Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Clink!
Tink!
Clank!
Ssssssss!
Ding!

He heard this for hours every day. Dress up and tea parties is what he was made for, and yet all the noise still made Beomgyu want to rip his ears straight from his skull.

And so he was actively trying to avoid attending. Everyone had their assigned spots, so his absence would be noticed even among the chaos of laughter and spilling tea and falling cake, but that was a scolding he was willing to sit through if it meant having time to himself for even twenty minutes.

He could hear The Mad Hatter begin to list off everyone that was supposed to attend, because no one was allowed to miss a single cup of tea or slice of cake, not when he spent so much time preparing. The same meal. With the same drinks. Every day.

Beomgyu’s name was coming up. He needed to skedaddle, and fast.

“This doesn’t look like the way to the party.”

Beomgyu halted with scrunched shoulders and a foot hovering above the ground; then he processed who the voice belonged to, and all sense of alertness expelled from his body with a groan. “Yeonjun…”

“Excuse me? You can’t ugh, Yeonjun me!” Yeonjun poked Beomgyu’s chest repeatedly, his ears standing high and tail swaying in annoyance. “I should be ugh, Beomgyu-ing you!”

He pushed his hand away. “Will you keep your voice down?”

“Awe, what's wrong? Don't want the Hatter to hear us?” Yeonjun’s chest expanded with a brewing shout, the orange fur of his tail puffing out with it. He only managed to get out a squeak before Beomgyu slapped his hand over his mouth, forcing it all back inside which made Yeonjun cough. “I thought the phrase was scaredy-cat,” he sneered, swiping Beomgyu’s hand from his face. “Not scaredy-bear.”

“Why can't you just mind your own business?”

He thrusted his thumb into his own chest. “Because your business is my business! You're on your last strike, and you know who gets scolded for it?”

“Taehyun?”

“Yes! Wait- no! Well, I mean, yes, but more importantly, me! And I am not about to take another fall for you!”

“You know what? You're right.” Beomgyu turned Yeonjun around by the shoulders. “You should go let Taehyun know that.”

“Maybe I will!” Yeonjun began to march right back the way he came. Beomgyu didn't waste a single second to take advantage of having his back turned to him and took off with a vigorous stride. He didn't care to try and mute the leaves rustling and branches snapping of the bush he ran through – Yeonjun always had to be within earshot of the Mad Hatter, he couldn't bring himself to leave the premises, so Beomgyu knew that once he made it past the treeline, he was free.

And luckily for him, Yeonjun didn't notice he had bolted until he was only feet away from the forest. The last thing he heard was a sharp, “Hey!”

Yeonjun did not follow, just as he knew he wouldn’t. Beomgyu was able to travel at a more comfortable pace even before the sounds of the party became swallowed by the trees.

The sound of nothing was a melody Beomgyu didn’t think he’d ever be able to get used to. And it was so weird, even to him, because he remembered a time when he did enjoy all the noise, when silence is what felt unnatural to him, when he couldn’t hold a frown for more than a few seconds; the ringing in his ears that was left over from the parties used to make him crave any sort of sound – a trickle of water, the nagging on the Hatter, the cheers of the party-goers, a festive drum – but now it was a sense of security. One single sound he could hone in on and become numb to. It started to help him sleep at night.

Beomgyu had also given himself restrictions in terms of how far he was willing to walk since he wanted to be able to return for bed. Realistically, he could have found a place to rest in any tree, but there was nothing more comfortable than his homemade pile of leaves and straw, so he never traveled further than when the leaves began to desaturate and the grande mushrooms became smaller, but he had grown so used to the trail he had made that he had come across his stopping point much faster, and that was a problem because he wasn’t ready to turn around yet. He wasn’t ready to be surrounded by all those people again, and he especially wasn’t ready for the earful he was going to get from Taehyun. His nagging was worse than Yeonjun’s, though he’d take the squirrel over the Hatter any day.

He stared at the last, shimmery, purple-red mushroom that marked the end of his path, wiggling his toes as he debated on stepping over it. The thought was so thrilling, and the picture he had of Yeonjun’s red face was so entertaining. He simply couldn’t resist. And besides – it wasn’t a guarantee he’d even find out.

