****

16xx, China

Snow was falling from the skies unto the small and peaceful village located nestling at the bottom of the mountain, covering the landscape with a blanket of coldness. All the villagers were staying indoors due to the coldness of the surroundings, giving the impression that the village was deserted. However, just a fair distance from it, a cozy small house had its door open and two silhouetted could be seen standing on the threshold. They were young and yet, their traits were those of men who had seen more than what life should have shown them if it wasn't so cruel.

The taller one raised his hand to the other's face and gently caressed the pale cheek, wiping out the single tear that escaped from its eyes.

"Go back inside now, or you'll catch a cold." He said with concern.

The younger boy shook his head, catching the hand on this cheek with his own as if to delay his lover's departure, and rested his head on it, eyes closed, enjoying the faint warmth against his cheek.

"I don't want you to leave." He said softly.

"I don't either, but this is the Emperor's order. You know that a war is coming to our borders." The other one replied as he slid his free arm around the boy's waist and pulled him against his armored chest. "I have to leave to protect the country... to protect you." He whispered.

"I need you here. With me." The boy also murmured, letting go of his lover's hand to allow the other to fully embrace his frail body. How he wished to remain like that, indefinitely, within those strong arms where he always felt safe.

"I'll come back."

"Liar."

"I will. I promise."

Both of them knew it was a lie, but it didn't harm them to pretend the contrary. The boy shivered violently and started coughing.

"Here, I told you to hurry inside." The older male said. "You're getting cold."

"You know perfectly well that it isn't this cold that puts me in this state." The boy replied with a sigh before coughing again. The man didn't reply, but pain could be read in his eyes. Yes, he knew. He knew that his young lover was ill, but to no avail, no doctor had been able to cure the illness that was slowly devouring the boy from inside and was irremediably taking him nearer and nearer to that doomed borderline that separated this world from a world where they would never be able to be together anymore.

He tightened his embrace around the boy, running his hand in those soft, silver locks of hair. Their gazes met, their foreheads touched, and their lips closed in a last, passionate and desperate kiss. They took time to taste each other, as if it was the first time they discovered each other. They finally pulled back, breathing out tiny white clouds.

“I’m leaving no. Go back inside.” The man murmured again as he released the boy but grabbed his hand instead. “I don’t want you state to worsen.” It was futile, he knew it, but right now, all he wanted was to speak a bit longer to the one dearest to him.  The boy nodded reluctantly and watched as his lover stepped back, their hands still intertwined; then the grip loosened, finders only brushing before they were separated completely. He watched as the tall silhouette silently went away, fading progressively from his sight.

As his eyes closed, a single tear rolled down his cheek.

He was lying on his futon, coughing. The fits were more and more frequent now, and he was perfectly aware that he wasn't going to last for much longer. The blood that tainted his hand as he removed it from over his mouth was evidence enough. He was going to die soon, with no one by his side.

Winter was over and spring was also reaching its end, and his lover hadn't come back yet. A bitter smile appeared on the boy's lips. It wasn't as if he hadn't expected it; but that didn't help ease the pain in his heart. For months, he had sat every morning in front of the house, hoping to see a familiar figure appear from the horizon. However, his body was too weak for him to move now, and all day long he had to remain in bed. He kept hoping to once again throw himself into those comforting arms and feel their warmth around him, but today, something was telling him it was his last day on this world. And it hurt, more than any illness, to know that he'd never meet the person he had given his heart to again.

He closed his eyes in an attempt at finding sleep, and silently prayed that death would take him away while he was still plunged in the depths of slumber.

“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet,
Regardless of time, place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or tangle,
But it will never break.”

He awoke. Where did that voice come from? It was the middle of the night, who could possibly come at that hour? And those lines... He knew them... They were the same lines that were supposed to be uttered by the Lunar God whenever he wanted to link two people together, for eternity.

He had always thought it was a mere legend, a tale for desperate lovers; but a sudden, soothing feeling seized the boy, filling his being with a serenity he'd never hoped for, and to him, it was as if he had been touched by the hand of the god himself and wrapped in his infinite mercy. The ache in the boy's heart faded.

If he had been blessed by a god, then no matter when, no matter where, no matter how, they would be reunited again. For sure.
A serene expression was displayed on his face as his last breath escaped his pale lips.

