Someone was humming nearby. It was soft and melodious, putting Jonghyun at peace. Warm wind blew over him, ruffling his clothes, hair and the leaves above him, and the murmur of brook sounded somewhere close. He breathed in deeply and his senses filled with the scent of grass and sweet nectar.

He squinted his eyes open only to immediately close them again, blinded by the bright rays of the sun. He blinked a few times and once he had grown accustomed to the light, he sat up to look around.

He was in a meadow. Trees lined the edge of the small circle of grass he found himself in the middle of, the murmuring brook just out of sight somewhere. The humming stayed consistent and he craned his neck around to find the source but found he was alone. It did not scare him, though. It was as if the knowledge he was safe was imbedded in his very core and he leaned back on his arms, relaxing as he turned his face back to the sun and closed his eyes.

“I brought you water,” said a female voice just beside him and he opened his eyes again, turning his head towards it.

She smiled when their eyes met, her dark, wavy hair flowing with the breeze, and Jonghyun answered with a smile of his own, accepting the crystal glass she handed him. He wasn’t afraid. He knew her. Knew her so well, he could almost say they were the same person.

And they were he realised. The same soul.

“Am I dead?” Jonghyun asked, and for the first time fear poked at his heart. He couldn’t abandon Jinki. He had promised he would come back. That he would make it.

She shook her head.

“No. We came to wish you good fortune,” she answered. Jonghyun glanced around, only then noticing the people making their way into the meadow. Young women and men, girls and boys. “It is high time Poseidon receives what he craves.”

“But how?” Jonghyun asked. A little girl climbed into his lap and he hugged her. “He can’t stay with me.”

She smiled sadly and allowed another little girl to climb into her own lap. Everyone else gathered around them and a few more kids snuggled up to Jonghyun, a boy leaning into his side, another girl resting her head on his shins, her blonde curly hair splayed over them like a blanket and her wide green eyes drinking in his face.

“He cannot,” she said and Jonghyun looked back to her. “You must live, thus he cannot remain in your world.”

“This isn’t helping,” Jonghyun sighed.

She tilted her head.

“He must wait,” she continued. “And you will live. His patience shall reward him.”

“Good things come to those who wait,” Jonghyun muttered and she smiled.

“Yes.” She stood up, relocating the girl in her lap to her hip. The others followed suit. “This life has been quieter than most. You have had an excellent protector.”

Jonghyun frowned.

“Protector?” he asked.

The way she looked at him told him he already knew whom it was.

“Kibum,” he breathed, a lump forming in his throat.

She nodded.

“He may have been unaware,” she explained. "However, he has kept you safe."

Jonghyun wouldn’t be surprised if Kibum had somehow figured it out in the past few weeks.

“He’s gone now, though,” he said and the lump in his throat grew. “He died and was accepted into the realm of gods.”

“His work is done,” was the only thing she offered before she caressed his hair and walked away.

Jonghyun stared after her for a moment. Then he became distracted as all of the others came up to him to pat his shoulder, his cheek, or caress his hair before leaving. He couldn’t find anything to say, but it seemed he didn’t have to since everyone simply gave him warm, fond smiles and then disappeared in-between the trees until he was alone again.

He lay down on the grass with a sigh. If they had any more information for him they would come find him. Although, he had to wonder where he was. It didn’t look like the gardens in the realm of gods, though admittedly, he hadn’t seen all that much of the place. But he couldn’t remember a forest.

He must have fallen asleep at some point because the next time awareness came back to him his head was pillowed on something that moved ever so little. It wasn’t very soft either. His entire body was sore and hurting, which it hadn’t been before, and he wondered if he’d been run over by elephants. He let out a groan, moving a little to test the feel of his limbs.

“Jonghyun?” came a relieved voice and the pillow moved again. “Jonghyun, are you awake?”

He opened his eyes and was suddenly staring right into two seas of amber, the angle of them looking a little askew. He frowned faintly.

