White butterfly.

It was early morning and the sun was shining brightly; birds are singing and butterflies would pass by me as I walked towards the small house standing in the middle of this forest -- secluded, hidden from everyone else.

I crouched as I touched the leaves of one of the garden pots standing near the door. "He watered you today, didn't he?" I said and stood up, wiping my wet fingers on my jeans. I gripped the doorknob, twisted it slowly and poked my head inside the door.

I went inside, shutting the door as gently as I could. "Gege?" I whispered, looking around.

I peeked inside the dining room -- it was clean, but gege was not there. I continued walking, peeking through different doors, but found no one. Finally, I reached the room farthest from the front door -- his bedroom.

I walked inside as quietly as I could, just incase he was asleep. But then I saw him -- sitting on the edge of his bed. His head was slightly bend down, his hands gripping the bedsheets.

He turned his head to look at me, in which I smiled slightly. "Gege," I whispered. He stared at me intently for a while, his expression unchanged.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, looking away.

I was unaware of the fact that tears were already starting to fall. I opened my mouth to answer, but no words would come out. I didn't move an inch -- I couldn't move an inch. I took a deep breath. "Because I'm happy.." I answered finally.

He nodded, but didn't say anything. I wiped my tears, and sniffed.

I have to be strong for gege.

He started to stand up, but stumbled. I immediately took a step towards him to help, but he raised his right hand as a gesture to make me stop. "Don't," He said.

I stopped and looked at him, my fists were clenched and my heart was pounding. He struggled to stand up, but when he managed to, I sighed and smiled. "Gege, would you like to walk outside?" I asked.

I slowly walked towards him, the smile not leaving my face. When I was two feet away from him, I reached out my hand. I looked at my hand, and then looked at me. I chuckled and held his hand. "Let's go."

The both of us walked carefully towards the front door. I would occasionally feel his hands gripping harder onto mine, but will loosen up eventually.

As soon as I opened the door, the fresh air greeted us along with a ray of sunlight. Gege covered his face with his free hand, and I chuckled lightly. "Hmm.. Let's go sit by that tree." I pointed out a tall tree which stood near us.

I led him there, and helped him sit down under the tree which prevented the sunlight from hitting us.

I sat down beside him and removed my backpack. "Gege, I brought food." I said excitedly. "But it seems as if you've already eaten, so I guess I'll save them for late--"

"Dumplings?" He asked, not looking at me.

I nodded. "Uh-huh. Steamed dumplings."

"Let's eat it then," He said, looking at me, a small smile on his face.

That smile. I've forgotten how beautiful that smile is. That smile which I almost never see. I looked away and rubbed my eyes to prevent myself from tearing up or crying. I opened the wooden lunchbox and took out a pair of chopsticks from my backpack. I placed my backpack beside me, and opened the lunchbox.

I picked up a dumpling with the chopsticks and offered to feed him. He stared at the chopsticks for a while, and reluctantly opened his mouth.

I fed him the first dumpling, and then the second, the third.. I ate two pieces, but the rest, I gave to him. I made these dumplings for him after all, didn't I?

When we finished, I fixed everything and put it inside. I leaned on the tree, stretching my legs. The breeze was cool and fresh -- I liked it. Gege seems to like it too as he crossed his legs and started playing with the grass.

I closed my eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Soon, I would open my eyes and wake up with gege sleeping on my lap. I smiled and his hair. I took a deep breath before closing my eyes again.

....

The same routine carried on for about a week -- but gege was getting weaker each day. Yesterday we weren't able to go outside anymore.

I walked inside his bedroom, this time seeing him standing near his windows, looking outside. The sunlight was hitting his face: his porcelain skin and golden brown hair reflected the sunlight.

"Gege," I called out like I usually do.

He didn't answer.

I walked towards him and took his hand. "Gege, your hands seem cold," I whispered. I looked at his face. "And you look pale." I frowned.

"Yixing, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"I came to visit you, like I always do." I answered.

He kept quiet for a while. "Why?"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What do you mean 'why' gege? Because I care for you, of course!"

He pulled his hand away from mine and started walking slowly towards his bed. I watched him and my heart began to break into a thousand pieces. He looked so fragile today. I wanted to help him, but he would never want me to do that.

He sat on his bed. "Yixing, I.." He sighed. "I don't want to be a burden to you anymore." He said.

I walked towards him and crouched in front of him. "Gege, you will never be a burden to me." I whispered.

He looked down. "Yixing, go." He said. "And please, don't ever come back here. I know I'm being a huge burden. Stop what you're doing right now. It's not right -- for the both of us."

I shook my head. "Gege, I love you so much," I whispered.

"Why?" He asked.

I was starting to get angry. "Gege, stop being hard-headed. Stop doubting me! I don't care what the future holds, I don't care whatever happens. I love you, and I'm not afraid to do so!" I exclaimed, tears forming inside my eyes.

"Don't love me just because of my condition." He whispered.

"Gege, I will not leave you. Nothing you say will stop me. I will stay here, whether you want me to or not." I answered, standing up and removing my jacket.

....

He's getting a lot worse. He can't walk on his own now. I would always have to assist him, and sometimes, even if I do, he would still struggle to walk. He actually can't do anything on his own now, not without having to struggle so much.

Today, I fed him breakfast, helped him water the plants since he insists to water them instead of letting me water them by myself, gave him a bath, put on his clothes for him and tucked him to bed until he fell asleep.

I sat on the windowsill, watching as the breeze made the leaves dance on the branches.

