There’s gunfire everywhere. The anti-government faction against the government. Luhan is one of the guerrillas that were on move.

Luhan ought to kill the soldier but then he saw in the man’s eyes that he too doesn’t want the war; he too was just a victim, or maybe it’s the tears on the man’s eyes while he’s holding his gun, pointing in Tao’s head conflicted in pulling the trigger. Or maybe it’s the man himself.

He shot the soldier on his leg and shoulder before other guerrillas can shot him in anywhere vital.

That night, he brought the wounded soldier in the healer’s hut without other guerrilla noticing. The soldier was in daze; he was pale and convulsing, not noticing anything from his surroundings. Because Yixing, the doctor, was busy aiding other wounded guerillas, he took the initiative to clean the soldier. He laid the soldier on one of the bed and took off his uniform, slowly, carefully. The soldier's breath hitched and his other hand jerked to hold Luhan when he accidentally touched the wound in the soldier’s shoulder.

The soldier was crying, ‘It hurts…’ he pleaded luhan to stop.

 ‘ Shhh… It will be alright… please endure a little longer’ Luhan said in mild, comforting voice. The soldier nods but continue to sob. The guerrilla place the soldier’s face on the crook of his neck to refrain the soldier from seeing his own wounds. But when he needed to remove the clothing from the wounded side, the soldier, in pain and in vain, bites the guerrilla’s shoulder to refrain himself from screaming. Then the soldier loses consciousness.  

When the Minseok woke up, he’s clad in bandage and he was extremely thirsty.

"w-water" he said in weak voice. He tried to stand but is impossible, everything hurts.

"Oh, you’re awake!" said a man that has blood stains in its white lab gown. He assumes that it’s the doctor.

"w-water" he repeated.

Then the doctor immediately gave him a glass of water and helped him to drink.

‘where am i?... who are you’ he asked.

‘well, you can call me Lay, I’m a doctor, and you’re in our base… the anti-government faction’ said Lay.

His throat becomes dry. He is in the enemy’s base and he is not dead, which means he will be tortured for information but then, the doctor is healing him. The Doctor must be aware of his fear so he started explaining.

“Don’t worry, no one knows that a state soldier is in here and being healed. Luhan made sure that you were hidden and safe. Oh! by Luhan, he’s the one who brought you here, cleaned you and guard you the whole three days you were asleep and calms you down when you’re having nightmares... Funny how everyone’s shooting with their bullets and guns and there’s cupid shooting Luhan.” The doctor then revealed his dimples when he smiled.

‘Who’s Luhan?’ he asked.

The doctor pointed down. He followed where the doctor was pointing to find a man, sleeping on the floor, disheveled and tired and still manage to look beautiful.

Maybe he stared too long so the Doctor decided to wake him.

“yeah… that cupid is surely a badass strolling during war bringing nothing but bow and arrow. ..I need to apply antiseptic on your wounds but I guess Luhan would like to do that. So… LLUUHAAN!” the doctor shouted.

The sleeping man jolted up finding that the soldier is now awake. They just stared at each other for a while then the doctor gives Luhan the antiseptic together with the ointments and gauze before leaving the hut.

 “I um… I will be changing your bandage now. Please stay put.”

“Okay”

The guerrilla cut the tie of the bandage at the shoulder, breathing close to the soldier’s body. They’re exchanging heat, exchanging glances.

‘what does XM-39026 stands for?” the guerrilla asked suddenly “Sorry, I um… I don’t know your name and I saw that on your dogtag… I just want to… um” he stuttered.

“Xiumin, you can call me Xiumin.” The soldier smiled.

“Xiumin” the Luhan return the smile.

When Xiumin was healing, Luhan was always on his side leaving only when needed and maybe during the attacks.

Xiumin don’t know what is it that bugging him whenever Luhan leaves, but he’s clearly nervous, afraid, confuse… of what?

He talked to Lay but the doctor only said ‘discovering love in time of war is like having hope for the better but knowing that everything will only turn worse.’

There are nights when both he and Luhan stayed awake to talk about why daisies are better than lilies. Why are there different factions, why there is war.

They always talk in hush, whispering in cold air.

When Xiumin was able to walk and move freely, he decided to make himself useful by helping Lay prepare herbs. He can’t do more because he can’t walk outside the hut.

But then one day, Luhan came back running, dripping with blood. He was wounded on his shoulder and leg, the same wound Xiumin had.

Xiumin immediately run to him, asking why. Luhan said that the government faction discovered the hide out and now raiding the base, and that Xiumin must wore his soldier’s uniform.

Luhan was clearly in panic because Xiumin was not doing what he said.

Then Xiumin asked “Will you be able to run now you’re wounded? Will I ever see you again?”

Luhan, even with his wound, walk towards Xiumin, touched his face, said his name.

“Xiumin… You will meet me again, when the time is right, when everything’s over, and you still want to see me. “ he said.

Xiumin cupped Luhan’s face and kissed him. He  whispered,

“The time will come when I will call you by your name and you will call me mine… not Xiumin but Minseok, Kim Minseok, not the name our faction gave us to protect our identity. When the war is not ours, you will see me again. I love you…”

Then Xiumin hit Luhan on the head, just enough to make him unconscious. He aided Luhan’s wounds, dressed him in the same soldier’s uniform he once wear, and put the dogtag XM-39026 around Luhan’s neck.

He put him on the chair, tied him to appear that he was tortured. Xiumin wrote something on the gauze wrapped around his wound, cut it and tied it to Luhan’s ankle.

He kissed Luhan again, said his name. "Thank you, Luhan. I love you"

He picked Luhan’s gun and go for the run where the crossfire was happening.

‘We’ll see each other again so live, my love.’

__________.

again.