“Jinki,” he mumbled and reached up a heavy hand to let his fingertips graze his cheek to make sure, still a little disoriented with a dream he couldn’t remember. The more he tried to focuse on it, the more it slipped out of his grasp.

“Yes,” Jinki breathed, voice choked. He bent down and placed a gentle kiss to Jonghyun's forehead. “You are alive.”

He cradled Jonghyun's head to his chest and kissed his hair and Jonghyun realised his pillow had been Jinki's lap.

“You are alive,” Jinki repeated in a murmur against his hair.

“I’m alive,” Jonghyun confirmed into his shirt, his arms sneaking around Jinki's waist. “I promised.”

An incredulous laugh left Jinki and Jonghyun smiled.

“Thank you for coming back,” he whispered.

Jonghyun took a deep breath, his senses filling with the scent of seas and storms and crisp air. Jinki held him tightly, pressing another kiss to his hair, his forehead, his cheek, and his lips. Jonghyun smiled softly when Jinki pulled back to inspect his face.

“Like what you see?” he joked weakly and Jinki snorted, shaking his head with a fond smile.

Minho appeared behind Jinki, looking over his shoulder at Jonghyun.

“Oh, you survived,” he stated.

Jonghyun raised his eyebrows at him, unimpressed.

“Yes, thank you,” he answered. “I’m glad to see you’re all right, too. It wasn’t like I helped save you or anything.”

Jinki laughed under his breath and helped him sit up. Minho cracked a smile as well.

“Thank you, Jonghyun,” Minho said softly. “For your bravery.”

Jonghyun smiled at him and sat up with difficulty, his body stiff. Jinki helped him, a strong arm around his back.

“I have news,” Minho announced once Jonghyun was comfortable again. “Both happy and sad.”

Swallowing harshly, Jonghyun glanced at Jinki. He looked as if he had already heard the news, judging by the sorrow filling his eyes, drowning out the happy, relieved glow.

“O-okay,” Jonghyun stammered. “What is it?”

“Your friend is fully recovered and you will be allowed to meet him one last time before you leave,” Minho began.

Relief flooded through Jonghyun and he smiled weakly.

“Oh,” he breathed. “Thank you.”

“You must however leave as soon as possible,” Minho continued. “As you are human, you risk being turned into celestial matter the longer you stay in our realm. Being linked to my brother has helped you resist longer than normal, though we are unsure of how much longer you can remain. Which also leads me to my next, and last, piece of news.”

Jinki let out a heavy sigh and Jonghyun's heart sank.

“We have yet to find a way for you and my brother to be with each other. It–”

“Wait,” Jonghyun interrupted him. “Why can’t Jinki just stay on earth with me?”

Minho rubbed his forehead tiredly.

“I am certain you know that being the soulmate of a god means your soul is extremely valuable,” Minho said. “If my brother were to stay with you, it would draw quite a bit of unwanted attention to your existence. The rift is moving, however it does not mean every mythical being moves with it. The stronger remain wherever they like and they are also more dangerous than the ones you have encountered so far.” Minho sighed. “You have been extremely lucky this particular life time. I would hate for it to end the way all your other lives have ended; bloody and brutal.”

Jonghyun shuddered. Jinki grabbed his hand and interlaced their fingers.

“So you’re telling me I’ll have to live on without any of you?” Jonghyun asked quietly, voice shaky.

“Jonghyun, I vow to you I will search every corner of every realm to find a way,” Jinki promised quietly.

Jonghyun glanced at him, trying to not show how he was crumbling inside as it dawned on him he would actually need to say goodbye to Jinki. Something lodged itself in his throat.

“I am sorry I cannot grant you a place here in our realm as I did Kibum,” Minho added. “You have not believed in us until you met us, and the council will not make an exception. I am at risk for a hearing with the elders for what I did with Kibum. If they learn of my deeds there is a great chance there would be less hope for you to ever be with my brother. That is, if this matter is handed to the elders there is a chance you will never see each other again. We have no way of knowing what they will decide, and I would rather not risk it.”

