Sighing heavily, the doctor looked at Heaven with blank, indifferent eyes as he said the words that would change her life forever:

"The cystic fibrosis is coming sooner than I thought. I'm sorry, Mr. Lee won't have much longer to live."

Heaven was numb and only managed a soft nod as all feelings drained from within. "Can I at least see him?" she wrote.

With a nod of confirmation and a grunt, the doctor who had no idea how fast Heaven's heart was beating slowly turned away.

The world turned into a blur of sounds and colors and indecipherable shadows of moving objects passing slowly in Heaven's peripheral vision. The words spoken from the doctor seemed to revolve around her, physically and mentally. Her heart was pierced with every syllable; every letter echoed in her mind. Each passing moment mocked her and told her of memories. Memories of a once happy and healthy boy named Lee Taemin laughing, dancing, living. A new memory taunted her; a memory of a withering, wilting flower.

The cold shock of the doorknob snapped Heaven out of her reverie, along with the cold, hard realization of feelings and emotions slamming into the girl with all of her might. Tears started to form in her eyes and Heaven's grip tightened on the doorknob to hold up her weakening knees. Betrayal leaned down and looked her in the eye, suffocating her. Questions formed and spilled like the tears streaking down her cheeks. Why didn't he tell me before? and Why did he pretend for so long? popped up immediately. Other questions branched out with more questions. The only thing that angered her was that there were no solutions. 

The only thing that saddened her was the sight that appeared on the other side of the door.

At first, Heaven wasn't sure if there was anyone in the bed in the first place. A frail boy was laying down in a hospital gown two sizes big with an even bigger hospital blanket covering his small body. He was lost in a disarray of long wires of every single color, like a variety of snakes latching onto the pale surface of the boy's skin. Heaven desperately searched the premise, thinking that maybe she was in the wrong room, this wasn't right. But when she saw the frail boy's eyes flutter, the girl caught a glimpse of chocolate brown eyes. She'd know those eyes from anywhere.

Heaven tried to walk the two foot distance between her and Taemin, but only made it a couple of inches before collapsing on her knees, her shaking hands holding onto the handles of the bed. Tears that were once dry started to form again and spilled over more than ever. The frail girl lay on her knees next to the frail boy, her body convulsing with sobs and silent cries to no one in particular. With her head bowed, Heaven's hand reached for Taemin's. Her fingers were moving with electricity coursing through her. Taemin's fingers had no power in them; the plug had been pulled and only left a whisper of Heaven's best friend.

For a few moments, Heaven sat in a fragile position. Her body was made of glass and cracks were starting to form throughout her, threatening to break and Heaven would only stay scattered on the ground in broken pieces. The heart monitor next to a snake of wires supposedly stated that Taemin was still alive and breathing, but only shallow breaths and the occasional light cough. For a few moments, Heaven knew that Taemin was dead. For a few moments, all was lost.

Until the dead fingers of the boy curled lightly around Heaven's. Then, for a few moments, Heaven knew that Taemin might be okay.

Although it hurt, Heaven had to move away from her best friend.

At approximately 7:08 A.M., Heaven lay in silence.

The empty window in front of her was so foreign and the fact that not one single airplane was flying through the soft, gentle breeze left the girl in a daze. In all of her seventeen years of life, Heaven hadn't remembered one memory where she hadn't seen Taemin. Solitude surrounded the poor girl as she stared out into the blue sky mocking her above her head. Even the silk touch of her curtains seemed to be making fun of her sadness. The greatest things also brought the worst.

She knew that there would be no one to return her message, but Heaven had to try to send at least one. Though there was no passion left within her. She didn't even write anything meaningful and just scribbled recklessly and the folds of her paper airplane weren't perfection. With one sigh and a half hearted throw, the paper airplane spiraled downward towards the ground, taking her heart with it.

At approximately 7:13 A.M., a paper airplane landed on Heaven's windowsill.

Heaven's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the returned airplane she had just folded moments ago. Taemin's windowsill was still empty and she had heard no one cross the asphalt between her and the boy's apartment complex, so who -

"C'mon, Heaven, I'm not drunk anymore."

Jonghyun.

Heaven looked down and saw Jonghyun standing below her waving with a pen interlaced between his fingers. He was smiling brighter than any sun in the universe and, for the first time in a few days, Heaven smiled back and waved as well. 

He pointed towards the airplane still sitting untouched by her fingertips and Heaven unfolded it, reading the message under her scribbles.

"Lighten up, you weirdo. I'm here now."

Underneath, she wrote, "I'd try to lighten up, but then again, you're here."

"Is that some kind of insult?"

"I believe you're the insult."

A hearty chuckle came from below her at approximately 7:23 A.M. "You're feisty, Rapunzel."

"How am I a princess?"

"You just are."

It took a few extra moments to write a reply. "Is that some kind of insult?"

"No, It's called beauty,"

"Well, if I'm Rapunzel, what are you?"

"A prince. Duh."

Heaven snorted. "As if."

"Hey! You're in the presence of royalty."

"As if."

"How about I show you I'm royalty?"

"How?"

"Let me climb your beautiful locks of hair."

"You know, you'll have to climb through the front door."

"I can deal with that."

At approximately 7:33 A.M., Heaven and Jonghyun sat on her bed, writing back and forth.

Writing with her usual calm she didn't have moments before, Heaven showed her message to Jonghyun. "What are you doing here?"

Jonghyun laughed and shook his head. "Isn't it obvious? I came to see you."

Frowning, Heaven wrote, "No one should see me."

The boy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and gave Heaven the oddest of looks. "And why is that?" he asked.

