This story begins once upon a time in small town nestled within a forest, surrounded by green and hidden from the world. In the town there lived a young doctor by the name of Choi Youngjae, a lad that left his parents in the the countryside he was born to follow the steps of his brothers and sisters in venturing to new lands. He had no place in mind to go to, but he held the desire to use the education he received to help the growing societies in the unknown territories.

The town he found himself in was a quiet one, a long ways off from other neighboring towns, following winding roads that stretched over hills and creeks. A town that was closer to the mountains than the sea,  under the wide sky and passed through by the winds. The young doctor was quick to settle and was warmly welcomed; the little settlement was close knit, everyone knew one another as if they were one of their own. It was, of course, a town still in development. Every few weeks was a new storefront being constructed, and merchants came and went with wares from distant areas. It was a quaint little town the young doctor fell into.

Youngjae liked his craft, making house visits to his patients, and occasionally receiving a complimentary basket of fruit or fresh baked bread for his services. He enjoyed seeing the townspeople's happy and healthy faces as he walked by, waving and smiling at him. They were the reason he got up in the mornings, to work his hardest, and endure hours of wandering the forests for medicinal herbs and foods every week.

It was tough, when he ran out—he needed them for tea, for salve, for powder, for nearly everything—and when merchants couldn't come soon enough. So he dug around for his old textbooks and carefully cut out the images to paste in his own journal. Over time, he compiled information on where each were located, marking ones he couldn't find in the front of his book so he knew what to request for through the post. The flowers and fungi were easy enough to find, but others like garlic cloves, peppers, and ginseng were difficult to come across. The town wasn't built to allow for personal gardens, thus Youngjae could not grow his own, instead having to procure them from merchants or search day and night by the mountains.

It was on one of those excursions Youngjae met a young man.

The doctor happened upon a large clearing after following a small river he frequently passed on his way to his usual spot for sanghwang mushrooms. The river continued along, however at the sight of the open area, he couldn't help but stray.

The area was almost perfectly circular, the ground decorated with tiny flowers and blades of grass peeking out from smooth stones, larger and flat shaped rocks placed near the center, with moss that slowly crept up from the bottom. The trees didn't block out the sky, sunlight poured down and covered everything with a soft glow. The same trees bore brightly colored flowers, whiter than snow and red like a maiden's cheeks, petals still glistening with morning dew. It was almost magical; Youngjae believed he stumbled into a new world.

He passed patches of red toadstools and shrubs full of yellow honeysuckles, stepping carefully into the clearing. He looked around in awe, to imagine such a place existed near his small town. Calmed by the sound of rushing water and distant chirps of the forests' inhabitants, the young doctor was led to sit on one of the mossy rocks, to sit down and admire the nature. Youngjae set his book down, as well as the basket for herb collecting. Inside he kept multiple glass jars, to keep each plant separated if he happened to find more than he was looking for. They clinked together as he set the basket down, the soft chimes nearly drowned out by the river.

“Incredible,” he muttered to himself, as he dragged his eyes from the ground up to the trees once more. His gaze landed on the honeysuckles he passed the way he came, quickly realizing that they were such. With unexpected urgency, he picked up his old leather bound notebook and hurriedly turned the pages until he found the entry on honeysuckles.

They were a common flower, he used them often for teas and sweetening syrups for those patients that disliked bitter tastes, but the areas he had been frequenting were only vines of honeysuckle flowers, growing around large rocks or bare trees. With a pen pulled from his pocket, Youngjae dutifully sketched out the trees to the best of his ability, drawing lines to label the flower and even the fungi that lay at the base of the tree. He wrote down the directions he took, the river he followed, and the clearing he was seated in. With a smile, he closed the book when he finished, setting it aside to stretch his arms above his head.

The woods around the town were full of surprises, some more amazing than others.

He planned to pick a few of the flora, both the honeysuckles and some of the white ones—for decoration—when he heard rustling off to the side. At first Youngjae assumed it was just a wild rabbit, as those tended to jump around here and there, startling him some in the middle of his scavenging, but as the sound persisted he couldn't help but sit up a little straighter. It sounded oddly familiar, the rhythmic plucking noise and rustling of leaves. Like someone pulling on leaves or petals.

Tentatively he moved towards the noise. The basket and book lay on the rock, Youngjae trusting the skies to watch over his belongings. Hiding behind the trunk of the closest tree, he slowly pulled the branches obscuring the deeper forest down. The branch was rough and cool to the touch, leaves and petals brushing against the back of his hands, but the young doctor was captivated by other things.

The plucking was familiar, the sound he's heard countless times before doing the same thing the stranger was. A young man, no younger than himself with hooded eyes and hair the color of dried rose petals, was picking mint leaves by the base of a tree. The man had a cloak on, most of his body was covered save for his face and his arms. One hand plucked the leaves while the other held a small basket similar to his, slowly being filled with just mint leaves.

Youngjae's curiosity overpowered his apprehension; curious who the man was—he'd never seen the other in town before—and why all the mint. He took a step forward, lifting the branch obstructing his path to make his way closer. But before the young doctor could utter a word, the man's head snapped up and his eyes widened at the intrusion. He then promptly stood up and fled.

Youngjae only stared in shock, and watched as the young man's cloak billowed behind him as he ran deeper into the woods.

The stranger lingered on Youngjae's mind long after he returned home. He wasn't from the town, that much Youngjae knew, but he couldn't help but wonder if the young man was real. The doctor thumbed through his notebook, the pages worn with various tea rings and rips from his sheer clumsiness, lingering on his edited entry on honeysuckles. He had added more to it when he arrived back to town, adding more details into the margins of the page just to make sure the directions were clear. He hoped he could go back, to that place and possibly use it as a safe haven to unwind after long days of work or even after spending hours looking for plants. Whatever the case, he solely wished to go back. And perhaps meet the mysterious young man on better terms.

Unfortunately, he had no reason to return to the forest, and he had a few home visits to attend to the following day.

The young doctor was exiting the town baker's home, balancing a basket of fresh baked bread and his medicine bag in his arms, when a childish voice called out to him.

“Doctor!” A little boy ran his way, and Youngjae gave a brief glance to the out-of-breath woman behind the boy before directing his attention to him with a gentle smile.

“Good afternoon, Kisoo,” he greeted the grinning boy. Youngjae fumbled a bit with his belongings before setting his medicine bag on the ground and the gift basket atop that. Eye-level with Kisoo, Youngjae exaggerated his facial expressions while checking the boy over and smiled at the giggles he received in response. “You're looking a lot better now, no more fever?”

“Yes, Doctor Choi!” Kisoo exclaimed, his wide grin revealing his missing front tooth. (The same one Youngjae assured the boy was perfectly normal and no, the rest of his face would not fall out as well less than a few weeks ago.)

“That's wonderful! You ate the medicine I gave you every day, right?” He questioned, looking at the boy with a psuedo-serious expression. Kisoo tried avoiding the doctor's expression, but Youngjae had enough experience treating the other children in the town to know what to do with the unresponsiveness.

“If you did, I would give you one of the sweets I have in my bag, but since you're not telling...” Youngjae trailed off. He didn't have to wait long before Kisoo nearly bowled him over, waving his arms in front of him.

“I did, I did! I promise, Doctor Choi! Can I have a candy now?” Kisoo's mother only shook her head at her son and sent the doctor an apologetic smile. Youngjae chuckled when he met her eyes before he pat down his trouser pockets for the aforementioned candy. Kisoo was bouncing in his spot waiting for the treat in front of the doctor, and if it wasn't for his mother's hand on his shoulder who knows if the child wouldn't have bounced away.

“Here it is,” Youngjae smiled, holding the telltale brown square of toffee between his fingers. Before he handed it over to Kisoo, he questioned one more time, “Are you sure you had your medicine everyday?”

“Yeeees, Doctor Choi! You can ask Mam!” The child held out his hand, ing it out a few times with shakes that ran up his whole arm, silently demanding the good doctor hurry up and place the toffee in his hand.

“Just making sure, Kisoo,” Youngjae shook his head, a fond smile on his face as the boy's face lit up at such a simple thing. He exchanged pleasantries with Kisoo's mother—mostly about the weather and what to eat with his newly acquired bread—and had picked up his belongings from the ground when a tug on his trousers caught him before he could leave.

The young doctor blinked down at the child, any trace of the toffee gone already. Kisoo motioned for Youngjae to bend down before the doctor could begin to question the boy. He looked to his mother, but even she seemed surprised, and even tried to get Kisoo to leave the doctor be.

“What is it?” He asked carefully, it was a little concerning how the child kept glancing from left to right as if something was going to appear. However, all the thoughts disappeared once Kisoo leans in close, hands cupped around Youngjae's ear and whispered, “I have a secret!”

“Oh?” The doctor moves away from the boy to give him a look. Children and their secrets, he unfortunately came to realize over time, were mainly excuses to taunt adults. He smiled, hoping Kisoo would just tell him rather than dance around it and make him guess. He hated guessing.

Kisoo just nodded, grinning at him.

“Can you tell me the secret?” At first, Youngjae thought he was going to laugh, run behind his mother's legs and say no. What happened instead was an amusing—from the doctor's perspective—display of deep contemplation from Kisoo's part, brows furrowed and a bit of tongue peeked out. It took a little more thinking until the boy let out a deep sigh and nodded to himself.

The young doctor watched as he shoved his hand down his pockets, and then held up a fist between the two of them.

“Miho gave me something when I was sick,” Kisoo started to say, keeping whatever in his fist still hidden. “She said I would get better faster if I had this and I think it worked better than the medicine, hee hee!”

The boy opened his palm to reveal a small, slightly rumpled looking four-leaf clover. Youngjae couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out of him, it had been years since he had seen a “good luck charm.” He recalled his childhood, spending hours in the open field by his old home looking for the very plant sitting in Kisoo's small hand.

“It's magic!” He stage whispers to Youngjae. Above him, his mother shook her head, muttering something about children and their imaginations. Youngjae would have to agree, as disheartening as it was.

“Of course it is,” The doctor smiled. He ruffled the boy’s hair once before getting up again. “I'm glad to see you're all better, Kisoo.” Brushing the dust off his trousers, he excused himself again and began to head towards his own home.

“Doctor Choi!”

He stopped walking and turned his head back, just in time to see Kisoo waving at him whilst his mother slowly tugged him away and toward the flower stand. (No doubt to replace that clover with something else, Youngjae thought.)

“You should get one too, Doctor Choi! It'll bring you good luck!”

Youngjae only laughed and waved goodbye.

The next time Youngjae ventured out, he couldn't help but stare longer than necessary at patches of flowers and areas under trees. He didn't spend hours looking for clovers anymore, instead he spent hours looking for useful plants that could be made into medicine—that had a purpose. But, that didn't mean he couldn't spend just a little time looking for a four-leaf clover.

As he followed a small creek to the base of the mountains where mugwort grew, he wondered if there was a chance he would run into the young man from the forest again. Perhaps if he had a four-leaf clover, he snorted to himself.

Pushing his glasses up, Youngjae squinted up at the sky. The sun was high and bright against the clear blue, shining a bit too hot for the doctor's taste. He felt uncomfortable wearing gloves, and removed one to dab at his forehead with a handkerchief he kept in his bag.

It was unusually warm for spring, which didn't bode well for the upcoming summer. Youngjae sighed, and muttered a quick prayer that they won't have a dry summer. He didn't think he would be able to motivate himself against the heat to continue his plant gathering. Stepping under the low tree branches that hid the way to the mountain base, Youngjae placed his bag under the closest tree to where the mugwort plants were. He had brought along two medium sized wicker baskets, both intended to be full of the plant. The townspeople often used mugwort to cook, and every once in a while Youngjae was asked by shopkeepers to pick some for them. Of course he was paid for his services, but the doctor didn't mind so much, the forest was peaceful and provided some quiet comfort the town didn't.

Youngjae didn't forget to pay attention to patches of three-leaf clovers, or to listen extra carefully for any sounds of plucking. (Footsteps would have be nothing short of a miracle.)

Time passed the same way it always had in the small town, people made their daily rounds through the multitude of little shops that sprang up from the time the town was founded, never stopping until their arms were full of food, cloth, books, or in some cases, children. The bell tower in the center of town rang, three gongs signaling noon. The children that weren't in school were running by, some trailing behind their mothers and others kicking around a small ball.

Several times Youngjae was knocked into on his way from a patient's home, each time the children shouting a quick apology, followed by a short bow, before running off again. The young doctor wasn't bothered much, instead he shook his head fondly and continued on his way. They made the town more lively, and that kept his own spirits up.

As he made his way over back to his own house, near the edge of town by the forest, he bumped into an elderly couple headed toward the baker's shop.

“Doctor! Good afternoon,” Mr. Heo greeted. He and his wife had been in the town since Youngjae settled in, and two of the healthiest people in town he'd come across.

Youngjae bowed his head, and smiled. “Good afternoon, Mr. Heo. Mrs. Heo.”

“Finished with your rounds today?” Mrs. Heo asked, smiling up at him. An empty basket hung from her arm, while the other was wrapped around one of her husband's.

“Ah yes, I'm just heading home now,” he let out a breathy laugh, a little embarrassed he was ending his day so early when it seemed like everyone in town was out and about.

“Perfect time for a midday rest, if I do say so myself,” Mr. Heo laughed, and gave Youngjae a good pat on the shoulder. His wife scowled and nudged him, “You with your old man suggestions, the good doctor is still in his youth and doesn't need to take a midday rest!”

She turned to face him, “Isn't that right, Doctor?”

“Ah yes, I think I'll go out into the forest and find some more camellia leaves,” Youngjae let out a short laugh, deciding on the spot. He could always use more tea leaves.

“Youth these days, so much energy.”

“Don't be bitter, you,” Mrs. Heo lightly slapped her husband's shoulder before turning back to the doctor. “We'll leave you be, I'm sure you have much to do.”

Not too much, Youngjae thought to himself. “It's alright. It was good to see you, Mr. Heo, Mrs. Heo. Enjoy the afternoon.”

“But doctor, just a warning, be careful in the woods. There are places the light cannot follow.” A pause. I hope you find those leaves.”

The couple then bade him farewell, leaving Youngjae to continue his way back and wonder what Mr. Heo meant. Truthfully, he did think about falling asleep in the middle of the day considering all his duties were fulfilled, and his suppers normally did not take too much preparation time, it would have been perfectly fine to just relax for the day. However, as much as he was a doctor, he was a man of his word. Camellia leaves weren't too difficult to find, and if he could happen to find some near the peaceful clearing...well, no one would have to know if he managed to sneak a rest in or not.

Pulling one last leaf from the shrub, the young doctor leaned back and sat on the soft ground, letting his legs stretch out before him. He was finally relinquished from all the squatting he had to do, and could feel his leg muscles crying out in joy. Supported by his arms, Youngjae tipped his sun hat back and looked up at the sky, quietly admiring the clear blue speckled with soft white. He suspected it was well past noon now, having been out for a few hours already. Beside him was his basket, filled nearly to the brim with camellia leaves—enough for him to last at least two months—as well as his satchel. His leather bound notebook had slipped out, along with two miniature glass jars. At a glance the jars didn't look like anything special, and one would have to wonder why the good doctor placed them in his personal bag rather than the basket as per usual. Maybe they would think it was because of the size that he placed them in his satchel, but upon closer inspection, the jars held just as much importance as the book in his bag.

Two jars, one empty, lightly knocking into the other as they both rolled out. The second held a small, worn bracelet. It was simply-made, nothing more than red twine and a small bell for decoration. It wasn't made for an adult, one could tell that much. Perhaps it was for a young child, clumsily made by an older brother in an attempt of comfort. The doctor swore it was a story he would never tell, and would adamantly deny if anyone—his family—even whispered a breathe of it. He would admit, however, that it was a source of reassurance and keeping it on his person helped him through some more difficult times. It was his very own charm, a memory of the ones that cheered him on; he made sure to never leave home without it. They weren't in any immediate danger, so Youngjae paid them no mind as his eyes followed a duck shaped cloud float slowly across the sky.

Youngjae let out a quiet laugh as the wind ruffled his hair, free from the confines of his hat, the longer strands of his bangs tickling his nose. He grabbed a handful of grass and watched the breeze carry the blades away. Tiny slivers of green against the white and blue of the sky; Youngjae wished he could just lay back and forget the world, just flow through life like the blades of grass he just sent off. It was more calming to be in an open space, away from other people, and surrounded by sounds he could only call nature. Even the smell, it was purely fresh air. He loved his little town, but after his recent trips into the forest, he could not help but wonder what life would have been like if he made his home in the woods. For a brief moment, the image of the strange young man flashed through his mind—did he live in the forest? But Youngjae himself had "explored" a fair bit of the woods and not once had he come across anything resembling a house. Perhaps it was more likely the man was from a neighboring town. However, there was also a chance he wasn’t.

The caw of a bird overhead snapped him out of his thoughts, his attention returning back to the environment around him. Youngjae hadn't noticed it before, a black bird lazily circling above him. Unlike plants and herbs, the doctor had next to no knowledge of animals. He could identify colors and sizes, and of course the meats he would occasionally have in his meals, but that was as far as it went. He couldn't help but think it strange, it wasn't often he came across birds, even in town. He recognized the little brown birds that chirped in the mornings, and the geese that flew in "V" formations to name another, but seldom did he see black birds. Things seemed to get stranger and stranger all of a sudden, or maybe...maybe the sun was getting to his head.

He sighed and stretched his arms over his head, letting out a small noise as his bones cracked. The young doctor gently pushed his belongings back in his satchel and put his hat back on. He didn't want to go back just yet, it was one of the more relaxing afternoons he's had, but the sun was going to set soon. As calming as his woodland adventure was, he wasn't so sure he would feel the same after dark. The townspeople were cautious for a reason, after all. He sent one last smile to his surroundings before pulling his satchel on and picking up the basket.

On his walk back to the town, Youngjae wondered what he should have for supper. Walking past the trees and the berries that hung on low branches, he contemplated a meal of mixed fruit and some bread he picked up earlier, or perhaps a bowl of rice with pickled radishes instead. Maybe a cup of tea with his newly acquired leaves as well. It did not sound like the most filling of meals, but truthfully the young doctor had no desire to prepare anything more complicated. It was moments like that he was reminded of his mother scolding him for eating all the roasted chestnuts, bread, or whatever it was on the dining room table and spoiling his dinner. He never had much patience when it came to food.

It was also moments like that he was too immersed in his own memories Youngjae failed to keep track of the environment around him.

The sun was setting, and the trees that lined the path cast their long shadows over the young doctor, hiding all the dips, bumps, and rocks along the way. He had taken a step, unaware of the slight rise in his path still thinking about what he had in his pantry, and was sent tumbling forward with a startled yelp. Youngjae scraped his palms against the ground, his knees meeting the same unfortunate fate. In the back of his mind, he hoped his trousers weren't ruined. Pushing himself to sit upright by the nearest tree, he readjusted his glasses that were knocked askew when he fell. There was enough light, although at that point it had gone from a soft orange to a pale blue, to see the aftermath of his little stumble. His satchel, luckily, stayed by his side, no doubt the contents were somewhat jumbled up, but the clasp stayed shut so Youngjae did not worry too much. What proved to be the minor inconvenience were the camellia leaves scattered where he just stood. Nevermind that the doctor had numerous little cuts on his palms and knees, it was most displeasing all his hard work just spilled out like so.

Luckily for him, upon closer inspection, a majority had remained in the basket that lay on its side, and what had come out rest in several little piles next to it. They would have been relatively easy to scoop back in, and the dirty easily rinsed off when he returned, if it wasn't for the sudden pain that shot up his leg when Youngjae moved to stand up. For someone who made it a habit to warn others to be careful, the doctor was terrible at following his own advice. Wincing when he raised a knee to gingerly lift up the trouser leg, he gently prodded his ankle.

"Perfect," he huffed out, lightly rubbing small circles on the irritated area. Letting his head fall back against the trunk with a small thunk, he sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. If he had known he was going to trip and sprain his ankle, he would have never left his small sanctuary.

