-

I was aware that I should probably stop visiting him. It’s not good to get too attached to a human. I was amazed by myself, as well; I’d never been this intrigued in a human before, to visit his room night after night.

 

He had a such a beautiful face, you wouldn’t blame me if you saw it. When the moonlight came through the wide window at night, he looked like... well, an angel. Perfect features bathed in a silver glow. I really couldn’t help it.

 

His dreams were something else, too. Mostly, what you get from people these days is your standard failing of tests, kissing attractive people, being ruler of the world, yada yada. Luhan, though, he gave me beautiful sustenance; he flew right above the clouds, saw the silver lining on each one, and then switched to a hot, steamy jungle the next second. He visited the blue waters where coral reefs resided and endless snowy plains. No nightmares, either. (Another misconception: we cause nightmares. Ridiculous, of course, we take them away.) One thing that kept recurring, though, was his moon dream. I don’t know what was up with him and the moon, but at least twice a week I would slip into his room and enter his mind, and there he was, wandering around on the moon’s surface, smiling at the stars. (Also, we don’t make people weaker by taking their dreams. Tsk.)

 

I kind of wished I could take him to the moon. It was more incredible that he could ever imagine. And yes, I have been to the moon (Who do you think I am?). I can’t really describe it. The best I can do for you is a lovely, peaceful place, all bathed in silver and suspended among space. You can quote me on that.

 

But where was I? Oh, yes. It was so strange, the aura he gave off. He shone brighter than anything else in the room. A lot of times, I’d find myself sitting in the red chair next to the window, watching him the whole night. His expression was so serene, I probably could have stared at him forever. It made me a bit sad too. Incubi and humans don’t really mix. This is mainly because sunlight makes us weak, or turns us to stone in very extreme cases (Finally a detail humans got right). I have never really minded, seeing as I much prefer the quiet moon to the loud sun, but Luhan made me mind, for some reason. I guess I really wanted to hear him talk. I was sure his voice would have been as amazing as his face hinted at.

 

Also, I was lonely.

 

You heard me. An incubus, lonely? But it was true. I badly wanted a friend, but it didn’t seem like I would ever have one. We incubi are supposed to be solitary by nature, so I guess I’m just a weirdo.

 

Have I properly introduced myself yet? No? Oh, how rude. My name is Sehun. And one day, I got my wish.

 

As usual, I was staring at Luhan. I was feasting on his perfection (Ew, that doesn’t sound right). And then with just the slightest of breaths, Luhan opened his eyes. And stared right at me.

 

Oh , was I screwed.

 

I made for the window right away. Just as I was about to disappear in a dramatic poof of black smoke...

 

“Wait, don’t go!”

 

Part of me hesitated, and that was what swayed and horrified me. The age-old mantra: incubi are not meant to mix with humans, and my hesitation convinced me that I needed to break off all my ties with this place. It would never end well, for either of us (And I was right).

 

Luhan was left staring at an empty room. The moon was full in the sky, and I was long gone.

 

Better for him just to think I was a bad dream he had imagined.

 

-

 

I told myself I had to stop going. I really did, I promise. But somehow, a month later, I was back in his attic room looking for his face again. When I found it, I huffed a sigh of relief. It was strange, but I felt in a way I was almost like his guardian. He looked just the same at first, but then I realized he wasn’t doing so great. Luhan looked... worn down. That’s what I saw. His face was scrunched up and he’d gained a few more wrinkles. There were bags under his eyes and he looked even more thin than before, if that was possible.

 

As I watched, Luhan made a little sighing noise and turned over. It was very cute, actually. I think I just stared and stared at him, when I totally should have seen it coming: Luhan opened his eyes again, and before I could slip away, he grabbed my wrist.

 

“I knew it!” he murmured. “I knew you were real.”

 

“Hey, now wait just a minute here, boy. Of course I’m real. I’m an incubus, not-”

 

“-An incubus?” Luhan’s eyes were alive with curiosity. “Are you going to, like, force yourself on me?”

 

Strange. He wasn’t scared at all.

 

I was a bit wounded. “Hmph. I don’t think so. Don’t believe half of what you hear from humans, Luhan. They always get the facts wrong.”

“Well... tell me about yourself then. How do you know my name? What’s your name? What do incubi do?”

 

Now let me tell you, if it was any other human, and I mean any other, I wouldn’t have given out a crumb of information. But for Luhan, I did.

 

“I know your name because I’ve been in your dreams. My name is Sehun. Obviously, as I just said, incubi enter the dreams of others and feed on them. And just FYI, we don’t harm anyone.”

 

He nodded eagerly, eating up my words. I rolled my eyes.

 

“My turn. Why do you look so sick? And what’s with the weird moon dreams?”