If there was one thing that stayed the same, it was that the bright colors of the central points of Wonderland always lit up Beomgyu’s eyes, so he thought that the dim colors of the in-betweens would unsettle him, but to his surprise, they were actually another relief to his senses. He quickly started to find the muted greens pretty and relaxing, though he didn’t quite like how the sky also seemed to change to a sullen blue from what he could see through the leaves. He didn’t like the shades of blue that were compared to sadness. It rubbed off on him too easily.

He lightly touched the trees that he had passed, half-expecting the texture to change as well. He could’ve sworn they felt rougher, and suddenly the thought of climbing one to sleep in seemed less comfortable than it already had been, and yet he felt the compulsion to brush his fingers against every one. It must have been the thrill of exploring, of never having seen these trees. He hadn’t seen a lot of Wonderland, but it was simply far more exciting walking through an area he was told never to go.

And he never quite understood why until he stumbled upon the first door.

He didn't realize what it was at first. All he noticed was the abrupt splatter of bright color painted onto the bark, and his initial thought was that someone must have been trying to liven up the place, make it less intimidating to connect two center points, and if that was the case, then that meant he was about to stroll into someone else’s territory. That especially was never a good idea without company, but then again, disobeying the Hatter was also incredibly stupid.

It was only after he had passed by a few of the odd designs did he realize what they were. His hand accidentally grabbing onto the circular knob helped. He took a few steps back to inspect, and was surprised to see that it was a cohesive design; instead of random swishes and swashes that created nothing, the red paint strokes curved and the green ones came to a point, creating a hallowed image of an apple. He could tell where the artist picked up their brush and started again because the individual strokes didn’t connect, which was another reason why he hadn’t realized it was a shape. The apple had a bite out of it, and the doorknob was placed in the center of it.

He looked back at all the doors he had walked past. There was a blue shoe, a golden oil lamp, an outline of a spinning wheel; to the right of him was a golden shell, a round pumpkin, a gingerbread house with splotches of colorful candies; a frog, a snowflake, a sword to his left, and a feather, the head of a lion, and a sun to his back. On and on and on and on, all these doors all around him, but what were they here for? Doors to where? And, most importantly, which one to open first?

He approached the gingerbread house first for no reason other than he really liked gingerbread. It looked like it was made with the last bits of paint, or maybe it was just worn down. Not from use, the knob didn’t look like it had been touched at all, but just from time. Then he lost interest when he got a closer look at the sword. He had always wanted to hold one. The characters in the picture books always looked so cool, they always had a real meaning to their lives. Freedom.

He grabbed onto the doorknob and was about to pull it open – he could hear it click out of place – but then there was a breeze, and he could’ve sworn he heard it laughing at him.

Beomgyu turned his head to the left, where the wind guided it. The leaves didn't move with his hair, he noticed. The trees were still like sitting dolls.

“Hello?” He called out, and he didn't feel silly doing it. He lived in Wonderland, after all – talking to nothing was a regular sight to see, and to a trained and conditioned eye, there was never nothing there.

“It's been a long time since I've seen anyone come all this way,” a voice said from somewhere above him, low and rumbling like a soft pur.

“Really?” Beomgyu looked from tree to tree, ears swiveling to try and locate the stranger. “How come? It’s not too terribly far from Hatter’s.”

“Correct. But if he's the same as he has always been, he doesn't particularly like his party-goers straying far from his table.”

“He doesn't.”

The wind picked up, pushing his head in the opposite direction. There was now a figure sitting on a low-hanging branch of the tree of the sword door. It was black, pure black, devoid of color save for its large eyes, blue and green separately. But Beomgyu wasn't afraid, especially when a tail unfurled from behind it, exposing that it was merely a cat. “So what are you doing here?”

“I got bored,” Beomgyu answered simply. “Who are you?”

Although their answer should've been easy as well, they seemed to ponder. “Depends on who you ask.” Its mouth was pink and its teeth were sharp and white.

