Finally after 30 days, a season Lee Joe had waited for so long arrived. The trees were a color of brown and red, tainting the streets with beautiful earthy color foliage. It was the first week of fall and the streets were filled with couples, lovers relishing its beauty. Lee Joe was walking alone, wrapped in his warm, comfy jacket as he strolled around the streets and headed to Gwangjingyo where there were endless trees along the river.

A river that had almost taken away his life.

After a few long minutes of brisk walking, he made it to the bridge where the leaves were tainted with profound, beautiful colors of fall. The young man slowed down and inhaled deep, feeling the chilly air pouring down his chest as he let go of his jacket. The air was just as cold but the atmosphere, the environment was so breath-taking it was enough to make him feel warm inside. There were still a lot of people passing him by, holding hands with their beloved ones and enjoying the romantic scenery. Lee Joe stared at them and slightly, a gentle smile appeared on his fair looking face. They were so happy.

Then, amongst all the people, he saw someone. A person all alone, was leaning against the dying tree trunk with his face entirely bright and blissful.  His hair danced along the breeze, showing their colorful shades while his eyelashes fluttered at the gust of cold air.

Lee Joe’s face bright up as a big, grateful grin was painted on his face once more. He knew exactly who that stranger was, all alone and happy by himself. The young man quickened his pace as he dashed towards the latter, with his eyes still crescent from the grin. “Autumn.” He called as the latter looked up and smiled in response. Autumn looked just as pleased as he watches Lee Joe coming closer and closer. “My boy, Lee Joe… You made it.”

Autumn laughed as he opened his arms and pulled the smaller latter into a warm, tight embrace. Lee Joe choked faintly at the touch but then after a few seconds, his arms were gripping the cottony fibers of Autumn’s knitted sweater, pulling the taller slightly closer. Autumn smelled like the trees, warm and woody as well as comforting. “Here we are again, I’m very happy to see you. You’re early.” Autumn spoke through Lee’s thick, wool jacket making his voice tremble and muffled.

Lee Joe giggled as he released the taller and looked right into those gem-like eyes. “Yeah, I took some day off. Actually, I’m free all ‘Autumn’.” He teased.

≈

 It was Monday and the bridge was not filled with people anymore, instead just a few families passing through. Lee Joe took another deep breath, trembling slightly as he exhaled and braced the colder weather. In his two hands were cups of hot lattes, ready to be shared with someone very special, he thought. Though his cheeks were burning red from the cold, when he saw Autumn, the young man couldn’t help but to smile.

“13 years and you still glimmer under the sun, it was so easy to find you Autumn.” He spoke as he kicked the leaves lightly onto the taller’s face, waking the latter up. But Lee Joe was not joking around, Autumn lit up beautifully under the sunny lights as his glossy, colorful hair danced the moment he woke up. “And you grew up into a heartbreaker; I wonder how many girls cried overnight because of you.” The latter retorted, scooting away to give the smaller a place to sit.

“Haha yeah, I might just beat you, you know.” Lee Joe giggled as he sat beside Autumn, sipping the steaming hot latte as his eyes wondered.

The taller smirked as he placed the cup down and stared at the young man, somewhat taken into a trance at Lee Joe’s good looks. The child he saved grew up beautifully, it was such a relief; he whispered. “Don’t you have trees to kill Au?” the smaller asked, calling him by a name only they both knew. Lee Joe had always figured that Autumn was such a tiring, long name. “Hmm I’m done for the year. I’m getting old I guess and not to mention, saving you took quiet a lot of strength.”

“Really? Then why you did it Au, you never really told me before.” He asked, looking back into Autumn’s glistening hazel eyes.

“When I was eleven years old, that day… I was supposed to be dead, why did you keep me in that state? What made you think I was worth saving when really, that time was the time for me to die?” he asked more while his eyes got darker and rather threatening. Autumn sighed and picked up dead leaf, holding it between his fingers as he took a moment. “Because you had hopes in your eyes, you were dying and usually when that happens, we let go.”

“We let go of our desires, we let go of our dreams and accept our end. But I saw that little glimmer in your eyes and I heard your pleas.”

“Save me, you said. So I did.”

Autumn explained calmly, rolling the stem of the leaf between his thumb and forefinger as it miraculously changed color. It was transforming into a shade of light, opaque green. It was alive. Autumn gave it life. “So, because you heard me begging, you messed with death. Because you’re a god? Is that why?” the stern, sharper tone managed to hinder Autumn’s calm expression as his fingers paused. With a labored sigh, the taller looked right into Lee Joe’s dark brown eyes, taking a short breath before he started talking. “Because some things Lee, they are worth saving for, worth messing for. I’d save you all over again if that is what you’re asking.”

Lee Joe could feel his heart sinking as he listened to those words. Autumn has no idea how pained he was inside, how his heart was yearning for more and more of the god. Autumn was a being that had saved him from death when he was child, a being that had become his closest friend and companion. “You make it sound so simple Autumn. You think you know humans and their hearts because you always tried to help us, but you have no idea do you?”

“I’m going home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”