 

Luhan sat up carefully on the bed, crossing his legs Native American style and placing his hands in the center.

 

“I look sick because I am. The doctors don’t know what exactly it is, but it’s getting worse. I’ve already figured out that it’s terminal. I mean, the first time I saw you, it was bad, but just a month later and it’s already much worse.” He talked easily and willingly. The more I got to know this guy, the more I liked him. He really was exceptional among humans. The second question, though, looked like it was harder for him to answer.

 

“As for the moon dreams... well, the thing with my illness is I don’t mind dying that much. I think I’ve lived a fairly decent, if short, life. I’ve done most of the things I want to... except going to the moon. It’s something that’s been with me since childhood, and it’s strange, but I’ve always wanted to visit the moon.” His eyes lit up. “Why? Can you take me there?”

 

“Whoa, okay, let’s not jump to conclusions. I’ve been to the moon, but I can’t really take you there. You’d probably die, I’m not sure you can breathe there.”

 

Just like that, his eyes dimmed. I felt terrible, knowing my words had caused that dimming. Damn it! Get a grip on yourself, Sehun. Since when do humans matter to you?

 

That annoying little voice in my head answered for me.

 

Since Luhan.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Um, did you say something?” This came from a puzzled-looking Luhan.

 

My head shot up, and I was glad incubi don’t blush. “Er, no. I didn’t say anything. Just... forget it.” I checked the sky quickly. Still dark, but getting lighter. “Well, is there anything else you wish to know?”

 

That little light came back into his eyes. “Yeah! Do you really turn to stone in the sunlight? What’s the moon like? How often do you go? Is it beautiful? Are all incubi like you? What do dreams taste like? How...”

 

And he went on and on. I tried my best to answer all of them, (No, we don’t usually turn to stone in the sunlight. We’re just a lot weaker.) and he just kept right on asking with hardly a breath in between. I didn’t mind answering them at all. It isn’t often you meet something so interested in incubus culture.

 

There was one curious thing I did notice, though. It was only later that night, when I was heading for a dark spot to sleep the arriving day away, that I realized Luhan had been writing down all my answers concerning the moon; how I got there, how far away it was, and so on. He had had a strange gleam in his eye.

 

It made me slightly uneasy.

 

-

 

I continued visiting Luhan at night, and although I didn’t tell him, I started hanging around his house during the daytime, too. I haunted his house while he slept (the boy was basically nocturnal), looking at everything and staying unseen. I learned that Luhan had a little brother who never talked to him. His parents had practically given up on him and left him for soon to be dead, and they interacted little with him. Maybe this was their way of distancing themselves from the inevitable grief they would feel from his passing, but I still despised them for it. Luhan didn’t seem to mind, though. The maid delivered Luhan’s meals at the end of each day, which he consumed at night. As if they were already in mourning, Luhan’s mother always left the curtains drawn closed, so at least there was no sunlight to get in my way. I visited Luhan’s old room, which was cold and impersonal. His parents kept it locked. The only bit of the individuality I was coming to associate with Luhan was some photos tacked to the wall. He and his friends, laughing at the beach. Eating at a fancy restaurant. College graduation. Whatever they were, they didn’t mean much to him anymore, and he’d left them behind as a part of his old life. All in all, Luhan lived a very isolated life. I attempted to ask him about it, but never got a satisfactory answer.

 

Luhan’s obsession with the moon progressed without end. Each night, he would fire off questions at me and take notes on everything I’d say. It was unnerving, and I finally wheedled an answer out of him when I got impatient.

 

“Luhan, why are you so curious about the moon? I could tell you about so many other things you’d probably be interested in - girls, for example.” I sat in the corner, legs crossed and chin in my hands.

 

Luhan didn’t even look up, so engrossed was he. “Why, Sehun, I am going to the moon! Everything you’ve told me adds up so far... there must be a way to design a transporter... perhaps...”

 

And his voice trailed off as he fell deep into thought. I retreated quietly into the shadows, and Luhan took no notice. Soon, exhausted, he put down his notebook and went to sleep as the sun was rising. I went off to scare the maid, but it wasn’t enough of a distraction from my worried thoughts. Luhan’s obsession was getting out of hand. Surely he would break out of it soon, wouldn’t he? In all honesty, it was very possible for him to go to the moon. Humans hadn’t done it yet, but between you and me, I’d put my money on Luhan figuring it out before the big shots did. He was devoted, he was passionate, and he had a certain incubus on his side who could offer first-hand experience. The thing was, I wasn’t sure if the moon’s atmosphere was compatible with humans. The little part of me that believed Luhan would make it was nagged by the worry that he wouldn’t be able to breathe, or function properly if he were to get there. But what could I do? I trailed along behind the enthusiastic boy, helpless in my infatuation. Luhan had given me his trust as no human ever had before, and I would have done anything for him at that point, he had only to ask.

