Another month flew by Mingyu and he didn't know what Wonwoo looked like in the present. He debated for a couple of days whether or not he should go see him, and after another guilty encounter with Seokmin, he decided it would be for the best if he at least gave him a greeting.

When Mingyu first stepped in, Wonwoo didn't notice him, too engrossed in a book that sat in his lap.

Mingyu's heart constricted at the sight of him, he looked like he did when Mingyu had first met him. Wonwoo looked serene, eyes holding a sense of mystery behind them and his hair forever tousled on top of his head. He flipped a page, adjusting his glasses in the same way Mingyu had memorized.

He looked good, Mingyu admitted. Maybe he was getting better, he couldn't be sure.

Mingyu cleared his throat to alert Wonwoo that he was there, and the older looked up, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose.

He did look better than he did before, but something about the way Wonwoo looked at Mingyu made him feel unsettled. Something was missing, this image wasn't right. He had seen this so many times in the first months they had known each other. He would come in, but Wonwoo would have this glint in his eyes that told Mingyu he was saying something. Now, he couldn't find that anywhere.

"Hi," Mingyu said in a casual tone, walking over to sit in the chair next to Wonwoo's bed.

"Hi to you too," Wonwoo replied. Mingyu realized that his voice was different too.

After a second of silence, Wonwoo turned his head back to his book, eyes skimming over words as he flipped a page. Mingyu recalled times when he would sit, just like he was then, and watch as Wonwoo would work. Then, Wonwoo would look up at him, kick him or punch him and tell him to leave him alone before he would smile and go back to work.

Wonwoo didn't look up at him, or kick him or punch him or smile. He just read.

Mingyu looked out the window, seeing the scenery he knew by heart. He pinpointed plants and trees and objects he had never seen before. He found their rock easily, snow piled around the bottom of it, hiding whatever might bloom there in the spring.

Mingyu realized that he had stopped looking out for the garden ever since Wonwoo relapsed, and he didn't even know if things still looked the same. In the snow, he could note no big changes, but he did find that the apple tree had grown larger. Everything else was hidden, blanketed in a thin layer of cold, white dust. A breeze flew by, disturbing the stillness of the scenery and Mingyu felt that he missed the garden.

Maybe he could visit it once the snow melted; maybe he could visit it with Wonwoo if he was feeling good enough. He wasn't sure, at that point, if Wonwoo would even agree to it anymore.

Mingyu thought about Wonwoo, and concluded that the latter seemed to be doing good. Mingyu was afraid of how Wonwoo was holding up ever since Mingyu had basically left him, but the older seemed to be just fine. Mingyu thought that they were both doing pretty good.

He turned back, thinking that he should make polite conversation but stopped short when he saw that Wonwoo's glasses were stained with tears, and the pages of the book were wet. A shiver ran down Mingyu's spine as he took in the scene before him.

Wonwoo looked tragically beautiful and Mingyu started longing for something.

Mingyu reached out for him but pulled his hand back before he could get there. "Hey, Wonwoo, are you okay?"

He was becoming nervous, was he hurt? What was wrong with him, now? He had no clue about his current situation.

Wonwoo nodded silently before he sniffed. "Sad scene... You know me."

Mingyu nodded and sighed in relief. "Oh, good."

If he had actually bothered to look closer, to let himself care, Mingyu might have noticed the telltale signs that Wonwoo was lying. If Mingyu wasn't so afraid he would have realized that Wonwoo was crying about an entirely different story.

Wonwoo swallowed and a small sob escaped his lips as he pushed his fingers behind his glasses to wipe his tears. "Could you... Leave me alone for now?"

His voice was wavering, and it cracked a little. Mingyu wondered what could have happened for him to be crying that much.

"Uh, sure."

He stood, almost a little too fast and made for the door.

Wonwoo muttered something right before Mingyu left, and all he could catch was "... a happy ending."

Mingyu brushed it off, assuming he was probably muttering to himself about the book. He knew Wonwoo, and he knew that Wonwoo did that often.

