or his hands in your hair. You can feel sparks of magic in your stomach and on his lips, and when you finally part, the two of you are laughing in disbelief.
“We should have done that much sooner.” Kun whispers, catching his breath.
“You’re the one who ran away, idiot.” You laugh, kissing his nose and pressing your forehead on his.
What he says next is enough to melt.
You give him one more kiss, this time much lighter and more chaste.
“I suppose a promise is a promise. Of course I will.”
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