 

-

 

One night, I slipped into Luhan’s room to find him fast asleep. This was a surprise, since Luhan was always up at night and asleep during the day. I was a bit relieved, to be honest with you. I’d refrained from feeding on Luhan’s dreams out of respect, even though he didn't mind, so it had been a long time since I’d had any proper sustenance. I left quietly through the wide windows and went off on my merry way. I’d come back at daybreak.

 

The night passed pleasantly and uneventfully, and, feeling much more invigorated, headed back, wanting to see Luhan again. It’s silly, but I’d developed this irrational fear that if I wasn’t watching over him all the time, he would just waste away and disappear.

 

Luhan was perfectly fine, of course. I chided myself for being silly, and settled down comfortably in a darker patch to watch the moon set.

 

Luhan woke up when the sun was just peeping over the horizon. Already, my eyes were starting to hurt. He sat up, stretched (So thin...), and saw me right away.

 

“Ah, Sehun! I have a little something planned for today, which is why you find me awake during the day. Let me explain.” Here he paused, a gleeful smile spread on his face. I had I feeling I wouldn’t like this.

 

He dropped the bomb. “We’re going to go out to the mall! I really want to you to have a good time. You always seem distant, and I need a break from my calculations. What do you say?”

 

“What do I say!?” I sputtered, my face turning red (As red as it could be). “I’m an incubus! A creature of the night! I don’t go around shopping in malls.”

 

But Luhan just laughed, anticipating my response. “I knew you would say that, Sehun~ in any case, I’m not going to force you, but this may be my last chance to go out until I, well...” he paused, rephrasing my sentence. I didn’t like to hear him talk so casually about his own impending death. “What I’m saying is I might not have this chance again. I’ll be too busy in the future, so I'd like to go out for a day, and I would prefer some company. It’s an indoor mall, before you ask.”

 

I would have done anything for Luhan, so I had to agree. I could suffer a day if it meant he got to enjoy himself a bit. I guess we were going to take a shopping trip.

 

-

 

Five minutes into the mall and I already knew this was a terrible idea. It was ridiculous: a thin, pale boy dragged along another boy dressed completely in black through the mall. The second said human had a sullen expression on his face. I couldn’t help it, either. We were surrounded by giggling girls and little kids with their parents. I’d done a lot of weird, non-incubus things these past few weeks, but this just took the cake. I’d never seen so many humans in one place before, much less walked among them. I cheated a little, though. Luhan’s face showed his strain after just a few minutes of walking, so I floated us both a centimeter off the ground. It was worth it to see his expression.

 

Later, when we’d been through several clothing shops, I could see Luhan was having no more fun than myself. He had probably planned this thing so I could have some fun, and to my credit I felt bad that I was ruining it for him. I tried to make an effort to be interested after that.

 

Of course, we ended up after a couple hours at the food court, sipping fruit smoothies and eating giant pretzels. It wasn’t the first time I’d had human food, but something about Luhan made it much more edible than usual. Luhan made easy conversation but fell into silence after a while. I looked at him, and his eyes had started to get that far away look I associated with his moon dreams. I sighed, knowing once he was in this kind of mood, he would think of nothing else. I patted him gently on the shoulder.

 

“Luhan. Let’s go, I’ll take us both home.” He nodded, barely paying attention. I looked into his eyes and saw stars.

 

-

 

Luhan didn’t try anything like that again. We did have fun at the food court, I guess, and his attempt to make me happy was over. Now we were back to square one, the moon, and the days/nights fell back into our usual pattern.

 

And we were running out of time.

 

Luhan’s body was wasting away. It was killing me to see him weaker and weaker every day. Just a month after the mall trip, he couldn’t get out of bed anymore. Each part of him was sick except his eyes, which were brighter than ever. His notebook was always right next to his bed, ready to be used at any time. One day, I snuck a peek to see what he was writing down. There were pages and pages of notes, taken directly from my mouth, and a couple diagrams. I started looking through his papers more and more. Slowly, I figured out that Luhan’s plan was to build a rocket.

 

To him, it was simple, in theory. He would build a small rocket with space for him inside. Once he launched due route to the moon (Which I would help with), he could simply lay back and wait to touch down. He had some details to work out, but had most of the main things down. Luhan also wasn't sure, but he reasoned that the interior of the rocket should be breathable and protect him from the moon. As far as I could see, he hadn’t addressed the problem of how to breathe in the actual moon’s atmosphere yet. But I was duly impressed by his motivation. I swear, nobody else could have done it but him.