Youngjae let his legs stretch out before him, settling on top of the stray leaves and keeping them from blowing away with the wind. If he could get comfortable sitting in the woods when nightfall approached, perhaps life in the forest was not so impossible. However, it did not take long for unease to settle in. In his current state, he did not have much to do but to wait for the swelling to go down. He knew there was nothing dangerous nearby, the town was not too far off, but sitting idle in the woods with an injury was not an ideal scenario. He sighed again. Above him, a bird cawed, almost as in agreement.

"Watch your step," Youngjae read aloud as he penciled it in his journal, underlining it several times for emphasis. Setting the notebook and pencil back in his bag, he let his head loll to the side to rest against his shoulder to lazily look around. Time seemed to slow since the young doctor injured himself, not more than ten minutes had elapsed, yet it felt like hours.

He could hear faint chirps from the way he came, almost drowned out by the sounds of the tree branches moving in the wind. There wasn't much to look at, the white clouds from earlier nearly invisible against the evening sky, but was not dark enough for the stars to come out either. He blew gently on his palms, trying to get rid of any residual dirt or rocks he didn't earlier. Youngjae knew it wasn't going to be completely clean, not until he returned home, but he hoped he cleaned them as much as possible with what limited lighting he had.

Unfortunately one of his trouser legs was torn, a bit of blood staining the frayed edges of the rip. If only the grass around him were aloe leaves...Everything looked the same shade of green, the grass, the fallen leaves, even the flowers growing beside him at the base of the tree looked completely green. Perhaps he could pass the time plucking petals from the green flowers, he thought, absentmindedly pulling one from the ground.

The doctor almost pulled a petal off when he paused, bringing the little flower closer to his face. Mistaking a flower for being green all over wasn't much of a mistake if the flower truly was completely green. Three rounded petals, shaped like clubs.

Youngjae pulled himself up straighter and nearly threw himself into the patch of clovers, pulling them out one by one in a near frantic state and ignoring the light sting in his knees for shifting positions. He would find the elusive four-leafed clover, if landing right next to a patch of the clovers wasn't a sign of luck, he didn't know what else would be. His hands hovered above the plants, pushing them back from certain patches he was inspecting. The sun's light had not disappeared yet, giving Youngjae enough light to be able to see each individual clover without squinting too much. The day hadn't ended so terribly as he thought, he chuckled to himself as he continued to search for the lucky clover.

At some point, in the midst of waiting for the swelling on his ankle to go down, the young doctor fell asleep underneath the tree with the sun's orange glow lingering upon his cheek before she set. And clasped in a dirty hand, barely peeking out from his fist, was a tiny glass jar, holding a single four-leafed clover.

Youngjae the bandages around his ankle, just having rewrapped it after he washed up for bed. It was strange..no, more curious than strange, what happened two nights ago, when he woke from his unexpected rest in the woods. The cup of tea on his bedside table had long cooled, most likely lukewarm at that point, but still the doctor took a long sip. Leaning back against his pillow and easing his leg down, he wondered what happened that night. It hadn't left his thoughts since he got himself out of the forest, remembering how he hobbled his way back, holding onto the trees with one hand, and his basket filled back to the brim with camellia leaves in the other.

Perhaps the myths surrounding the four-leafed clover held some truth, he mused. A smile smile played on his lips, thoughts straying to luck, and the mysterious young man of the forest. Not too long ago the doctor had come up with a theory for what occurred while he was resting in the woods. He remembered falling asleep, his eyes tired from looking at the same cluster of trees before him, clutching the clover he found moments before. The curious thing, was when he woke, there were bandages and what he identified as aloe leaves on his lap. The leaves each sliced along the side, making it easy to squeeze out the insides to apply on his cuts and ankle. At the time he did not dwell too much on where the supplies came from, more concerned with wrapping his swollen ankle and leaving the forest before it got too late. He noticed after he attended to his injuries that his basket was upright, and placed carefully beside him as if it hadn't flown out his hands earlier. The leaves that were scattered by his legs had been cleaned up, only a few stuck to his trousers that he later picked off.

It was clear a person helped him—it wasn't as if anything else could—but who remained a mystery. A mystery why that person decided to help him, anyhow. Youngjae knew it couldn't have been someone from the town, they would have roused him from slumber and helped him home otherwise. And even with the amount of times he had informed his patients to rub aloe on areas of irritation, he doubted too many of them would remember, much less find aloe to bring to him.

The young doctor sighed, bringing a hand to tiredly rub at his eyes. But the thought of the mysterious young man he ran into nearly a month ago kept him up. It should have been his first guess, if he had to be honest. Youngjae was sure he existed, he had seen him after all, and the man was the only one outside of the townspeople that could have done such a thing. If he remembered correctly, the young man had collected mint leaves, so he must have had some knowledge of plants. That brought the tired smile back, that someone other than him knew the medicine growing all around them in the forest. Youngjae decided then, that next time they crossed paths he would be fully conscious and thank the young man for his actions.

And perhaps, he could make a friend. With that last lingering thought, the doctor reached over and switched off his bedside oil lamp.

The doctor never enjoyed spring too much, the pollen in the air making his nose irritated. Of course he had his own concoctions to combat it and keep his irritation at bay, but nonetheless it was troublesome. The approaching summer season didn't help, either. Youngjae enjoyed being outside, making house visits and seeing the rest of the town, but with the increasing temperatures, finding the will to leave his home was difficult.

It wasn't even noon yet, but Youngjae already had to take off his coat, draping it over his arm as he made his way to the church at the center of town. It left the doctor in his waistcoat, with the sleeves of his shirt rolled up to his forearms; he wished he could roll up his trousers as well.

The inside of the church was cooler, which he was thankful for. Walking past the pews and deeper into the room, towards the candle-lit altar. Youngjae couldn't help but admire all the colors reflected on the wall from the stained glass windows. It was uncommon in their town, and many had been pleasantly surprised when the priest unveiled them one winter morning. Word was that it was simply gifted to him, as a sign of appreciation for his service and devotion. Some say it was He himself that did, and others claim it was from a wealthy European that converted after listening to the priest's sermon. Youngjae kept his distance from the rumor mill, having no interest in what the story was. Instead he just admired the depiction of angels on the windows, wings spread and halos aglow. They were truly beautiful to look at, and strangely enough, made him feel safer whenever he walked through those doors.

He knelt before the altar, laying his coat on the ground beside him, and clasped his hands together in prayer. He admitted to not praying very often, but still grateful for God watching over him and everyone in his life. He received a letter from his older sister that morning; their parents were doing well with the print shop, and their brother had just returned from his trip overseas. But the main point of the letter was to notify him she was with child—he was going to be an uncle! So the doctor had come in, to ask Him to watch over her, to bless her, her husband, and their family. Even though he was far away, they would always be in his thoughts. Youngjae ended his prayer with a quiet "amen," and slowly rose from his kneeling position.

Brushing off his knees, he turned toward the exit and nearly missed the figure that emerged from the side door.

"Ah, Doctor Choi," the voice called out to him before he even took a step forward.

"Father Park! I didn't see you there," Youngjae responded in kind, bowing his head slightly in greeting. It had been a while since he had seen Park Jinyoung, the priest always maintained a clean bill of health, hardly ever coming in to see him with any ailments. The only time they only ran into each other was during Sunday mass, but even then the Father was too busy with the more religious members of their town.

"It's quite alright, I just came in," he explained, a gentle smile on his face. If there was something the doctor was grateful for, was the Father's calming smile. There was something about the man that exuded reassurance and trustworthiness, able to ease anyone's worries. "How have you been?"

Youngjae adjusted his glasses and returned the smile, albeit a bit more shy despite knowing the man for years. "I've been doing well, my ankle has fully recovered already, so you won't be seeing me hobble around anymore!"

The priest raised a hand to muffle his laughter, the image of a polite and gentle man. "I do have to admit, it was quite a sight. The doctor getting hurt? I didn't think it was possible."

"No human is that invincible, Father. I'm surprised I've made it this far without injuring myself, I have been known to be quite clumsy, you know."

"Nevertheless, I am happy to hear you are well. If you don't mind me asking," he paused, moving to fold his hands behind his back, "What brought you here today? It's quite unusual to see you here."

"No not at all," Youngjae said, "I thought it would be good to send a prayer to my sister, she sent word she will have a child!"

"That's great news, Doctor! You must be happy for her, and your family as well. I too extend my blessings to her," Father Park responded, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "And, forgive me if I am intruding too much, what about you? I'm sure the good doctor must have someone special in his life as well."

"Ah," Youngjae scratched the back of his neck nervously, feeling the warmth of embarrassment creep up his face. "No, nothing like that yet. I haven't the time to for such relationships." Or interest, he thought to himself.

"That's a shame, but someday a woman that absolutely steals your breath away will enter your life, I'm sure of it," the priest replied enthusiastically, patting his shoulder. "You will make a great husband, Doctor."

"I'm..happy to hear you think so highly of me, Father, but currently I am quite content with everything as is. Helping people is all the fulfillment I need."

"Yes, yes of course. The Lord has a purpose for you, Doctor, and will always be there to help guide you along your path." Again, that serene smile appeared on the older man's face, easing the discomfort of speaking about his romantic life so-to-speak, away.

"Yes, thank you. I hope the rest of your day goes well," Youngjae said, bowing once more before turning on his heel. But he stopped halfway to the exit, turning back to the priest who had moved towards the candles at the altar. "Actually," he began to say.

"What is it, Doctor?"

"Father, you," he paused, thinking of the words he wanted to say. "You've been in this town for a long time, correct?"

"Yes, from when it was only a small settlement of a group full of people. You arrived shortly after this church was built, I believe. And made quite a name for yourself, I might add. A doctor at such a young age."

"Oh, I was simply putting to use what I had learned! But back to what I wanted to ask you...you must know most, if not all the people in town then?"

"I'm sure you know them all as well, everyone pays a visit at least once, have they not?"

"I'd like to believe so yes, but there are some out there that are healthy as can be. You, Father, for instance."

That made the priest laugh, the sound echoing in the near empty church. "You have me there, Doctor. But why is it that you ask about the townspeople?"

"It's just...I met a young man. In the forest. I didn't get such a good look at him, but he had hair the color of dark roses! I figured since you know everyone here, you might know who he might be," he finished excitedly, hope bubbling inside him that the priest may know who the mysterious young man was.

But the hope was quickly crushed by disappointment when he noticed the look of confusion that passed Father Park's face.

"The color of roses? Surely your eyes must have deceived you, there is no one with such strange coloring here,"

"Ah, I see. I apologize for—"

"However, I must warn you Doctor, for your own safety I would advise you to limit down your....excursions to the forest. If there truly is a person there and not from this town, they must be dangerous," Father Park said to him, expression grave. He spoke as if he knew things Youngjae didn't, that there was something sinister in the woods. It reminded the doctor of what Mr. Heo said to him weeks ago; he didn't know what to believe. "The forest is home to many evil things, and even with the guidance of our Lord it is difficult to escape the grasp of that darkness. Please Doctor, heed my words."

The meaning wasn't lost on the doctor, but he also couldn't understand the apprehension. He was aware most people were...wary of things unknown, and being surrounded by it did not help to ease their suspicions. But he had been venturing in and out since he arrived in town, and he knew enough not to fear the woods. What he didn't realize were the people that were uneasy about it.

"I will watch out, but I hope you can understand there are things I need to pick myself to help everyone," he answered carefully, not to offend the priest. "Thank you for looking out for me, I'll be off now."

Father Park looked as if he wanted to say something, but decided not to. His eyes seemed to darken, but Youngjae thought he just imagined it, attributing it to the dim lighting. Bowing one last time, he made his way out, the large doors slamming shut behind him.

Not too much time had passed since his conversation with the priest, and already the doctor was making his way into the forest again. He wasn't afraid, or trying to prove anything by brushing off those that "warned" him, but he simply needed to collect the summer plants—chamomile, dandelions, thyme and so on. The doctor also planned on taking time away from his harvesting anyhow, he didn't want to be under the summer sun longer than need be. It wasn't as if many people needed him in the spring and summer times, mostly for itching, sneezing, and rashes, those of which he had enough supplies for.

Pushing back his sun hat to wipe the sweat of his brow, he paused when he reached the small opening he knew bushes of thyme grew. The sun was high in the sky, not a cloud in sight. He shook his head, scolding himself for going when the temperature was so high. Alas, it was too late to regret when he was already in the area; the thyme wasn't going to pick itself. Adjusting his hat and pulling his gloves higher, the doctor decided to make a small detour and walk around the clearing to the creek not too far away. He couldn't work with an empty flask, he was bound to become thirsty! So it was only the smart thing to do, he hummed to himself.

His satchel hit against his hip with every step he took, light clicks coming from inside the bag. He swung the empty basket in his hand as he walked, eyes focused on the creek that was slowly coming into view. The doctor had no complaints about the water from the well in town, but something about getting it from an open body of water seemed more fresh, in a way. Even from where he was, he could see the clear, blue water rushing down the stream. Sweet salvation from the harsh sun. It was almost worth going out all that way, just almost.

The doctor dodged a branch that was in the way, sidestepping it to avoid getting scratched in the face and nearly stumbling on a tree root that peeked from the ground. He wasn't following a path, instead walking in between the trees, trees that had lower branches than he remembered. The forest was dangerous, he thought, but not in the way everyone else seemed to believe. He shook his head, not wanting to think ill of his fellow townspeople, it wouldn't do anyone good. Getting closer to the creek, the doctor almost missed a slight dip in the ground if it weren't for his sleeve getting caught on a piece of peeling bark.

"Huh," Youngjae remarked. "Perhaps I do have better luck now," he absentmindedly touched over his satchel. Carefully pulling his sleeve away lest he wanted to startle the birds nesting above him, he took cautious steps forward to the creek in case there was anything else that would cause a misstep.

As he knelt down to refill his flask, a shadow in the corner of his eye caused his head to snap up and turn around.

"There's no such thing as luck," the young man scoffed. He stood a respectable distance from Youngjae, on a path overlooked by trees with strange purple berries the doctor couldn't identify. Once again, the young man carried a basket. Only instead of mint leaves, they seemed to be stalks of lavender. They were bright against the dark brown of his cloak, the same one he remembered from weeks ago. His hair remained the same strange color of dark rose petals that made his pale skin look that much paler and his eyes that much darker. It was the first time the doctor managed to get a look at him, and he wished to make the most of it. The young man was tall, taller than him at least, and the boots he wore only added to it. Much to his disappointment, Youngjae wasn't given much else considering the cloak shielded most of the young man's body. Nonetheless, the doctor concluded he was quite good looking, bound to cause a commotion with women in town.

"I'm sorry?" He managed to say, nearly swept away in his observations.

"There's no such thing as luck," the young man repeated, a brief look of annoyance crossed his face before it returned to the blank expression he stared at the doctor with. "Everything is a matter of chance."

There was such an air of finality surrounding his words that Youngjae wondered if the young man was older than he seemed, the words almost like sage advice from a grandfather to his grandchildren.

"I.." the doctor was at a loss for words, staring curiously at the man who stood unmoving. Searching for something to say before the young man fled from him again, quickly stood up and took amusement in the slight widening of the others eyes. He didn't mean to startle him, but it was rather comedic from his perspective. "Thank you," he finally settled on, remembering what he wanted to say to him. "For the other day, my ankle is fine now."

The young man looked conflicted, his eyes narrowed, but as quick as it appeared, it was replaced by the blank stare once again. It only served to make Youngjae more curious about him. He looked as if he wanted to deny the implications, one foot had turned to face toward the path, ready to leave, but didn't. Instead the young man nodded, and shot him a weak glare.

"You need to be more careful," was all he said.

"So I've been told," Youngjae laughed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. The smile on his face betrayed the warmth slowly creeping up his neck at being scolded, by a stranger no less. "But, if I may, how did you find me?" As long as the young man was here, he would do his best to keep the conversation a float and perhaps find out a bit more about him. Partially to satisfy that curiosity, partially to become acquainted with him.

"I didn't."

"You...didn't?" The doctor tilted his head in confusion, scrunching up his face as he often did when met with something he didn't understand. His sister once joked if he kept that habit up, his face was bound to freeze up forever all scrunched. Of course it proved to be false, he learned later on during his schooling. The habit never died, though. "But that doesn't make very much sense," he continued.

"That is the answer to your question, and whether you understand it or not, it is the truth," the young man replied, not fazed by the doctor's puzzled expression. He stared coolly back at Youngjae, a faint smirk on his handsome face. "Now if you'll excuse me," the young man raised a hand, and whistled. A loud, high pitched sound pierced the comfortable silence, causing Youngjae to flinch. A rustle came from behind the doctor, followed by a large splash that sprayed water on his trousers and nearly caused him to fall back in surprise. The young man didn't seem like he noticed, but the amusement flickering in his eyes when Youngjae looked up told him otherwise. However, his attention was quickly stolen away by the sandy feline that circled around the young man's legs, its dark paws damp and darker from the water. He watched as the young man bent over to rub between the cat's ears with a fond smile on his face. Its tail flicked around lazily, enjoying the attention.

The doctor stared in odd fascination, not expecting a cat to appear, much less one to appear on command like that. He hadn't noticed before, but in the mouth of the feline was plump looking mouse, unmoving—a shiver ran through his body, they were natural predators so it should have been expected. By the time he recovered from his brief shock, the young man had turned his back and started to walk away, cream colored cat in tow winding around his legs in what seemed to be a playful manner.

"Wait!" He called out, mentally breathing out a sigh of relief when the young man stopped and turned his head to acknowledge the doctor. He had unconsciously taken a step forward, but didn't move any further toward him. "Will I see you again?"

Once again, the doctor was caught off guard by the mysterious young man. Light laughter filled the air as the young man shook his head, as if it were the most entertaining thing he had heard. The cat took the opportunity to jump atop his shoulders, two toned tail wrapping around his neck. The young man wasn't too bothered by the prey in its mouth, not reacting much except to lightly push the cat's face away from his neck. The doctor was, however, in his own mind again, enchanted by the sound of his laugh. It reminded him of a child's laughter, carefree and joyous. He prayed the answer be soon.

"Why don't you wish upon that little plant of yours, hm?"

With that, the man disappeared into the trees. The doctor watched until he could no longer see that dark cloak flowing behind him. Upon his little plant...was he being ridiculed? Either way, he would wish to meet him again. The young man was strange, but in a pleasant, refreshing way, and so unlike the people he was surrounded by daily. A small smile, one that he would find appearing quite frequently in the future when thinking about the young man, slowly placed itself on upon his lips as he turned back to the creek.  In all the commotion he hadn't even filled up his flask all the way. But strangely enough, he couldn't have wished for a better outcome of travelling all that way.

On his trek back, the doctor realized he hadn't even asked for a name.

True to his word, several more weeks had passed before the young doctor decided to venture out into the woods again. It was a cool day, cooler than it had been in a while, and Youngjae reasoned it was decent enough to step out further than just to the butcher shop. A merchant had been by recently, allowing him to restock on a few things including new texts about medicine, bandages and ginseng roots, which left very little that he needed. But with the sun showing mercy, the doctor figured going out wouldn't hurt—he needed to stretch his legs some anyhow. Spending day and night hunched over his desk going over books and learning did not equate to a healthy lifestyle. In the back of his mind, he hoped the young man would once again appear like he had weeks ago. He would be lying if he said he wasn't looking forward to it.

He grabbed his hat and stuffed lunch in his satchel, but left the basket and gloves on the shelf. He decided halfway to pulling on his boots he didn't want to pick anything that day, instead he wanted to, for the lack of a better word, wander around the forest. It was something he used to do with a child with his siblings, playing hide-and-go-seek and chasing butterflies. Youngjae hadn't done such a thing since then, more concerned with finding and picking the herbs he needed than aimlessly wander. It would be his exercise, and when he needed a rest he would find that small clearing again and catch his breath. He nodded to himself as he walked out his door, locking it behind him and walked toward the edge of town. He passed a number of people, many mothers tugging their children along to wherever, and a few others just chatting in the middle of the road. They waved to him as he passed, happy to see the doctor. Youngjae returned the gestures, bowing respectfully when he saw Father Park with the an older member of their community.

