A/N: If the language sounds a bit childish at some point, that's how it's supposed to be. It's a Fairy Tale after all, duh.
And I'm sorry for any kind of mistake, lol.
 

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Once upon a time, humans lived in harmony with nature. While plants and animals caused danger to humanity, they also assured shelter and food. And no matter how cruel mother nature could be, it was just as beautiful – endless fields, forests and oceans as well as beautific mountains and cliffs.

 

But with the change of time, circumstances started to develop into another direction.

 

As years passed by, human kind gained a lot of knowledge and strength and soon began to exploit the treasures of nature in order to use it for its own advantage. Due to newer, better methods, life started being easier and human race soon overpowered most of the dangers, overcoming the obstacles mother nature had made.

With the newly acquired position, human kind soon began to think of themselves as superior.

Most of them no longer shared a close relationship to their source of life but considered it as a means to an end, useful and needed in order to live.

Not far away from civilization, in a beautiful forest, lived a little fungus called Kyungsoo.

Even though the forest was not that big, to Kyungsoo it seemed like the biggest one in the whole world, so big, that he was sure that even the deers and and foxes he had had the pleasure to meet had gotten lost at some point in their lives.

 

But the forest wasn't only utterly big, it could also be an unbelievable scary and dark place with one big tree after another, thick in volume and as high as the clouds themselves.

 

But little Kyungsoo never noticed any of that.

 

Instead, he was a really happy little fungus, staying at a place with less trees and more bushes, who even wore a beautiful gown of berries from time to time, the sun being able to greet him with its soft rays and dazzling smile.

 

Most of the time, when Kyungsoo wasn't humming a lovely tune or singing his favorite fungus-song, he would talk to the bypassing animals or simply keep his best friend, the sun, company, enjoying every single day to the fullest just like fungi usually did.

 

And as soon as the sun set, Kyungsoo told her to have a nice rest, wishing her sweet dreams and telling her that he couldn't wait for the next day, before falling into a soft slumber with a gentle smile on his plump lips.

 

He dreamt, he always did.

He dreamt of sweet, sticky gingerbread hearts, painted in white and red, the colors of innocence and love, the taste as breathtaking as their stunning look.

 

But one day, as the sun woke him up as gentle as usual, tickling his little nose with its warm rays, causing him to sigh softly as he thought of the last gingerbread hearts he had eaten in his lovely dream, the world looked nothing like the day before.

 

The summer was gone.

Winter has come.

 

Kyungsoo didn't know what winter was.

 

Snow was everywhere, painting the forest in white, but Kyungsoo didn't know what snow was either, in fact he had never seen it before, so to him, it was nothing but a white thing.

 

A sticky white thing.

 

It caused him to think of his dreams, it made him happy!

 

Maybe the white thing was as nice as his lovely gingerbread hearts, sweet in taste and giving the greatest satisfaction to his taste buds.

 

Kyungsoo wanted to greet the sun, just like he did every single morning, and tell her about his thoughts, that maybe he would finally be able to experience the taste of his beloved pastry for real!

 

But as he looked up to the sky, the sun wasn't there.

 

All he could see were big clouds, hiding the sun behind them.

 

But Kyungsoo didn't know what clouds were, to him they were just white things like the sticky stuff on the ground – only that he couldn't touch them because they were too far away.

 

At first he thought that the white things were the same, but then he noticed that the clouds in the sky were not white but gray.

 

It wasn't white like innocence, but gray like dirt, looking disgustingly uninviting, scary and, even worse, blocking him from greeting his best friend.

 

 

Suddenly, Kyungsoo noticed that he felt awfully cold.

He had never felt this feeling before and he didn't like it one bit!

And, all of a sudden, he didn't feel happy anymore, either.

 

Kyungsoo began to shiver, he felt so unbelievable uncomfortable, and he noticed that his body reacted this way due to the white thing on the ground.

 

It wasn't lovely like his gingerbread hearts, neither was it innocent, no – it made him feel sick!

 

That's why Kyungsoo didn't like it anymore, the white thing.

 

He didn't want to touch it anymore because it made him feel ill.

 

He didn't want to see it anymore because it was an eyesore.

 

And yet, he had to stay where he was, he couldn't make it go away and neither could he do anything to get away from his new found enemy.