“But…” Jonghyun said in a shrill voice, panic rising in his throat. He turned to Jinki and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him a little. “How do you expect me to live with everything that has happened?! How can I live a normal full life with everything I know?!”

Jinki looked at him with sad but determined eyes.

“I can lock those memories away,” he murmured. “You won’t remember me until we meet again. And I promise we will.”

Jonghyun felt his lower lip tremble and a tear rolled down his cheek. He didn’t want to forget. He wanted to have Jinki with him always, in his heart, to help him through bad times and make him happier when he was down. He looked up at Minho pleadingly, but he just stared back at him somberly. And Jonghyun knew. There was nothing he could do. Minho might be king of their kind, but he still had to abide to laws. He still needed to set an example so he could continue being king and bring order to their realm.

A weak, watery and defeated laugh left Jonghyun and he shook his head. Jinki watched him worriedly while he dried his cheeks.

“O-okay,” he breathed. “Fine.”

A pained sound came from Jinki and he Jonghyun's cheek.

“Jonghyun, you have to know this is not easy for me either,” he whispered.

Jonghyun's smile grew a little.

“I know,” he mumbled.

“I will give you three hours to talk and say goodbye once you return to Jonghyun's house,” Minho said to Jinki. Maybe he wanted to be nice and give them time, but Jonghyun felt worse having a time limit on their last moments. “Then I expect you here, in the library with me for research. We have no time to waste.”

Jinki nodded and stood up, bringing Jonghyun to his feet as well.

“Now, for Kibum,” Minho began and turned but stopped.

Kibum was striding over to them with urgency from behind a few bushes. A surprised, but very, very happy noise left Jonghyun and he threw himself at him. Kibum hugged him tightly and Jonghyun's shirt became damp where Kibum buried his face in his shoulder.

“Jonghyun,” Kibum sniffled into the fabric. “I though you’d never come back.”

Jonghyun pulled back to grin at him.

“You’re one to talk,” he shot back. “How could you just sacrifice yourself like that?!”

Kibum grimaced at him, but smiled gently.

“I wasn’t thinking,” he admitted and Jonghyun snorted. “Besides, you didn’t have to wait for three whole days before knowing I was all right!”

Jonghyun's smile fell.

“Sorry,” he apologised. Then he looked up at Kibum, meeting his eyes. “Are you happy? You’re allowed to live here and be with all the gods and whatnot.”

Kibum's own smile turned forlorn.

“I am,” he assured. “Thank you, Jonghyun. Taemin told me what you did for me.”

Jonghyun shrugged half-heartedly.

“As long as you’re happy,” he murmured. “You know, I think Taemin has a thing for you.”

Kibum laughed heartily.

“Oh, I know,” he smiled and Jonghyun couldn’t help but chuckle as well.

Kibum's gaze shifted behind Jonghyun to Jinki and Minho and his face fell before he hugged him tightly once more.

“You have to go,” he said, sounding close to tears again. “I’ll miss you so much Jonghyun. I promise I’ll check on you every day from here. And I’ll help find a way for you and Jinki.”

Jonghyun hid his face in Kibum's shoulder, willing himself not to cry.

“Thank you, Kibum,” he mumbled. “You’re the best friend I've ever had.”

Kibum smiled through his tears as he pulled back. Jonghyun forced himself to smile back.

A hand pressed to Jonghyun's lower back and he turned his head to see Jinki beside him, smiling sadly at Kibum. Kibum returned it with a wobbly smile and retreated a few steps.

“We’ll meet again,” he promised.

Jonghyun could only nod. He gave Minho a small smile as well and recieved a nod, before turning to Jinki.

“Hold on?” he asked.