He also knew that Wonwoo was a fast reader, and he hadn't flipped the page in the ten minutes that he was in there.

He also brushed that off.




--


 

No more than half an hour had passed since Mingyu came back from Wonwoo's room did Seokmin break the silence of his office by slamming the door open, coming in unannounced.

The gardener looked livid, his hands clenched into fists and his footsteps heavy. He stood there for a second looking at Mingyu as if he didn't even know him anymore.

"What did you do, this time, Mingyu?" He asked, his voice quiet but dripping with hostility. Mingyu was taken aback by his tone of voice, having never heard Seokmin so angry.

Mingyu turned away from his computer, pushing his chair away from his desk so he could stand. The sound of the wheels on the hardwood floor scratched in the uncomfortable air. Mingyu could feel that the atmosphere was becoming tense and he stood cautiously, wondering what it was that Seokmin was so worked up about.

"What do you mean, Seokmin?" Mingyu said, trying his best to sound sincere because he knew it was probably about Wonwoo, but he was unsure of what he actually did.

"Mingyu, just stop." Seokmin was closing his eyes, and he pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache. "Why haven't you noticed a ing thing about what you're doing to Wonwoo when you supposedly know all there is to know about human nature?"

Mingyu was struck speechless. For one thing, it was the first time he had heard Seokmin swear, and for another, what did Seokmin know about what Mingyu was doing?

"Seokmin I-"

"Before you start saying bull about not being able to help, or making things worse, listen to me. Pretend I'm your patient or whatever and just listen to what I say, okay?"

Seokmin was staring him down from across the room, his eyes daring Mingyu to talk back. So Mingyu gave a silent nod and waited for Seokmin to tell him what he wanted to say.

"I don't know when you started thinking it was okay to leave Wonwoo alone, because it's not, Mingyu. He's got cancer, and he can die whenever and you decide to let him live with that by himself?" Seokmin shook his head, sighing as he walked closer. "I don't know when you got so stupid. You're always justifying what you do with 'I can't help', 'I'm useless' or 'I'm making things worse', but when have any of these been true? I haven't seen a single time where you didn't help Wonwoo by just being there. I thought you knew better than anyone that dying patients need someone with them." Seokmin scoffed. "Hell, I'm just a gardener and I know this. I know that Wonwoo was happy with you, and I know he looks awful without you. I wish he didn't have to depend on an like you, but he does and I get why. I used to depend on you, too Mingyu." Seokmin's expression softened in the slightest, and Mingyu saw the sincerity in his friend's words. "You've changed quite a bit in the past four months and I can't help but feel it was for the worse. You're not only affecting Wonwoo, you look like you've been touched by death itself."

Mingyu found that statement strange. He hadn't found that he had been affected that much, in fact, he thought he was looking better. He felt better than when he had spent sleepless nights worrying over Wonwoo or when he would spend most of his time thinking about how Wonwoo must've been feeling or when he would drop everything if Wonwoo needed him too. Seokmin was wrong, he wasn't worse, he was definitely better. Mingyu wanted Seokmin to leave if all the gardener was trying to do was pull him back into that state of depression he was in.

"No, Seokmin. I'm doing fine."

"Mingyu!" Seokmin shouted before he realized he had raised his voice. He took a breath and continued more calmly. "If you're going to lie to yourself and say you're just dandy, go ahead but you can't continue subjecting Wonwoo to this abuse. He's been crying ever since you got to his room, Mingyu and he keeps telling me I can't tell you because he's worried he might bother you. Do you see how screwed up that is? He's the one who's in pain and he's worried about you? That selflessness was something that you used to have and now you've completely lost it by screwing with someone who honestly deserves the world."

Mingyu sighed angrily. "Why don't you give him what he deserves then? You obviously care so much about him, so why don't you do something about it? I don't want anything to do with this anymore!"

"But I can't, Mingyu."