Nearing the path that led out of town, he noticed a black bird sitting on a branch of the tree to the right of the road. It looked at him, tilting its head from left to right a few times before flapping its wings and flying off. Strange, he thought, laughing it off as an avian mystery he'd never understand. He had seen many of the smaller, brown birds do that; hop around and move their heads around. Often causing a small ruckus with their loud chirping, but so was the life of a bird. The doctor clutched the sash of his satchel, if he found anything he wanted to revisit he would surely document in his journal. He was beginning to run out of empty pages, the journal being with him for as long as he could remember and filled with notes, stains, silly doodles, and probably tears. He made a mental note to purchase another journal soon.

Skipping over a fallen branch, he continued into the forest, deciding to head toward the mountains in the distance. It was barely noon, plenty of time to wander around and hopefully not get lost.

It couldn't have been more than a few hours when the doctor decided to take a rest, stopping to take a quick drink from his flask. He wasn't in familiar territory, straying from the taken path and opposite where he usually went, but remembered passing a small pond a little while back. It seemed like the best place to stop and regain his bearings. He had done a respectable amount of walking, and would have loved nothing more than to just sit. The very spot he stood was an option, but tempting as it was for his legs to give out and plop down, it was a good idea to begin backtracking.

Youngjae followed back the way he came, skipping over the same rocks and ducking under the same branches, and likely listening to the same birds chirp above him. Every so often a cool breeze would pass by, ruffling his clothes, and cause a content sigh to leave his mouth. Oh, how he wished autumn would arrive already. He quite adored the changing colors of the leaves; all the reds, oranges, and yellows made everything so warm and to him, it was comfort. From the slightly chilly weather to the abundance of pumpkin and squash in everything, autumn was by far his favorite time of year. His services were in higher demand, but that never bothered him as long as at the end of the day, he was allowed the time to curl up by his fireplace with a novel and a hot cup of honey tea. Unfortunately for him, there was still a few weeks of summer left. The doctor shook his head, staring at the trees around him as if the colors could miraculously change. Wouldn't life be grand if he could control the seasons?

Nearing the pond, the doctor had never been more excited to see a rock in his life. He didn't know much about geology, but was sure the flat slab of rock sitting underneath the large bending tree near the pond was absolutely perfect. Shaded and a safe distance away from the water that he wouldn't fall in if he leaned over, Youngjae quickly made his way over, shedding his hat and bag, laying them beside him as he sat.

It was almost instantaneous as his body relaxed, slumping against the tree trunk and closing his eyes. No matter how many times he stopped to just listen to the sounds of the forest, he would never tire of the tranquility it brought him. If the townspeople only knew, instead of fearing it and venturing in themselves, they would understand there was nothing to be afraid of. Watching the ripples in the water spread as a strong wind passed through, Youngjae chuckled to himself how eerily similar the ripples were to their society. It only took a single person with enough power, or in his case powerful words, to reach a small group of people and from then on it would spread on and on—perhaps it was just the town, with all the older people, the large congregation, the traditional ones. He’d never been told to stay away from the forest when he was younger, not until he settled in town. He wondered if he had the same effect, helping person by person until nearly the whole town was well; he thought it a little silly afterword to think of it like that, but Youngjae had always liked to dream he would have a large impact. Perhaps there would have to be the right person to shake things up, so to speak.

Youngjae stretched his arms over his head and let out a low groan. Pulling his bag toward him, he took out the bundle of food he put together earlier. It wasn't anything special, he unwrapped the cloth to simply reveal a baguette and some butter. Inching up closer to the edge of seat, he kicked off his boots and socks before picking up the small knife he also wrapped up to begin spreading the butter. With a burst of spontaneity, the doctor slowly dipped his feet in the shallow waters, shivering at the sudden coldness. He smiled, laughing into his midday snack while he slowly kicked his feet up, sending little droplets flying. And if he angled his head just right, he could see small rainbows.

The doctor spent a few more moments just feeling the breeze on his face after he finished most of his meal, letting himself digest. There was still a small portion of bread left lying on the cloth, but he could probably finish that on his walk back or even with his supper. Despite not having a large meal, he still felt somewhat sluggish and drowsy after eating. A few minutes more wouldn't hurt, and Youngjae didn't have any plans the rest of the day anyhow.

It wasn't long before the comfortable silence was broken by the flapping of wings and several loud caws, snapping the doctor out of his daze. Several black birds, like the ones he had been seeing more frequently around, landed not too far from where he sat. They waddled around curiously, every so often spreading their wings and letting out a cry. Youngjae watched them, chuckling behind a fist as one pecked at the ground at something, but unsuccessful at getting whatever it was. Up close they were bigger than he previously thought, their feathers black and shimmery in the light unlike any other bird he had seen before. Leaning back, he tried to imagine what kind of conversation they were having, exchanging low caws back and forth—did you eat? Oh the sun is so bright today! It brought a smile to his face.

His hands knocked into his leftover lunch when he moved to grab his satchel, and an idea entered his mind. Youngjae remembered how sometimes the children would throw bread crumbs to the smaller brown birds in town; surely it was okay to do the same with the black birds as well. Tearing the bread into much smaller pieces, he threw them over to the cluster of birds. A safe enough distance from him and them, not to startle them away or cause them to attack him. He wasn't sure if that was possible, but he didn't want to take the chance. When the first bird walked over to grab a piece into its beak, the rest came over until Youngjae couldn't see anything except a mess of black and wings. Grabbing his bag and hat, he slipped his socks and boots back on, ready to walk back.

The doctor didn't know if he was imagining things or not, but as he walked around the group of birds, it felt almost as if he were being watched.

The leaves crunched under the doctor's heavy boots, shattering into pieces with every step and swept away by the wind. The colors of autumn decorated the forest in the reds, oranges, and yellows Youngjae had been waiting for, but as warm as the colors were, they did nothing to help the cold air chilling him to the bone. He chuckled under his breathe at the irony; years had passed and it was nothing new, but the frustration stayed and grew with each passing.

He collapsed at the center of the clearing, leaned back against the rock he spent so many times before, and screamed into his gloved hands. A cool breeze passed by, moving the scattered leaves along as if they knew to leave the doctor alone. The trees rustled, more drops of red and orange falling to the ground covering the surrounding area in a blanket of vibrant hues. The winds blew and the leaves moved, creating the illusion of a burning flame swirling around the young doctor. But it was cold, everything was so cold.

It was ironic, how his favorite time of year brought could also bring misfortune. He had known, he had read and learned and experienced, and it wasn't anyone's fault. People could fall ill at any time, for a variety of different reasons, and while it was his job to prevent it and do his best to heal it, there was no helping the despair that came with not being able to. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself while he brought his knees to his chest, huddling over himself to keep the cold out. He didn't even want to see the white puffs of air with every breath he took, not when the small, fragile boy laying in bed struggled to take just one.

He had been sick for a while, thank you for doing your best, we understand, it's in God's hands now; they could say all they wanted, but nothing would quell the guilt that grew inside of him. It wasn't new, that not everyone could be helped, that life had to go on, but would he still feel human if he couldn't be sad about it? His palms dug into his eyes, as if he could physically push back the tears of frustration.

Shin Dongho was a sickly boy with weak lungs, his mother said. They previously lived in a smaller town, somewhere tucked away and far, before they found their way to his town. Some fresh air would do him good, his mother had told him when they first met, when Youngjae was first asked to administer medicine for her son's cough. Dongho was always quick to fall sick, nearly as soon as the temperature dropped he would be the first with a cough or a sneeze. It was heartbreaking and sad, and over time Youngjae figured out how to make the medicine less bitter and more sweet to make it easier for the boy. He remembered the look of surprise on Dongho's face when he took it, and laughed when he asked if it were really medicine.

Before him, the boy had seen another doctor. From what he was told, he was an intelligent man, older than Youngjae, and helped Dongho through some of the worst winters. He had done all he could for the boy, and before the Shin family left he had told them to prepare their hearts for the years to come. It was at their first meeting Dongho's mother told him that, with a heavy heart and a sad smile.

He didn't want that. He didn't want to tell them the same thing, he didn't want to give up. Youngjae hoped, he prayed at church, he did all he knew, but Dongho only seemed to get worse as the days passed. It frustrated him to no end, it was going to be his fault if anything bad happened. He hugged his knees closer to his chest, and kept his eyes shut tight. He couldn't bear to be in town, around everyone, surrounded by things that only reminded him his inability to do anything.

Only the whistling wind kept him company.

With every passing the day the temperatures dropped, and more leaves covered the ground than the trees from where they came. But even with the freezing winds that nipped his nose and cheeks til they were red as cherries, he only pulled his scarf higher up and trudged back to his quiet clearing in the forest. Not one bit of dirt could be seen under the sea of red and orange.

He breathed a heavy sigh when he finally reached his destination, fogging up his glasses in the process. The young doctor shivered when he sat on the rock, feeling the cold even through his thickest of trousers. He slumped forward, and tilted his head up toward the sky. Wisps of his breath floated up, and if he wanted to, he could imagine they were clouds. The sun was hidden, obscured by gray.

The young doctor looked at the jar in his gloved hands, at the fading red string and silver bell. He kept it in his hand all day while he did his errands, needing to hold onto something solid and reassuring. He briefly wondered how his family was doing, but shook his head at how silly he was being. They had sent a letter not too long ago. Everyone was fine and happy, especially his sister.

And suddenly, ash covered his view.

He jolted in his seat and nearly dropped the jar, a small cry escaping him. Luckily no one was around to hear it, except for the familiar cream and ash colored cat staring up at him.

Youngjae maintained eye contact while he slowly moved to put the jar in his coat pocket, the voice in the back of his mind telling him not to make any sudden movements.

"Hello," he said. The cat only stared back. The young doctor cleared his throat. "Your owner isn't here?"

No answer.

"Should you really be out without him?" Youngjae continued, not caring he was talking to a cat. It was therapeutic, just to talk, even to someone that couldn't respond. "It's cold, you know? And I'd like to think your owner cared about you enough to keep you indoors. I hope he knows where you are."

"Do you know where he is? To be honest, I'd like to meet him again, but I don't even know his name. It's strange, but he seems like a good person," he laughed quietly to himself. "Is he?" Youngjae glanced down into the clear blue eyes of the beige feline, smiling when it brought a dark paw to swipe at its ears.

"I'd like to think I'm a good person too," he paused, looking out into the distance. "There's a boy back in town, and he's very sick. He's been sick, in fact. But I've been helping him and trying to make him feel better. A little while ago he became very, very sick, coughing, fever, chills, it wasn't pleasant. It took a long time, and a lot of waiting for it to...to go away? Is that the right thing to say?

‘It was frustrating, very frustrating because I didn't want him to be in pain anymore but it just kept getting worse. I didn't know what to do, I wanted so bad for him to get well and it...I remember being so angry for being useless and sitting right here," Youngjae looked back at the cat and let out a breathy laugh, the white puffs of air dancing before him, "Wallowing in my misery. But then, then his fever went down and I thought I was going to cry! His mother did instead, and I've never felt so relieved. It took a little while longer, but he stopped coughing so much as well. One of the women in town gave some of her old blankets to their family, so hopefully he's going to be able to keep warm the rest of the year."

The cat beside him finally meowed, jumping off the rock to chase after a leaf in the wind.

"Did I bore you?" The doctor laughed, leaning back on his palms, watching it jump and chase after the orange leaf. The wind picked up and carried it off, up into the sky and deeper into the forest. The cat watched it, its tail flicking back and forth before its whole body bristled from a particularly strong breeze.

"Over here," he said softly, sitting back up and catching the cat’s attention. Its blue eyes turned back to look at him, waiting. "You should go home, it's getting colder. Don't get sick, alright?" The young doctor thought about reaching over to pet it, but decided against it when it turned its head away. He stood up, brushing off imaginary dust and straightening his scarf. "I hope I'll see you again, and maybe bring your owner along next time, hm?"

Youngjae laughed when the cat ran off to chase a black bird that landed for a brief second before it flapped its wings and flew away again.

It didn't take long for Youngjae to go back into the forest, a small bottle of warm milk tucked safely in his bag. He had finished up his daily chores and checked up on Dongho, the boy had been doing better and didn't require as many visits as before, but that was no reason not to visit. It was midday, and only a few hours before sunset, so Youngjae hoped it was a good time to accidentally run into someone. If even just the cat.

Breathing into his cupped hands, he tried to keep himself warm as the wind blew in his face, a tad more ruthless than the days before. Before he knew it, winter would be upon them and it would be less interaction for everyone. The young doctor pulled the hood over his head, and held it down as another strong wind passed by. Had he known it was so windy, he would have reconsidered journeying all the way out.

As soon as he saw a glimpse of the rock, he quickened his pace to a jog, his cloak flowing in the behind behind him. The leaves moved behind him, kicked back and scattered elsewhere. Deep into autumn the clearing looked different; gone were the honeysuckles and replaced by leaves of the same color on the branches and on the ground. The toadstools barely peeked out from under the masses of leaves, the colors blending together into an indistinguishable pile. The green had obviously faded, to a dry yellow, and other areas a dead brown. Nonetheless, the changing season didn't take away the beauty or tranquility of the area, to which the young doctor was appreciative.

Brushing away the stray leaves that found themselves atop his rock, he settled down and curiously looked around, even bending backward to check behind him. He let out a sigh and blew his bangs out of his face, followed by a small whine when he unintentionally fogged up his glasses. Though Youngjae preferred to wear his glasses, it wasn't as if he were blind without them. In fact, he could see perfectly fine. No one could fault the doctor for wanting to look a little more pleasing to the general public. But he supposed with the dropping temperatures he could do without them, until spring came back and nothing else could fog his glasses up.

With nothing else to do, he took the bottle of milk out, along with a small dish he typically used for radish, and set it beside him. He poured the milk into the dish, shivering a bit when the wind nipped at the exposed flesh of his wrist. He didn't want the milk to go to waste, and thought maybe there was a chance the cat would smell it and come along. The doctor surprised himself with his own thoughts, not believing the lengths he was going to for an animal. Although, a voice in the back of his mind supplied, it was moreso for the human that came along with the animal.

It was then the most peculiar thing happened, as soon as he put the cork back over the bottle, a meow from behind the doctor startled him. The blue eyes of the sandy cat looked up at him, dark paws set upon the rock. It had a navy colored handkerchief wrapped around its neck, not much to block out the cold Youngjae thought to himself, but he supposed there wasn't much in the animal clothing category in the world. And, it was somewhat adorable if he had to give an opinion on it.

"Hello there," he smiled, patting the spot beside him. Immediately, the cat leapt up and circled its spot. Ears twitching, it looked at the dish of milk and back at the doctor. He only laughed and nudged it forward.

"Still roaming around the forest by yourself, hm?" Youngjae asked, watching its pink tongue dart in and out, lapping at the milk. He'd never owned a pet before, and wondered if that was all there was to it. "If you were a child I'd scold you for running off without your parent, but I believe cats are more independent than children, or something along those lines. Would you consider that man your parent?"

The sandy feline meowed, raising its head to look at Youngjae before going back to the milk.

"Regardless, I'm sure he's worried about your whereabouts even though I am a perfectly suitable guardian when he's not around. I even brought you milk! It must count for something," he exclaimed, sure of himself. "I do wonder what your name could be, I don't think referring to you as "it" is very polite."

Alas there was no way the young doctor would be able to figure out the name of the mysterious feline, with only said feline to interact with. He sighed, his breath coming out in white puffs that threatened to fog his glasses up again if he hadn't waved it away with a hand. "I think I'm beginning to lose my mind, in this forest waiting to see your owner again. He is real, and not a figment of my imagination? I certainly hope you're real as well, or I may truly be going insane. I'm aware of the possibility of fever induced hallucinations, and think it would be rather unfortunate if that is what all this is," he continued, freely speaking what was on his mind since no one was present to question what he was saying. Youngjae paused for a moment, thinking something over.

"Would be alright if I pet you? To make sure you are real and not made up," he said. The cat hadn't moved from its position, instead now it was sitting up and staring at Youngjae. He was no expert in the emotions of felines, but he was sure it wasn't going to bite him at any moment. Taking off his glove, he slowly reached over to lightly run his fingers through the short fur in between its ears, careful not to put too much pressure. Sure enough, it was warm and soft, and his hand did not pass right through it. He continued the petting motion, watching the cat carefully for any changes. It closed its eyes and subtly its head against his hand, a gesture Youngjae assumed meant continue.

The sun had almost set by that point, the light around him fading to give way to dark shadows, but Youngjae hadn't a thought in his mind to leave just yet. The cat—Youngjae didn't know what else to call it—had long finished the milk, the dish wrapped in cloth and back in the doctor's bag. It was pacing around his legs, stopping every so often to paw at a leaf or whatever it was on the ground. It was getting darker and more difficult to make things out.

"Do you normally stay out this late? I can't say I condone such behavior unsupervised," the doctor chided, wagging his finger at the uninterested cat. "Though it is partially your owner's fault since he is responsible for you."

He huffed and pulled his cloak closer to himself, folding his arms underneath. The sky was darkening into navy, and if he squinted Youngjae could make out a few stars. Turning his attention back to the sandy, silver under the night sky, cat, he noticed a faint glow in the distance deeper into the woods. However it quickly flickered out of existence, making the doctor wonder if he were seeing things. Shaking his head, he addressed the cat again, "Do you like stargazing? It's been a long time since I've been able to see the night sky this clearly."

The cat meowed and leapt up next to him, tail brushing against his covered elbow. He laughed and looked back up, noticing the light again out of the corner of his eye. This time, brighter than before. But before he could say something about it, his companion jumped off and scampered towards it.

"What are you doing here," the doctor heard before he saw who it was. His eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness, he made out a tall figure behind the lamp.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, when he realized who it was. "It's you!" Youngjae quickly stood up, an excited smile on his face. It wasn't returned.

"You shouldn't be here," the young man said, walking forward without stepping on the cat weaving between his legs. He stopped a few feet from Youngjae, staring him down.

"Maybe I should have wished you would greet me properly," the doctor laughed, paying no mind to the young man's words. The latter rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything more. "It has been a while, and I did wish to meet you again."

The young man slowly shook his head, bringing his other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, and muttered something Youngjae couldn't catch. "It's nightfall, you really should be home."

"It's alright, I think I quite like being outdoors under the night sky. The stars are especially bright here," the doctor answered, spreading his arms out, but quickly brought them back to his body when the wind blew.

"You need to head home," the young man continued to press. "Dangerous things lurk here at night."

"What, like you?" the young doctor responded, laughing through his nose.

"Exactly like me, now go." The light from the lamp cast dark shadows upon the young man's face; his serious expression intimidating the doctor a tad. However, he wasn't one to give up so easily.

"I don't believe I need to," he said, sitting back down. He leaned over and wiggled his fingers toward the cat, teasing it to come closer. The young man watched for a moment, and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Are you always this difficult?"

"I don't know what you mean," the doctor smiled up at him, scratching the cat behind the ears. The young man looked thoroughly annoyed, a cross look on his handsome face. Even in the dark, Youngjae could recognize beauty when he saw it.

Sighing once more, he walked closer to stand before the doctor. Before he could question it, the young man bent down to pick the cat up, once again allowing it on his shoulders. He watched the cat drape itself on his shoulders and hide under the cloak the man still knelt before him wore.

Youngjae laughed at the displeased expression on his face when the feline nuzzled itself against his neck, no doubt tickling him. It only served to make him laugh louder when the young man directed the expression at him.

"Come on then, get up," he said, rising to his feet once more. Youngjae was confused.

"I'm sorry?"

"Clearly you intend to be difficult, so I'm going to take you back."