 

-

 

Two months later, with my assistance, Luhan finished building his rocket. He’d done it all while sick in bed.

 

He was going to the moon.

 

-

 

In the days leading up to takeoff, Luhan was restless and twitchy. He often mumbled to himself and blinked. He slept more than he ever had before. I didn’t need a doctor to know his illness was progressing frighteningly fast.

 

Luhan also became, if it was possible, even more obsessive. He checked and double-checked and triple-checked his notes and rocket to make sure everything was on track. He ran his hands over the soldered ridges on his rocket and traced the metal seams.

 

Finally, though, the night came: the evening of the full moon in the month of May. Luhan had planned his trip perfectly. That night, I propped open the wide window and carried Luhan across the moon-soaked floor. His rocket was waiting just inside the window. Luhan gestured for me to put him down, and he struggled into his seat himself. Before he closed the hatch, he gave me a final briefing.

 

“Okay. I think we’re ready. You know what to do, I trust you. We’ve been over this hundreds of times, yes? Good. In just a moment, I’m going to set the course and take off. If everything goes right, the rocket and myself should disappear. Go to the moon and wait for me. Any questions?” His face was pale and thin, but his voice had fire behind it.

 

I shook my head. “I’m all clear. You’re finally going to the moon, Luhan. I don’t think anybody else could have done it.”

 

Luhan smiled up at me. “I very much doubt that. It’s just that I’m the first to think of the idea.” He paused, thinking. “And, Sehun... thank you very much. You’ve been more than just my advisor these past few months. You’ve been a friend to me, and I wouldn’t be this far without you.”

 

I held a finger to my lips and passed a cool hand over his face, casting long shadows. “You have my blessing, Luhan. Now, are you ready?” He nodded.

 

“Then I’ll see you on the moon.”

 

The entry hatch swung closed, and I stepped back from the rocket. Luhan flashed me a thumbs up, and then hit the engine. There was a slight rushing noise, and then the whole rocket, boy and all, shivered and disappeared.

 

A moment later, the incubus was gone, too.

 

-

 

So I waited. I waited, it seemed, an eternity on the moon’s surface for Luhan to arrive.

 

Nothing.

 

I panicked. Oh god, something must have gone wrong. He could be stuck anywhere in space right now, stranded, floating -

 

- there was a bang of light, and the rocket fell onto the moon in a cloud of dust. I was over there in a heartbeat, peering through the clear hatch to find Luhan.

 

Relief enveloped me when I saw his familiar features, but it was short-lived. Something was horribly wrong. Luhan was writhing and twisting in pain, mouth open in a soundless cry. I knew with a sick feeling that his illness had finally caught up to him.

 

In a flash, I had the hatch up and was holding him in my arms, crying out his name. He calmed down when he saw it was me, and his contortions slowed. He looked at me, and then started choking.

 

Luhan couldn’t breathe in the moon’s atmosphere. It was something he’d considered, but ultimately left alone because nobody knew if humans were compatible with lunar material or not. We’d both made terrible mistakes, but the bigger one was mine, for not stopping him on this impossible quest. Why did I let him do it? Why?

 

Luhan was suffocating to death in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about it except to make little whimpering noises meant to be comforting. That terrible coughing noise... I’ve never forgotten it, even to this day. I wanted to murder it, this hideous sound that was taking away Luhan’s life away.

 

And finally, the coughing subsided. Luhan was looking up at me with his star-bright eyes, and he smiled a wondering smile.

 

“The moon. It’s... it’s so beautiful. So beautiful...”

 

He didn’t close his eyes, even then, and I watched the light in them flicker out for good.

 

I pressed a trembling kiss to his forehead and cried, then, for my friend; bitter tears, guilty tears. We had always known one of the two would get to him - his illness, or his mission. In the end, though, it was so unfair. Luhan, who had possessed the greatest and biggest heart to be found, dead? My only consolation was his fulfillment of his lifelong dream. He had made it to the moon, the first human to do so. I was filled with a wrenching pride to have known Luhan.

 

I don’t know how long I kneeled there with his body in my arms, but after a time I set him down and watched as he dissolved into a handful of silver dust. I held his ashes to my lips and blew the dust into the starry beyond, to all the corners of the universe.

 

I know he would have liked that.

 

-

 

In all my experiences since then, I have never met another human like Luhan, and I don’t believe I will. His memory is unique to me, and I will always remember him as the boy who made a friend of an incubus. He won my trust as no other has. Among his kind, he was a burst of light, and his eyes were bright stars that never lost their intensity until the very end. In his honor, I preserve his memory, and keep his legacy.

 

Luhan, who fought the odds.

 

Luhan, the boy who went to the moon.

 

Luhan, my friend.

 

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