For whitelady

Couple: Yeoljong

Prompt: Yeoljong with an angsty ending.

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The Lee Brothers. 

Where one went, the other would follow. 

The Lee Brothers. 

Lee Sungyeol and Lee Sungjong. 

Sungyeol was older. Sungjong was the younger. 

“Sungyeol-hyung.” Sungjong would call to him. 

“Sungjongie!” Sungyeol would reply.

They were never apart. They would never part. 

 

 “Sungjongie!” 

Two-year-old Sungyeol looked over the edge of the crib at his baby brother. 

“Sungjongie. I’m your brother. I’ll always be here with you. I love you.” 

This is the first thing that Sungyeol says that he remembers. 

 

Ten-year-old Sungjong has a soft face. His eyes are sharp and bright.

But ten-year-old Sungjong depends on his 13-year-old brother to see the world. 

Sungjong has never seen the world with his own eyes. 

His brother is his world, but yet, he’s never seen him before. 

~*~

“Sungyeol-hyung.” 

Sungyeol turns around and smiles at Sungjong. “Neh?” 

“What does this mean?” He points at a phrase in his book that he was reading.  Sungyeol reaches out and runs his fingers over the Braille like Sungjong does. 

“Christmas,” he says. 

“Ah, I didn’t recognize it,” Sungjong says, taking the book back in his hands. “I miss Christmas, hyung. I miss our family.” 

Sungyeol tries to smile.  They lost their mother, father, and brother, Howon, in a car crash a few years back.  Now they lived in an orphanage, waiting for a new home.

They haven’t celebrated Christmas since the accident. 

“Tell you what Sungjongie, this year, I’ll bring Christmas to you.” 

Sungjong smiles, his sightless eyes directed at his brother.  “Really, hyung?” 

Sungyeol nods. “Really. I promise.” 

~*~

Sungyeol took Sungjong’s delicate hand in his.  “Come on Sungjong-ah. Let’s walk.” 

Sungjong accepts his hand and he follows his hyung willingly.  He knows that he can trust Sungyeol to lead him wherever he needs. 

“Yah! Losers!” 

Sungjong starts to turn around but Sungyeol placed a firm hand on Sungjong’s shoulder. 

“Sungjong.” The hairs on Sungjong’s neck stands up as he hears the fear in Sungyeol’s voice. “Run!” 

He shoves Sungjong towards… somewhere.  Sungjong is lost without Sungyeol. 

“Hyung?” Sungjong calls, his voice scared. “Sungyeol-hyung. Where are you?” 

He hears Sungyeol cry out in pain. There’s a sickening crunch of a fist hitting flesh and a heavy body landing on the ground. 

“Sungyeol-hyung!” he screams. He rushes towards where he can hear Sungyeol groaning on the ground. 

Someone pushes him down onto the ground. His head hits the ground and he cries out in pain. 

“Sungjong-ah!” 

 

Sungyeol’s body strained as he threw off two of the five bullies around him. He brings his fist up and punches one in the face. 

“Sungyeol-hyung!” 

He turns around and sees the worst thing ever. Sungjong is crawling around on the ground, desperately reaching out for Sungyeol, as the bullies around him kick and punch him. 

As he watches, Sungjong finally gives up and curls up on the ground, hiding away from all the punches. 

“Sungjong-ah!” Sungyeol trembles with fury. “Get off of him!” 

He doesn’t realize what he’s doing until after the fact. 

In less than a minute, all of the bullies were lying on the ground, groaning. 

He stands there, panting hard, watching all of them with fury, daring them to move and hurt his brother again. 

“Sungyeol?” Sungjong calls, his voice small and afraid. 

Sungyeol immediately runs to his brother. “Are you okay Jongie? Are you hurt? Anything broken?” He runs his hands over Sungjong checking for broken bones. “Sungjong?” 

“I’m okay Yeolie,” Sungjong whispers. “Are you okay? It sounded bad.” 

Sungyeol gently presses his lips against Sungjong’s forehead. “I’m fine,” Sungyeol reassures his brother, not even sure if he’s hurt himself. “Let’s go home.” 

He gathers Sungjong in his arms and lets him rest on his shoulder. 