 

Kyungsoo started to cough and to sneeze, freezing more and more as the seconds passed by and feeling as unwell as never before.

 

“When is this going to stop....?”, he asked himself, his teeth chattering wildly.

 

But there was no end in sight...

 

 

So Kyungsoo decided to sleep a little more, to dream of gingerbread hearts, of his beloved colors, white like innocence and red like love, and to forget about the coldness.

 

But Kyungsoo couldn't sleep..

 

Because he couldn't dream, Kyungsoo became sad.

 

Sadness, a feeling he knew well but didn't like.

 

He had felt it before, back when he was still growing and had no one.

 

No one who wished him a good morning or good night, no one to talk to.

 

And now, with his only real friend gone, he was alone once again.

 

Alone.

 

 

Kyungsoo was surrounded by darkness and loneliness, the forest looking as scary as never before.

 

And soon, little Kyungsoo began to weep bitterly, big crocodile tears rolling down his cold cheeks, hot tears of longing.

 

He noticed that the tears made him feel a little warmer, that he was no longer shivering, so he decided not to stop and to cry forever.

 

His sobs could be heard in the whole forest, but nobody heard him, nobody was there.

 

Or that's what Kyungsoo thought.

 

 

But it didn't take long until there were no tears left, leaving Kyungsoo to freeze once again.

 

He didn't know what to do.

 

The little fungus looked up at the sky, but the sun still wasn't there, so he began to talk to the snow on the ground – just like he would usually to the sun.

 

He wished the snow a good morning – even though the morning was long gone.

 

He wished the snow a good night – even though the night took a long time in coming.

 

He talked about everything he knew, asked every question that came to his mind, but the snow never answered him.

 

Kyungsoo kept trying, but it didn't seem like the snow was able to understand him, or maybe it didn't want to answer...?

 

Maybe the snow was angry because Kyungsoo didn't like it.

 

Quietly, the little fungus asked for forgiveness, sounding as rueful as never before, but again, he didn't get an answer.

 

So Kyungsoo apologized a little louder, hoping it would change the snow's mind, but without avail.

 

Kyungsoo sighed sadly, looking around the forest.

 

Everything had changed, nothing looked like before.

 

The trees and bushes wore a thick, white coat and no animals could be seen.

 

Usually, animals would pass him by and he would always beg them not to eat him – and they never did.

 

“Maybe it would have been better if I had let them eat me...”, Kyungsoo mumbled.

 

He felt useless and wanted to cry again, but no warming tears came.

 

Instead, something else came.

 

Something warm.

Even though he was afraid and it grew darker and darker, Kyungsoo felt a comforting warmth, just as warm as the sun.

 

And he asked himself if his friend came back, he looked up at the sky, hoping, but... the sun still wasn't there.

 

Instead, something else was there.

 

Kyungsoo was startled and kept glancing upwards with big round eyes.

 

Now he really wished he had let the animals at him!

 

He was afraid, he didn't know what to do.

He had never seen such a thing before and it made him want to cower in a corner, to hide forever until the sun came back to greet him.

But Kyungsoo stood frozen at his place, unable to leave.

 

 

It crouched down to his level, looking right at him.

 

 

“Hello...”, it whispered softly, but Kyungsoo wasn't able to answer due to his fright.
Instead, he just kept looking at the being he had never seen before, still afraid that it might do him harm.

 

“What's your name..?”, it asked and looked at him with a soft smile which Kyungsoo couldn't help but return with one of his own.

 

“My name is Kyungsoo...”, the fungus whispered softly, feeling a little shy around the unfamiliar being.
He was afraid that it was unable to understand him, like the snow.

 

But instead it nodded its head.

 

Kyungsoo realized, that it understood him and it caused his smile to grow bigger, his curiosity to grow.

 

With new gained confidence and his eyes as round as beads, Kyungsoo asked, “And you?”

 

“Jongin.”, it replied gently, its smile growing even little by little.

 

“What are you?”, the fungus asked just like he always did when he met someone new whom he could talk to.
He tilted his head to the side, looking up at the being in front of him with great interest. Kyungsoo wanted to learn and experience.

 

“I'm a human.”, Jongin answered with a quiet laugh, but it sounded nowhere mean.

It caused Kyungsoo to laugh as well, even though he didn't understand why.