“What would the Queen call you?”

“Vermin,” it answered far quicker.

“And the Hatter?”

“A nuisance.”

Beomgyu was surprised, but he figured it took one to know one. Then he smiled slowly with an idea. “Would Yeonjun call you anything?”

The cat’s mouth didn't move, but he could hear a smile in his words, “A bad influence.”

“He says that about a lizard passing by. Beomgyu, don't let that reptile give you any ideas,” he said in his best, incredibly incorrect and overdramatic Yeonjun impersonation. There was entertainment in the cat’s eyes as they shone brighter. “So you know Yeonjun?”

“I do not.”

Beomgyu’s smile fell into a confused line. He moved on. “What would I call you?”

Its tail curled into a hook before slowly falling straight again. “I don't give myself names.”

“Hm. I guess none of us here do.” He held up his arms. “So is this your territory?”

“I suppose.”

“You're not very good at answering questions in a way that gives any actual information. You know that?”

The cat rolled onto its back. “You're not very good at asking questions that end with informational answers.”

He stared at it, considering arguments, but he decided against it. “Do you know where all of these doors lead?”

“I do.”

“Every single one?”

“Yup.”

Beomgyu pointed at the sword door. “What about this one?”

“A battlefield,” the cat answered. Although Beomgyu had liked to imagine himself in battle, actually being there was different. He lowered his hand quickly. “Or a forest. Or a forest that is also a battlefield.”

“What about this one?” He pointed to the apple. “An orchard?”

“No. A forest.”

“Okay…” He looked around slowly. “What about the bear?”

“A cottage.” Beomgyu was relieved to have a different answer, but then the cat added, “In a forest.”

“The same forest?”

“No.”

“So different forests.”

“Yes.”

“Even–” Beomgyu was going to ask about a door with a picture that didn’t relate to a forest. Perhaps the seashell, or the gingerbread house, or maybe the lion; but then, past a few layers of trees with cartoonish doors, he spotted one that looked out of place as a tree could get in comparison to these other out-of-place trees. Immediately, his interest was piqued. “That one?”

He looked back up at the cat when he didn’t get a response, only to see that it was gone. He figured he must have been boring it just like the Hatter bored him, so he simply turned and made his way toward the weird door.

It didn’t have a painting like the other trees, but there was still a clear outline of a door, as well as a doorknob jutting out awkwardly. It wasn’t carved as neatly as the others, nor was it placed with much care at all, the (now hardened) sap used to glue it into place bulged out and dripped down to the ground. The top corner of the door didn’t align properly, and the shape of it wasn’t precise. It almost looked like it was used for practice, but Beomgyu suspected otherwise, not only because there was no progression in the other doors in terms of skill, but because of the giant red X painted onto it, with the warning DO NOT ENTER scribbled over it in white.

Beomgyu looked around for the cat again, his hand gently settled onto the space above the doorknob. He waited for it to appear again and start yelling at him. Maybe it was embarrassed for not knowing where it went after all that talk, or maybe it knew Beomgyu had every intention of breaking the one rule the door gave him and didn't want to be a witness to it. Or maybe it simply got bored.

He gave the door a little tug. It opened with just as little resistance as if it had been waiting to be opened.

He didn't understand the answers the cat gave him, anyway; how can a door inside of a tree lead to a whole other landscape? A battlefield? A cottage? Was he just being duped and would step completely through the tree and just end up on the other side, in this forest? Was this just a plan to make a fool of him?

Those thoughts did cross his mind as he peeked into the crack he created between the door and the tree. It was dark. It didn't look at all like it led anywhere. And that only inflated his curiosity.

If curiosity killed the cat, then good thing he was a bear.

Chapter Text

Beomgyu was expecting to open the door to a forest like the one he had just left, but to his surprise, a field of sorts was waiting on the other side.

It was small, tiny even, cut off into a square by a metal fence; and on either side, more little fields laid out in a row. They all looked different, and on each and every one was a structure. Some were flat, others were pointed, all had their own unique bland color, and the outsides looked like the layered belly of a lizard.