"More curious than difficult, really," he responded, getting up to stand beside the young man. The other did have some height over him, the doctor noticed, barely a few centimeters shorter.

"I'm sure."

The two set off toward the village, the young man holding the lamp out in front of them. There wasn't going to be a repeat of a few months ago, not if Youngjae could help it. It was quiet, save for a few caws in the distance, and the sounds of the leaves rustling.

"I don't believe we've been properly introduced," the doctor began, breaking the silence. Much to the young man's displeasure, judging by the quiet huff Youngjae barely heard. "My name is Choi Youngjae, the doctor of the town." He finished with a smile, and even with the dim lighting he could see the exasperation on the others' face. The young man was truly a different type of person, and Youngjae found himself smiling even wider.

"I do hope this wasn't planned, otherwise I wouldn't know whether to laugh or wonder if people really are this mundane," the other replied, while suppressing a small shiver. The doctor moved a little closer, their covered arms nearly touching. "My name is Yugyeom. And her's is Nora"

"Her.." Youngjae repeated, looking to where the young man—Yugyeom, his mind corrected—motioned his head. "Ah, your cat! It's good to finally put a name to the face, both of you!"

Yugyeom looked at Youngjae from the corner of his eyes, the corners of his lips slightly quirking up. "You're strange," he said.

"Coming from a person roaming the forest at nightfall? I'd like to think otherwise," the doctor shot back.

"Oh of course, more so than a person sitting in the woods at the same time," Yugyeom responded just as quickly. Youngjae just laughed.

The continued on, a comfortable silence settling between the two as they eventually made their way to the outskirts of town. The faint lights from the lanterns became more visible as the two got closer. Youngjae didn't live too far, preferring to be closer to the forest for when he needed to collect his herbs. However, as soon as they reached the town, Yugyeom stopped.

The doctor hadn't realized until he wasn't being followed until he noticed only one shadow beside him.

"Yugyeom?" he called out, turning back to see the young man standing at the unofficial border, still under the trees that overlooked the path out of town.

Yugyeom only smiled at him, nearly startling Youngjae—in all their past encounters he'd never seen that expression on his face—and bade him good night. The doctor, surprising himself, made his way back toward the taller man instead of continuing his way home. It had become rather late, and quite ludicrous that someone would still be out, alone no less.

"You're not going back into the forest are you? You said yourself, it is dangerous," Youngjae reasoned, "You should head home as well!"

The young man didn't respond with something biting, but laughed instead. He laughed at the strangest moments, the doctor thought to himself, but found his eyes drawn to the way Yugyeom's mouth curved upward, and the way he slightly threw his head back. It was a quiet laugh, so not to startle Nora, and quickly quelled by a small cough.

"You needn't worry about me," Yugyeom reassured him, a small smile adorning his face.

"But—" he wanted to protest, but Yugyeom cut him off.

"Good night, Youngjae," he said once again, before turning on his heel and walking back into the dark forest.

Once more, Youngjae was left watching his back, cloak billowing in the wind behind him until the light grew fainter and fainter, until he could no longer see any trace of Yugyeom.

"This must be a joke," Yugyeom said as soon as he stepped into the clearing.

"Yugyeom! How nice to see you again," Youngjae smiled up at him, from his spot at the foot of a tree.

It was still early in the day, the sun almost risen to its highest point and bringing up the temperature ever so slightly; or it could very well be a trick of the mind. The doctor had come out early morning, with the intention of taking a short walk before going about his daily chores. The town was quiet in the mornings, not many people out especially when the air was cold, but he passed by several townspeople opening up shop. One of which, was an old woman selling steamed yams.

So the young doctor found himself settled underneath a tree, watching the leaves fall around him, warming himself with a small bundle of steamed yams on his lap. He let them cool for just a bit, to avoid the steam from fogging his glasses, before he began to peel them and feed his hungry stomach. It wasn't long until a familiar cream colored cat padded its way through, leaping onto a low branch nearby and watched the leaves fall with him.

"You said you were a doctor," Yugyeom ignored his greeting, moving forward to stand near the centre rock. "Don't you have duties to be attending to?" The young man set his basket aside, and put a hand on his hip, staring at Youngjae with a quirked brow. From where he sat, Yugyeom looked like a disappointed mother.

"The life of a doctor isn't all work and no play," he responded with a small laugh, and reaching for a yam, he offered it to the man. "Hungry?"

Yugyeom just clicked his tongue, but politely declined. A bit of a contradiction, that man. "Well, don't let me intrude on your 'play,' and may I remind you not to linger around until nightfall again."

"Why, it sounds an awful lot like you're worried for me, Yugyeom."

The young man shrugged, shaking his rosy bangs out of his face. "Delude yourself however you want, but I absolutely am not going to walk you back again."

"A shame, company is always welcome," he said. "Even if they're as grumpy as you." The doctor couldn't help the smile when Yugyeom rolled his eyes, he had the feeling the man had been holding that back for a while. For certain, the young man was a breath of fresh air in Youngjae's life, giving him the reactions and saying things he wouldn't dream of hearing from those in his own town. "Perhaps you'll walk with me here, instead?"

"Perhaps in your dreams, doctor."

The following weeks passed quickly, the trees became barren and the winds colder, people shuffled around buried in thick cloaks over knit sweaters and woolen hats, greeting each other with rosy cheeks and gloved hands. Winter was upon them, the gray clouds above them holding promises of only snow. Many had begun stocking up on meats and vegetables that could be preserved easily before the last leaves fell from the trees, others gathered wood for their fires, and some spent their time knitting, sewing, or mending cloth in preparation. The townspeople held their own in the coldest of seasons, conscious of their health and those of their family, but still had the little slices of paradise they found.

The doctor had told Yugyeom that one day, while the trees around them still carried reds and oranges. That some people looked forward for winter, just to light the fire and gather around with a warm blanket. Yugyeom had only laughed, and nodded in understanding. Youngjae went on to talk about the snow, and how loudly the children would yell at hours he believed no human should be awake. Most children were excited for the coming of snow, in previous years many snowmen littered their streets, tall ones to short stumpy ones with pencils for arms, and even little snow animals. That time, he asked if Yugyeom enjoyed the snow, and was met with a shake of the head. No, he had replied. It was much too cold for him, and Youngjae found himself agreeing.

The two had met sparingly, sometimes once per week, sometimes it was nearly two weeks in between, but without fail they would run into each other in what the young doctor proclaimed in his head was their little piece of mind—a rather clever play on words if he said so himself. If he voiced it aloud, he was sure Yugyeom would shake his head in disdain, or maybe worse not meet him again. The doctor wouldn't want that.

"Have you ever come to see me, but I wasn’t there?" The doctor asked one chilly afternoon, sat beside the young man on the rock, a basket of colorful rice cakes between them. It was brought by Yugyeom, according to him an equivalent exchange for the pumpkin tarts Youngjae shared their previous encounter.

"Of course not," Yugyeom answered, plucking one from the basket before popping it into his mouth. "Only if are here, I will come." He scowled when a cold wind passed by, ruffling his hair and staining his already red cheeks a hue darker. Perhaps it was rather stupid for the two to continuously stay out in the cold, but it seemed neither cared, or cared too much about another matter altogether to notice.

"But surely it is impossible for you to know whether I'm here or not," Youngjae questioned as he dusted his lap of any crumbs and reached in the basket under the cloth for another. "As I recall, there is no such thing as luck!"

"Perhaps I have a knack for finding idiots, then?" The young man laughed at the scandalous expression on the doctor's face, dodging the hit aimed for his arm.

Youngjae pulled his hat down father over his ears as he made his way to the bakery, the wind merciless. Unlike Yugyeom, the doctor had no idea whether the other would be there if he went out, but regardless Youngjae couldn't walk there empty-handed. Several days had passed since they last seen each other, Youngjae fondly remembering how Nora jumped into a rather large pile of leaves and startled Yugyeom as a result. That day, the young man had brought with him a jar of buckwheat tea that was surprisingly still warm when it was handed to the doctor. The two shared a quiet moment warming themselves with the tea, of course before the sandy cat caused a ruckus.

He planned to purchase a few biscuits to go along with chamomile tea. Not yet brewed, but there was time for that after. Something simple he could bring along with him in a small basket, only so he could keep his hands buried in his pockets and not weigh him down as he trudged on in the cold.

He passed by a lone stand on his way to the baker's, empty and barren on the side of the street. The vegetable merchant hadn't come in a little while, and the doctor had started missing tomatoes. They weren't in season anymore, but he couldn't help but miss the taste—squash wasn't as satisfying. What he had in excess were oranges and mandarins instead, and plums that reminded him of the color of Yugyeom's hair.

Quickening his pace, he hurried to the bakery. The sun was only up for so long before she set, and Youngjae didn't want to hold off meeting his companion a day longer.

“Here,” Yugyeom said, dropping a basket by Youngjae’s feet. The doctor didn’t hear him approach, immersed in a new book the town’s school teacher had recommended. It was a poem, like those that were so popular abroad, that told the tales of a hero and his amazing feats. He had just read about the man slaying a great lion, when Yugyeom appeared before him. The young man was like a lion, but the doctor only thought so because lions were just big cats, weren’t they? The tall man couldn’t be such a small feline, after all. But just where was his imagination going?

“What is this?” He asked, setting the book aside and curiously lifting up the corner of the cloth that covered the contents. Half expecting to see more sweets similar to the little cakes the young man brought weeks before, Youngjae was surprised to see vegetables. Napa cabbage, some corn, bracken, and poking through the stalks of spring onion, the doctor was shocked to see some tomatoes. He looked up to Yugyeom staring absentmindedly at his nails like he was bored waiting while the doctor was sifting through the basket. The young man eventually noticed the doctor gaping a him, his mouth opening and closing as if he were a fish. Yugyeom only quirked a brow.

“You, how?” Was all Youngjae managed to piece together, pulling the basket closer to  himself to properly look through it.

“I remember you wailing about missing your precious tomatoes,” Yugyeom said, lightly kicking Youngjae’s boot to get him to shift over so he could take a seat beside him. “So out of the kindness of my heart I plucked a few from my garden. There are a few ginseng roots in there, as well.”

The young man continued, “Assuming you know how to use them, and not just mash them into juices and salves.”

“Very funny,” Youngjae rolled his eyes, still appreciative of the gift nonetheless. “But thank you, waiting for the merchant takes too long these days. Having your own garden is quite convenient, isn’t it? I wish the townspace would permit it.”

Yugyeom just shrugged in response, kicking up the dead leaves by their feet.

“Living here must be nice, then,” he went on to say, “Having everything you need around you naturally.”

He looked over at Yugyeom when he didn’t receive a response, not quite surprised to see the young man staring up at the sky. He observed Yugyeom’s profile; watching the white puffs of air slowly appear every time he exhaled, the way his hair brushed over his eyes when the wind blew, and admired how effortlessly calm he looked.

“Something like that,” Yugyeom finally breathed out, turning his attention back to Youngjae. The doctor hadn’t realized he’d even been heard, knowing the other’s tendency to just stare off into nothing.

“Well,” the doctor says, struck with a idea, “If you’re ever sick of the same scenery, you’re more than welcome to come to me. Especially after you’ve gotten me the tomatoes..Ah! How about I make dinner for us?” He finished excitedly, a wide smile on his face.

Yugyeom, on the other hand, simply looked puzzled. “Did you...did you just make...if I’m sick I should go to you. Really.” he deadpanned.

“Make a what?” It was Youngjae’s turn to be confused, going over what he said before to make sense of what Yugyeom was saying. “I dont beli—oh. Oh!” Realizing what the young man meant, he burst into giggle at his own unintentional joke.

“You’re such a child,” Yugyeom rolled his eyes. Though, he did nothing about the smile on his face, and  just shook his head.

“I’ll have you know I’m 25 years of age,” The doctor replied with a huff, “With a grand sense of humor!”

Yugyeom scoffed, “I stand corrected, you’re an old man.”

“You’re a, what’s that word children use nowadays, ah I remember—”

“Oh doctor, I think your memory is going perhaps you shouldn’t exert yourself.”

“—a sourpuss!”

“Incredible.”

Youngjae slapped Yugyeom’s shoulder in retaliation, smirking when the young man yelped in surprise.

“Now that we’ve established I can be quite hilarious,” the doctor could practically feel Yugyeom rolling his eyes, “I insist that you come with me to my home, and I’ll show you I am perfectly capable of cooking a meal!”

“That’s alright,” came the surprisingly tame response. The young man was laughing into his fist, his eyes nearly disappearing into little crescents, “You needn’t prove anything to me. Though, I am flattered.”

“I insist!” the doctor repeated. It was a matter of pride. “It’s the least I can do in return, I don’t know how else to thank you.”

“It’s really quite alright,” the young man replied. “Besides, it gets much too cold during the night and having to walk back home in it would be a nightmare.”

It sounded like an excuse, but the doctor did see his point. It wouldn’t do for Yugyeom to get sick, and as both a doctor and a friend, Youngjae didn’t want that to happen. So he sighed, “Alright, but next time, then? I do want to thank you.”

The young man only smiled and said nothing more.

Snow covered the ground, hiding everything under a bright white. It started a few days ago, and caught the doctor by surprise while he was walking home. What began as a light dusting of powder white quickly became heavier, to the point most everyone had to stay indoors until it lightened up once again. Youngjae saw people trudging through the snow, clad in thick cloaks and hopefully even warmer hats and scarves, holding bags of what he assumed could only be food to their homes. During those days, he was thankful he had enough food in his house, and enough supplies for warm cups of tea, as well as wood for the fire. He watched from his window how the snow gradually piled up, and coming down so heavily he could barely make out the farther buildings in town.

There wasn’t much he could do in that kind of weather, nor much he wanted to do, he thought as he settled down in front of his fireplace with a thick quilt he pulled from the closet. There were several novels scattered around him, ones that he decided to purchase on a whim when he passed by the book shop. He had begun to read all of them, but never found the time to finish; he stopped off in varying different parts in each of the novels, and some he had only read the first two pages. With a hot cup of green tea at his side, Youngjae leaned back and picked up the book closest to him. A love story, he remembered from the first few chapters, about a princess and her knight.

It was strange, the young doctor never cared too much for romance, nor did he understand why some people were so adamant about marriage, but yet he was reading a love story. (He would admit the cover was extremely eye catching, hence why he purchased it at all.) But as he read on about the couple’s forbidden love, he wondered what kind of tea Yugyeom preferred.

As the princess snuck away in the dead of night to meet her lover, Youngjae mused it could be mint, what with the amount he remembered the other man picked the first time he’d seen him. While the princess cried for her knight who was to go off to join a pointless war, Youngjae imagined what the young man would be doing were he there with him. Perhaps sitting beside him, making faces at the very book he was reading and ridiculing the knight’s silly proclamations of love. Or would he nurse a cup of tea, sitting by the window under another one of Youngjae’s blankets watching the snow fall? The doctor wondered, but he knew regardless what the young man did, Youngjae only wished him to be there.

The doctor didn’t find out whether the knight came back, nor if the princess stopped the war—he’d lost interest when the duke of some noble family was introduced, and set the book aside. He wasn’t in the mood to start anything else, so he pulled himself up to pour himself another cup of tea, craving the extra warmth. Absentmindedly, he reached for the mint leaves.

“Ya, Kisoo get away from those!”

The young doctor had just left the Shin residence after checking up on Dongho—he was fine, a minor headache but nothing he was unprepared for—when he came across little Kisoo and his mother. As expected, the boy was playing in the snow under the watchful eye of his mother, but was inching far too close to a cluster of black birds nearby.

Curious, Youngjae thought, birds should have all flown south for the winter. He stopped to stare, catching the attention of one. The doctor was startled, but when the bird looked away to start cawing and flapping at its wings, he let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Kisoo come back here,” His mother went over and grabbed his hand, pulling the boy away. “Those things are bad omens,” she said, looking at the birds with disgust.

Kisoo looked as if he wanted to say something, but wilted under his mother’s harsh glare. He only waved sadly at the birds as he was tugged away, the black birds watching.

The doctor just shook his head and went back on his way. He wondered why so many of them were suddenly around, and if they were truly as terrible as people thought they were.

Yugyeom was already there when Youngjae arrived.

The doctor still hadn’t figured out how exactly the young man knew to be there when he was all those weeks ago. It wasn’t terribly important, but it made him curious. Lately they had chosen to tell each other; two days from then, tomorrow, the next week, anytime they thought best. That time, however, was not planned. While they usually chose to meet when the sun was highest, it was almost time for the sunset.

Youngjae wanted a little peace, away from the too quiet confines of his home and commotion from the town, and knew the clearing wasn’t too far. He stopped with his lamp in hand, and stared incredulously up at Yugyeom.

The young man was sat atop a tree branch of the tree farthest from him, his back against the trunk and one of his long legs hanging down while the other was bent towards his chest. His cloak was loosely draped over him, covering his shoulders and part of his chest, and the rest waving softly against the wind. Pushing up his glasses, Youngjae could make out a beige mass sitting on the young man’s lap.

It was Nora that noticed him first, blue eyes peeking over Yugyeom’s knee, and meowed. Yugyeom’s eyes flickered down to meet Youngjae’s, but only for an instant. Just as quickly, the young man went back to looking up at the sky.

“Hello,” the young man greeted, still not looking at him.

“Hello,” the doctor responded, taking slow steps forward until he was standing at the base of the tree Yugyeom and Nora were sitting in. “What are you doing?”

“Waiting for the sunset,” he answered. His head lolled lazily to rest upon his shoulder, looking down at Youngjae. His rosy hair fell messily across his forehead, nearly obscuring his dark eyes from view. “And you?”

"Looking for some peace you could say," he answered. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Disappointed?"

"No, of course not!" Youngjae exclaimed as he backed up, placing his lamp on the rock. The faint crunching of snow under his boots was the only sound between them as he walked back to look up at Yugyeom. "Just a little surprised, that's all. It's always a pleasure to see you." From the dim lighting he could see the small smile on the young man's lips, mirroring his own.

"Well aren't you the charmer," was the airy reply. He let Nora jump out of his lap, Youngjae stumbling back in surprise at the sudden movement and immediately held his arms out to catch the feline. She leapt off his arms and into the snow, making little footprints in the snow around his.

"She never likes to sit still," Yugyeom said, though to Youngjae it sounded more like a whine. The young man moved to cross his arms over his chest, as if trying to keep in the warmth Nora left, but the doctor couldn't help but laugh at how much he looked like a petulant child. And as per usual, Yugyeom shot him a dirty look.

"Maybe it's the cold?"

Yugyeom just shook his head. "So you decided to come out, nearly evening and in the cold I might add, just for some peace and quiet?" He shifted on the branch so both his legs hung over one side while he leaned his shoulder against the trunk. He stared the doctor down with a tilt of the head, a brow raised in question.

"It sounds...a little ridiculous if you say it all aloud," the doctor chuckled, hiding his nervous smile with the back of his hand. No one could tell if the red on his cheeks were from the cold, or just embarrassment. "But yes, I did! I told you once before, I liked stargazing."

"You're a bit too early, don't you think? The sun has yet to set," Yugyeom said. He swung his legs lightly back and forth, causing some of the snow on other branches to fall to the ground, and some nearly on Youngjae's face.

"One would think you wouldn't want me here," the doctor teased back. He smiled up at the man, brushing off the snow that managed to land on his shoulders.

"Tell yourself what you want to tell yourself," he graced the doctor with yet another of his vague answers, grinning down.

"Just admit you're fond of me already Yugyeom," Youngjae replied. The doctor ignored Yugyeom's eyeroll and instead focused his stare on the tree before him. He figured he could reach the branch the young man was sitting on just fine; climbing trees was no problem. He'd done it a hundred times as a child, and if he happened to fall, well, Yugyeom helped him once.

With a confident nod, he set his boot against the trunk and proceeded to pull himself up.