 

“I'm a fungus.”, he explained excitedly, and he didn't know if he was allowed to laugh as well, but he did so anyway, and Jongin laughed along with him.

 

 

“What are you doing here?”, Kyungsoo kept asking and tilted his head from one side to the other.
After Jongin had stopped laughing, Kyungsoo had done so as well, and now he wanted to know more about the other, he wanted to learn.

 

“I'm going for a walk.”, he explained.

 

Kyungsoo was confused.

 

“What is.... going?”, he asked, his eyes big. He had never heard of such a thing before.

 

Suddenly, Jongin stood up, and Kyungsoo was afraid that he might leave him again, leave him alone in the dark forest with the cold snow and the gray clouds, but Jongin only made a few steps before walking back to him.

 

“That's going.”, he said while squatting down again, looking at the mushroom with warm eyes.

 

Kyungsoo understood.

 

“Ah, so you're looking for food!”, he laughed.

 

The deers and hares and all the other animals which had passed him by had done the same thing and explained it to him.

 

Jongin laughed.

 

And so did Kyungsoo, even though, again, he didn't know exactly why.

 

He felt warmer.

 

 

“I guess you can say it like that.”, Jongin nodded and Kyungsoo was happy about it.

 

He recognized that he had learned and understood something, it made him feel proud.

 

“But please.... don't eat me..”, Kyungsoo mumbled. “Although the sun is gone... and I had planned to ask the next bypassing deer... I don't want to be eaten anymore.”

 

It was the truth, although Kyungsoo himself didn't understand it.

 

Jongin laughed again, but the fungus looked serious, causing the human to stop and nod his head.

 

“I won't eat you. I never had the intention.”, he smiled softly and Kyungsoo felt himself smiling as well.

 

But he was again left confused.

 

“Why did you come to me then?”, he asked with raised eyebrows and kept looking at Jongin.

 

“Because I was curious.”, he answered with the same expression as before.

 

And Kyungsoo was happy.

 

Then he noticed, that they had something in common, and he felt even warmer, looking at Jongin excitedly.

 

“I'm curious as well!”, he exclaimed happily. “Every time someone passes by and I notice that they are able to understand me, I ask about his name and what he is!”, he grinned broadly, clearly proud of himself.

 

Jongin chuckled again, his nose crinkling while doing so and Kyungsoo noticed, that the human in front of him did look really friendly.

 

“That's a good thing.”, Jongin told him. “You're a really smart mushroom.”
 

Jongin touched Kyungsoo gently, and the fungus was afraid at first, because never before had someone come this close to him.

 

Except of the sun, which had given him warmth and the snow, which had caused him to freeze.

 

But Jongin's touch didn't feel bad.

It didn't feel cold at all and instead gave him the warmth he had been longing for.

 

Jongin was like the sun.

 

Kyungsoo looked at up Jongin in a dazed manner. “Why are you warming me up? Are you a friend of the sun?”, he asked quietly.

 

Jongin nodded, his expression as soft as before. “Yes, I am.”

 

Of course he didn't understand what Kyungsoo meant, but that wasn't important as long as his answer made the both of them happy. And, actually, it wasn't a lie, because Jongin did like the sun a lot.

 

Jongin wanted to withdraw his hand, but the mushroom stopped him.

 

“Please keep warming me up..”, he pleaded. “Otherwise I'll have to wish you a good night and dream once again.”

 

Jongin didn't know why, but he did as he was bidden and kept touching Kyungsoo gently, giving him some of his warmth.

 

“Why are you even still here?”, he then asked Kyungsoo.

 

Mushrooms were a rarity during Winter, after all.

 

“I didn't let anyone eat me because I wanted to learn and experience.”, he replied softly, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the gentle touch.

 

But Kyungsoo knew that he wasn't dreaming.

 

The touch felt warm like the rays of the sun, only a lot better, and he appreciated it even more.

 

“You really are an extraordinary fungus!”, Jongin remarked and the acknowledgment he felt could easily be heard in his voice.

 

Kyungsoo opened his eyes again to look at the human in front of him.

 

“Am I?”, he asked quietly and felt a lot warmer than before, almost hot, but he didn't understand why.

He felt tingly all over and was utterly excited, but he was unfamiliar with this feeling, causing him to be confused once again.