He looked back at the tree he had just stepped out of. It was brown with a mixed color palette of leaves, but not like the ones in Wonderland that got their different colors through shimmers depending on how the sun hit them. These leaves were matte, and no matter what angle Beomgyu looked at them, each leaf remained one shade of green, yellow, or orange with no transition from one to the other. It was fascinating how boring it was to look at.

He debated going back for a solid two seconds before he completely turned his back to the tree, dead set on exploring this whole new world, at least for a little while.

The structure had a lot of windows, Beomgyu noted as he walked toward it. Perhaps it was a house? If it was, it was quite the odd one. There were five that he could see, though he could only look into one that was the largest of them all, spanning from a foot above his head all the way down to his feet – the sheer size of it would suggest that a giant lives here, but then again, the structure itself wasn't nearly big enough to house one, and why all the smaller windows? And from what he could see inside – cabinets, a table with two chairs, an oven… oh, it's a kitchen! – everything was way too tiny for a giant.

It did occur to him how creepy he was being, looking through the glass with cupped hands to see what was inside, but he was too curious and fascinated to stop himself. He wasn't going to go inside. That would be too far, even for a shameless bear like himself – wouldn't want anyone sneaking into his own tree house, after all.

There didn't seem to be a way inside, anyway. He didn't want to waste too much time here when there was so much out there.

Beomgyu followed the fence. It extended past the edge of the house until he found a gate. The lock system wasn't at all complicated: all he had to do was lift a clamp that didn’t seem to close at all, and that made him wonder about the average intelligence of whatever lived here – what exactly was it trying to keep out? It must have been something, because as he approached a path that divided two rows of houses, he noticed how only some of them had a fence. What determined who got a fence and who didn't? Only important people had fences and gates where he came from, but the general look of the houses were the same save for the color and decorations outside.

He looked down at the path; it was dark and looked hard, not soft like the dirt back home. He tried stepping onto it, but he didn't like how uncomfortable it was on his bare feet so he decided to stick to the grass.

Things were much smaller in this world was another thing Beomgyu realized as he strolled along the edge of the field – the only reason he had to look up was to see the sky, blue and purple and red and orange, the prettiest thing he had seen so far. The sun was the only thing that looked almost the same, however this one seemed brighter as he stood out in the open, facing it.

There wasn't a single other living creature out there with him. He did find that a little odd, but the colors above were dark and the sun was beginning to rest on the horizon, so he figured whatever did live here were just settling down for the night. Sleeping here must have been so easy with how quiet and peaceful it was. He wondered if this was how it was like all the time.

He avoided the houses with windows yellow from lights inside, and he didn’t travel too far as he wanted to keep the house with the tree he had come out of within sight; he was fascinated and curious, yes, but he didn't want to travel in the dark, especially in a confusing, unfamiliar place. Plus he couldn't spend too much time here, and after he had walked one way and then the other and reached the edge of the field on both ends, Beomgyu decided it would be best to retreat back.

He hadn't seen enough yet. He knew he would be coming back, how could he not? And now that he knew what to expect, he would be more prepared.

The sun was nearly gone by the time Beomgyu made it back to the first house. He had been walking slowly, both to take in as much as he could and so he didn't risk disturbing the quietness – if it was midday in Wonderland, then maybe he'd have to come back at night to see what the waking state of this world was. He valued his sleep, but he didn't imagine he'd be able to after today, anyway.

He thought about bringing one of the leaves of the tree back, but he didn't want to explain to Yeonjun, Taehyun, or especially The Hatter where it had come from so he resisted the urge to keep a souvenir. The chances of it becoming evidence were far too high.

He didn't allow himself to look around one more time because he knew he'd find something he hadn't seen before. He needed more time, and he'd grant himself that tomorrow; for now, he would focus on returning to the party soon enough for cake, which was also soon enough to not get clobbered over the head with a sturdy golden spoon. He'd probably just be put on dishwasher duty.

He shut the door quietly behind him.

One more glance around and he would've seen the hand parting the curtains in the upstairs window.