An Unexpected Visitor

     The days that Sehun wasn’t around were the days Luhan spent working in his vegetable garden, cleaning the cottage, or reading by himself under the oak tree. Now that he’d adapted to a simple way of life, he couldn’t see going back to the city. He was attached to the valley and told himself it was because of the beauty of the landscape, which was partly true, but the real reason for his deep attachment was painfully obvious. Everywhere he looked the evidence was right in front of his nose — the plentiful amount of apples he kept in stock, the wind chimes he’d made with recycled materials scrounged from around the cottage, the kitchen window that always remained unlatched, and the way he smiled when there was a warm summer breeze.

     However, those weren't the only things that Luhan noticed. Ever since he’d been spending time with Sehun, other spirits had felt the curiosity or need to come visit him. The kitchen cabinets were being infiltrated at least once a week by an unknown entity. The rustling in the bushes increased. At times it startled Luhan when he passed them by and heard giggling from within their leafy hedges.

     At night Luhan would occasionally wake to tapping noises in the rafters or the unhinging of a window. They’d scared him at first, but after Sehun reassured him that they weren’t bad spirits, he grew accustomed to the nearly constant disruption. He even talked to the spirits or left them offerings in one of the windowsills. For the most part, the cottage remained peaceful and Luhan was actually grateful that he had company. But where good spirits resided, bad spirits often followed, and it wasn’t long before Luhan finally encountered one.

     He’d made the mistake of falling asleep under the oak tree again. The sun had already set and darkness was swiftly approaching. Luhan grabbed his book and blanket and headed back home, feeling on guard. Something didn’t feel quite right. The wind was silent, air thick, and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. With each step, Luhan’s feet became heavier and heavier, like weights pulling him down until he couldn’t go any further. He collapsed into a field, panting and wheezing and gasping for air as the atmosphere fell to such a cold temperature that he could see his breath.

     Luhan started to panic. This had never happened to him before so he wasn’t sure what he should do. He stayed below the towering grass, trying his best to remain calm and attentive. He heard a rustling to his left and snapped his head in that direction. His blood ran cold at the sight of a solid-bodied shadow peeking through the grass, and even though it didn’t have eyes, somehow he knew that it was looking right at him.

     At first his fear waned because the entity didn’t move. Perhaps it was just curious, Luhan thought. Then a sudden burst of adrenaline sent him scrambling to his feet, leaving behind his items to run across the field as fast as his legs would carry him. He tripped several times but righted himself each time. It was coming. Any second and he would meet his end.

     With one last lungful of air, he screamed as loudly as possible. “Sehun help!” Just as he felt razer-sharp ice press against his neck, a powerful gust of wind blew through the area, and a shrill screech echoed across the hillside.

     Even though the energy had been from his body, Luhan struggled to lift himself up. When he looked up, he cried out Sehun’s name, terrified of the sight unfolding before him. Sehun was surrounded on all sides by the ominous shadow, pushing and shoving and clawing at the creature in a vain attempt to banish it from the countryside.

     “Xiao Lu! Run!”

     “No!”

     “Just go!”

     “No! I’m not leaving without you!” Luhan stayed rooted in place. He didn’t care that he was in danger. He didn’t care that his energy was spent. He couldn’t abandon Sehun. Too many others had already done so and he wasn’t about to fall in line with the lot of them. But as quickly as the entity had come, it disappeared, scurrying away into the darkness of the forest. Sehun watched it leave and waited a moment to make sure it was gone before approaching Luhan.

     “Are you alright?” he asked while assessing Luhan for injuries.

     “I’m okay. Just a little worn out,” Luhan panted and leaned into Sehun's side for support as a cold, feverish chill plagued his body.

     “Are you sure?  I can carry–“

     Luhan saw something flicker out of the corner of his eye, and on impulse, pushed Sehun out of the way just in time. Inkish, needle-like teeth bit into Luhan’s right arm, sinking past tissue and bones and into the delectable feast hidden beneath. Luhan screamed a blood curdling cry. It felt as though something were being bitten off from the inside, like a piece of himself was being viciously ripped off and swallowed. Luhan descended into a place reeking of sulfur and collapsed into the grass, reaching out blindly for anything familiar but finding nothing. He couldn’t see past the darkness but heard Sehun roar to life, felt the wind pushing harshly against his skin, and heard the rumbling of wind clashing across the countryside, followed by one final shrill screech.

     And then… silence.

     Luhan finally regained his bearings as the world gradually came back into focus. Sehun dropped to his knees, breathing heavily from overexertion.

     “Xiao Lu! Xiao Lu! Can you hear me? Answer me!” Sehun shook Luhan’s body.

