"So in the real world I don't know you exist?" she asks puzzled as we sit near the lake.

Her hair was waves of pure earth, softly reflecting the light of the sun, each strand moving freely, a compliment to her stillness. Her eyes are like fire in water setting my heart a blaze every time she glanced my way. And her voice...she had a voice that was like music, hearing her talk even about nothing was like listening to my favorite song.

"Nope. I walked right up to you to talk and you were clueless. You only know me in my dreams," I say regretfully while I lean back on my arms and she looks down at me.

"Well then whose dream is this, Koo?" her face scrunches and a small pout graces her full lips.

"No idea, Nova. Maybe the real world is the dream?" I suggest but she shakes her head.

"We have been meeting here since we were kids, with no one else...so this can't be real," her pout has turned into a full-on frown.

"I might not know you in the real world...but promise you won't ever forget me."

I stare up at her in shock. How could she ever think I'd forget her? I'd loved her ever since I was five. Our secret dream meetings were just that. I thought she was my dream friend but, as time went on, she never faded as my superhero dreams did. She remained a constant, my safe haven. We grew together, I knew all her dreams, aspirations, and troubles just as she knew mine.

I figured this was some divine intervention, I was getting to meet my soulmate every night in my dreams until I met her in person. So imagine my delight when Nova walked into the office as the new intern, but it all fell apart when I realized she didn't know who I was.

"Promise me, Koo," she says seriously, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I promise."

Her face lights up, and at that moment, in that fraction of time her smile was everything, and I knew I would work hard to make real-life Nova smile at me in the same way.

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"Do you need any help?" I question the small girl who's struggling to balance the pile of paperwork she holds in one hand and the tray of coffee in the other.

"That would be great," she sighs in relief as I reach for the heavy stack.

"They sure keep you busy with work, huh?" I smile at her and she rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess, if you call grabbing lunch and coffee and only making copies work," her lips instinctively pouting just like I knew they would.

I laugh beside her. Her lips were as good as her eyes in painting a picture of her emotions. Her eyes snap to me narrowing slightly as the sides of her mouth dip down. I smile at her trying to suppress my laughter.

"Glad to know my misery causes you to laugh," she says hotly and I quickly shake my head.

"It's not that, I swear, it's jus-"

She suddenly reaches over and takes the paperwork from me, turning on her heels, she gives me her back starting to walk off.

"Have a good day Mr. Jeon," she tosses over her shoulder.

I frown at her disappearing form. I wasn't expecting her to act like that, the Nova I know would have made it a joke and teased me instead of getting upset. I sigh but decide it's most likely because we aren't as close as me and dream Nova, so I would just have to try harder.

But it's all for naught. She wasn't happy with anything I did for her. I brought her a sandwich from the deli down the street remembering how dream Nova told me sandwiches weren't complete if they didn't have pickles on them, only for real-life Nova to give it a look of disgust once she saw them.

I've busted out all the jokes that had dream Nova in stitches only for real-life Nova to stare at me like I'm dumb. I've even tried to help her around the office only for her to get bristly saying if I thought she couldn't do her job, I should take it up with HR.

"She sounds like a real cunt to me, Koo. Are you sure it's me?" dream Nova says with a scowl on her face as we lay in the same field as always beside the lake.

"I mean, she has your name Nov's, and looks exactly like you," I sigh with my eyes closed. When I open them she's staring at me expectantly. "But no, she's definitely not you."

"Okay...so just hear me out before you think I'm crazy, Koo," she nervously smiles at me and I sit up.

"What if this isn't a dream?" I stare down at her skeptically and she groans sitting up also.

"Look, I went to a sleep study last week, I just...this has gotten too much for me and I thought I was going crazy," she says softly pulling her knees up to her chest.

"What do you mean it's gotten too much?" I ask worriedly and her eyes close as she buries her face into her knees.

"It's gotten too real for me, Koo. This, you, my feelings," she all but whispers and I feel my pulse speed up at the mention of her having feelings for me.

"Tell me more, Nova," I say trying to not embarrass her.

She raises her head and brushes back her long locks.

"I never even hit REM sleep, Koo. I never even went into the dream state but I know I spent the night with you," her eyes make contact with mine trying to gauge my reaction but I've got none.

What could that even mean? If this wasn't all a dream what is it?

"What if we're in two different universes? And this is where our realities meet?" she says seriously and I can't stop myself from laughing so caught off guard by her theory.

"Kooooo," she whines covering her face.

"You've really lost the plot this time, huh?" I laugh trying to pry her hands from her face as she hides.

"It's okay. I'll still love you even if you've gone bat-shit crazy," I tease and she shoves me away.

