They were sitting on a bench, watching the leaves dancing around with the god’s command. Lee Joe laughed as Autumn made them into a shape of a dancing tap-dancer, tapping and floating in the air as it twirled. Autumn was so immersed, so serious in making them look hilarious, he didn’t realized that Lee Joe was staring at him so lovingly and so desperately that the latter even shed a few tears. Wiping them immediately, Lee Joe continued laughing, faking a wide grin as he stared at Autumn’s creation.

Suddenly, an old man came and sat exactly where Autumn was. It made Lee Joe choke on his own breath as he watched Autumn disappear into nothing the moment the old man came. There were no warnings, no goodbye and not even a trace. It broke Lee Joe completely, knowing that the one he was desperately, so crazily in love with something that did not belong to his reality. It was fated that Autumn could never be close enough, never true enough for him to touch.

“It’s okay. We’re going to be just fine.” The blonde young man whispered as he clutched his chest and held onto the bench, keeping in all the pain inside. “I’ll see him, I always do.” He convinced himself like every other time it happened, where people just walked through Autumn like thin air or called him crazy for looking like he was talking alone. “Hey man, you all right? You look seriously pale!” the old man exclaimed, holding Lee Joe shoulders as the young latter slowly fell onto his lap. “Hey kid?!”

“I always do.”

≈

“Wake up… Lee… wake up.” Lee Joe could see a bright light across all the darkness surrounding him, engulfing him in the hollow spaces and making him tremble. While the voice kept getting louder, embracing him in way as he watched the white lights getting closer. “Autumn.” He barely murmured as he held out his hand to the red headed latter’s face, gently cupping his face. “It’s okay. I see you.” His frail voice somehow reached Autumn’s ear as the latter helped him sit up again, leaning against a very familiar tree.

“Uhh… it’s this tree. A tree that never dies, a tree you always save. Huh, I could hear it comforting me Au, I know how it felt now. To hold them and listen to their stories. What a strong tree…” Lee Joe breathed as his labored words stutter and stammered. “Lee, what are you saying really? You’re worrying me.” Autumn cried as he caressed the smaller’s face, looking deep into the smaller’s eyes.

“I’m dying.”

“I’m dying Au, I really am. I have a sickness that they can’t cure. They can’t mend me anymore. They… “ Lee Joe broke out into tears as his face crumpled into an agonizing expression, burying it deep on Autumn’s fuzzy knitted sweater. Autumn’s study, strong body tremored as Lee’s word vibrated along his veins. He felt, for once, a pain beyond words. He felt crushed. “Wha..what?” He asked, still desperately holding onto his disbelief. Lee Joe sniffed and wiped the wetness around his face and sat up again, this time much more in control. “I have problems with my lungs, they are weak and vain and they are failing every day. I don’t have much time. They say, I… have at least until this season is over. When winter comes, they can’t medicate me anymore and I’ll die.” He explained, looking cold and emotionless as he looked up the darkened skies, filled with stars and clouds. A tear fell down from the god’s eyes as somehow; the air was betraying him instead. The moment that drop of sadness fell onto the ground, every trace of surviving plants died of color and turned brown.

Nothing survived as the spot they sat on died the moment another drop fell down to the ground. There was no more color.

“Lee… I’ll save you. Again. It’s been a decade, I’m stronger now! I can do it!” Autumn held onto the smaller’s shoulder and turned the latter around so that he could look into Lee Joe’s eyes, giving them hope again. Lee Joe smiled gently, as he wraps his hands around Autumn’s waist and pulled the latter into an embrace. “No. Once is enough. Don’t waste your ability on me anymore, save someone else. Save the trees, it’s okay.” Lee Joe hushed as he rubbed Autumn’s back, telling the god that everything was fine. “No, no its not. I forgot Lee, how it was to be unseen. Your company had healed me of all the loneliness; I don’t want to feel them again.” Autumn sobbed as tears kept falling from his eyes while he pulled Lee Joe tighter and pulling him so close that they could feel the rise and fall of their own chests. “You can’t keep saving me, I’m just human. I’ll die somehow. Be it the time or this sickness, I will go anyway.” Lee Joe comforted the taller with his words, resting his lips on Autumn’s warm, protective shoulders. “But I do have a request.” Lee Joe asked as he lets go and looked into Autumn’s eyes, wiping the tears away as well.

“Anything.” Autumn smiled, finally after so many tears. His eyes however were still drowning in tears.

“Every year, the only time I waited for was for fall season. Because then, I could see you again. Under these red tainted trees, you would wait for me to come and visit.” Lee Joe spoke as he let go and scooted a bit further. His hands were roaming the ground as he smiled and continued, “You asked me once. Why do I keep coming back?” he smiled wider, “I said because you’re my friend, you saved me… Well, I lied.”

“At least for the past five years... I fell in love.”

Autumn stood straight, somewhat surprised and confused. He looked at Lee Joe, searching for the latter’s eyes, who was staring at the ground, playing with fallen leaves. Lee Joe finally looked up and as he did, their eyes met. “I fell in love with you Au. It’s so wrong… but it felt so, so right. I just, I couldn’t stop myself. All I do is think about you.”

“When they told me that I was dying, the first thing that crossed my mind was how thankful I am to be given time to see you one last time. I’m dying Au, but I don’t mind because this time you’ll be with me.”

“Won’t you?” Lee Joe looked carefully into Autumn’s eyes as he prayed for a reply, quietly waiting. “You love me?” Autumn asked as his eyes wandered, looking everywhere else. Tears were b along his lashes but he kept silent, asking again and taking a deep breath. “Yes, Autumn. I love you.” Lee Joe repeated. They were on their feet, standing beside the tree, as the smaller stared at Autumn’s back. “I don’t know what to say Lee. I really don’t.”

“It’s okay. I’ll still come back tomorrow.”