Where did that voice come from? It was the middle of the night, who could possibly come at that hour? And those lines... He knew them... They were the same lines that were supposed to be uttered by the Lunar God whenever he wanted to link two people together, for eternity.

He had always thought it was a mere legend, a tale for desperate lovers; but a sudden, soothing feeling seized the boy, filling his being with a serenity he'd never hoped for, and to him, it was as if he had been touched by the hand of the god himself and wrapped in his infinite mercy. The ache in the boy's heart faded.

If he had been blessed by a god, then no matter when, no matter where, no matter how, they would be reunited again. For sure.
A serene expression was displayed on his face as his last breath escaped his pale lips.

*****

2013, Seoul, South Korea

Lay woke up and opened his eyes, only to find them filled with tears that flowed uncontrollably down his cheeks. He sat up on his bed and quickly wiped them off his face, disconcerted as he couldn’t explain why he had been crying. A vague, blurry sensation was tightening hi chest and filling him with overwhelming sadness, though he couldn’t tell its origin. What was that piercing feeling of sorrow that was seizing him for no apparent reason? Maybe it was that dream he just had? What was it about again?

He frowned, unable to remember what he had just been dreaming of, then shook his head. Never mind. It was just a dream. Today was going to be a day like any other day, there would be nothing peculiar.

It was after lunch that he was called by Se Hun to his office. Something about the project proposal he’s been working on for almost a week now.

As he stepped into the room, he noticed that there was another person already standing in front of his Boss’ desk. Lay mentally sighed. Great, now what.

“Ah Yixing, do come in so that I can start the briefing.” Se Hun greeted him. “This is Wu Yifan, Kris for short. He’s from the Advertising Department. He’ll be your new partner for the project that I have assigned you to. Now I expect much from the both of you. That would be all, now you may go back to you offices and continue with your work.”

Lay nodded and went out of the office after Kris went out first.

“Nice to meet you, Kris.” Lay said with a smile, right-hand extended for a hand shake.

“Don’t get too friendly, Idiot.” Kris spat out before continuing to where the elevator was.

“I’m not an idiot! And my name is Lay! Dumb-!” Lay snapped back at the retreating back of Kris, shocked would be an understatement as to what he felt ‘cause he never expected Kris to be mean.

********

After what seemed to be eternity going around the whole department where his partner was, he found his office, and to add up to his frustrations was that he found that the office empty. He was utterly pissed off at his partner for not even giving him his contact number. ‘How am I supposed to talk to him about the project  when I am clueless on as to how to contact that pretty excuse of a person. I only met him two hours ago and he is so getting under my skin.’ He mentally conversed with himself, seeing that saying it out loud would gather suspicion and that he’d be the talk-of-the-week if he does.

And as if on cue, Kris decided to show up with that face. ‘Seriously, can’t he just put on a smile on that face? It would rather suit him and he would look really hot with it. Wait what?! Hot? . Why am I even saying that he’s hot? I’m not gay. . . am I? Oh no no no, I am irrevocably a man. Yes. that’s right’ Lay started mentally talking to himself again.

“You look like a retard standing there with only his thoughts to company himself. What’re you doing in my department?” Kris hissed with a hint of loathing laced in his voice.

“Well duh, you forgot to give me your contact number. How are we supposed to make meetings if we cannot communicate with each other? And you called me the idiot one when in fact you are the one who’s the idiot between the two of us” The smaller guy said with irritation clearly addressed in his tone.

“Did you even care to ask your secretary? ‘Cause I gave mine instructions to get your contact number and leave my contact number to your secretary. Or did you just stormed here after I left you at Se Hun’s office? Talk about stupidity. You really are an idiot.” The taller guy replied with almost a smirk on his lips.

Lay’s embarrassment was evident on his pink-tinted cheeks which is why he dashed outside of the department, to prevent the tall one to see him and to escape further insults that would ensue, and went straight back to his office leaving his secretary shocked at his sudden appearance.

Kris just couldn’t contain the amusement he found watching the smaller guy seek refuge to hide his embarrassment. But he doesn’t like on how he is acting towards the said person. For some reasons, he can’t stand not being with the others presence which makes everything weirder. After all, he’s known as the “Ice Prince” in this millennium.

~TBC~