"I'm serious, Koo! Think about it. I swear I'm a real person. I wake up from our nights in my own bed in my own house, I go to work, I have friends, I have a life, a real one," she says standing and pacing in front of me.

"So do I Novs, but what you're saying sounds impossible," I lower my head playing with the hem of my shirt.

"Look around us, Koo. I've never been to this place in my life! Except here with you."

My brows furrow and I realize she's right. I've never seen this place in real life. "So?"

"What if this is the place we need to find? The place where our worlds collide?" she stops pacing and looks at me with hope in her eyes.

"How would we even begin looking for this place?" I question and her grin grows until it's taken over her whole face. Her eyes are full of such love and hope that their blue became the color of a clear sky.

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"Do you guys remember those dreams I used to have as a kid?" I say to my friends who sit around me at the bar.

"The one with your dream girlfriend?" Jimin teases and I groan.

"Yeah, those. What if I told you they never stopped," I say nervously and both guys look at me like I've grown an extra head.

"Are you on drugs, buddy? Do you need us to, like, check you into some kind of center?" Tae offers gently and I shake my head no quickly.

"NO! Listen, I know it sounds crazy but let me explain," I plead. The two make eyes at each other having a silent conversation before they look back at me.

"Go on then," Jimin says clasping his hands under his chin as he rests on them.

And so I do, I explain how I see her every night, how I know her better than I know myself, and how I finally met her at work for it to be her, but just so completely different. I explain how she had a sleep study and then I go into her crazy two universes idea and how I am now looking for the meeting place.

Jimin sits across from me totally in shock, definitely thinks I've lost my mind, and how he is going to check me into a mental health hospital as soon as possible. But Tae, he looks like he believes me, he's been quiet this whole time but he looks more pensive than anything.

"Tell me about where you guys meet," he finally says and Jimin's head looks at him so fast I swear I hear it crack.

"You cannot be serious, Tae! This sounds crazy!" he argues and Tae shrugs his shoulders.

"The universe is a mysterious place, Jimin. Who are we to say this isn't real? There's really no harm in looking for the place," he says gently and I feel my hope rising.

"Right and when he snaps? Because we find the place or we don't and he can't deal with it 'cause it's not real!" Jimin argues indignantly.

"She's real," I say firmly. "I know she is, it's the way my soul feels calm around her, how my blood pumps a little harder when I hear her laugh, and how my skin feels like it's being electrocuted every time she touches me. That can't be fake, Jimin."

He holds my stare waiting for me to back down, but I won't. I know in my gut that she is who I'm meant to be with.

"Fine, tell me about this place," he sighs.

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"Tomorrow is the big day, are you excited?" I question but frown when I look at her and I see her pout.

"I'm scared, Koo..."

"Don't be scared. This is what we both want. Right?" I question and she nods softly.

"I want to be with you. I want you to be here with me, Koo."

"I will be soon. Promise," I pull her into my embrace and kiss the side of her head.

I soon find that I'm waking up in my bed alone. I thought I might feel nervous about the day, but after all the research me and the guys put into this, I'm more excited than anything.

By the time they showed up to grab me, I was rushing into the car. The drive was long and the guys filled it with all sorts of questions about what I would do if it was real.

"I'd go with her, obviously," I say eating some chips in the backseat.

"But what about your life here?" Jimin asks and I freeze not thinking about that.

"What if you can't come back? Tae asks and I forcefully gulp the chips I've had in my mouth down.

In all my excitement to finally be able to have Nova in my arms, I never thought of the repercussions my actions could have. What if I couldn't come back? What if I never saw my best friends again? What if I couldn't live in her world? What if it was dangerous for me because I'm meant to be here?

No, that doesn't make sense though. I know I'm meant to be with her, I've known it since I was a child.

I shake my head and make eye contact with the guys through the rearview mirror.

"It will all be worth it if I'm with her guys," I say confidently and they both nod their heads.

The car grows quiet, everyone is deep in thought about what is about to happen. And then, like magic, the lake appeared as we crested the ridge. The lake is brighter than the colors of our dream and looking up into the sky was the same as looking down into the water, they were a perfect mirrored image.

We all get out of the car, no sound ringing out, the gentle breeze carrying with it the smell of mint and pine from the trees that surround us as the idyllic scene took our breath away.

"We're here. Now what?" Jimin interrupts the peaceful quietness that has surrounded us.

"There's a tree we always sit under," I explain and start making my way forward as the guys follow me.

My feet move on instinct, I've been to this place every night of my life and I know where I need to be. I could get there with my eyes closed. The large pine comes into view and I speed up my pace bubbling with excitement, then I freeze feeling a wave of energy brush against me.

"Holy shit, he's not crazy," Tae gasps as they stop beside me.