     Luhan winced at the subzero burn that shot up his arm. “Ah! Don’t touch it!”  He curled in upon himself, clutching desperately at his arm and baring his teeth to stop himself from screaming. “Is is bad?” He must be bleeding. A part of his arm must be missing because it hurt far too much for it to be anything else.

     “Your arm is fine,” Sehun replied carefully. Indeed Luhan’s arm appeared to be fine but Sehun knew better. Luhan couldn't see it, but Sehun saw the shredded pieces of Luhan’s soul bleeding ink along the edges. He’d seen similar injuries happen to spirits before. Typically they healed with time, but this was Luhan, a human, and thus a fragile soul equivalent to that of a newborn.

     Luhan shivered and his muscles quaked. “Why do I feel so... c-cold?”

     Sehun brushed away Luhan’s bangs, which were already covered in sweat. Even his skin had taken on a ghostly pallor. 

     “Your body is going into shock. It’ll pass. We just need to get you somewhere where you can rest.” Luhan nodded, lips quivering and teeth chattering at the iciness spreading through his veins. “Close your eyes. I’m taking you home, okay?”

     Luhan didn’t have to be told to do so. Exhaustion was pulling him under, and for a while he fought it, but eventually unconsciousness won the battle. He fell into fitful dreams of sulfur, shadows, and an eerie weightlessness.

🌿🌿🌿

     Sehun watched over Luhan for days, tossing aside his duties as the wind spirit to care for the human he’d grown so fond of. Luhan’s silence was frightening. Had he fallen into the darkness? Sehun paced back and forth, his anxiety soaring so high that it became difficult to keep his abilities in check. Occasionally a whirl of wind would knock over things in Luhan’s cottage and Sehun would always put them back, taking extra care to do so gently without breaking them.

     Luhan had many visitors. The garden spirits dropped by often to check on the young man who’d always left them delicious offerings. Sehun would smile sadly and reassure them that he was trying his best but that there wasn’t much he could do except wait it out.

     Sunny days were soon replaced by rainy, unsettled weather that battered the countryside. Sehun paced back and forth, counted the number of cracks in the ceiling, and traced invisible designs into the hardwood floors as he waited for Luhan to wake. He couldn’t even find the will to go outside or eat the slowly rotting apples sitting on the kitchen counter.

     Sehun’s strength began to dissipate as the seed of bitterness planted itself inside of his heart. He knew his time with Luhan would end someday, he just didn’t expect it would happen so soon. He’d neglected to calculate the chance of unfortunate circumstances occurring and it hung over him like a foreboding fog. Thankfully, Luhan began to show signs of improvement.

     On the fourth day, a finger twitched. On the fifth, he stirred in his sleep. On the sixth, he opened his eyes a fraction before closing them again. It wasn’t until the seventh day after the incident that Luhan finally awoke and called for Sehun with the coming of dawn. Sehun was by his side within seconds.

     “Xiao Lu.” His voice shook with unspoken emotion, of things yet to be voiced, because he still hadn’t been able to figure out just what those things meant yet.

     “Hey,” Luhan rasped while rubbing his aching temples, “How long have I been out?”

     “About a week,” Sehun answered honestly.

     “A week!"

     “It’s okay. I watched over everything while you were resting.”

     “I’m sorry you had to do that. I—“ Luhan winced as he tried to sit up, only to have pain zap up his arm and sizzle steadily afterwards.

     “Take it easy. Don’t push yourself. You’re not immortal you know.”

     Luhan chuckled despite his discomfort. “No kidding,” he said from between clenched teeth, “I’ll be fine. I just need to get up and move around a bit.”

     Sehun tried to help Luhan but the human insisted that he could manage, and sure enough, that’s exactly what he did. He got up, took a shower, fixed them breakfast, and sat with Sehun at the back yard table with coffee in hand as if nothing were wrong. Still, Luhan’s silence was worrying.

     “Are you sure you’re alright?” Sehun asked doubtfully.

     “I told you, I’m fine!” Luhan smiled reassuringly before taking another sip of his steaming coffee. “Like you said, I just needed some rest is all.”

     Sehun was still concerned but accepted Luhan’s words and drank his own coffee diligently. He’d never had coffee before but it had an alluring aroma. He could see why Luhan enjoyed drinking it so much.

     “So... what’s on the agenda for today?” Sehun asked hopefully.

     Luhan sat his coffee down, rested his elbows on the table, and clasped his hands together. “You said you’d show me where earth spirits come from. Remember?”

     “Are you sure you’re up to it? You look kind of tired.”

     “I was thinking that maybe you could take me there.”