"Wait, what are you doing?" The young man sat up straighter after seeing the doctor grab onto a few of the lower branches and climbing, or attempting to climb at the very least. "Stop, stop, stop," he said hurriedly, keeping one hand on the trunk to steady himself while he leaned forward and held a hand out to Youngjae who had nearly slipped.

"It's alright, I've done this before," the doctor said between grunts, having utmost confidence in his ability to climb trees. Yugyeom looked worried. "Just not in a while."

"Oh for Pete's sake," came the familiar exasperation the young doctor grew to be fond of, "Give me your hand, you dunce. I don't even know why you're trying to get up here."

"I'm beginning to think you don't know what "be nice" means," Youngjae replied with a smile and made a grab for Yugyeom's hand. He of course didn't want to fall or do something equally as clumsy, but there was something about Yugyeom voluntarily helping him rather than he ask that made the doctor feel victorious.

"I know plenty, thank you," the young man grumbled, his hand clasped around Youngjae's and ready to pull him up. But what would a story be without a cliche? The sandy feline both had forgotten about decided then to remind the two of her presence but leaping onto the doctor's back, clawing up to his shoulders. The sudden weight startled Youngjae, his wide eyes meeting Yugyeom's, and in that instant both of them knew disaster was headed their way.

The look in Yugyeom’s eyes screamed at him that it was all his fault and most likely threats of bodily harm, but the doctor was far too distracted to care. He lost his footing, as well as his grip on the other tree branch, but fortunately—unfortunately on Yugyeom’s part—he still had the young man’s hand in his grasp.

“Don’t you dare—” the young man began to say. It was a little too late for that. Caught by surprise Yugyeom didn’t have anything to hold onto, the hand on the trunk grasped at nothing as he was pulled down by Youngjae. The doctor hadn’t made it very far up; a fall from that distance would merely cause a bruise at most, but for the young man had been higher, there was room for more than just bruising.

Youngjae fell on his back with a pained grunt—thanking the heavens he didn’t wear his glasses that day—the coldness and wetness of snow seeping through his cloak, combined with the weight on his front made for a less than comfortable position. Said weight hadn’t moved for a few quiet moments, not even a sound, worrying the young doctor but he didn’t want to make an sudden movements in case the young man had an injury. However, a groan from his shoulder area shook him of his worries, a breath of relief coming out in white puffs at the sound.

“Are you alright?” he said when he felt Yugyeom nose against his neck, trying very hard to stifle his giggles. He was sure the young man wasn’t aware of what he was doing; he normally wasn’t very forward with any sort of physical contact.

“Am I alright he asks,” Yugyeom mumbled, beginning to shift on top of Youngjae. His upper body was covering most of the doctor’s, his own cloak splayed out over them and the snow. One of Youngjae’s legs were trapped between both of Yugyeom’s legs; the young man was careful not to knee him anywhere when he pushed himself up to his elbows, or elbow rather. “You should be asking yourself that,” he scowled down at him.

Youngjae didn’t respond immediately, distracted. He stared up at Yugyeom, into those dark eyes; irritated but not angry, tinged with some concern. If he looked close enough, he would see his own reflection and wondered if Yugyeom would ever look at him with...a more positive expression. His lips would curl up and smile wide, the one where his teeth showed and pink gums peeked out, and maybe if Youngjae tried hard enough a dust of red would fall over his cheeks. He remembered seeing that expression only once, when they talked about nights spent catching fireflies in the years past.

“Don’t tell me you have a head injury, are you there Choi Youngjae?”

He was dazed, or perhaps he did hit his head too hard. But the view was nothing he’d seen before, incredible in fact, and had no complaints.

“Youngjae?” More worry seeped into Yugyeom’s voice, something else that was uncommon. Like the way his brows furrowed, and the straight line his mouth became; the doctor wasn’t used to that side of him. A slow smile crept up on his face, basking in the attention.

“Seems like you’ve fallen for me,” he said, holding the smile for just a few moments before bursting into laughter.

“You are such—you know what? Nevermind,” Yugyeom cut himself off before he said anything too harsh to the still giggling doctor. “We both fell, if you hadn’t noticed,” and quietly added after, “And the damn cat disappears right after.”

“I’ve definitely noticed,” Youngjae managed between bouts of laughter, his cheeks red, but still grinning. “My backside may be a bit cold, but you’re doing a good job of keeping me warm!”

The terrible comment was well worth the embarrassment and a smack on the chest for Yugyeom’s sputtering and scandalized expression. The doctor’s laughter once again filled the air, even after Yugyeom got off him having realized their positions not long after. The young man’s knees were wet, as well as the underside of his right sleeve, and his palm had started to turn red from being in the snow, but nothing was quite as red as his face.

“You’re going to catch a cold if you lay in the snow any longer,” he scolded, unable to look at the smiling doctor in the eye and muttered something mosty likely foul under his breath.

“You’re probably right,” Youngjae replied, not moving to get up. Yugyeom looked expectedly at him. “Help me up?”

“You,” Yugyeom started to say, stomping back over to loom over him, “are absolutely the worst person I have ever met.” The young man said it so seriously Youngjae almost believed him if not for the hand out toward him. He knew deep down the other man still liked him. “I missed the sunset for this,” he grumbled, pouting, after the doctor had been set upright again.

“Well, I got to see the stars at least,” Youngjae replied. He looked over at Yugyeom, and smiled. (Predictably, the man scoffed.)

“You don’t have to walk me back, you know,” Youngjae said to Yugyeom one night, while they were walking back to town. It was snowing lightly, adding on to the piles already on the forest ground. The doctor held a lantern between them with a gloved hand. Yugyeom held his own close to him, his fingers red because the poor man only had on fingerless gloves. Though, he did not seem bothered. “It isn’t that far of a walk at all.”

“Forgive me for “being nice,” Yugyeom answered, sticking his tongue out when Youngjae elbowed him, clearly sensing the sarcasm.

“I am a grown man,” Youngjae continued to reason.

“You are,” Yugyeom agreed. “Old, too.”

The doctor rolled his eyes. “You can’t be that much younger than I! I’m still quite young...”

“I didn’t take you for one to get worked up over such petty things,” Yugyeom laughed behind his hand, eyes glittering in the dim lighting.

“Spoken by the king of petty himself, I find that a little hard to believe.”

“I only speak the truth.”

“You’re very good at changing the subject, I’ve noticed.”

“So the good doctor does know things outside of medicine, well I’ll be!”

“With a tongue so sharp I’m surprised you haven’t cut up your mouth by now.”

“Well, good thing I have a doctor right here beside me, don’t I?” Yugyeom replied, knocking his shoulder into Youngjae’s in a playful manner. His light giggles eased his biting words, bringing a smile to Youngjae’s face despite being the subject of his mockery.

“If this is your definition of being nice, I wouldn’t want to know what you’re like when you’re mean,” Youngjae said, shaking his head. Yugyeom let out a short huff of laughter.

The doctor pulled his cloak tighter together, the winds were getting stronger and blowing snow off the trees. It was almost as if it were snowing again, and just as cold. He noticed the young man had moved closer to him, feeling his warmth press against his arm even through all the layers of cloth between them.

“You really don’t need to,” the doctor brought up again, voice soft. When Yugyeom doesn’t answer, he thought it might have been drowned out by the howling winds, relentless with how hard they pull the two forward, and was about to let the wind carry that, too, away when he replied, equally as quiet.

“I have...no, I want to,” he answered. Youngjae noticed Yugyeom cut himself off before continuing with what he just said, and couldn’t help but think it a little strange. Regardless, the words made his heart swell in his chest, sending warmth throughout his body—figuratively, of course. “And you have a...history of accidents which leads me to worry just a bit.” And there was the familiar silver tongue.

“I assure you I am perfectly capable! Some time has passed since we fell down that tree and I haven’t injured myself at all,” Youngjae quickly defended. The last time was because of Nora, anyhow. It would have been perfectly fine if he wasn’t startled, and despite how foolish he was then, he looked back on it as a good memory.

“Yet, you mean,” the young man chided, bumping their shoulders again.

“Good thing I have you to take care of me, don’t I?” Youngjae parroted back, mirthful smile on his face. The young man gave him a good shove. “You can be my nurse, then. Nurse Yugyeom. How does that sound?”

The young man just rolled his eyes, causing the doctor to burst out in laughter.  

The pair made their way to the outskirts of town, seeing the lanterns in the distance. They had slowed their pace unknowingly, as if to drag out the time they had together. Neither of them could predict the future, they didn’t know how busy or not the doctor of the town would be, nor could they see if the weather would permit them to even step foot outside. Chance, it was what Yugyeom said it was when they came across each other by the creek, and it was only by chance they were able to meet. Youngjae still kept the four leaf clover with him despite that, he liked to think it was luck. Afterall, seeing the young man when he could was more than beneficial to him.

Yugyeom kicked up some snow, watching the powdery substance fall gently on his boot, coating it in white. His lamp had been turned off a little while back, the cold finally seeping into his fingers until it was unbearable. When he mentioned it, Youngjae wanted to offer his gloves, but bit his tongue. He hadn’t any reason not to, they both got along well, but hesitated instead and by then Yugyeom tucked his hand and lamp under his cloak. He wondered if that was what romance novels often called “missed opportunities.”

“Looks like it’s good night,” Yugyeom said, stopping right at the end of the dirt path that led into the woods, the same spot he always stopped. Never stepping even a centimeter into what was officially the town, strangely enough.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in,” Youngjae asked, the same question he always asked when Yugyeom walked him back. The doctor didn’t understand it, why he always refused to come with him, instead choosing to walk back in the cold. And he knew the young man was cold, he’d seen the shivers, not to mention the quiet complaints. He remembered the conversation they had, back when Yugyeom had given him a basket of vegetables. He said he didn’t want to be stuck walking back at night in the cold, yet had no problem walking the doctor back when their meetings extended past sunset. He had never questioned it, letting things flow naturally, but Youngjae was awful curious.

“It’s alright,” he replied as always. And with same gentle smile adorning his lips; though it did little to deter the doctor. “We have the same conversation every time Youngjae, it really is fine.”

He was about to respond with an objection and insist, when he was cut off by a sneeze. The doctor looked at Yugyeom in surprise, quickly closing his mouth because of the wind. The young man only sniffled and brought a finger to rub at his nose, though the expression on his face looked rather confused.

“Well, that solves that,” Youngjae said a tad triumphantly. Yugyeom looked at him curiously, his hand still covering his face.

“You,” he said, stepping closer to take a hold of the other man’s wrist, “are coming with me.” Youngjae finished with another smile, and turned to walk into town with Yugyeom in tow.

“I’m sorry?” The young man was caught by surprise, passing by several houses before trying to pull his arm free from the doctor’s grasp. “What are you doing?!” He whispered, conscious of how late it was. The more he tugged, the tighter Youngjae’s grip got. The doctor hadn’t stopped moving, pulling on the taller man just hard enough to get him to come along even with the resistance. And some time during their little stroll Youngjae slipped his hand into Yugyeom’s, feeling just how cold it was. Yugyeom hadn’t relented, so he gave an experimental squeeze.

“You sneezed,” he answered. “As a doctor, I really can’t let you stay out in the cold, you could become very ill!”

“You can’t be serious!”

“It’s a good thing you had a doctor with you, hm?” Youngjae was sure if it weren’t for the sleeping townsfolk, Yugyeom would’ve whined and stomped his foot. (It had happened a few times before, mostly when Youngjae made fun of him a little.)

“Just,” the young man looked for words to say, not knowing what exactly to say as he stumbled behind the doctor, “Just hurry up then! Like you said, it’s cold!” Youngjae laughed quietly, nodding in agreement.

“Come along then, it’s not far.” He still held Yugyeom’s hand, his grasp loosened so if the other man wanted to pull away he could. Youngjae smiled to himself when he didn’t, and gently pulled Yugyeom along. There was another quiet sneeze from behind him, and when Youngjae turned around Yugyeom was looking elsewhere.

“Why am I going along with this,” the young man grumbled, keeping his head down. Youngjae shook his head and pulled a little harder when they neared his home. When they reached the door, he set his lamp down on the snow covered ground and reached for the keys in his satchel. Keeping them in the same pocket with nothing else for years made it easy to grab them without needing any light. Neither of them mentioned that he could have just as easily let go of Yugyeom’s hand.

Youngjae’s home was modest, two floors, not too large nor too small for just one person. The fireplace held a dying flame, from when he had lit it hours before, but still kept his home warmer than outside. The doctor let go of Yugyeom’s hand to pick the lamp up, and to lock the door behind the both of them. Toeing his boots off by the door, he walked inside to place the now turned off lamp on the side table. That left the fireplace the only source of light, it wasn’t much but enough for Youngjae to see. The young man was cautious, not sure of what to do since Youngjae left him by the door. He followed suit in taking off his boots, tucking them neatly against the wall and stepping further in the room.

As the doctor busied himself with setting the kettle on and lighting a few candles here and there, Yugyeom undid the clasp of his cloak and slid it off, draping it over his arm as he made his way to the fireplace. He knelt down on the rug and took of his gloves so he could warm his hands by the fire. At some point the room became brighter from the various different candles, illuminating the main area, as well as the dining area. The doctor had joined him, after stealing his cloak away to drape over a chair by the door. Youngjae’s cloak was put away as well, and somewhere along the way put on a pair of slippers.

He placed a pair next to Yugyeom, grinning when the young man looked at him in surprise. Youngjae continued to busy himself with adding firewood to the flames, fanning at it just a bit to make the flame larger. Yugyeom just stared ahead, feeling himself warm up despite the small sniffles that escaped him.

Youngjae left the man to sit by the fire to check on the kettle, pulling two cups from the cupboard to set on the table. It was oolong tea, something he always found was good on cold days. While it was still boiling, he went off to find the extra blankets and a pillow he knew he stored in his house somewhere. He had bought the extra bedding on a whim, preferring to have options, but never used them much. Having a guest over was as good as a reason as any, especially since he was sneezing. The doctor realize they hadn’t said a word to each other since they arrived, and hoped Yugyeom wasn’t feeling awkward about it all; Youngjae really did enjoy his company especially since he’d been trying to get the young man to stop by for a while.

“Are you warmer now?” he said over the pile of blankets in his arms. The glow of the fire painted everything nearby in a light orange, and he couldn’t help but notice how bright Yugyeom’s hair looked under it. And he put on the slippers, the doctor noted with a grin.

“Ah, yes thank you,” Yugyeom replied, turning to look up at him. “Even though you did drag me all the way here.”

“Now, now, you know I couldn’t let you leave knowing you could get sick,” Youngjae told him, letting the pillow drop to the floor. With that out of the way, he unfolded the pale blue blanket and wrapped it over Yugyeom’s shoulders, ignoring the way the young man tensed up almost immediately. He sighed in relief when his shoulders dropped and relaxed, pulling the blanket closer to him. “There,” he said, “That should be better.”

He couldn’t tell if the red on Yugyeom’s cheeks were from the fire, or something else. (That something else being him, he hoped.)

“What about you?” the young man asked, turning his head to look at him as he made his way back over to the boiling kettle.

“Tea is calling,” Youngjae laughed, and immediately after the kettle began to whistle. “I hope you don’t mind oolong.”

“It’s fine!” Yugyeom called out, shifting in his spot on the floor so his legs were out in front of him. Youngjae heard another sneeze, and was about to ask if he needed anything when Yugyeom suddenly appeared beside him, turning the faucet on to wash his hands. The blue blanket he’d left him with hanging loosely around the young man’s shoulders like a cape. Wordlessly, he passed a handkerchief over to him, receiving a quiet thanks in response.

Yugyeom peeked over his shoulder to see the status of their tea, but kept a respectable distance away from Youngjae on the account that he was still sniffling. The doctor had a feeling it was just a passing thing, he had gotten Yugyeom out of the cold and was going to make sure he would stay warm, so he had no worries. Speaking of which, Youngjae turned Yugyeom around by the shoulders and started pushing him back to the fireplace.

“What are you doing?” Yugyeom asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. He wasn’t resisting, walking whatever which way Youngjae was leading him.

“You should stay by the fire,” the doctor said, forcing the man to sit down again on the rug. “Stay.”

“I don’t have hypothermia, it was just a sneeze,” Yugyeom said, rolling his eyes. He sat down anyway.

“Listen to the doctor,” he replied, going back to actually pour the tea into the cups. A snort came from behind him, and Youngjae couldn’t help but roll his eyes; Yugyeom was too much like a child at times. The doctor walked back over with the two steaming hot cups in his hands, offering one to Yugyeom before he sat down beside the other man. He pulled the blanket he left on the armchair to him, his cup safely between his crossed legs, and wrapped it around himself.

They sat in silence, watching the fire burn and taking slow sips of their tea. Snow started to fall, lightly, melting as soon as they hit the window. But the two paid it no mind, they were indoors and warm. Yugyeom had moved to loosely hug his knees to his chest, his cheek lay against his shoulder, and empty cup placed beside him. He was beginning to doze off if the way he was lightly swaying was anything to go by. Youngjae smiled into his cup, finishing the last few sips before setting it down. The quiet was comfortable, no sound save for the crackle of the fire and the faint whistles of the wind. The candles he lit earlier were still going, the wax having melted a considerable amount already—Youngjae hadn’t realized that much time had passed.

Looking over at Yugyeom, he couldn’t help but laugh quietly at how his head was bobbing lightly, not quite asleep but not quite awake, either. He was going to put both their cups in the sink and wash them tomorrow morning, and move the pillow closer so the young man could sleep properly, when a quiet murmur caught his attention. It was certainly not him that said anything, but it surprised him to know Yugyeom hadn’t succumb to slumber just yet. He relaxed back in his seat, inching closer to the other man in case he spoke again.

For once, Yugyeom’s hair was out of his eyes, all swept to the side from the angle his head was at, giving Youngjae an unobstructed view of his face. Up close, Youngjae could see the young man’s eyelashes fanned over his cheeks, casting dark shadows upon them. Following his straight nose to his slightly parted lips, the doctor had trouble focusing on everything and anything; all except for the young man beside him. He looked so peaceful, so Youngjae assumed he had finally gone to sleep. The doctor reached over to brush away a few stray strands that fell rebelliously over Yugyeom’s closed eyes, and marvelled at how soft it was. The hair he thought resembled dried rose petals were as soft as newly bloomed roses themselves, Youngjae couldn’t help but gently run his fingers through the young man’s hair once more.

In his daze, he almost fell backwards when Yugyeom let out a small groan and moved, his legs sliding out from their bent position. Youngjae didn’t know what to do as he watched the man’s arms fall limp into his lap, and next thing he knew he had a hand on Yugyeom’s shoulder, steadying him against his own chest while Yugyeom’s head found a place to rest on his shoulder. The doctor hoped Yugyeom was truly asleep, and unable to hear the rapid beating of his heart. How he had gone from merely holding his hand only hours before to being Yugyeom’s personal pillow he wasn’t quite sure, but he knew for a fact the warm feeling in his chest wasn’t from the fire.

He contemplated what he should do in such a situation, perhaps he could stay like that for a while and eventually fall asleep, or perhaps he should right the young man so he was resting properly on an actual pillow than his shoulder. Youngjae opted for the latter, concern for any discomfort Yugyeom may wake up with a higher priority.

Murmuring a quiet apology into the man’s hair, he slipped the blanket from his shoulders, so he wouldn’t lay on it. Youngjae wrapped an arm around Yugyeom’s shoulder, securely propping him against his chest while his other hand rested against Yugyeom’s chest; he slowly leaned both of them backwards until they lay on the rug and Yugyeom rested on Youngjae’s arm rather than shoulder. For just a moment, Youngjae stared at the sleeping man, at the light dancing across his features, at the steady rise and drop of his chest, just at Yugyeom.

He reached for the forgotten pillow with his unoccupied hand, and slowly lifted himself up to remove his arm and slip the pillow under Yugyeom’s head. That should’ve been more comfortable, he thought with a smile, brushing the man’s bangs from his eyes. Yugyeom just crinkled his nose and shifted to his side, curling up just a bit. Running his fingers through the dark strands one more time, he took the blanket and lay it over the other man, making sure it covered him completely.