In front of us, we can see the air rippling and moving. I've forgotten how to breathe as I anxiously wait for something more to happen. There's loud crackling and suddenly it's like a door has been opened and there stands Nova just as shocked as a carbon copy of Tae and Jimin standing beside her.

"Koo," she whispers and my feet nervously move closer.

"You're real," I say huskily.

"Of course I am," she laughs tilting her head to the side.

"That can't be us can it?" I hear Jimin saying to Tae.

"It's an alternate reality us. So us, but also not us," he says as he fans himself nervously.

"Shit, wait, Jungkook!" I hear Tae shout as I move closer to Nova and the barrier.

"I've watched a lot of Sci-Fi movies and I know for sure there can't be two of you in the same dimension!"

Fuck!

My eyes dart back and forth between the guys and Nova. I know she's here but it's not her. I can't have her cross over into my universe, but am I really willing to risk going into hers?

"You're not here, Koo," she says sadly when her eyes meet with mine. "I need you here, I love you."

Jimin and Tae are speaking behind me but I can't hear them. I'm lost in her eyes and I know there's only one choice for me to make.

"She's worth the risk to me, guys," I say turning to them and waving before I step into the barrier.

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It's been a year and nine months...

I stare down at the man I've been in love with since we were children. He'd always been so damn infuriating, with the way he was just so naturally good at everything he tried, how he was always so sure of what he wanted, and how charming he could be with his easygoing smile and laugh that had you wanting to share in his happiness with him.

What I wouldn't give to hear him tease me again about the pickles on my sandwich. To watch him jump between one of his many hobbies just to find a new one in the middle of it. Hell, I'd even love to hear him take up the drums again. But what I missed most was the feeling of him wrapping his arms around me to keep me warm as we sat at the lake for our annual camping trip with the guys.

I took it all for granted. I thought we had a lifetime honestly. I never expected him to be taken down by a reckless driver who cared more about the text coming in on his phone than the man who was my whole universe walking across the street.

"Any news today?" I hear Jimin ask hopefully from behind me as he and Tae step into the room.

"The doctors actually said he had a lot of brain activity the last week. That he's showing signs of waking up," I say choking on the words as I fight the tears from falling.

"It will only be a matter of time. He's strong and knows your here waiting for him," Tae offers soothingly as he rubs my back.

The guys stay for a while before having to head off for the night. I make sure to sponge-bathe Koo and spend as much time with him before I'm forced to go home and sleep before work the next day. I linger near the edge of his bed holding his hand in mine praying for this to end soon. I lean down and press my lips gently so his unable to stop my tears this time as they drip from my eyes onto his face.

"I need you here. I love you," I whisper before heading out of the room.

My sleep is terrible, I haven't been able to sleep well since he's been gone. I miss the comfort of his strong body laying beside me warming me in the night as I snuggle into him. I'm going through the motions in the morning as I get ready for work. The whole day passes in a blur like every other day before I'm rushing out of work to go see Koo in the hospital.

As I make my way inside the nurses greet me, asking about my well-being. We've become very well acquainted this past year, they all take extra special care of Koo when I'm not here. Just as I round the corner to his room the doctor steps out and spots me.

"Nova, I was just about to call you," he says surprised and I feel my heart sink.

My eyes mist and I'm already expecting the worst. I struggle to breathe and the doctor quickly ushers me towards the door of his room.

"He's awake," he says and swings the door open.

"Nova," Koo says softly, a weak smile on his face as he tries to sit up.

I rush to his side and lay him back down. "I'm here."

"You came back to me," I cry as he timidly reaches up cupping my face. I lean down pressing my lips to his gently not believing this is real.

"Nothing could keep me from you, Novs," he says and I smile as I keep our foreheads pressed against each other.

The guys show up an hour later elated to see Koo awake. They bombard him with what's been going on since he's been asleep.

He tells us all about the crazy dream he's had about alternate universes and a me that wasn't me. We laugh thinking it's the meds that have made him kind of loopy.

The guys offer to stay with him while I go home and grab some clothes for the both of us. I make it there and back in a flash and then quickly shoo the guys out promising they can visit tomorrow after Koo has rested. When I finally manage to push them out, I turn to lean my back against the door and I catch Koo staring at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask calling him out of his stare.

"Come here," he says motioning to the spot beside him as he tries to scoot over as best as he can.

"Stop staring at me," I nervously laugh hiding my face in his chest.

I know I probably look horrid, I've lost a lot of weight because of the stress and my eyes are always sporting a nice set of bags under them."

He gently lifts my chin and holds my gaze.

"When I see you, it's like time and space become the finest point imaginable. Time collapses into one tiny speck and explodes in a flash of light. My universe begins and ends with you.

I love you."

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