Sungjong is the one who hears them. Sungyeol finds himself scraping his hands on the asphalt. He turns around quickly and wishes that they never left the house. 

Sungjong has a knife buried in his chest as he falls to the ground, his sightless eyes still unseeing. 

“NO!” 

Protect and love your brother Sungyeol, you’re all he has left in this world. 

Sungyeol finds the pocketknife he always carries in his back pocket in his hand. There’s a sudden spurt of warmth on his hand and he looks down and finds it stained with red. 

He doesn’t feel remorse as he leaves the other on the ground, a knife in his body. 

Sungyeol rushes back to Sungjong who’s lying on the ground, his fragile chest heaving he tried to catch a breath. 

“Sungjongie!” 

The other turned his face towards Sungyeol. 

“Su…” 

“No, don’t talk, I’m taking you to the hospital now, just hold on, okay?” 

Sungjong just grips onto Sungyeol’s shirt as Sungyeol scoops him up and starts running him to the nearest hospital. 

“Sun…ye…ol… do… you think that I’ll be with Appa and Umma… and How…on-hyung?” Sungjong whispers as Sungyeol ran down the streets.

Sungyeol blinks away the tears. “No, Sungjongie. You’re going to be with me. You’re always going to be with me.” 

Sungjong puts his cold hand on Sungyeol’s cheek forcing him to face him. “Sun…gyeol-hyung. I’ve never seen you with my two eyes before… but I…” 

“Save your strength Sungjongie. We’re nearly at the hospital,” Sungyeol says.

“I love you Sungyeol-hyung,” Sungjong reaches up, cupping Sungyeol’s cheek, Sungyeol stops in surprise. Sungjong pulls himself up out of Sungyeol’s strong arms and connects their lips together. 

Sungyeol stiffens and nearly drops the younger. 

All his thoughts in his mind are that it was wrong, so wrong, but it was everything that he wants, his brother’s warm lips against his own, kissing him. 

Sungjong suddenly falls down, limp in Sungyeol’s arms. 

“Sungjongie? Sungjongie!” 

Sungyeol starts to sprint towards the hospital. “Sungjongie, stay with me. Stay with me okay? Please. I love you forever, I’ll always be with you.” 

He never has run this fast in his life. 

“Jongie, stay with me okay? Christmas is still coming. I’m going to give you Christmas this year, you’re going to have Christmas this year. Just hang on okay?” 

He quickly finds himself in the hospital, bursting into the emergency bay. 

“Someone! Help! Please! Help my brother! Someone! He’s dying! Please!” 

Nurses take him from him and Sungyeol suddenly finds himself unwilling to let go of Sungjong. 

“He’s 10, he just got attacked. Please, help him!” 

They whisk him away, but Sungyeol tries to hold onto his brother. 

“Don’t take him away, I’m the only family he has. Let me go with him! Please! We’re both alone without each other. Let me go with him!” 

“Honey, you’re going to hurt yourself. Calm down, you’re brother’s going to be okay.” 

He barely hears the nurses’ soft words. She won’t understand the young teenager’s panic. 

“Don’t take him away from me! Sungjongie! Sungjong! Sungjong!” 

The world blurs in his ears. Fire burns in his right leg and back. 

“Sungjongie. Sungjongie…” Sungyeol sobs. “Please. I need my brother…”

Sobs rip from his chest and he can’t hear anything anymore. 

The world is just a ball of fire and a wave of darkness takes Sungyeol. 

~*~

The Lee Brothers. 

Where one went, the other would follow. 

The Lee Brothers. 

Lee Sungyeol and Lee Sungjong. 

Sungyeol was older. Sungjong was the younger. 

“Sungyeol-hyung.” Sungjong would call to him. 

“Sungjongie!” Sungyeol would reply.

They were never apart. They would never part. 

~*~

Sungyeol slowly wakes up. He blinks away the last of the darkness from his eyes, but he doesn’t wake up yet. 

He rolls over on his bed. It’s another day left that he’s alone. 

Six years ago… six years ago and he’s alone in the world. 

“Lee Sungyeol, you’re under arrest for the assault of Mr. Park.” 