 

All he knew was that it felt nice.

 

Kai laughed again. “Yes, you are!”, Jongin said in confirmation.

 

They didn't talk for a while, but the silence didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable.

 

Kyungsoo had never stayed quiet before when someone was with him, but it felt right.

 

“Do you... you do know how to search for food, right? Can you teach me?”, the mushroom then asked and looked up at Jongin.

Jongin was confused for a moment, but then he realized that Kyungsoo meant 'walking' and almost had to laugh again, but he didn't do it since the question sounded serious.

 

“I've learnt it a long time ago, I can't even remember it properly..”

 

Kyungsoo looked sad, he had hoped to learn something knew, and Jongin soon noticed the gloomy expression on the fungus' face.

 

He decided to try to explain how walking worked.

 

“You need a pair of feet.”, he said eventually and smiled.

 

“But I only have one!”, Kyungsoo noticed in horror, his hope vanishing.

 

Obviously, he would never be able to learn it.

 

All of a sudden, Jongin stood up again and Kyungsoo thought anew that the human was going to leave. But Jongin only looked for food a little before picking something up from the ground and coming back.

 

In his big, warm hand, he held a little stick, which he gently fastened on Kyungsoo after having squatted down once again.

 

“Now you have two feet.”, he said and Kyungsoo looked at him, laughing softly.

 

Jongin gave him a second foot.

 

Now he could learn.

 

He was happy.

 

 

“And now?”, Kyungsoo asked inquisitive, his eyes shining full of excitement and anticipation.

 

“Now you need to slowly put one foot in front of the other.”, Jongin then explained and stood up, trying to show Kyungsoo the right way to do it.

 

Kyungsoo tried, he really did, but he could neither move the stick nor his own stem.

 

“It doesn't work...”, he mumbled quietly, feeling stupid. He couldn't do it, he couldn't learn, he wasn't smart enough.

 

He felt useless.

 

Kyungsoo was afraid that Jongin would leave him now, but the other didn't.

 

“It's really difficult and usually doesn't work with the first try. It was the same with me, don't worry.” And Kyungsoo knew the other told him nothing but the truth. “Here, I'll help you.”, Jongin offered gently.

 

He crouched down to Kyungsoo again and gently led the stick in front of Kyungsoo's other foot, smiling at him while doing so.

 

“See, it works with a little help.”

 

And Kyungsoo laughed out of sheer happiness.

 

It really did work!

 

Again, Jongin took Kyungsoo's foot and placed it in front of the stick and, suddenly, Kyungsoo felt a jolt.

 

He felt groundless for a moment, he had been removed from the soil, but he wasn't afraid.

 

He knew that Jongin held him, that Jongin would take care of him.

 

As his foot hit the ground again, it felt different all of a sudden. He felt like he didn't need it anymore. It felt like the ground was his foothold no longer.

 

He looked up at the other.

 

“I'm able to look for food...”, he breathed.

 

Jongin laughed.

 

And so did Kyungsoo.

 

“Please continue helping me.”, he then said pleadingly and Jongin did as he was told.

 

“Don't let go.” Kyungsoo whispered and then he noticed that, indeed, he didn't need the ground, but Jongin's support.

 

Without him, he would fall.

 

It was Jongin who gave him warmth – it was his warmth which caused him to move on.

 

And suddenly, Kyungsoo felt like all his missing pieces came back together.

 

 

Light shone from him, inside and out and suddenly the big, gray clouds disappeared, causing the lovely sun to finally appear again.

 

She saw what was happening and smiled softly. It's been a long, long time since she had seen something like this and it made her feel extremely happy, causing her rays to be even warmer than usual.

 

A mushroom learnt how to walk!

 

And she saw the light which embraced Kyungsoo, and the light which embraced Kai.

 

And she could see the togetherness, causing her smile to grow even more.

 

She began to shine more and more, brighter and brighter, so bright, that Kyungsoo was able to see her. He looked up and laughed softly. “Good morning, dear sun! Look, I'm learning how to search for food! Jongin, the human, is helping me!”, and his words were full of happiness and glee.

 

So the sun decided to make him a present.

 

Never once did the lovely fungus forget about her, instead, he greeted her every morning, telling her about his thoughts and wishes. He deserved a life full of excitement and new things to embrace, a life full of experiences and the possibility to gain as much knowledge as possible.