      Sehun’s eyes widened. “Do you remember what happened the last time I did that?”

     “Yep. But for some reason, I’m not really afraid of heights anymore.”

     “Really? And what exactly made you change your perception on heights?”

     “The knowledge that there are worse things out there.” Luhan broke his gaze with Sehun to take another sip of his coffee.

     Sehun’s lips pulled down into a frown as he eyed the broken look in Luhan’s eyes. It must have come as quite a shock, encountering such an evil spirit with little warning. Luhan was lucky to be alive and even luckier that his soul hadn’t been completely devoured.  Even though Sehun was grateful that his friend had survived, he still couldn’t help but wonder what was in store for their future. Would Luhan’s soul heal itself? Would it break apart or fade away? For the first time in Sehun’s existence, he realized that he’d met his first enemy — time.

🌿🌿🌿

A Promise Fulfilled

     Luhan held tight to Sehun as they bolted through the sky. Sehun was flying lower but Luhan still couldn’t toss aside the reminiscent sensation of falling — down and down and down as if there were no end. As his mind fell into the void, taking him back to the childhood memory he’d tried so hard to repress, Luhan almost thought he could feel someone catch him right before he hit the ground.

     He wound his arms tighter around Sehun’s neck and buried his head into the silky fabric of his robes, allowing the sweet scent to replace the resurfacing memory. Luhan couldn’t tell if it was the distance from the ground that was making his heart beat so fast or if it was Sehun. He didn’t get much of a chance to debate it. They landed swiftly and softly into a dense area of the forest Luhan had never been before.

     “You brought me all the way out here?” he asked a bit worriedly. Even though it was still daylight, the forest was so thick that it blocked out most of the sunlight. The place looked downright creepy.

     “Are you questioning my motives?” Sehun asked with an amused smirk, grabbing Luhan’s hand and leading him towards the west.

     “No I just–”

     “Relax. After all this time we’ve spent together you still can’t tell when I’m joking, can you?” Sehun laughed, making the leaves flutter overhead.

     “It’s not my fault you’re a hundred different levels of confusion.”

     Sehun looked over his shoulder and slowed down his pace. “I’ll be taking that as a compliment.”

     Luhan scoffed before an icy twinge tickled in the middle of his chest. He coughed several times, unable to quite catch his breath.

     “Are you okay?” Sehun was there in a heartbeat, fussing over Luhan’s condition like a worried mother.

     Luhan swatted his hand away, blushing at the proximity. “I’m fine. You don’t have to get so close.”

     Sehun stopped his assessment long enough to look Luhan directly in the eye. “And why not?” he asked with a fleeting breath, “Do I make you nervous?”

     “Yes.” Luhan immediately wanted to take back his confession. The look in Sehun’s amber eyes was stirring with something that threatened to boil over at any given second.

     “The feeling’s mutual, I think,” Sehun admitted. His time with Luhan was precious, as was the fragile soul standing before him. The edges of that soul continued to bleed, the ink slowly spreading inwards, tainting everything it came into contact with.

     Sehun was desperate and he knew it. He’d seen thousands upon thousands of beings die throughout his lifetime and hadn’t thought much of it. Souls came and went. It was how things were meant to be, but Luhan’s soul was different. Luhan was special. Such a caring person didn’t deserve to suffer and certainly didn’t deserve to die.

     “Sehun?” Luhan inquired, feeling concerned. He’d never seen Sehun zone out before. Usually the wind spirit was alert and quick on his feet but lately it seemed as though Sehun was distracted.

     “Hm? Oh. Sorry. This way.” Sehun brushed aside his thoughts as he tore his gaze from Luhan and tugged him along more gently.

     It wasn’t much of a walk, only a few yards, before they finally came upon a fallen tree, its trunk splintered in half with branches splayed across the ground. Sehun slowed down to a crouch and ushered Luhan to do the same. Luhan wasn’t sure of what to expect. An explosion of light?  Entities falling from the sky? As he lowered himself to the ground next to Sehun, he flashed his friend a questioning look.

     “Look over there. Just under that limb there,” Sehun pointed.

     Luhan peeked over a mass of tangled weeds and his eyes widened. Just beneath the tree was a fawn lying on its side, breathing, but barely.  Luhan tried to leap to his feet but Sehun stopped him.

     “Sehun, we have to help it! It’s dying!”

     Sehun pulled Luhan back down to the ground and silenced him with a finger to his lips. “Shhhh. Trust me and just watch.”  Sehun nodded his head in the direction of the fawn and Luhan obeyed Sehun’s orders despite his urge to fly into action.