“What? No, I… what? No! Please don’t! Don’t! Please! I can’t leave Sungjong alone! No! Please don’t! I can’t leave Sungjong alone! He’s blind! I can’t leave him!” 

Sungyeol rips his arm out of the police officer’s strong grip and struggles out of the room. He runs away as fast as he can. 

I’m not going to leave Sungjong. He promises himself. 

Soon enough, he’s running through the white hospital halls. He knows he looks like a mess, he’s missing his shoes, he realizes dimly. 

He bursts into Sungjong’s hospital room where his little brother is still lying unconscious on the bed. 

“Sungjongie. I made a big mistake, a bad mistake. I’m not going to let the mistake hurt you though. I’m going to make this right. I’m going to be by your side forever. I’m not going to be taken away from you. I’m going to bring you Christmas this year. I promise you.” 

He sobs loudly, holding his little brother in his arms, peppering kisses all over his face. 

“Sungjongie. I love you. Know that right? I’m not going anywhere.” 

“Lee Sungyeol. Put your hands up.” 

He looks up and finds the police officers standing in the door. 

“No! Get away!” he screams. “I’m not leaving my brother! Leave us alone!” 

Sungyeol holds Sungjong more tightly, still crying into Sungjong’s soft hair. 

“Lee, you need to come with us.” 

“Please.” Sungyeol resorts to begging. “He needs his brother. I was only protecting him. I was only protecting Sungjong. They attacked us and he stabbed Sungjong. Please understand. Sungjong is blind, he can’t see without me. I need to be there for him. Don’t take me in. He needs his brother. Please!” 

The police officer crosses the room and grabs for Sungyeol. 

“No!” Sungyeol twists and turns, trying to pull out of the officer’s grip. “Sungjongie!” 

Sungjong’s small body is ripped from his grasp and Sungyeol finds himself pinned down on the floor, his arms twisted behind his back. 

He sobs as handcuffs are linked onto his hands. 

“Let me say goodbye to my brother. Please. Let me say goodbye to Sungjongie. He’s the only family I have.” 

The police officer doesn’t listen to him and continue to drag him away. 

“Sungjongie! Sungjong! Sungjong! Sungjong!” 

He screams and kicks trying to get out of the police officer’s grasp. 

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep. 

Sungyeol’s heart stops as Sungjong’s heart stopped. 

“No! Sungjong!” 

He’s resisting. 

“You need to save my brother! You can’t take me away! He needs me!” 

Sungyeol is begging everyone around him to let go of him and to save Sungjong. 

His limbs are getting heavy and Sungjong is the last thing he sees before he blacks out. 

For the longest time, he was in court, a too long time, way too long. By the time his trial starts, he’s been labeled mentally unstable, everyday trying anything to get to his brother and making plans for a Christmas for his brother. 

At the end, he was pronounced not guilty for the assault but he was charged three years for resisting arrest. 

Sungyeol waited out those three years, each year planning for a Christmas for Sungjong. Each year, he dreamed of Sungjong. 

He just ignored one important fact. 

Sungjong had been adopted. A few weeks after he had been discharged from the hospital, a family had adopted him and Sungyeol had no idea where he was. 

Sungyeol searched for his brother, but for a 16 year old, it was nearly impossible. 

~*~

The Lee Brothers. 

Where one went, the other would follow. 

The Lee Brothers. 

Lee Sungyeol and Lee Sungjong. 

Sungyeol was older. Sungjong was the younger. 

“Sungyeol-hyung.” Sungjong would call to him. 

“Sungjongie!” Sungyeol would reply.

They were never apart. They would never part. 

~*~

“Sungjong-ah?” 

It was Sungjong. It was…

~*~

Sungjong walks down the street. He’s been living in Busan for the past seven years with his new foster family, away from Sungyeol and his home in Seoul. 

He wishes that he could go back to find Sungyeol but his parents wouldn’t let him. They won’t let him out of their sight and of course, they don’t want their son to be in contact with a murderer. 

Sungjong protested a million times that Sungyeol wasn’t a murderer but his parents wouldn’t hear a word of it. 

He misses Sungyeol sorely, he missed Sungyeol’s warm hand in his, guiding him around the house, Sungyeol’s soft voice telling him that Christmas was coming soon. 