 

She sent him special rays, magic rays which reached Kyungsoo, and Kyungsoo only.

 

Jongin got blinded by the brightness and burnt from the heat and he was almost forced to let go of Kyungsoo, but he didn't.

 

He couldn't.

 

Because he didn't want to!

 

So he withstood the heat, the brightness and tightened his grip around the mushroom in lieu.

 

He didn't want to let go because Kyungsoo had asked him to help.

 

Soon after, the rays began to grow weaker, the sun having finished her task.
But Jongin and Kyungsoo were unable to see for a moment and instead held one another to know exactly where the other was.

 

Slowly, Kyungsoo opened his eyes and looked around.

 

Jongin didn't seem so big anymore, neither did the forest and Kyungsoo looked down at himself.

He noticed that he had a pair of feet. Not one foot, no, but two, and the little stick which he had used before was laying on the ground.

 

Kyungsoo didn't know what had happened and he looked up at Jongin.

 

Both of them kept quiet for a moment, doing nothing but staring at each other, not knowing what to say.

 

“Kyungsoo...?”, Jongin breathed while gazing at Kyungsoo with amazement – because in front of him was no longer a fungus, but a human. A human with a pair of arms and a pair of legs and feet.

 

Kyungsoo wordlessly nodded his head, and kept looking at himself.

 

“What happened to me...?”

 

“You're... a human...”, Jongin said quietly and Kyungsoo looked at him again. He believed Jongin, he had done so from the very beginning but he was still overwhelmed by the sudden change of things.

 

“Now you're able to search for food!”, Jongin laughed but Kyungsoo only shook his head. “No, you need to lead me. The ground is no longer my support, it's you.”

 

Jongin looked at the other, his lips forming a dorky but heartwarming smile and he nodded softly, the words leaving his mouth sounding full of sincerity. “I'll continue holding you.”

 

“Forever?”

 

“Forever.”, Jongin confirmed and gently took Kyungsoo's small and cold hand in his own warm one.

“I'll lead you and show you the world.” And he meant every word he said. He wanted to show Kyungsoo how everything worked, how he lived and how living could feel like.

 

“So that I'll be able to learn and experience?”, Kyungsoo asked while taking one step after another, carefully. It was easy because Jongin held him.

With Jongin, everything was easy.

 

“Yeah, so that you can learn and experience.”, Jongin nodded and continued walking.

 

“Then teach me something! Right now!”, Kyungsoo demanded and looked at Jongin while staying still, not intending to take another step before he had learnt something. Jongin stopped walking as well and looked at the other, soon nodding his head. “Alright.”, he agreed and walked closer to Kyungsoo, whose skin was as white as the untouched snow on the ground and who owned a pair of heart-shaped lips as red as the prettiest poppy.

 

Gently, Jongin placed his hand on top of the others cheek, caressing the delicate skin with his thumb before slowly leaning in, his lips brushing against Kyungsoo's in a soft and heartwarming manner.

Kyungsoo could feel the now familiar fuzzy feeling returning to his tummy, causing him to shiver slightly out of anticipation, and suddenly he felt warm all over again, leaning against Jongin and moving his lips in sync with Jongin's plump pair.

 

Too soon, Jongin pulled away again, looking right into Kyungsoo's eyes for a while before speaking again.

 

“That was a kiss.”, he explained quietly, his gaze still fixed on the other in a loving manner.

 

“And what does it mean?”, Kyungsoo asked in the same sound level, his wide eyes clearly showing just how curious he was.

 

“It means... I like you.”, the taller mumbled, his hand which had rested on Kyungsoo's cheek during the whole time, finding its way to the others neck to pull him closer again. This time, Jongin placed a gentle kiss on the others forehead. “A lot.”, he then added after pulling back.

 

Kyungsoo made a strange noise, not understanding what the other meant and it caused Jongin to laugh again before he gently wrapped his strong arms around Kyungsoo's smaller frame.

 

“I mean...”, he started, thinking about his next words for a moment.

 

“It means that I'll hold you, that I'll be your support. Forever.”

 

Kyungsoo understood and it caused him to laugh softly, because he was happy.

 

He was filled with warmth which not even the snow could take away from him.

 

Finally, Kyungsoo felt whole.