     The fawn remained very still, only the faint rising and falling of its side giving any indication that it was still alive. Luhan bit his lip. He felt sorry for the poor creature. It was just a baby. It hadn’t even had a chance to live yet. It served as a reminder of just how cruel the world could be, a fact that Luhan knew all too well, although he tried to forget it.

     The little fawn quivered under the shadow of the tree and took one last labored breath before going completely still. In that instant, the forest became dead silent. The birds ceased to chirp and leaves ceased to rustle, then all of a sudden, the little creature vanished into the forest floor. Luhan felt his stomach sink along with it. He looked to Sehun in shock but the wind spirit had yet to tear his gaze from the tree. When Luhan looked back, a sliver of sunlight broke through the trees, and one by one, a patch of pristine white daisies grew in place of where the deer had once been, their petals covered with dew and sparkling in the sunlight. A flicker of white light flashed from between the blossoming flowers and the forest roared back to life, almost as if in celebration of the spectacular event. Luhan wondered if he’d imagined it, until he saw what looked like a little boy skipping through the forest in the distance, a smile tugging at his lips as a trail of moss formed in his wake.

     Even after the boy was gone, Luhun still couldn’t pry his eyes away from the remnants of the miracle he’d just witnessed. He shuffled to his feet, nearly tripping over a small tangle of vines, and approached the patch of daisies carefully, afraid that if he got too close he’d wake up and realize that it had all been a dream. He bent over and reached out for one of the beautiful flowers but hesitated. Somehow it felt wrong to pluck something so fresh and pure. So instead he reached out and ran a hand over the tops of them, smiling faintly as their petals tickled the palm of his hand. He heard Sehun approach from behind and turned, grinning like all the world’s problems had just been solved in those few seconds. Sehun ruffled Luhan’s hair and plucked a stray leaf from his bangs.

     “What happened to it?” asked Luhan, looking back at the daisies in wonder.

     “Even I don’t fully understand what happens. Sometimes things die and become a part of the earth and the energy that surrounds us. But sometimes, something extraordinary happens and a transformation begins, giving birth to what you just saw. That, my dear Xiao Lu, was a sprite.”

     “A sprite?”

     “Um-hm,” Sehun nodded, “a small spirit responsible for the moss that will now begin to grow throughout this forest.”

     “Why moss though? Why not something bigger like... apple trees!”

     Sehun chuckled softly at Luhan’s excitement. “All jobs have a purpose, Xiao Lu.  For example, the rain spirit provides water for the flowers, and the flower spirit provides pollen for the bees, and the bees help pollinate the other trees and flowers. There’s a delicate balance to everything. Once that balance gets disrupted, bad things can happen. It's during those times that forest spirits are born so they can help restore that balance.”

     “Ohhh. I understand now,” Luhan looked to the forest canopy above, to the wind swaying the trees, and down to the ants crawling across the earth in organized lines. He now understood better than ever why Sehun had fussed at him for messing with the flower garden. He’d disrupted the balance of the little ecosystem thriving there. It all made perfect sense, down to the very last speck of crumbled leaf. “I don’t know what to say. I’m… stunned.”

      “I figured as much,” Sehun laughed, sending the breeze into a playful tizzy, messing up Luhan’s already disheveled hair.

     “Hey!” Luhan complained as he tried to flatten down his hair, causing Sehun to laugh even more. Finally he gave up and blew his bangs away from his face with a huff. “So what exactly is your job?” he asked curiously.

     “My job?” Sehun began, laughter fading into pride. “I do lots of things. I provide a breeze on hot summer days, carry seeds on the wind to places where they can grow and flourish, give the birds something to glide on so they can reach their next destination. The list goes on and on.”

     “Wow. That’s a lot of jobs,” Luhan stated with astonishment.

     “Of course! Aaaand I’ve taken on a new job as of late.”

     “Really? And what’s that?”

     “Watching over this human who likes hoarding all of his apples for himself.”

     “I do not hoard apples!”

     “I don’t know,” Sehun faked an exasperated sigh, “You are pretty frugal, after all.”

     “Say that to my face!” Luhan bellowed.

     “I just did.” Within seconds Sehun was there, invading Luhan’s personal space yet again. All Luhan could smell was liquid sunshine and a sweet, musky scent that clouded his senses. It didn’t help that two amber orbs were staring right through him as the wind tickled his lips.

     “Sehun,” he rasped before swallowing, eyes helplessly trained on the spirit before him.

     “You amaze me, Luhan,” Sehun observed his human carefully — rosy cheeks, thick eyelashes, and soft lips. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

     “Well…” Luhan struggled to form words over the sound of his pounding heart, “If it’s of any consolation, I’ve never met anyone like you either.”