Jinki looked as if he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, but nodded, drawing Jonghyun close. Jonghyun gripped him tightly and closed his eyes. Once again, Jonghyun was weightless. Only this time he was falling instead of floating and he found himself touching down gently beside the small pond in his backyard.

“You’ve gotten better at this teleportation thing,” Jonghyun murmured as he pulled out of Jinki's arms.

Jinki smiled at him, gentle but still tinged with so much sadness.

“I try my best for you,” he admitted quietly. “I never want you to be hurt.”

Jonghyun reached up and traced his fingertips across his cheek, across his brow and down his nose to come to a hovering stop by his lips.

“I don’t want you to ever be hurt either,” he replied in a whisper.

Jinki's hands were on his back then, pulling him in and catching his lips in a desperate kiss. A muffled sound of surprise left Jonghyun but he met the kiss passionately, grabbing onto Jinki's arms.

“Jinki,” he mumbled against his lips. “My parents…”

“They are away,” Jinki stopped to whisper, his breath ghosting over Jonghyun's lips, “as is your sister.”

Before Jonghyun could question why or how, Jinki was kissing him again. There was so much love and longing in the kiss Jonghyun's entire body tingled. His knees turned weak and he pulled back with a gasp, pecking Jinki's lips before and grabbing his hand to silently lead him back to the house, up to his bedroom. They fell onto his bed, Jinki landing on top of him. Jonghyun wasted no time and surged up to capture his lips again.

“If I had just stayed away from you this time,” Jinki murmured regretfully and moved his lips to Jonghyun's cheek. “I am so very sorry to have done this to you, Jonghyun. I certainly am a selfish creature.”

“It’s not your fault,” Jonghyun breathed, his head tilting backwards as Jinki's lips travelled to his jaw. “How could you stay away anyway? I’d rather it be this way, than no way at all.”

Their bodies slotted together and for a moment they both stilled at the feel of each other’s arousal, panting and wide-eyed. Then Jinki swallowed harshly and sat back, his hands landing on Jonghyun's thighs, which had been draped across his own sometime during their make out session. He stared at Jonghyun, looking awestruck and uncertain, his thumbs absentmindedly up and down.

“Jonghyun, I–,” he began and stopped to swallow again. “Not once have I reached this far in our previous relationships and, frankly, I am a little worried.”

Jonghyun tried to smile around the tears that gathered in his throat, because, yeah, this would be their first time and it could very well be their last. He reached up and cupped Jinki's cheek. Jinki leaned into the touch, closing his eyes.

“Don’t be,” Jonghyun whispered.

Jinki opened his eyes again to meet his gaze.

“I want you. Even if I won’t remember, I want us to have a first time. Just in case...” he couldn’t finish and Jinki's eyes filled with pain.

“I love you, Jonghyun,” he said. “Always and forever.”

The lump in Jonghyun's throat grew bigger and he used his hand still on Jinki's cheek to guide him back down. He let out a soft sigh as Jinki pressed closer, connecting their lips again.

“I don’t want you to leave me,” he couldn’t help but whisper when Jinki's mouth began to travel again, his voice sounding sorrowful and small.

“I know,” Jinki murmured against the skin of his collarbone.

“Please stay.”

A tear ran down his temple and Jinki moved up to kiss it away, not answering him but instead gently up his stomach underneath his shirt, shooting electric tingles through his nerves.

Jonghyun didn’t know how – and he couldn’t care less – but soon clothes were lost. Soft gasps and breaths filled the otherwise quiet air, thighs trembling, fingers dancing, caressing, pressing into soft skin, mouths connecting, trailing along necks, collarbones, chests, mouthing words of love and affection. Bodies moved together tenrerly, insistently, urgently, breaths stuttered. Jonghyun's small sobs of ‘please stay’ accompanied Jinki's comforting murmurs, repeated like a broken record.

“I love you, Jinki,” Jonghyun gasped breathlessly as the speed of their movements picked up, his tears running faster. Jinki smiled sorrowfully, his hands softly caressing up Jonghyun's waist. “I really do."