I remember when I first met gege. I was in middle school then. I studied traditional dance and was practicing one day when I tripped and broke my ankle.

I groaned in pain and tried to stand up, but my ankle won't let me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" A voice asked.

I looked up and saw a tall person towering over me.

"N-nothing," I answered and tried to stand up once again, but failing.

He crouched in front of me and examined my ankle. "I think you've broken it," He said.

I shook my head. "I'm fine.."

He removed his backpack from his shoulder and handed it to me. "Can you hold this for me while I carry you on my back?" He asked.

My eyes widened. "N-no! I'm fine, really."

"If you don't have it treated now, it will get worse, I'm telling you." He said and shoved his backpack on my hand before making his back face me. I reluctantly got on his back and he stood up.

"Wow, you're really tall." I exclaimed.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I get that a lot.."

We got into the school clinic where he talked to the nurse about my condition and waited for the treatment to finish.

"So how are you?" He asked as he walked inside.

"I'm a lot better." I happily exclaimed. "Thank you for helping me out." I said with a smile.

He smiled back. It's the first time I ever saw him smile, and then I realized how beatiful his smile was. "No problem." He reached out his hand. "I'm Wu Fan by the way."

I took his hand and shook it. "Yixing. Zhang Yixing." I said happily.

"Yixing?" I was brought back to reality when I heard his voice. I immediately got off the windowsill and walked towards him, "Yes, gege?"

"Can you take me outside?" He said, trying to force a smile. "To the tree where we always stayed?"

I kept quiet for a while. He wasn't strong enough to walk. But if this is what he wanted, then okay. "Okay, gege." I said.

I helped him sit up and when he put on his slippers, I crouched infront of him, my back facing him.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going to carry you on my back," I answered. "Remember when you carried me on yours the first day we met?"

"No, Yixing I'm okay, I'm--"

"Gege, get on." I said. "We won't be able to get there if I don't carry you on my back."

"I can walk--"

"You can't," I said. "And you know that."

I heard him sigh and I fel weight on my back. I lifted his legs to support him and he wrapped his arms around me to help lighten his weight. "Let's go?" I asked. He nodded.

When we got to the tree, I put him down as gently as I could. He let out a sigh of relief and leaned against the tree. "It's been a while since I've gotten here, right?" He asked, playing the grass like he always does.

It was already afternoon, and we had to go home before it gets dark.

"Yixing," He called out. "You should go home already.."

I sighed. I know where this conversation's leading to.. "No, gege. I will stay here, and I will take care of you." I answered firmly.

"Yixing," He said again. This time he held my hands. "Yixing, I'm begging you. I'm begging you to leave. Stop loving me and leave. Stop loving me.. I'll only make you suffer."

I looked into his eyes. His grip wasn't as tight as he used to be. Indeed, he was getting weak. I shook my head. "You know very well that I can't do that, gege.." I answered and looked away.

"Yixing--"

"No, gege." I said and stood up. "It's useless. Stop it. I'll say it one last time: I love you. I always will. I'm not going to leave you." I said and crouched infront of him again, my back facing him. "Let's go.. It's getting dark."

He sighed and got onto my back. The walk back home was pretty quiet. I tried feeding him when we got home, but he refused to. He said he only wanted to rest. I nodded and brought him to his bed, tucking him in again.

I was starting to spread out blankets on the floor when he called out my name. I turned around. "Yixing.. Maybe you could uhm.. sleep beside me.. tonight?"

I blinked twice. He moved to the side and pat the space beside him. "I know it's been really uncomfortable for you down there.."

I nodded soflty and placed my pillows beside him. As soon as the both of us were settled down, I closed my eyes.

"Goodnight, gege." I said softly.

"Goodnight.. Yixing." He answered.

I woke up at around midnight when I heard a voice.

Gege's voice.

"Yixing.." He whispered, my hair softly. "Thank you.. Thank you for not listening to me when I say 'don't love me,' and 'leave me,' because honestly, I may not have gone this far if it weren't for you. You have been my strength all this time.. Thank you for everything. And I'm so sorry for hurting you and pushing you away.."

He sniffed.

He was crying?

"In another life.. If we meet again.. Let's be together, okay? Yixing I.. I love you." He whispered and planted a kiss on my head.

I bit my lip and tried my best not to move or indicate that I was still awake. I felt the bed move for a while but stopped -- he was already asleep.

I walked towards the tree -- the very same tree where gege and I always stayed. The very same tree where I buried his ashes.

I put down flowers and kneeled infront of it. "Gege," I whispered. "How are you doing?" I brought out the wooden lunchbox I used to bring here and placed it beside the flowers. "I brought your favorite."

I sighed and sat down. "The days are passing by so slow without you here.." I said, looking down. "The sun doesn't seem to shine as bright, the birds don't sing as beautifully, and the butterfiles.. I don't see them here anymore."

"Yesterday.. I passed by school. I went to the practice room where we first met, remember that?" I smiled, but it soon faded away.

"Gege, I miss you.." I whispered. My vision was starting to get blurry so I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my jacket. I will stay strong for gege, like I always did.

I stood up and slung my backpack on my shoulder, preparing to leave. But then I noticed something -- a white butterfly. It landed on my shoulder and stayed there for a while. I moved my index finger to my shoulder, and surprisingly, the butterfly rested on my finger.

"Wu Fan gege.." I whispered, smiling, but tears slowly falling from my eyes.

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Okay so how was that? I know, I failed. D: But like I said, it's my first time to write a one-shot so pardon me.. I hope you did like it somehow though. :(

Your comments are well appreciated. :)