     Sehun’s accompanying smile was bright and warm. “Come on, Xiao Lu. Let’s get you back home. Your hand is freezing.”

     Luhan blinked down at their intertwined hands and blushed a dozen different shades of red. He hadn’t even realized they were holding hands. Suddenly, another icy chill ran up his arm and into his chest, resulting in another coughing fit worse than the first one.

     “I think that’s probably a good idea,” he wheezed.

     “Of course it is. I’m the wind spirit and I know everything,” Sehun teased, pulling some labored laughter out of his friend.

     Luhan wrapped his shaking arms around Sehun’s midsection before burying his nose in the woodsy scent he loved so much.

     Sehun rested his chin atop Luhan’s shoulder and pulled him close. The leaves swirled with a strong gust of wind as two souls flew through the beautiful blue sky.

🌿🌿🌿

More Than Apples

     Luhan and Sehun’s friendship picked back up where it had left off, though their bond seemed to be stronger than before. Sehun got back to work as the wind spirit and left Luhan to fend for himself regularly, but the delicate clinking of the wind chimes indicated that Sehun never ventured too far away. Several times a day, Sehun would sneak a quick peek through an open window or over the edge of the rooftop to check on Luhan, who was still working just as dutifully as he had before. However, the sluggishness and occasional wince or coughing fit didn’t go unnoticed.

     When Sehun had time, he helped Luhan in the garden, talked with him while they did household chores together, and even took him to visit the old oak tree from time to time. It was during those times that Sehun filed away every single detail about Luhan — his slightly calloused hands, gentle gaze, and gradually paling skin. Such observations took a sharp and dreary turn to bruising under tired eyes, defined protrusions of bone beneath skin, and a growing physical lethargy that forced Sehun to hide his worry behind a carefully constructed smile. Sometimes Luhan would catch him staring and Sehun would always brush it off with a snide remark meant to elicit laughter, which usually worked, until Luhan finally reached the point to where he could no longer hide his deteriorating condition.

     “It’s strange,” Luhan said one evening when they were curled up on the sofa together with his head in Sehun’s lap. “I’ve been feeling lighter as of late.”

     “You should eat more,” Sehun suggested, even though he knew it wouldn’t do any good.

     “That’s not what I meant. I mean... it almost feels as if I’m losing a part of myself, and I can’t figure out why.  What do you think is happening to me?”

     If the wind spirit could cry he’d do it. But he hadn’t been blessed with such a simple ability. Instead he grabbed ahold of the blanket hanging over the back of the sofa and placed it over Luhan, tucking the edges underneath his frail body to keep him warm.

     “Shadow spirits are notorious for their ability to the energy out of others. Your body is trying to recover. That’s all. There’s nothing to worry about,” Sehun reassured Luhan. Deep down, though, he was swimming in guilt and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. If only there was something he could do. If he could give up a part of himself to save Luhan, he’d do it. He’d even give up his entire soul if that’s what the universe wanted in exchange for Luhan’s life.

     Luhan curled up under the blanket and smiled as some of the coldness abated. Sehun had always been warm, a little ray of sarcastic sunshine casting its light in the shadowy places of his heart. But that light did little once it reached the gaping void that was spreading more with each passing day. Luhan knew that something wasn’t right, and he couldn’t shake the sneaking suspicion that Sehun knew what it was but was refusing to acknowledge it. Luhan may have been naive, but he certainly wasn’t stupid.

     Something bad was happening to him. It made him shiver from the inside out, scattered his thoughts at the most inconvenient times, slowed down his movements like oozing tree sap, and cast him into fitful nightmares of never-ending darkness. For the first time in Luhan’s life, he realized just how frightened he was. Every day that passed brought him closer to something, he just didn’t know what.

     “Hey Sehun?” Luhan asked as he masked the fear in his eyes with that of adoration. “I’m glad I met you that day at the shrine.”

     “Why are you telling me this now?” Sehun asked, brow furrowed while running his fingers through Luhan’s hair.

     “I just thought you should know. I’ve never said it before,” Luhan paused and took a quiet breath, thinking through how he was going to deliver his next words without sounding too off kilter. “If I ever reach a point when I can no longer take care of this cottage, will you look after it for me? It’d mean a lot to me.”

      Sehun’s free hand scrunched into a fist, his human-like knuckles turning white under the ferocious pressure. “Of course,” he delivered stiffly, “I’ll do anything that you ask of me.”

     Luhan smiled and pulled an arm out from beneath the blanket to gently pull at the hair at the back of Sehun’s neck. Was Sehun real? He often debated over it, because someone so perfect seemed unnatural, like a living fairytale latched to his side. He almost thought he could see Sehun fading around the edges, blending in with the world around them with the passing of time. “Thank you,” he breathed as he captured Sehun’s troubled gaze.