"I'm a girl who can't speak, I like to send paper airplanes to no one, and I still like to keep rainbow pens. A monster wouldn't want to talk to a freak of nature like me." Heaven didn't even notice the small, fat water droplets falling on the top of her notepad. She realized how horrible she was at the moment and started to question why she still lived on the planet. Under the blurring blue font, she added, "I'm nobody."

Quietly, Jonghyun reached over and took the distraught girl's hand. "If you're a freak of nature, than I'm Godzilla."

Heaven chuckled and wiped the tears still falling down her cheeks. "We're both nobodies, then," she wrote.

The pad of Jonghyun's thumb was the palm of Heaven's hand. "An invisible couple," he whispered to no one in particular.

"A couple who doesn't exist," Heaven wrote.

Brown eyes met hazel, and the man was soon gazing at her. "Heaven," he started, "I don't know about you, but I think you're amazing." Jonghyun pointed towards the cup holder that held Heaven's multitude of pens. "I'll even ignore the fact that you have those." His gaze met the girl's once more. "I've only known you for a few days, but I think I'm falling for you."

Time slowed to a standstill, and Heaven was caught in time's grasp. Her heart skipped a beat and a blush made a pink tint bloom on her cheeks. It was when she started to wonder if this was what love felt like. If this was the moment that she would forget the heartbreak she felt from her mother's death; the sorrow she felt with her abusive father; the pain she felt when she saw the red river course down the corner of Taemin's lips. As she stared at Jonghyun's coy smile and the way his lips seemed to be moving closer to hers, she smiled inwardly and answered her question with a simple "Yes".

However, when Jonghyun's lips pressed on Heaven's, she couldn't help but think, "I'm sorry, Taemin."

Up until then, the pair seemed inseparable. When Father had come home and beat Heaven once more, stumbling away to go to yet another bar, the girl would simply smile when she remembered that, oh yes, she had another date - Heaven loved using that word now - with Jonghyun. For once in her life, each corrupt memory vanished with the replacement of a bright and cheerful memory with Jonghyun. Each scar on her arms dissipated with a kiss from Jonghyun. Each tear blended into the wind with another flower from Jonghyun. Each hug, each kiss, each whisper of love banished harmful experiences from her mind, resulting in an even happier Heaven.

However, when the visiting hours at the hospital Taemin resided in opened, Heaven had to go to him.

Guilt followed her as she walked with silent footsteps to Taemin's hospital room. Heaven knew she should be happy that she had found love; happy that someone accepted her for who she was. A freak of nature was finally loved. She just get rid of the weight on her chest and the devil on her right shoulder, whispering to her, taunting her, saying that Jonghyun wasn't right and her perfect man was standing merely two feet away from her.

Heaven decided to ignore the devil, and pushed the door in.

Taemin's eyes were open, for one thing. But the sparkle in his chocolate brown eyes were gone and was replaced with a vacant, distant fog. Expressionless, the pale boy stared up at the bland ceiling with nothing but a neutral facial expression. The variety of snake-like wires increased in number and spilled out onto the linoleum floor that smelled like bleach and death. Hidden amidst the wires was an oxygen tank; a skyscraper poking out of the tiny buildings. Taemin's small belly was moving up and down, but slowly and there were long periods of time in between each breath. Whispers of life were all that was left of Taemin, and Heaven, quite frankly, got scared.

The frail boy's eyes slowly darted in Heaven's direction. A cough, a shallow breath, and a hoarse voice saying, "Heaven.. you're here.."

Despite the circumstances and the smell of death clinging to her raven black hair, Heaven managed a smile and wrote, "I brought your favorite. Ddukbokki."

Taemin made a lame attempt at a smile. "You know.. me so.. well," he whispered.

Silently, Heaven took a chair and pulled it over to Taemin's bedside, wincing at the horrible screech that echoed across the spotless floor. Gently, she reached across the fragile body and pulled the tray table so that it faced him, opening the flimsy plastic bag and let delectable scents float like silent whispers across the small room and get rid of the scent of death. Placing a few pieces of the ddukbokki on a plate, Heaven slid the food towards Taemin and started to eat herself, watching her best friend all the while.

Taemin sat in his bed, silent. With shaking hands he picked up a few pieces of ddukbokki and ate little by little, the rice cakes slowly disappearing through the boy's pale lips. Between bites he started to cough heavily and nearly choked on his ddukbokki, sending the girl into a tunnel of emotions. By the time he had finished one ddukbokki, Heaven had already finished her serving. Memories of Taemin stuffing his face full of the same food and Heaven's giggles as she heard her friend burp hit Heaven square in the heart and it ached, ached, ached.

Noticing the girl's distraught expression, the boy turned towards her, took another painfully slow bite, and smiled a shaky smile. His stomach moved up, pause, and down. Up, pause, down. "S-stop.. worrying.. about me.." His voice came out in raspy whispers. "The food.. is.. delicious.."

Subconsciously, Heaven wrapped her small fingers around his. "I wish I could do more," she wrote.

With one trembling hand, the boy shook two fingers, wrapping his other two fingers around Heaven's with what little strength he had left within him. "You've.. done.. enough.."

A wistful smile graced itself upon Heaven's lips. "Still." Her fingernails tapped against Taemin's. "I want to make the most of what we have left."

Two painful heartbeats of silence. Then, "Come.. lay with.. me.."

Heaven hesitated, but slowly climbed her way next to Taemin, laying in the nest of red, blue, and white wires. They encircled the pair and wrapped around them, electricity coursing its way around them. Softly, the boy gathered Heaven into his arms and buried his nose into her hair. Even though his hospital gown was scratchy against her skin and the oxygen tube was tickling her scalp, the slow beat of his heart and the constant beats of the monitor created a gentle yet sterile vibe that encased the two in a strained romance.

Heaven had never felt so at home.