Satisfied with Yugyeom’s sleeping conditions, Youngjae tidied both of their cups and set them in the sink. Preparing himself for bed, he noted Yugyeom smelled faintly of chocolate and mint.

Youngjae woke up the next morning feeling rather uncomfortable. He groaned in pain when he lifted his head, his neck was awful sore. It was the price he paid for choosing to sleep in his armchair rather than in his bed upstairs. It wasn’t as if it were a rare occurrence, the doctor had fallen asleep in his chair more times than he could remember, for a number of different reasons. But as he massaged his neck and unfolded his legs from beneath him to stretch, the doctor took a quick glance of his surroundings and more importantly at the still asleep lump on his floor.

The pillow wedged between the chair and the doctor’s head fell to the ground when he sat up; startled, he sat completely still lest the noise disturbed Yugyeom. When there was no movement Youngjae let out a quiet sigh of relief, quietly shuffling toward the restroom to wash up. He would prepare eggs with rice and some fruit for breakfast afterward, remembering neither of them had dinner the night before save for a cup of tea. It wasn’t the grandest of morning meals, not even a soup to go with it, but like it was said before, Youngjae was not one to cook—what was quick and easy to make was good enough for him.

He never claimed to Yugyeom he made amazing dishes, just that he was capable, after all.

When he returned to check up on the young man after he washed his face and changed his clothes for the day, he was surprised to see the man was still curled up on the floor, his face barely peeking out from under the covers. Instead of leaving him be, Youngjae reasoned he should wake the man up for the sun was up and a new day was upon them, and not because he himself was awake. The doctor knelt down beside the man, watching as he unconsciously tried to bury himself further under the blanket.

“Wake up,” he said, lightly shaking his shoulder. “It’s time to wake up!”

No response. Youngjae would have never guessed he was difficult to wake up in the mornings, but there were still many things he didn’t know about the man.

“Yugyeeeoom,” he tried again, shaking a little harder, “It’s morning! Rise and shine!”

Yugyeom only groaned and tried to swat the offending hand that was shaking him away. “G’way...Jae...sleepy,” were the only words Youngjae managed to hear in the midst of all Yugyeom’s mumbling. “Jae” was a curious nickname, he thought, but he wouldn’t deny the smile that crept up on his face as soon as he heard it.

“Come on now, don’t be so childish,” Youngjae cooed, both his hands resting on Yugyeom’s side, lightly jostling him from the world of sleep.

“Can’t children sleep?” Yugyeom moaned, moving so his back now faced Youngjae. The young man was adamant about not getting up, and Youngjae couldn’t help but fondly roll his eyes at the sheer childishness of it all.

“I’m making breakfast now, you have to get up if you want some,” he tried appealing to the man’s stomach instead, since being a general disturbance wasn’t working. Yugyeom only tried to elbow his hands away.

“Yugyeom,” Youngjae whispered into his ear, barely stifling his laughter when the man shuddered. “Wake up!” he said a little more loudly, and hoped it would do the trick.

A pitiful whine came from the mass under the blankets before Youngjae saw any movement. Slowly the body rose, the blanket slipping down to pool at Yugyeom’s waist as the man rubbed his eyes. The doctor watched as the man stretched his arms over his head and ruffled his hair, making it even messier, before blinking the last few bits of sleep away. He watched as he slowly took in his surroundings, his eyes widening almost comically as he took in the furniture in Youngjae’s home and finally Youngjae himself.

The doctor let his laughter out as soon as Yugyeom jumped in his seat in surprise when their eyes met; the man unconsciously pushing himself backward and holding the blue blanket to his chest as if he’d seen a ghost. With his wild hair and wide eyes, Youngjae would’ve assumed that was what happened if he hadn’t been watching the entire time.

“Good morning,” he said cheerily, waving at the bewildered man.

Yugyeom only stared at him, blinking a few times. A moment passed before a look of realization passed through the young man’s face, Youngjae only smiling and shaking his head, and he relaxed his hold on the blanket. “I’m in your house,” he stated.

“That you are,” Youngjae replied, and finally rose to his feet again. “And I’m making breakfast, it’d be best if you washed up now!”

“Yes, of course,” Yugyeom said hurriedly, standing up as well. His face was slowly turning red and he avoided looking directly at Youngjae as he asked where the bathroom was. It was strange, he acted as if he were embarrassed by something, but Youngjae couldn’t see any reason for him to be. The doctor shook his head and returned to his task of breakfast while Yugyeom freshened up. It must have just been a trick of light.

Yugyeom hadn’t stayed long after, indulging Youngjae by staying for a meal before rushing off. To check on Nora, he claimed before tugging on the hood of his cloak and quickly walking off into the direction of the forest. Youngjae stood at the door, arms wrapped around himself, as he watched the young man dart into the shadows walking behind buildings rather than follow the main path. The promises of next time were pushed to the back of his mind when a particularly strong gust of wind blew by, causing him to shiver and retreat back into his home. Next time, he thought, look at the empty plates and bowls that were still sitting on the table. When he closed his eyes, he could imagine Yugyeom still sitting there, making faces at him over a bowl of rice.

Yugyeom had his arms folded over his chest with an expression Youngjae could only describe as “you must be out of your mind.” It was something the doctor still didn’t understand about him, Yugyeom clearly didn’t like the cold as he complained about it on occasion before, yet he was fine with making the trip with him to town and back once more to his own home.

It was snowing again, what started off light in the afternoon soon turned heavy until nearly everything was covered in a layer of white by evening. The two had met again, before the snow had gotten too bad, just briefly after Youngjae finished meeting with a family and their bedridden daughter. The doctor knew their meeting place to be somewhat close to town, but wondered if Yugyeom lived near or far—it being especially important to know in the times of cold. The young man, however, assured him he didn’t have to worry every time Youngjae voiced his concerns.

When the doctor finally reached the clearing, Yugyeom was already present, squatting on the ground and drawing in the snow with a stick. His hood, as well as the back of his cloak was covered in a thin layer of snow, evidence he’d been there for some time before Youngjae. They talked some while Yugyeom lead them to the frozen creek and teased the doctor until he gathered his courage to take a step on the ice. It ended with a light-hearted fight in the snow that had them ducking behind trees and bushes, Yugyeom fine with handling snow with gloves that actually covered his fingers, and with various wet spots on their clothing. (They were careful not to aim for the face.)

Naturally when they both decided it was time to go their separate ways and perhaps meet once again when the weather turned warmer, Father Winter decided it to snow harder. Which led to Youngjae inviting Yugyeom into his home once again—out of courtesy; the doctor very much wanted to pull him along but did not think it would go over quite well.

“You were going to walk with me back regardless,” he stated, confident that he was right, “And it’s clear the snow is only going to get worse so it’s only logical for you to stay a bit.”

“Are you implying I can’t take care of myself?” Yugyeom narrowed his eyes. With the cold turning his nose and cheeks red, the young man only managed to look as angry as a wet cat.

“No, no of course not! I just worry about you, Yugyeom.” The sincerity in the doctor’s voice eased the tension in Yugyeom’s body, his shoulders relaxing and his expression softening as he stared at Youngjae. He dropped his gaze just as quickly, looking away and biting his lip, and moved to more hunch over himself as he were embarrassed.

“Yugyeom?” Youngjae took a step forward so that he was nearly toe-to-toe with the taller man, and put a hand on his elbow in a reassuring kind of gesture.

“I..don’t belong there,” the young man mumbled, still not looking up. His eyes were downcast, teeth worrying his bottom lip that Youngjae wanted to run his finger over it and stop Yugyeom from abusing it any further. He had the feeling the young man wasn’t telling him something with that statement, but Youngjae pushed it aside in favor of dealing with what he had said.

“Is that all?” the doctor asked, tilting his head to try and catch Yugyeom’s eyes. He smiled when he continued to be stubborn. “It’ll be alright, you’ll just be with me again. And it’s only for a night, I don’t want you to get sick because of me, okay? You’re not the only one allowed to worry.”

The young man didn’t seem convinced, lip biting turned to pouting, but tentatively turned his head to look at Youngjae. “I could very well just go back to my own home,” he huffed.

“But you won’t,” Youngjae let out a laugh, stepping back when a red-faced Yugyeom swat at his arm. He wasn’t sure what the young man’s insecurity was, nor how deep it really ran, but was pleased he wasn’t upset anymore. Taking Yugyeom’s hand in his, Youngjae tugged him over to stand beside him as they made their way back to town. “Come on, before it gets so heavy we can’t see,” the doctor said. Yugyeom only sighed and nodded, gripping Youngjae’s hand just a little tighter.

Nearing his home, Youngjae could tell Yugyeom was more relieved with no one roaming around—it was snowing rather hard, he would be surprised if people actually were out—freely laughing when Youngjae’s face was assaulted by snow and running in step with him to his doorstep.

They nearly toppled over each other as they pushed themselves through the door, closing it behind them quickly to keep the wind and snow out. The two of them stood by the door, catching their breaths and allowing the warmth to slowly seep back into their bones. The snow that lingered on their clothes and hair began to melt, tiny drops of water falling to the ground. Yugyeom shook his head side to side, getting rid of the water in his hair but also sending the droplets flying every which way, one that included Youngjae’s face.

The doctor relented, leaning his head back and laughing all the same, and lightly slapped the young man’s shoulder to try to get him and stop. Eventually Yugyeom stopped and joined him in laughter, his eyes full of mirth as they met Youngjae’s.

“We should get out of these wet clothes,” he said, spreading his arms out for a better view of the state of his attire. Yugyeom had already let his cloak drop to the floor and began to unwind his scarf, the color in his face slowly returning from being in a warm area. “I should have something for you,” he said, also slowly shedding his outerwear. The doctor looked up when he didn’t receive an answer, only to be met with a surprised expression that quickly turned into glee when Yugyeom started to laugh.

“What?” the doctor asked, blinking in surprise at the sudden outburst. He had to wait a few moments for the young man to calm down, shaking his head at how long it took for all the giggles to come out.

“Here,” Yugyeom said, a smile on his face as he stepped closer into Youngjae’s personal space. The doctor felt his glasses being lifted, leaving him feeling a tad colder on his face without them. “You’ve got water all over them, I’m surprised you could still see with those on,” he continued, showing Youngjae the result of walking through a snowstorm had on his glasses.

“This is what sends you into a fit of giggles?” the doctor snorted, and took the glasses back from a still grinning Yugyeom. Nonetheless, he started wiping them with a dry part of his shirt. They weren’t terribly important, so after a quick wipe he left them on the table to deal with some other time. He wanted to change first. Taking the lamp with him, he lit a few candles around the living area before heading to his bedroom.

“You amuse me,” the young man replied, slipping out of his boots and stuffing his socks in them before he stepped further into Youngjae’s home.

“I just think you’re easy to amuse,” Youngjae shouted from the top of the stairs. He heard some shuffling downstairs and assumed the young man was just looking around, afterall he couldn’t just sit down with wet trousers. His sleepwear was relatively loose, so it should fit Yugyeom, but the bottoms could end up cutting off a little high than if Youngjae were wearing it. All his sets were of the same material and color, comfort coming before aesthetic in his mind and hoped the other man felt the same. With a quick glance over his room, making sure he left no mess of clothes or papers around, he took the clothes and brought them downstairs.

He found Yugyeom standing by the window, a hand on the glass as he watched the snow fall. Shaking his head, he made his way towards the taller man, “I trust you remember where the washroom is,” he said as Yugyeom turned around to face him.

“I hope these will do, though because you are taller than I, I left you a pair of socks as well.”

Yugyeom took the clothes offered to him, looking at it to Youngjae, and down at his attire. “Shouldn’t you take care of yourself, first? It is your home, you should take the—”

“Nonsense,” Youngjae cut him off, “You’re my guest! Besides, my clothes aren’t all that wet. Nothing standing by the fire can’t fix.” Yugyeom gave him a pointed look, like he wasn’t convinced.

“I need to start on supper?” the doctor offered with a shy laugh and a shrug. The young man just sighed, accepting that Youngjae wasn’t going to change his mind. He headed toward the washroom, shaking his head along the way.

Youngjae just laughed, filling the silence in his house, and waved Yugyeom off when he turned around to shoot him a dirty look. When he heard the door of the washroom close, the doctor took a deep breath, and with a quick nod of his head, he went to take out the drying rack and box of matches. He might as well start drying his socks and waistcoat.

Youngjae was in the midst of cutting green peppers for stew when Yugyeom came out from the washroom. The ends of his hair were dripping, colored a darker red than the rest, creating little spots on the shirt Youngjae loaned him. He wore the clothes well, the doctor thought, giving him a quick glance before going back to the carrots; he didn’t want to accidentally slice off a finger while gawking at the man. As expected the pants barely reached Yugyeom’s ankles, but the socks covered what they couldn’t. He looked awfully nice for someone in a plain ensemble—it was a little unfair, considering they were his clothes and he didn’t think they made him any more attractive.

“What are you making?” The young man peered over his shoulder before moving to the stove and lifting the cover of the pot, taking a curious sniff.

“Just some stew,” he replied, sliding the sliced peppers off the cutting board into a bowl. “Nothing exciting here to see. Go and...sit.”

“..Sit,” Yugyeom repeated slowly. “If that means “Oh Yugyeom, you take over while I clean myself up” then by all means of course.” The doctor raised both his eyebrows in surprise, and with the momentary distraction, the young man slide the knife out of his hands and nudged him aside with his hip.

“Go on,” he said. Youngjae would have listened either way, but Yugyeom with a knife was terrifying, especially when he was waving it around with such ease. When he voiced his concern about the possibility of getting...nicked, Yugyeom only laughed, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Temptations of a long hot bath were swept away when the familiar aroma of kimchi stew wafted into the room. A hot meal trumped all in his mental list of priorities, his mouth watering already at the thought of sitting down at his table and simply eating. Not having have made it entirely himself was an added bonus, as well as his company, the doctor reminded himself quickly of his guest. If anything, at least he knew Yugyeom was capable in the kitchen. (And didn’t burn anything down.)

He left the hand towel around his neck, lightly dabbing at his face while he made his way to the dining area where Yugyeom had already set out two bowls of rice, along with the chopsticks and spoons.

“And so he returns,” Yugyeom said from the stove. He was stirring the pot with one hand while the other reached for the jar of red pepper paste Youngjae kept on a nearby shelf. “I was beginning to think you’d drowned yourself,” he continued with a smirk.

“How morbid,” Youngjae replied offhandedly, just a tad distracted by what a domestic picture they painted. “I wouldn’t just leave you here like that, especially when I was the one that brought you here anyway!”

The young man hummed his reply, his attention back on the stew. The doctor took a seat at the table and watched, chin in hand. He watched as Yugyeom took a small sip from the wooden spoon, a pink tongue coming out to his lips, and give himself a small nod. If it were someone else, the doctor didn’t think he would find it as endearing as the young man in his kitchen turning off the flames and bringing the pot to the table.

“What?” Yugyeom asked. Youngjae had a strange look upon his face, like he was dazed, grinning at seemingly nothing. Frankly, it was quite strange. The young man took a seat across where the doctor sat, and gave Youngjae a few moments before sighing and snapping his fingers in the man’s face.

“I’m sorry?” Youngjae jumped in his seat, straightening up and letting his arm fall on the table. He blinked at Yugyeom, or at where he once stood, and then at where he was. “Oh,” was all he managed.

“Oh,” Yugyeom repeated. “Now I’m sure you injured yourself somehow in the tub,” he said with a shake of the head. Youngjae was reminded of a nagging mother when Yugyeom clicked his tongue.

“Apologies, I didn’t know you were so invested in my well-being,” Youngjae said, taking a large spoonful of stew to pour over his rice. If he didn’t start eating, he was sure he was going to drool all over himself. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Only that I think it’s best you get a walking cane now, old man,” Yugyeom teased. Youngjae only huffed and stuffed a large spoonful of rice in his mouth, his cheeks bulging as he chewed. From across the table the young man looked on in a mix of amusement and like he expected something like that to happen. “Thank you for the meal,” the young man said as he clapped his hands together before picking up the chopsticks to stab at a cube of beef. Youngjae made a noise of agreement, too occupied with drinking the broth to notice Yugyeom shaking his head.

When it came to the chore of doing the dishes, Youngjae never liked it. As a child, he would run and hide after a meal until his mother found him and led him to the sink with all the resistance a little boy was capable of. As an adult, he avoided using too much tableware at once—the less there was to clean the better—and left them to “soak” an hour, or at times a day, longer than necessary. Yugyeom, on the other hand, wordlessly collected their empty bowls and utensils, and began washing without a fuss. Or a sarcastic comment.

“You don’t have to,” Youngjae said, coming up to the young man’s side.

“You did most of the work, it’s only fair,” Yugyeom replied. He elbowed Youngjae out of the way, his hands busy with scrubbing a bowl clean. “Besides, washing the dishes isn’t difficult.” The doctor made a face and backed away.

“I can’t imagine anyone liking to do that,” he said. “I don’t enjoy my hands turning into prunes.” Even from his spot in front of the fireplace he heard Yugyeom sigh.

“Do you need your ears checked? No one said anything about enjoying it,” he was interrupted by his own yelp when water splashed up at up, and paused to try and wipe the liquid off his cheek with his shoulder. “Not all of us are children when it comes to household chores.”

“And here I thought you were finally being nice to me,” Youngjae sighed dramatically, a hand over his forehead as he leaned over the armrest. He risked a small glance at the man still by the sink, and only deflated when he didn’t receive any sort of reaction.

“I’m always nice to you,” Yugyeom said.

“I’ll buy a dictionary for you next time I’m out.”

One moment they were in the kitchen, the next had them lounging by the fireplace and bickering about the weather and the meaning of life, to finally when Youngjae deemed it time for bed. He ushered the young man upstairs, reaffirming that no, he was not going to have Yugyeom sleep on the floor again. Youngjae would admit he felt somewhat bad about it, but what was he to do when Yugyeom was peacefully asleep? Certainly not wake him; he would just make up for it by giving him the bed.

“Welcome to my bedroom,” Youngjae said with a wide wave of his arm. His room did not have much; a desk overlooked by a large window, a small bookcase adjacent to the door, a dresser and closet beside that, and a fairly large bed off to the side by the wall. His bookcase was full of novels he had picked up over the years, a few children’s stories here and there, as well as a box where he kept all his letters from his family. There wasn’t much on his desk, save for his bag with the contents spilling out like it was thrown on there haphazardly—which wouldn’t be far from the truth—and a few pages of notes. A small potted plant sat on the windowsill. Overall, it was rather...empty, to say the least.

“There isn’t much,” he said, standing off to the side while Yugyeom looked around. “I spend most of my time in the study, actually. It’s a lot more cluttered there.” His study was down the hall, the only other room on the second floor, with a direct view of the main path of town. It was filled with many more books; all of his old journals; littered with pencils and ink; bottles and jars of roots, plants, powders, oils; miscellaneous blankets and pillows strewn about; and numerous empty cups. Surprisingly, the two rooms were of the same size.

Yugyeom hummed, skimming his finger along the spines of the books on his shelf in mild interest before his eyes found something glittering from Youngjae’s desk. Something small peeking out from his bag, reflecting the light of the lamp. The doctor watched Yugyeom cross the room and reach for his bag, his long fingers rolling out a small, familiar, little jar. The young man looked up to catch Youngjae’s eyes silently asking for permission.

A quick nod had Yugyeom picking up the jar, holding it up and turning it around in his hand. “What is it?”  he asked.

“A bracelet my brother made for me when I was a child,” Youngjae replied. He walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge, bouncing a little as he did. “It doesn’t fit anymore, clearly, but I like to keep it around.” The little bell chimed as Yugyeom lightly shook it, amused. “It reminds me of home.”

“Sentimental,” he said. Youngjae laughed.