     Sehun's fingers trailed down the side of Luhan’s face, grazing his skin like wispy feathers, palm claiming a place just beneath his sunken cheekbones. Sehun stopped there, mind whirring with hundreds of frantic thoughts as he gazed into Luhan’s soul yet again. The ink had nearly tripled in size since the last time he’d checked. The accompanying wave of panic that rushed forth caught Sehun off guard, and before he realized what he was doing, he was cradling Luhan in his arms with their foreheads touching and breaths intermingling.

     “Sehun!” exclaimed Luhan, “What are–”

     “Don’t leave me,” shaky syllables escaped Sehun's lips, tugging at Luhan’s heart strings.

     “I’m not going to leave you. I’m right here.”  Luhan grasped the fabric at Sehun’s back in an effort to keep himself from floating away. Being so close to Sehun always had a way of making him feel lightheaded.

     Sehun's amber irises peered from beneath his thick lashes, searching for any hint of deception, but found none. Instead what they found was an eagerness, almost desperation, for something untold. Somehow Sehun knew what that something was without having to search for it.

     Luhan could feel himself slipping away with the progression of time, but that didn’t stop him from reaching out to the one thing he could still grasp. “Do you know what it means to be loved by someone, Sehun?” The wind spirit’s eyes searched his own, answering his loaded question. “It means thinking about someone at all hours, minutes, seconds of the day... even if it’s a terrible inconvenience. It means giving a part of yourself to that person, even when you think there’s nothing left of yourself to give, yet you do it anyway.”

     Sehun was stunned into silence. Every single thing that had happened up until that point all suddenly made sense. “What are you trying to say?” he asked breathlessly.

     “I’m trying to tell you that... I love you... very much. More than anything, actually.” Luhan tore his gaze from Sehun, unable to face the humiliation that was sure to come when Sehun laughed at him and told him how stupid he was. But there was no laughter and there was no teasing. Just a humble silence that echoed through Luhan’s ears along with the ticking of the clock on the wall above the mantlepiece.

     “You... love... me?” Sehun couldn't believe his ears. Even after so many centuries, not once had anyone ever loved him.

     “I love you more than you love apples,” Luhan admitted sheepishly.

     A flicker of gold sparkled in Sehun’s eyes at Luhan’s admission. “I love you too,” the words left his lips naturally.

     “You do?”

     “Yeah. Like you said... more than apples.”

     Both of them smiled and laughed at their joint revelation. Never in a million years did Luhan think he’d find  happiness, nor did Sehun think he’d come to love a living soul.

     “So what happens now?” asked Sehun. This was human territory. How was this love thing supposed to work? Was he supposed to do something special?

     “Close your eyes and count to ten.”

     “To ten?”

     Luhan nodded and Sehun slipped his eyes closed and started counting. One... two... three... four... but he never got the chance to say the next number. Something soft, warm, and moist pressed against his lips, stealing his breath away. Luhan was kissing him. Sehun melded into the sensation all too easily, pressing further into it with every fiber of his being.

     Luhan held onto Sehun with as much strength as his frail limbs could muster. Truthfully, he’d been wishing to be closer to Sehun for a very long time, he just never had the courage to act upon it. Though he lost himself to Sehun’s pleading lips, the desperate downward tilt of his brow, and the way the surrounding air twirled the tips of his hair, Luhan still couldn’t shake the icy chill pulsing deep inside. It gnawed and twisted and sizzled and burned, snatching away the bliss he wanted so desperately to hold onto.

     Sehun sensed it too. He tasted the faint flavor of ink on Luhan’s lips and held him tighter. He savored every last millisecond and cherished them all one by one. The wind spirit resumed his counting from earlier, except this time, he wouldn’t stop counting until his time with Luhan outnumbered that of the stars in the sparkling night sky.

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Beneath the Old Oak Tree

     The next morning Luhan woke up in bed with an extra blanket draped over his body. Even though he was clad in sweatpants and a thick sweater, he was still freezing and shivering from head to toe, and right in the middle of summer no less. He sat up slowly, hair a mess and eyes puffy from sleep, and eased his way out from under the covers and hobbled into the bathroom. He caught a glance of himself in the mirror and frowned. Honey colored eyes looked much darker and duller, skin sallow, and lips pale. If Luhan didn’t know any better, he’d say he looked much worse than he did yesterday. He took care of his business and decided against a shower. Everything was aching far too much for that much movement.