His parents offered to celebrate Christmas but Sungjong refused; Christmas is a holiday for Sungyeol-hyung. 

His world was dark. 

Sungjong runs his fingers over the cover of the well-worn book of poetry. 

World Without Eyes. 

He smiles.  This was the book that Sungyeol gave him on his last birthday with him. 

Sungjong opens the covers and runs his fingers over the words, trying to picture what the world would look like. All the poems in the book described a different scene that Sungjong would never see. Sungyeol knew his brother and gave him the world to see with his own eyes. 

He sighed and stands up, gently gripping his walking stick in one hand. Instead of Sungyeol’s warm hands guiding his feet into the right space, he has the piece of plastic and metal. 

Sungjong walks down the street. 

The world is empty in the arctic. 

It’s still at night. 

It’s quiet. 

In some ways, it’s dangerously beautiful.

That’s the world that nobody sees. 

“Sungjong-ah?” 

~*~

The Lee Brothers. 

Where one went, the other would follow. 

The Lee Brothers. 

Lee Sungyeol and Lee Sungjong. 

Sungyeol was older. Sungjong was the younger. 

“Sungyeol-hyung.” Sungjong would call to him. 

“Sungjongie!” Sungyeol would reply.

They were never apart. They would never part. 

~*~

He has his brother in his arms again. 

Sungyeol buries his face in Sungjong’s soft hair, sobbing softly. Sungjong was crying in his arms too. 

“Sungyeol-hyung, it’s really you?” 

Sungyeol nods, unable too speak. His little brother is safe with him again. Sungyeol steps back to inspect his brother closely. 

Sungjong has grown taller, his baby black hair was replaced with a beautiful brunette shade, matching his unseeing eyes. He was wearing a pastel yellow sweater casting a rather young look on Sungjong’s matured face. 

“Oh Sungjong,” Sungyeol whispered. “You grown so much.” 

Sungjong reaches out and touches Sungyeol’s cheek. “I’ve been waiting so long for you,” he whispers, bringing his face closer to Sungyeol’s. 

“I’m so sorry that I made you wait,” Sungyeol breaths, watching Sungjong get closer. “I’ve been looking for you for so long.” 

“Just shut up and kiss me.” 

Sungyeol willingly brings their lips together. Sungjong sighs into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Sungyeol’s neck. 

Sungyeol is nearly crying with happiness. He has his brother back. 

~*~

Sungyeol takes Sungjong’s hand. “I’m going to take you home. You’re not leaving me ever again.” 

Sungjong smiles and willingly follows Sungyeol wherever he’s going. Sungyeol leads him to a seat on a bus. He kneels down in front Sungjong. “Sungjong-ah. I have Christmas for you. I have Christmas at my house. I promised that I’ll bring you Christmas and I have Christmas for you now.” 

Sungjong smiles again. “Sungyeol-hyung. I love you.” 

Sungjong can’t see but yet he knows that Sungyeol is grinning. “I love you too, Sungjong.” 

They hold hands together, taking in the missed seven years. 

~*~

The Lee Brothers. 

Where one went, the other would follow. 

The Lee Brothers. 

Lee Sungyeol and Lee Sungjong. 

Sungyeol was older. Sungjong was the younger. 

“Sungyeol-hyung.” Sungjong would call to him. 

“Sungjongie!” Sungyeol would reply.

They were never apart. They would never part. 

~*~

“Sungjong?” 

Sungyeol looks up and finds a middle-aged couple standing in front of them. 

“Sungjong, who’s your new friend?” 

Sungjong sat up straighter next to Sungyeol. “Umma, Appa, this is my brother, Sungyeol.” 

“Your brother?” Sungjong’s adopted mother gasps. “Your brother that murdered that man?” 

“Umma! He didn’t kill him! He was only trying to defend me.” 

His father glares at Sungyeol. “Sungjong. Come with us. Leave your brother.” 

Sungyeol stands up and puts himself between Sungjong and his adopted parents. “I’m sorry, I’m staying with him, he’s coming with me,” he says firmly. 

“Sungjong is coming with us!” 

Sungyeol grabs his brother’s hand. “Sungjong, let’s go.” He starts leading him down the street but Sungjong’s dragging him into a run. 