“Perhaps, but it does cheer me up when I’m down. My brother made it for just that reason, so I do treasure it immensely.” He noticed Yugyeom reach up to grab at something but stop halfway with his arm hanging in the air before he let it drop. Youngjae wondered what he was reaching for, and wanted to ask if he had something similar to his bracelet, but decided against it. For another time, then.

“Well, I’m sure you don’t want to listen to me talk about my family, so perhaps we should turn in for the night,” the doctor suggested. Yugyeom gently set the jar down, an emotion flitting through his eyes Youngjae couldn’t catch, and straightened up. There was Youngjae, and there was the bed. He stared at the doctor who only grinned and pat the spot beside him.

“You can’t be serious,” Yugyeom said, red beginning to rise to his cheeks. Youngjae cocked his head to the side, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Isn’t...isn’t it a little inappropriate to get in bed with an older man?” the young man stuttered, his words going quieter as he continued. By then his face had bloomed a cherry red, the tips of ears burning as wrung the hem of his borrowed shirt. Perhaps it was a good thing Yugyeom kept his eyes on the floor, so that he couldn’t see how Youngjae’s face burned, his mouth dumbly hung open. There was a stunned silence, where Yugyeom looked everywhere but at Youngjae. And Youngjae could only stare at Yugyeom.

“Don’t just stare!” the young man huffed, a small pout on his lips. His words didn’t have much effect, not when he couldn’t look up from his feet.

“I,” Youngjae blinked, and repeated himself a few times before his mind began forming coherent thoughts again. “I’m sorry?” If his voice cracked at the end, if it were an octave higher, neither of them mentioned it.

“I’m only twenty!” Yugyeom suddenly blurt out. His cheeks turned impossibly red, as red as the fire that still burned on in the lamp. His hands went to immediately cover his face as he let out a whine, clearly embarrassed.

“Twenty is an adult!” Youngjae wailed, He didn’t know why he was embarrassed, he did nothing wrong; the doctor simply didn’t know what to say, so he too held his hands over his face and fell over on the bed. “My sister was wed at twenty!”

“That has nothing to do with me!” Yugyeom stomped his foot. The doctor freed one hand to gesture for Yugyeom to lower his voice. The young man huffed.

“Alright.” Youngjae started to speak again after a few moments, sat up again and expression schooled into something more calm. “Alright, well. It’s...not...I can sleep on the floor if it’s too unsettling to share.” Yugyeom looked troubled, and his hands went down to fiddle with the hem of his shirt—Youngjae was sure it was going to be very wrinkled when his stay was over.

“...No,” he said. “I can’t take your bed from you, that would be rude of me.” Stood in the middle of Youngjae's bedroom, wearing his clothes, having eaten with him and stayed in his home; Yugyeom didn't want to impose after all of that. But was it so bad for the two of them to share, the bed was big enough and it was late. Outside the storm raged on, nothing but a flurry of gray and white outside the window.

"I..apologize for the outburst," he quietly mumbled, the pink returning to his cheeks. Yugyeom looked up with a shy, nervous kind of smile Youngjae had never seen on his face before, and slowly made his way over to where the doctor sat. "I've never shared a bed with anyone before, forgive me if I am..." he trailed off.

"No, it's fine, I just..wasn't expecting it, that's all," Youngjae smiled, moving over so Yugyeom could take a seat beside him. The sudden warmth at his side was welcome, just perfect enough to lull him to sleep, but he doesn't succumb to the urge. "I don't just invite people into my bed—"

He paused when Yugyeom gave him a look. "N-not as if I’m trying to proposition you!" The doctor quickly clarified, shoving Yugyeom's shoulder when he laughed. Clearing his throat, he continued, "But it isn't as if I've never shared a bed before. It happens when you have siblings and it gets cold in winters. It's warmer that way."

Once again silence fell upon them, less awkward than before, more comfortable while they sat together listening to the wind howl and each other's steady breathing. Yugyeom was the first to move, he moved backwards and crawled across the bed to where it met the bed. He didn’t dare lay down, not yet, instead he sat against the wall and pulled a pillow to his chest.

“Well, I guess you get that side of the bed then,” Youngjae said, eyes smiling. The young man rolled his eyes, his lips curving upward while he tried to kick the doctor off. “You better not do that in your sleep or I will make you take the floor again,” he teased—only half serious, he valued not getting hurt, but also staying in Yugyeom’s good graces—swatting the young man’s foot away and pulling the covers down.

“And,” he added, “I’m not that much older than you!”

Yugyeom stared at the wall, a hand curled under his cheek while the other was fisted in the blanket, holding it close to his chest. He couldn’t sleep, and right behind him neither could Youngjae. He stared at the patch of dim light on the floor from the window, debating with himself whether or not he wanted to get up and draw the curtains. He was tired, his eyelids were heavy, and didn’t want to be awake any longer.

"Are you awake?" Yugyeom whispered. Youngjae shifted around until he faced Yugyeom's back, humming in confirmation. He resisted the urge to move closer, to where it was warmer, to Yugyeom, and just run his fingers down his back or if he dared, wrap his arms around the young man's middle. But he didn't, instead he pulled the blankets up higher over his shoulder and waited for a response.

"Why?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I asked first."

"Are you whining?" the doctor let out a breathy chuckle, letting his eyes close. A sniffle came from the man, and the blanket was pulled some away from him. Youngjae smiled to himself and moved a little closer.

"No reason," Yugyeom whispered, his voice heavy. "Just wondering."

Youngjae waited a moment before speaking again, "Is this okay?" When Yugyeom didn't respond he thought the young man had fallen asleep, and prepared himself to do the same, closing his eyes.

"It's fine," he replied, so quietly the doctor thought he dreamed it. "Much nicer than the floor, if you wanted to know."

"Good to know," Youngjae mumbled back. His words were slurred, half his face pressed hard into the pillow. Sleep was beginning to claim him, the sandman whisking him away to the land of dream. But before he could, he suddenly thought, "Is Nora alright by herself?"

"Should I be concerned your last thoughts before you go to sleep is a cat?" Yugyeom's tone was light, and Youngjae felt Yugyeom shake with laughter more than he saw it.

"Would you rather it be thoughts of you?" That time Yugyeom laughed, quiet over the sound of the wind.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it were," he replied cheekily. The doctor hummed in response. "She's fine. Has everything she needs."

"Someone's taking care of her?" Youngjae managed to say. Yugyeom let out a quiet "yes."

"Your family?"

"Something like that."

Too tired to continue to talk and too tired to care for the consequences, the doctor inched forward until his chest was pressed against the young man's back. Before Yugyeom could react, he managed to get his arms around the younger man's middle and bow his head down to nuzzle against Yugyeom's shoulder. The man had tensed up, but all the doctor did was squeeze like Yugyeom was a stuffed toy.

He felt Yugyeom's hand over his own, finding his fingers and trying to pull them off. Youngjae laughed against his back, "Sleep," he mumbled.

"This is what I meant by inappropriate," Yugyeom whispered back. He was still trying to pry Youngjae's fingers off his waist, only succeeding in making Youngjae grab his hand and keep it in his. Yugyeom only struggled a bit, trying to pull his hand away, but for someone so tired Youngjae had a tight grip—not tight enough to hurt, but enough that he couldn't pull free easily. Eventually Yugyeom sighed and accepted his fate. He relaxed and pressed himself further against Youngjae; at the very least, the warmth he radiated was appreciated.

"You adore me," he said, his breathe tickling the back of Yugyeom's neck. The young man shivered at the feeling, but didn't answer. He hummed and made himself more comfortable behind Yugyeom.

But when the doctor was about to drift off, Yugyeom whispered to the darkness thinking Youngjae was asleep. "Perhaps I do," and a sniffle, "Good night, Youngjae."

The next morning Youngjae woke up not to the sunlight pouring in through his window as most days, but to a ticklish sensation in his nose and the smell of mint and chocolate. He crinkled his nose in hopes of getting whatever it was brushing up against it would go away, but to no avail as it only caused him to sneeze. Almost immediately came a light jab to his chest, and the body in his arms shifted, the smell of mint moving away from him.

The doctor opened his eyes, slowly as to not overwhelm himself with the sudden brightness of the room. Instead of the beige of his walls, Youngjae saw strands of purple-red. They tickled his chin and curled around his jaw, and moved when he started to giggle.

“Too early,” a muffled voice said, a weight pressing itself closer against Youngjae’s shoulder. Warm puffs of air hit his neck, causing another bout of quiet laughter. That time, he felt a pinch to his side.

“You truly aren’t a morning person, are you?” Youngjae whispered into the mass of hair, smiling when Yugyeom groaned back. “There there,” he cooed, running a hand down Yugyeom’s back. He pulled him closer with the arm he had around the young man’s shoulders, feeling the hand Yugyeom had fisted in Youngjae’s shirt between them. Yugyeom’s other arm lay limply on Youngjae’s waist as he continued to sleep.

Overnight the two had shifted and moved until they were tangled up in each other; Youngjae couldn't help but chuckle at how hesitant Yugyeom was initially to curling himself into the doctor's chest later on. The young man had a leg in between Youngjae's own, while his hand was loosely holding onto the front of Youngjae's shirt. Youngjae was wrapped around the young man, a hand underneath him around the small of his back while the other held Yugyeom close. The doctor continued running his hand down the still sleeping man's back, but he was very quickly losing feeling in his arm.

As nice as it was, to have Yugyeom so quiet and relaxed beside him, he needed to have blood circulation return to his arm. The young man let out something akin to a whine when Youngjae shifted—he had to bite down on his lip to prevent himself from laughing. The man was more child than adult, he thought fondly.

He tugged Yugyeom with him as he moved to lay on his back, so that he lay across his chest and not atop his arm. It was more comfortable, warmer, tempting the doctor to fall asleep again. He ran his fingers through Yugyeom's hair, humming a tune his mother used to sing to him when he was a child. He knew he should get up, to wash up and start on breakfast, but it had been a long time since he allowed himself the luxury of sleeping in. Even more so since he’d anyone to share it with.

Youngjae pulled the blanket up a little higher, to tuck in around Yugyeom, and had not broke song once. He was comfortable, not just where he was in bed, but when he thought about the relationship he had with Yugyeom. Comfortable was how he would describe it. They had met several months ago, and despite the man’s slightly prickly nature, Youngjae had told him a great deal of things about himself and his life. He hadn’t regretted it, in fact he was thrilled to have someone to talk to other than his family. (He loved them, but there was only so much he could write in letters.) In return Yugyeom told him stories of his adventures in the forest and made sure he went home before dark. He told himself braving the cold weather to see him all those times hadn’t mattered—the doctor knew he had the choice to stay inside were it too cold—Yugyeom was very much worth each trip.

If he was asked how he ended up sharing a bed with the young man, Youngjae would laugh and shrug his shoulders. He didn’t know, he didn’t very much care. Yugyeom was rather adorable, he thought, snoring softly on top of him. That much he knew.

The doctor would have truly stayed in bed a while longer, or at least until his stomach protested, if not for the knock on his door.  It wasn’t strange for the people of the town to knock on each others’ doors, especially on the doctor’s or priest’s, most of the time for a small favor or a question. So it didn’t come as a surprise for Youngjae, not even the timing—people have knocked on his door for mishaps at nearly dawn because of alcohol—but he wasn’t entirely pleased either. It was like he was a child again, his mother pulling the covers off of him to get him up for school.

He sighed, but he would never shy away from his duties. Slowly sliding out from under Yugyeom, making sure he didn’t wake, he put on his slippers and pull on a robe he had draped over his chair, and made his way downstairs. The doctor’s glasses were where he left them, on the table by the door and slightly smudged from his haphazard wiping the night before. Nonetheless, he slipped them on before opening the door.

“Ah, good morning Mrs. Jeong,” he greeted, pulling the robe closer to himself from the cold. Quickly peering over the woman’s shoulder at the snow, white all over the town and up to their shins. Extremely bright on the eyes, as well.

"Good morning Doctor Choi," the woman said as she pulled down her scarf, smiling slightly. "I'm sorry for disturbing you so early," she began to say, but the doctor was quick to interrupt and tell her it wasn't a problem at all. She returned his smile, but still wrung her gloved hands nervously. "It's just..my husband. Because of all the snow and the ice, well, he slipped not long ago outside our home going to retrieve milk. He hit his head and..oh the sight was so...." The woman trailed off.

Youngjae tried to give her his best reassuring smile, "If you give me a few moments I will be right there with my supplies and we can patch him right up." Mrs. Jeong let of a breathe of relief, and nodded fervently, adjusting her scarf again. Youngjae did his best not to shiver too much.

"Of course, doctor! Thank you so much," she said, clapping her hands together. Youngjae only nodded and excused himself to get dressed while the woman made her way back through the snow home.

The doctor took a deep breath through his nose and set off to the living area to light the fireplace again. He might as well make the house a little warmer for when he return later. But before then...the doctor made his way back upstairs to his bedroom. Yugyeom was still asleep, only he lay diagonally across the entirety of his bed; even if Youngjae wished to go back to bed there was no room. He shook his head and went through his dresser, fetching a suitable outfit for the cold.

The slight noise must have been enough to wake Yugyeom, for as soon as the doctor turned around with a shirt and trousers in hand, a head poked out from the blankets. Bleary eyed, Yugyeom yawned, a hand over his mouth while the other stretched out above him.

“Apologies,” Youngjae said, no need to whisper. He stayed where he was, a smile on his lips as he watched Yugyeom ruffle his hair and move the blankets so it was properly wrapped around him like a cocoon of sorts. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“The cold does a better job,” the young man mumbled. His head rested on his shoulders, eyes hooded as he looked at the doctor. “Emergency, I assume?”

“Perhaps you aren’t as much a slug as I thought,” Youngjae said. He laughed when Yugyeom groaned, slumping over to rest against the wall. “But you would be correct. I have to go and attend to someone, icy accident and all that.”

Yugyeom hummed and closed his eyes again.

“Will you still be here when I come back?” He decided to ask. He was also well aware how fast his heart was beating, waiting for the man’s answer and praying he stay. Yugyeom had a tendency to give vague answers; never answering his questions, changing the subject, or just smiling and moving on. The doctor didn’t have too much time to spend staring at a half asleep man wrapped up in blankets like a newborn babe, but there he stood clothes in hand, waiting. (He would later shake his head at how irresponsible he was, but he would also reason matters of the heart were important to him as well.)

The young man laughed, a quiet giggle muffled under the blankets, and sat up properly. Yugyeom’s eyes were slightly more sharp, more alert, and so absolutely hazel in the morning light Youngjae almost missed the words that came out of his mouth.

“Let’s leave it to chance, shall we?”

Youngjae groaned and left for the washroom to ready up while Yugyeom fell over on himself in a fit of laughter. It rang throughout the doctor’s home and mixed with his own quiet chuckles as he made his way downstairs. Another not answer, but he had a feeling Yugyeom would be still remain. The man had an awful curious way of showing affection that the doctor almost wished he’d stayed asleep when he came back to his bedroom. Who knows, he could’ve gotten a sleepy hug or something of the sort.

Nonetheless, Yugyeom was Yugyeom, and Youngjae did come to adore the man. So as he pulled his scarf from the drying rack and slipped on his boots, he steeled himself for the cold wind and hoped Mr. Jeong didn’t break anything.

Youngjae didn’t return home until noon. Mr. Jeong had suffered a gash just above his eyebrow, blood dutifully wiped off by his wife by the time the doctor had arrived. It was somewhat deep, but Mrs. Jeong’s account said there was quite a lot of blood. He did his best to calm her while he disinfected the wound, cleaning it with alcohol and reassuring her she had nothing to worry about. He required a few stitches, but it was nothing if not a quick process. It wasn’t even the additional matter of Mr. Jeong’s sprained ankle that demanded his time; Youngjae had his fair share of sprained ankles and gave the couple exactly what they needed for a quick recovery.

It was the children that were out nearby the Jeong residence. He had run into them in the middle of a game of, well Youngjae wasn’t too sure what kind of game it was except the objective was to throw snowballs and hide. The doctor had just bowed goodbye to the couple when one of the younger children, Haebin, had run up behind him and crouched behind his legs. And that was how he was introduced to the “throwing snowballs” aspect of their little game.

He had played along for a little while, but was eventually kicked out for being a liability—not their words, but from the groans and complaints about “Doctor Choi you’re too big!” and how his various body parts stuck out from behind their snow forts, he excused himself from the game by faking his “death.” He felt a little justified in his bitterness when his side cheered. Little Haebin shook his head and gave the doctor’s shoulder a good pat before running off back to their little snow war.

Youngjae ended up building snowmen with some of the other children for a while afterward. The small group of five children under the supervision of their parents off to the side, gossiping about something or other, the doctor assumed. They were always giggling like schoolchildren whenever he passed. He helped Hyejoo build a snow puppy, or at least they both tried and he told her it was the most adorable puppy he’d ever seen. His thighs were hurting from squatting for so long, but the children, they were so happy someone joined them and wanted to help pat snow together and make snow animals.

Before Youngjae decided he should head home, he did his best to make a little snowman, with small sticks for arms and button eyes. He didn’t carry carrots with him, so it was left without a nose. The little snowman was smiling up regardless, so it didn’t matter. Brushing his trousers off and standing, he waved up to Dongho staring down from out his window.

“Yugyeom?” he called out as soon as he closed the door behind him. His bag and his glasses were set down on the table, and he worked on taking off his layers while walking further into his house. The young man’s boots still stood neatly by the door, and his clothes were still hanging off the rack before the fire. The house was quiet except for the sound of the flames crackling; nothing had changed since he’d left. He wondered if Yugyeom did fall back asleep instead of getting up, and judging by the lack of activity in the kitchen, he figured he had.

The doctor made his way upstairs, rubbing his eyes and lightly slapping the feeling back into his cheeks. He had no schedule for the day, no plans to do anything specific, but what he did want to do was fall over the young man who still held the luxury of sleep and wake the man up. It wasn’t fair that he’d been awake for hours already, after all.

Pushing open his bedroom door, Youngjae was surprised to see the bed empty. The sheets and pillows were all neatly arranged, but the occupant and the blankets seemed to be missing. He looked around to see if anything was out of place, and checked in his closet and under the bed, behind the door and under his desk, just in case the man wanted to play a trick on him. It was something he learned after sharing a room with his older brother from some years.

Curious, Yugyeom was nowhere to be found. Surely not in his study..?

Youngjae left his room, closing the door quietly behind him as he continued his way down the hall to the other room. He hadn’t shown the younger man his study before, and supposed he never told Yugyeom he shouldn’t wander around the house without him there—not that he minded too much, considering he trusted the man enough to invite him in.

“Yugyeom,” he tried calling out again. The door to his study was open, the light from the window falling into the hallway. The doctor made his way in quietly, wincing as the door creaked.

Yugyeom was in there, curled up on the windowsill. Youngjae was about to call him again when he noticed the young man’s relaxed posture and closed eyes. The missing blanket was draped loosely around his shoulders and bunched up in his lap. He was leaned against the window, each breath he took fogging the glass little by little. Directly under the sunlight, Yugyeom looked unreal—glowing almost.

It felt like any lingering cold in his body had melted away with how warm he felt just from looking at the man, just from being in the same room. A part of him imagined Yugyeom was sat at the window watching the streets awaiting his return, and another just thought he was like a wandering child, sleeping wherever he wanted. Both set bursts of joy throughout his person, and at that moment, Youngjae wished Yugyeom would stay forever.

Or for as long as he lived, he thought, as he went over to shake the man awake. (May the heavens watch over him as he does.)

This story continues when the days became warmer and the white melted away just enough for green to sprout. Winter had gone quietly, the snow eventually stopping, leaving just the winds to blow all they could before calming down.

“When you hear the sparrow return,” Yugyeom had told him before he left that day. “That is when we will meet again,” he whispered into the doctor’s ear, as if he were telling him a secret, before he walked out the door. It felt oddly intimate, such a gesture to answer such a simple question. His heart rate sped up when Yugyeom was close, almost touching when he leaned over to pass along his message.