     He opened his bedroom door and stepped into the living area, taking a moment to look around to verify the absence of the wind spirit. Even the chimes outside the window remained lifeless without so much as one clink, which was a little odd, but perhaps Sehun had work away from the cottage that day.

     Luhan made a slow, painful track to the kitchen and reached up with a wince to open the cabinet and froze. He blinked once, twice, thrice before furrowing his brow and tilting his head to one side. Boxes and cans and bags of food stared back at him but he couldn’t recall what he’d been looking for. It must not have been important if he forgot it so easily. So he closed the cabinet, turned, and made a lethargic walk to the sofa before sprawling across it with a strangled sigh.

     His gaze fell upon his grandmother’s old rocking chair as it rocked back and forth. Luhan stared at it a moment, mind prickling with the knowledge that something was there, perhaps a garden spirit? He’d been seeing them often as of late, scurrying throughout his home and rummaging through his things. As if on cue with his thoughts, a shiver bloomed from within his chest and Luhan suddenly felt tired again. He fell asleep watching that rocking chair with a sad smile adorning his lips, although, he couldn’t figure out why.

     Said rocking chair came to an abrupt stop as amber eyes clouded with fear. Luhan hadn’t seen him or responded to his, “Good morning” or “Luhan are you alright?” It was as if he hadn't even been there. Sehun cradled his head in his hands. This was really happening. Luhan was taking a turn for the worst. So bad that he’d even forgotten to eat breakfast.

     The nearby window rattled with the worried pawing and whimpers of the garden spirits. Sehun smiled faintly and told them that everything would be alright, but in all honesty, even he was starting to doubt his own reassurances. So he did the only thing that he could, he grabbed a blanket, draped it over Luhan’s fragile frame, pushed the bangs away from his eyes, and placed a small kiss on a feverish forehead.

     While Luhan slept, Sehun stayed true to his promise of watching over the cottage. He called upon the water spirit to water the gardens with a promise to return the favor later, collected the ripened tomatoes from their vines, gently uprooted a few weeds from the garden and transplanted them someplace else with a careful apology, and cleaned the inside of the cottage with attention to detail. He checked on Luhan every now and then and replaced the dried rag on his forehead with a wet one to keep his fever down. With the coming of nightfall, he pulled a book off of the shelf, an age old fairytale that he’d always been fond of hearing the humans recite, and read to Luhan. When he finished one book, he’d start another and didn’t stop until the telltale signs of sunrise started to glimmer upon the horizon. It was then that Luhan opened his eyes and gazed about the room drearily, pupils unfocused and breathing shallow.

     “Sehun?” he whispered dryly, “Are you there?”

     Sehun startled and leapt forward to grab Luhan’s clammy hand. “I’m right here.”

     “I... can’t see you anymore... but I can still hear you.”

     “I know. I took care of the cottage today, just like you asked.”

     “Really?” Luhan smiled weakly, “Good. That makes me really happy.”

     Though Luhan couldn’t see him, Sehun smiled sadly in return. “I do believe I’m suffering from apple withdrawals.”

     Luhan chuckled airily at Sehun’s joke but fell into a coughing fit immediately after. “That’s what you get you junkie.”

     “Junkie?” Sehun asked.

     “A junkie is someone that’s addicted to... something really unhealthy.”

     “But apples are healthy.”

     “That’s besides the point.”

     “Whatever you say, Xiao Lu.”

     Silence fell over the two before Luhan finally regained his breath enough to speak again. “How much longer do you think I have?” his voice quaked with unshed tears.

     Sehun felt his soul clench painfully. This was hard, so hard. This entire time he’d been living a dream. Now he was living a nightmare. He was torn between feigning optimism or delivering the truth. In the end he decided to tell Luhan what he needed to hear. “Not much, Xiao Lu.” He squeezed Luhan’s hand tightly.

     “I figured as much,” Luhan closed his eyes and imagined that he could still see Sehun, beautiful and smiling and glowing like sunshine. “Let’s go.”

     “Go where? You’re in no condition to move.”

     “Take me to our spot.”

     “We have a spot?”

     “Under the old oak tree.”

     The thought crossed Sehun’s mind to deny Luhan his request but he could see the ink taking over the last pure areas of Luhan’s soul, tainting and twisting them into something unintelligible. The spark in Luhan’s eyes had nearly been extinguished. It was a miracle he’d lasted for so long.

     Sehun arrived at the almighty tree with Luhan cradled carefully against his chest, wind swirling quietly as his feet touched the ground. Luhan opened his eyes, squinting up at the large branches swaying in the breeze.

     “Xiao Lu? We’re here,” Sehun said as he placed Luhan to the ground at the base of the tree, taking special care not to jostle him too much before taking a seat so that he could still hold him in his arms.