“Sungyeol-hyung. I trust you, I’m going to stay with you forever,” he whispers as he runs. “Lead me wherever you will, I’m coming with you.” 

Sungyeol grabs his brother and kisses him deeply. “I love you Sungjong-ah. I’ll lead you well. Come this way.” 

The Lee brothers run down the street together, going anywhere but back. 

~*~

The Lee Brothers. 

Where one went, the other would follow. 

 

 “Sungyeol-hyung.” 

“Neh?” 

“What does this mean?” 

“Christmas.” 

“Ah, I didn’t recognize it. I miss Christmas, hyung. I miss our family.” 

“Tell you what Sungjongie, this year, I’ll bring Christmas to you.” 

“Really, hyung?” 

“Really. I promise.” 

 

“Sungjongie!” Two-year-old Sungyeol looked over the edge of the crib at his baby brother. 

“Sungjongie. I’m your brother. I’ll always be here with you. I love you.” 

This is the first thing that Sungyeol says that he remembers. 

 

17-year-old Sungjong has a soft face. His eyes are sharp and bright.

But 17-year-old Sungjong depends on his 20-year-old brother to see the world. 

Sungjong has never seen the world with his own eyes. 

His brother is his world, but yet, he’s never seen him before. 

 

Sungyeol is on the ground, choking on his own blood as he watches Sungjong on the ground beside him, his pale hand searching for his brother. 

He can hardly bring the strength to call out to his brother. Instead he chokes on air but miraculously Sungjong’s pale hand lands on his face. 

“Sungyeol-hyung.” 

Sungyeol blinks away tears and stares at Sungjong’s face in the dim light of the moon. 

He looks so beautiful. Sungjong lies down on the concrete beside him. 

Neither of them are very sure of why they got attacked, but both of them know that they are dying. 

Sungyeol takes in a deep breath. “Sungjong… I…” 

Sungjong shakes his head against Sungyeol’s chest. “Don’t say anything hyung.” 

“I… can’t bring… you Christmas… this year…” 

“I know hyung,” Sungjong whispers. “It doesn’t matter though. I just need you.” 

They remain silent. The moonlight reflects down on the blood and the snow around them. 

“You should’ve stayed… you should’ve stayed with your family,” Sungyeol murmurs. “You would’ve been safe.” 

“Then I wouldn’t have you hyung. I just need you in this world.” 

Sungyeol swallows. “Sungjong-ah… I love you.” 

“I know. I love you too.” 

 

The Lee Brothers. 

Lee Sungyeol and Lee Sungjong. 

Sungyeol was older. Sungjong was the younger. 

 

Dong… dong… dong… dong… dong… dong…dong… dong… dong… dong… dong… dong…

Sungyeol smiles. “Sungjong. It’s Christmas. I brought Christmas too you.” 

Sungjong sighs. “Thank you so much Sungyeol hyung.” 

The world is fading away. Sungyeol can’t breath any more but he knows he can’t leave his brother alone in the world. 

“Sungyeol-hyung… I can see…” 

Sungyeol looks at his little brother. “What? Really?” 

He moves his head off of its resting place on Sungyeol’s chest. “You’re so beautiful hyung. I love you even more.” 

Sungyeol cries in happiness. “Sungjong-ah. Sungjong-ah.” He presses blood stained kisses on his cheeks and forehead. “I love you so much.” 

His little brother has grown up so much, he can see the world with his own eyes now. 

Sungjong’s beautiful face is the last thing he remembers.

 

“Sungyeol-hyung.” Sungjong would call to him.

 

“Sungyeol-hyung,” Sungjong whispers. 

Sungyeol doesn’t move. 

“Sungyeol-hyung. Don’t go. I can see now, but what if I can’t see later on? I can’t live without you. A world without you is a world without eyes. Please… don’t leave me.” 

He closes his eyes and sobs quietly into Sungyeol’s chest. 

“I love you so much.” 

Sungjong looks once more at his brother’s beautiful face before resting his head on his sturdy chest and closing his eyes. 

 

“Sungjongie!” Sungyeol would reply.

 

But the reply never came. 

 

They were never apart. They would never part. 

 

Even in death. 

~END~

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