“And I love you,” he whispered back, brushing their lips together. “Endlessly.”

Jonghyun felt his heart swell as he not only heard the words but saw the truth of them radiating from Jinki's eyes when he pulled back to look at him, in his bittersweet smile, feeling it in his touch as Jinki dried his wet cheeks tenderly, in how Jinki held him close when he finally unravelled, he himself not far behind, and how his fingers pulled through his hair as he unwillingly fell asleep.

When Jonghyun woke up again it was bright outside. He stretched with a yawn, his body feeling a little sore. It took him a moment to realise he was alone in his bed and he shot up, whipping his head around, claws of panic tightening around his insides.

He could still remember everything, was the first thought that ran through his head. He remembered the first time he met Jinki, the way his eyes resembled the sea and his smile radiated love. He remembered the lines of pain and fear on his face, their first kiss, his first confession, and most of all he still remembered last night.

It was as if a taut string broke inside him, his chest flaring up with pain, and he curled into a ball to keep his guts from spilling out.

He was supposed to forget, he thought and pressed his forehead to his knees, his panic increasing. Jinki had promised him he would forget so he wouldn’t hurt.

The bedroom door creaked open and Jonghyun looked up. A gasp of relief escaped him as Jinki entered, balancing a tray of food. Jinki's face immediately turned worried and he put the tray down on Jonghyun's desk, taking two quick strides across the room and gathering him in his arms.

“I thought you had left,” Jonghyun said in a trembling voice, pressing his face into the crook of his neck.

Jinki's arms tightened and he swallowed harshly.

“I apologise. I wished to make you a meal,” he murmured and Jonghyun let out a weak laugh. “I would never leave without saying farewell.”

“Good, ‘cause I would have kicked your when we meet again if you did,” Jonghyun said.

Jinki chuckled and pulled back to press a kiss to his lips. Jonghyun leaned into him; savouring what little time they had left. He lay back down, pulling Jinki with him. He followed willingly, happily deepening the kiss. Then he sighed and pulled back much too soon, pressing their foreheads together. His hands came up to cup Jonghyun's face, thumbs running across his cheekbones.

“I have stayed much longer than my brother allowed,” he said, voice shaky. He sighed again. “This is the most difficult thing I have had to do in my entire existence.”

Jonghyun reached up and gripped Jinki's wrists, his own thumbs caressing the back of Jinki's hands. Jinki took a shuddering breath, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Jonghyun,” he said softly. “I will kiss you one last time. Then you will sleep and when you wake up, you will eat the meal on your table and your family will be back, you will not remember me, and you will live your life to the fullest. After, when your life cycle has had its chance to run its course, we will meet again.”

Jonghyun knew it was still highly uncertain if they would actually ever meet again, but he bit his lip and nodded, hating the tears that escaped down his cheeks.

“Okay,” he whispered.

Jinki opened his eyes to meet his, taking several deep breaths as if to steel himself for what he was about to do.

“I love you.”

Jonghyun had to swallow a few times before he could speak through the tears in his throat.

“And I love you.”

Then Jinki leaned in and let their lips meet one last time. The kiss was entirely too short, though Jonghyun knew they had prolonged it as much as they could without breathing. His heart beat painfully fast when they broke apart. He wasn’t at all prepared for this, but he had no way of stopping it. He was paralyzed as Jinki put his hand to his forehead.

And then everything fell away. The last thing Jonghyun was aware of was Jinki's whisper of goodbye before it all went black and he lost consciousness.

A/N: Don't hate me too much ;__; I felt so bad writing this, and I'm sorry for all the angst when I haven't posted a new chapter in so long. As I have promised time and again, everything will work out. Please just be patient with me.

This is entirely un-edited, but I hope it wasn't too badly written!

I love all of you people sticking with this story! I'm not lying when I say your support is what makes me write. And I'm sorry again for making it so sad!

Bye~!