The little smirk the young man wore when he’d gone had lingered in Youngjae’s mind, the last of him he’d see until their next meeting.

So when the morning came and Youngjae woke up to the sound of chirping, a grin had spread across his face before he even opened his eyes. By mid-afternoon he had finished his rounds, smiling and greeting all the people that were finally out after the passing of near freezing temperatures. Everyone was still dressed warmly in their wools and knits, but without the red faces Youngjae had become accustomed to. As he was unlocking the door to his house, to drop off his medical bag, he was stopped by a throat clearing. Youngjae nearly dropped his keys in surprise, snatching them from the air before they fell to the ground.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to startle you, Doctor Choi!” the young woman exclaimed, a hand reached out to steady Youngjae if the need arose. Youngjae shook her head and gave her a good natured smile, straightening out a bit before fully turning to face her.

“It’s alright, would’ve gotten rid of any hiccups I had,” he laughed, albeit sheepishly when she looked at him puzzled. “Sorry, terrible joke.”

The young woman gave him a smile of her own, no doubt forgetting the doctor’s bout of awkwardness.

“So, what can I help you with, Seungyeon?”

“Ah!” the girl jolted as if she were pricked, shocking Youngjae in the process. He almost thought she was hurt or something if not for her wide smile. Seungyeon was always a cheery kind of girl, under almost every circumstance—Youngjae had never seen her without a smile on her face or laughing at something. Nonetheless she still managed to surprise him at times.

She the basket into Youngjae’s arms, the doctor barely reacting fast enough to catch it when she took her hands back. “Mother just made those for you! They’re strawberry scones, since they’re in season and all. You know, for helping Jiyoung get better,” she said. Her long hair was constantly in her face from the wind, and as she spoke she kept pushing it away or putting it behind her ears, even spitting it out of when it got caught while she was speaking. The doctor had to laugh, covering it up with a cough when Seungyeon got it under control.

“She even helped to make them, and I would’ve too!” She went on to complain, “But lessons and all that.” The young woman sighed, puffing out her cheeks a little when she pouted. “Mother sent me to deliver them instead, so we hope you like them! She makes the best scones, really.”

“Oh my, I’m very grateful! She didn’t have to, Jiyoung either, but thank them for me, will you?” Youngjae said, the cloth that covered up the pastries. “And thank you for delivering them to me.” Seungyeon nodded and spared a quick glance at the basket before looking back up at the doctor. He smiled, knowing very well what she was thinking. “How about a scone for the excellent service? I don’t know if I’d be able to finish all of them,” he offered, lifting the basket between them.

“Really?” The girl bounced on her heels, eyes sparkling up at him.

“Would I ever lie about excellent service?” Youngjae feigned obliviousness when Seungyeon seemed to freeze mid-bounce. “Oh, you meant the scones, why of course! I’d never lie about food either, you know.” The two shared a laugh, talking a bit more about her family before the doctor said he needed to get going. Reminding Seungyeon to stay warm, he unlocked the door of his home while she ran off, scone in hand toward one of her friends that happened to be passing.

“Yugyeom? Are you there?” Youngjae called out as he neared their meeting place, basket tucked safely under his arm. “I hope you’re in the mood for sweets,” he said, stepping over a fallen branch. He wasn’t that much further, and if he squinted and used a bit of his imagination, he could see the dark brown of Yugyeom’s cloak against the returning green of the forest. Youngjae’s following words died on his tongue when he pushed through the last few branches blocking his way.

The young man was there, stood in the center, arm stretched out before him with a black bird perched on his wrist. The doctor recognized it as the ones he used to see about, the same ones called “bad omens” in town. With the sparrows, they came back as well. Yugyeom was petting the bird, its black feathers shimmering under the sun, and appeared to be whispering to it with a soft expression on his face. Be it a trick of the light or not, but it looked as if the bird understood and nodded along to what the man was saying. It was an unusual sight, Yugyeom with such a creature instead of Nora, interacting as if they were old friends.

Youngjae didn’t know if it was because the bird knew, but as soon as he stepped closer, it flew off with a caw. Yugyeom had only watched it go, flapping its dark wings away, his arm still outstretched.

“I didn’t know you were fond of birds,” he remarked when he reached Yugyeom’s side, setting the basket down. “Did Nora not accompany you today?”

“Not all birds, just crows. They’re smarter than any average bird,” Yugyeomed hummed, adjusting his cloak as he sat down on the rock. He took a glance at the basket and lifted the end of the cloth to catch a whiff of bread. “Nora is indoors where it’s much warmer than here. What’s this?”

"Was that what that was? I learned something today," Youngjae chuckled. He shooed Yugyeom's hand away to lift the cloth himself, revealing the strawberry scones he received earlier. "Do you remember when I told you about a girl that I treated over the winter? She and her mother made these for me as a thank you. They're quite good!"

"What a prestigious role you have," Yugyeom teased playfully. The doctor rolled his eyes and nudged the basket toward the man. “Just have one already, we both know you want one.”

“How rude of you just to assume things about me,” the young man gasped dramatically, holding a hand to his chest. He instantly burst into giggles when Youngjae looked to him with a deadpan expression. Nonetheless, he picked one out of the basket and took a bite, staring back at Youngjae with a twinkle in his bright eyes.

“Sometimes I wonder about you,” Youngjae sighed, a smile slowly creeping up his face under Yugyeom’s amused staring. He took one for himself and leaned back on his hand, looking up at the sky while taking small bites of his scone.

“Mmm, I haven’t had strawberries for quite a while,” he heard Yugyeom say from beside him.

“You don’t grow any?”

“Not as much as some other things,” the young man said, throwing the last bit of his sweet in his mouth. Yugyeom then his fingers clean of any crumbs, effectively distracting Youngjae that he almost didn’t catch the last thing he said. “Besides, there’s always you who can buy them.”

A yelp interrupted his cheery laughter when Youngjae shoved the young man’s shoulder, but did little to stop it from continuing. Yugyeom laughed more at the doctor’s protests of not being made of money than anything else, clapping in glee when Youngjae pouted at him.

So it surprised the doctor when suddenly there was scone pressed against his lips. He looked up to see Yugyeom not giggling anymore, instead he stared at the doctor with a bright smile—the one where his eyes curved into crescents and his teeth were showing—and nudged the pastry against his mouth again. Youngjae slowly opened his mouth, just a bit in case the man decided to play another joke on him, while Yugyeom held his hand still as he took a bite.

“Pouting doesn’t suit your face,” he finally said, laughing through his nose, and let his hand drop to his lap when Youngjae took the scone in his own hand. Youngjae only pulled an ugly face, since his mouth was full and his mother didn’t raise a rude boy.

“You have something..” Youngjae pointed out. Yugyeom made a questioning sound, more occupied with brushing the crumbs off his clothes. The doctor nudged the empty basket out of the way to move closer to Yugyeom, supporting himself on a hand as he leaned over while he was still distracted. Before the young man could ask Youngjae to repeat himself, Youngjae his thumb and ran it across Yugyeom’s lips, getting the crumbs off.

For a moment there was silence and neither of them moved; Yugyeom stared at Youngjae and Youngjae kept his hand on Yugyeom’s face. In the distance a crow cawed, and the silence broke. The young man’s expression turned into exasperated disgust, leaning away from the doctor’s hand and groaning. He weakly slapped Youngjae’s hand away and continued to moan and groan, mostly in disbelief at the older man. Youngjae had taken the chance to move even closer until their thighs were touching to grab at the hand that was still trying to swat him away while apologies tumbled from his mouth in between giggles. Yugyeom’s reactions were much too amusing.

“Sorry, I’m sorry, sorry,” he laughed, holding onto Yugyeom’s hand and pulling him closer the further the young man leaned back. With one strong tug Yugyeom was draped over Youngjae, his head resting against the doctor’s while his entire arm was in Youngjae’s grasp. He made exaggerated whimpers while the doctor continued to laugh and apologize, patting Yugyeom’s head with his free hand.

“You are the absolute worst.”

“Only for you, darling.”

“Don’t ever call me that ever again if you’d like to keep your tongue.”

“Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

The trees were nearly full with leaves the next time they met.

Youngjae brought with him paper and pen, and sat under the shade of a tree writing a letter to his parents while he waited for Yugyeom to arrive. The letter he received not long ago told him of his newborn nephew, a healthy boy named Hanbyul, and how they wished he could be there to see him. He of course wished he were as well as he wrote in his reply, but perhaps when the weather was better he could make a trip back. Youngjae asked them how the winter was, and told them his was more or less the same as every other year. He had written about Yugyeom before, around the time they had first met, but barely mentioned him in that letter since they hadn't the time to meet. His mother had said he sounded like a pleasant man, and happy that he found someone to just "be a boy" around. Youngjae choose to keep that comment to himself. He did, however tell his parents about being bested by children in a snowball fight.

As he tapped his pen against the paper thinking of what else to write, something darted out of the bushes beside him. The doctor jerked to the side, clutching the papers close to his chest in surprise.

"Nora! Get back here!" Followed by the cat was Yugyeom, bursting out from the forest into the clearing with his arms out before him and lunging towards the feline. His cloak nearly slapped the doctor in the face as he ran out, his cheek as it followed the young man. "Nora!" Yugyeom growled.

Youngjae set aside his letter to sit back and watch the chase happening before him, a small smile of disbelief on his face.

Nora ran around the rock, leaping over it when Yugyeom was about to grab her. Her fur was damp, darker and sticking up in some parts, and left wet footprints behind her. The doctor noticed the feline carrying something in its mouth, presumably what Yugyeom was chasing her around for. From what he could tell, it was a thin strip of something, thicker than string and flat, and a dark olive color. He didn't know what it was, but it must've been important if Yugyeom was chasing around after it.

"Nora!" the young man whined when the cat jumped up into a tree across from where the doctor sat. Her cream and ash colored fur hidden behind the leaves, and if not for the slight movement and sounds of the leaves and branches, neither of them could have seen where she was. "See if I feed you later!" Yugyeom cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted up into the tree.

Youngjae couldn't see his face, but could picture the man huffing and muttering obscenities under his breath. It only added to the hilarity that it was a mere cat that caused the young man to get so frustrated. He only turned around when Youngjae couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.

"Oh hush," he said, eventually moving to make his way over to the rock. The young man lay down on his back, ignoring Youngjae's giggles, and let his head fall against the edge so when he opened his eyes, the doctor would be upside down. Spread out under the sun, Youngjae noticed that the front of Yugyeom's clothes were wet as well, and wondered just what the young man and his cat were doing.

"What are you doing?" Yugyeom asked. It was quite a sight, the young man's head hanging upside down with his hair falling down toward the ground, and staring right at him.

"I believe your answer to the same question would be more interesting," Youngjae grinned, bending his knees to rest his elbows. "Please, do share."

"Leave me be, I'm drying," he said, rolling his eyes when Youngjae failed to answer.

"Not going to indulge me, Yugyeom? I promise I won't laugh," the doctor said. Deciding to walk over to the man, he placed his letter and pen safely back in his bag before getting to his feet. Yugyeom opened an eye when a shadow fell over his face, but closed it immediately when Youngjae grinned down at him. "How cold," Youngjae said.

He leaned further down until their faces were only centimeters apart, his breathing causing Yugyeom to grimace and turn away. The doctor laughed, more puffs of air hitting the young man until he pushed Youngjae's face away and sat up. Yugyeom ran a hand down his face and glared at the laughing man through his fingers.

"What have I done in the past to deserve this kind of treatment," Yugyeom complained. “I’ve been good!”

"Don't be dramatic," the doctor replied. He spared a quick glance to his bag, still sitting the spot he vacated. He leaned over to lightly flick Yugyeom’s nose. The young man immediately lifted a hand to his nose, shielding his nose for any more abuse and scowling up at the doctor.

Youngjae had moved to sit with Yugyeom while the young man leaned his back against his side in attempts to dry himself again. The doctor had resumed writing his letter, continuing his recollection of the fight he was a part of. Yugyeom rested his head on Youngjae’s shoulder, his eyes closed, listening to his quiet hums while he wrote.

“Youngjae?”

“Hm?”

“Would you still want to see me even if I dried up in the sun?” Youngjae’s hand stilled, and looked to his side where Yugyeom was still leaning against him, relaxed like he didn’t ask a strange question seemingly out of nowhere.

“...Like a raisin?” he asked.

“Like a raisin,” Yugyeom repeated. He tilted his head up to stare at Youngjae. “I’ll no longer be young and beautiful,” he said with a serious expression, looking up at the doctor expectantly. It was difficult for Youngjae not to smile and shake his head, after all that time Yugyeom still managed to say things that surprised him.

“You best take back all the times you called me an idiot,” he chuckled, nudging the young man’s back with an elbow, “That question was enough to put you under the category.”

“Oh what a shallow man I’ve befriended,” Yugyeom moaned, putting a hand to his forehead, and leaned back harder and making Youngjae push back against him.

“Now I didn’t say I wouldn’t,” Youngjae protested in between laughs, he set his letter aside and pulled the young man into his lap to stop his fidgeting so that he had his head on his thighs. “Of course I would still come to see you, even shriveled up and wrinkly. You’d still be Yugyeom, after all.” In the back of his mind, he hoped Yugyeom didn’t notice he indirectly agreed he was beautiful—he’d tell him someday, or perhaps never.

And he assumed the young man was satisfied with his answer from the way he smiled up at him, trying to hide it behind a hand Youngjae pulled away.

“Well,” Yugyeom said. “Good to hear. And for the record, I would still like you if you were dried up like a raisin too. Which I don’t doubt will happen in a few years!” He managed to say before Youngjae flicked his forehead for making fun of his age again. When the giggles and huffs subsided and the silence returned, they two were left just staring into each other’s eyes, matching smiles on their faces.

“You know,” Yugyeom broke the silence again. Youngjae could only prepared himself for whatever the other man could possibly say next, expecting another out of the ordinary question. But as proven earlier, Yugyeom only ever surprised him. The young man reached a hand up to brush his bangs aside, his fingers skimming lightly across his forehead. “Your hair is getting quite long.”

Touch was not foreign to them, having known each other long enough to become comfortable in each other’s spaces—they had shared a bed already! However it was the small things, a brush of the hand or a touch that lingered too long, that caused a frenzy within the doctor. There was no medical reason why his heart would beat extremely fast, or why his stomach felt like there were hundreds of butterflies inside trying to get out; he could go on about his “symptoms,” and perhaps find a logical reason for all of it. But, but with all the stories his mother and sister told, with the amount of love stories he’d unintentionally read, Youngjae knew. Yugyeom’s fingers against his skin felt like fire, leaving behind a pleasant tingling sensation.

“So is yours,” he replied, doing very well in keeping his voice level. Youngjae too lifted a hand to push Yugyeom’s hair away from his forehead, briefly reveling in how soft it was again. The man laughed and pushed his hand away, brushing it back down with his own hands and flicking the air in front of Youngjae’s face threateningly. Well, the doctor didn’t know only Yugyeom was allowed to make observations—so he held the man’s nose and let out a loud “ha!”

Though, the young man did have a point and his hair was getting rather long. But that problem was for another day. For at that moment, Youngjae had to focus on catching the hand that insisted on jabbing him in the stomach.

Later on, Youngjae wrote in his letter if his mother would still love him if he looked like a prune. (The response came a few weeks later; she would, but wouldn't take him outside often. Youngjae was mildly offended, and Yugyeom had only laughed when the doctor showed it to him.)

Spring had arrived once again, and with it the clear blue skies, blooming of all the various flora decorating the forest with an array of colors, and much to Youngjae’s displeasure, pollen. Since then he included honey in every one of his meals, mostly in tea or taking a small spoonful directly from the jar. It helped, even from years past, and his nose wasn’t as irritated as it could have been. The doctor fixed himself some nettle herbal tea, and saved some of the stinging nettles for when people came knocking on his door with runny noses and skin irritation. It wasn’t a complete cure, but at least he could go on into the forest without feeling like he was on the verge of death.

Nora was lounging in the sun when Youngjae reached the clearing, leisurely sprawled across the rock cleaning her fur. But what caught the doctor’s eye was the crown of flowers circled around the feline’s small head. It was a wreath of small white flowers, baby’s breath if he had to guess based on what he’d seen in texts, very meticulously made to fit around something so small. Nora meowed when Youngjae drew closer, flicking her tail lazily. First a scarf, then a flower crown. Surely someone must enjoy dressing their cat, Youngjae thought to himself as he pet Nora’s back.

“You look rather pretty today Nora,” he said. Up close he could see each individual stem wrapped around one another, neatly in order around the back of the feline’s head. “Welcoming the springtime?”

Nora didn’t answer, running a paw down her face, and ignored the doctor. He laughed anyway.

The doctor’s nose had become slightly red by the time Yugyeom made his appearance. Every few minutes he sniffled, and rubbed his nose with the tissues he kept in his bag. On one occasion he sneezed and scared Nora into jumping up from her sprawled position, her tail gone rigid as she looked over at him. Youngjae shook his head in apology, holding a tissue over the lower half of his face. Eventually the cat lay back down, a safer distance from him lest he startle her again.

“There you are,” Yugyeom huffed, making his way over to pick Nora up and taking a seat beside Youngjae. “What happened to you,” he said, eyeing the sniffling man. The doctor barely got to say a word before the young man turned his attention back to the cat, muttering under his breath and fixing the flower crown atop her head so it wasn’t crooked. It wasn’t even crooked in the first place, Youngjae thought. “Well?”

He nearly jumped in surprise when Yugyeom prodded, having thought the young man had dismissed him to fuss over Nora. Youngjae wasn’t bitter in the slightest, not when Yugyeom had always acted as such, pretending to ignore him and whatnot. (The ignoring only lasted so long for Youngjae as persistent when the need arose, and with Yugyeom it usually was necessary.)

“Just a reaction to some of the pollen in the air,” he said. He managed to smile, but feared it came off as a grimace when Yugyeom stared back at him blankly.

“The good doctor appears to be an idiot,” Yugyeom quickly, holding a hand up when Youngjae protested. “There is a cat with very obvious flowers on her head, and you choose to sit next to it? Are you mad?”

“It’s nothing to worry about, I assure you,” Youngjae said. “It’s only for a little while, then I’ll be fine!” The young man didn’t look convinced, and kept Nora to his other side away from Youngjae. “I promise,” the doctor tried again to convince the other man, lightly poking his cheek and smiling when Yugyeom tried to bite his finger.

It was quiet for a few moments, Youngjae sniffled a bit and Yugyeom shot him a look. “You changed your hair,” he said whilst the doctor was rubbing his nose again. The young man wordlessly handed him a handkerchief when the wind blew away the tissue in Youngjae’s hand. He mumbled a quick word of thanks, but didn’t use it.

“Hm?” Youngjae blinked over at him, as if not following the question. “Oh,” he said finally. Touching a hand to his hair, he chuckled a bit nervously. “I did, you were right. About it getting long, I mean. It was beginning to obscure my vision, so I just..pushed it back and swept it aside.” He demonstrated by waving his hand to the right, following the direction his bangs were parted in. “Until I get it cut, anyway. Though I have to admit it is a little strange to see part of my forehead again. I’ve been getting comments all morning.”

He paused, suddenly nervous, and his lips before asking, “Does it look bad?”

The young man snickered into his hand at the forehead comment, teetering in his seat when Youngjae shoved him not too lightly.

“No, it looks fine,” Yugyeom was still laughing into his hand, and if he was making fun of him Youngjae couldn’t tell. “I think it suits you,” he finally said, bumping their shoulders together. “You look nice.” It was almost as if he could read Youngjae’s thoughts, saying the last part to reassure him. Met with Yugyeom’s soft smile, he couldn’t find it in him to say anything more. And if the doctor’s pride swelled up at the words, no one but him was able to tell.

“Thank you,” he settled on, not able to come up with anything teasing to bring their playful atmosphere back. Yugyeom grinned anyway. (And told him to watch the size of his head, to which Youngjae groaned and rolled his eyes.)