     Luhan opened his mouth to speak but found that he longer had the ability to form words. It hurt just to breathe. It felt as though he’d turned to ice, senses befuddled, unable to take in much of anything except the faintest shimmer of amber staring into his soul. In that moment Luhan saw the memory as clear as day. He was falling again, down and down toward the forest floor, until a pair of strong arms wound around him and guided him to safety. Luhan turned to thank his savior and blinked with childhood innocence as a young man in beautiful white robes reached out and ruffled his hair.

     Sehun looked deep into Luhan and saw but one small remaining sliver of his soul shaking with determination as it tried hold on just a little bit longer. Sehun snapped his eyes closed, immediately wishing that he hadn’t seen it, the last remaining piece of the person he cared for about to be erased like chalk in the rain. With the passing minutes, Luhan’s breaths came in further intervals and his body became very still. Then right as Luhan took his very last breath, he looked at Sehun, and smiled.

     Sehun was left to the mercy of agony, despair, and an overwhelming sense of loss. Those emotions swirled so violently that he acted on impulse and kissed Luhan frantically, pulling him close, unleashing a storm of illogical pleas that he knew wouldn’t be answered no matter how hard he wished. Luhan’s soul was just as pure in adulthood as it had been when Sehun had saved him from falling out of that tree all those years ago. And now he’d never get the chance to tell Luhan it had been he who had saved him.

     Suddenly, his hands became very light and he opened his eyes just in time to see Luhan slip from between his fingers and vanish into the earth below. Sehun’s vision became cloudy, the center of his being heaved, and he blinked once, twice, before he realized that he was crying for the very first time. Tears streamed down his face, watering the soil as he cried for every memory they’d ever shared. He cried so much that he thought for sure he must be fading away too, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking, because an eternity without Luhan would be simply unbearable.

     Sehun unleashed his anguish and the wind swirled like a hurricane, bending trees and cracking branches. His voice echoed across the countryside, filling every portion of the valley with gale force winds laden with sorrow. Sehun lost track of time as he sat there for days on end, unable to find the will to move or rise up from his grief. The spirits of the surrounding forest looked on in pity at the powerful wind spirit that had always watched over them, now reduced to such a pathetic state. None of them knew what to do. The valley was slowly being torn apart. Too many more days and there wouldn’t be anything left.

     But something changed on the seventh day.

     Sehun saw the ravaged state of the old oak tree, their tree, and stopped crying. The winds died down with the shameful lowering of his head. And there, in the patch of barren dirt, was a single white daisy. Just one, so fragile and meek but looking up expectantly at Sehun.

     “Xiao... Lu?” Sehun sobbed as a fresh wave of tears began to fall, but this time they were tears of hope.

     He scrambled onto his knees, surrounding the growing flower with his hands protectively. There was still a chance. Sehun knew that he had to try. He called upon the earth spirits for their assistance and guidance. With their help, the daisy received water, sunshine, and protection. For two weeks Sehun guarded over it and his soul soared with each new bloom that appeared, until one flower had turned into an entire bed of beautiful daisies, the prettiest ones he had ever seen. Then on the following morning, when the sun was still rising and the birds were singing brightly, Sehun’s work paid off.

     “You’ve been watching over my flower bed for a long time, and might I say, you did a pretty poor job of making it grow.”

     Wispy hair shone like gold as bits and pieces of twigs and leaves stuck from between the strands. A bright smile adorned humble lips, flowing green robes ruffled in the wind, and doe-like eyes twinkled as they gazed upon Sehun with mirthful gratitude.

     “I’ll... do better… n-next time?” Sehun tripped over his words as the tears kept coming, bearing a testament to his deepest, most honest feelings.

     “Hmm,” said Luhan with a thoughtful pout of his lips, “I’ll give you another chance to prove your worth, but on one condition.”

     “Condition?”

     “That you promise to stay with me... forever.”

     Sehun choked as a sob broke free.  “Will there be apples?”

     “Seeing as how I’m the tree spirit... lots.”

     “You have yourself a deal.”

     Sehun ran to Luhan and crashed into him, burying his face into silken robes that smelled of fresh dew and pine. And there under the old oak tree, two spirits vanished with the coming of morning, leaving behind a freshly grown patch of daisies glistening in the morning light.

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     Sometimes, the people of the valley speak of whispers on the wind that weave between trees and across open meadows just before sunrise. They say that if you listen closely enough, you’ll hear a lover’s confession.

     “I love you, Xiao Lu.”

     “I love you too.”

     “More than apples?”

     “Yes, always.”