"Exactly!" Mingyu shouted, his voice reverberating against the four-walled room. "That is exactly how I feel, so why can't you just accept that I can't do anything and just help Wonwoo yourself? I don't want him to be hurt either but what better will it be if I'm there? I know I'm being an and if I decide to push my negative feelings on him, how will that make him feel? ing awful, Seokmin." Mingyu turned away, turning his attention to his window instead. "All I'll do is make Wonwoo blame himself and I'll hurt us both in the process so you should do something for him instead."

"I said I can't because I'm not you."

Mingyu had to hold in a breath.

"I've really tried, but Wonwoo isn't the same around me. He's trying his hardest but he really does need you, Mingyu."

Mingyu breathed out slowly, willing the onslaught of locked away emotions to stop.

"He doesn't need me, he's fine."

Seokmin made frustrated noises that really meant nothing and Mingyu could hear him shuffling around the room.

"I'm done with you, Mingyu. I. Am. So done." Seokmin's voice was angry again and Mingyu heard his footsteps retreat towards the door. There was a pause where nothing happened and the air stilled. Seokmin disturbed it, trying for one last question.

"Mingyu, have you ever thought that you guys need each other?" Seokmin's voice was loud and clear but it sounded unsure. "Because while he's literally dying without you, your heart has withered away to nothing."

Mingyu didn't answer.

Seokmin sighed again.

"Fine. Goodbye, Mingyu. It was a nice talk."

The door opened silently, but slammed shut, shaking the picture frames on the walls.

Seokmin shook Mingyu, but it wasn't enough for him to budge. He only needed one more push and he knew he would've given in.

Mingyu wasn't sure whether or not he was happy that he hadn't changed his mind. 


--

 

When night fell over the busy city of Seoul, Mingyu felt like he was the only one who was still awake. His office was deafly silent and his eyes could barely see through the thick blanket of darkness. He had been working all day, but when everyone had packed up and left, he couldn't get himself to leave his room.

He was disturbed by how quiet things were and for a fleeting moment he wondered if he had somehow died. Surprisingly, he wasn't disturbed by the thought. If he was dying, everything would have been simple and he would go immediately to see Wonwoo.

Mingyu looked at the faded stars, moving on from his morbid thoughts.

They used to shine so brightly when they sat as a crown on Wonwoo's dark hair, but now they were just small dots on a backdrop of black. It might have been due to the fact that his window was fogged, but Mingyu's mindset was too upset to make that connection.

Mingyu jumped out of his seat when a knock sounded at his door, and he stared out at it, seeing a face peeking in from the window built in next to it.

The nighttime janitor was staring at him, saying something he couldn't hear.

Mingyu gathered his things, heaving a heavy sigh. He answered the door politely and asked what it was that the man wanted.

"Aren't you going home?"

Mingyu nodded. "Yeah, just caught up with some stuff."

The janitor gave him a once-over, for some reason completely unknown to Mingyu before he swiped his mop around the latter.

"Ah, okay see you tomorrow, sir," he said before moving along, back towards his packed cart. Mingyu watched his retreating back, thinking vaguely that it looked lonely.

He left the janitor, finding his way around the halls to wherever. Mingyu didn't want to go back to his place, for the reason that there was simply too much Wonwoo there. He didn't have any friends who he could spend time with, either. Chanyeol and Baekhyun were out of the city while the rest of them had left him -- for obvious reasons.

He roamed the floor that he was on for a long time, not particularly thinking of anything. Mingyu focused on the empty sound of his footsteps instead, wondering where they would take him if he just let them be. There was a specific place he wanted and did not want to be at the same time. He wondered if his feet would take him there.

He stopped by a wide window that opened up the sight of the Emergency entrance. Doctors, nurses and patients were pacing around busily, all of them caught up in their own crises. Mingyu suddenly longed to be busy so he kept going, moving down into a darker part of the wing.

As he stepped on, the cold air from the empty halls settled into him and although he only had his thin, white coat on, he didn't really notice it.

Mingyu watched his feet plod down on the dull, grey floors and before he knew it he had gotten on the elevator, climbed through skywalks, passed through waiting rooms until he found himself in front of Wonwoo's door. He felt half-surprised but some part of him knew that he had just wanted to get there.

He didn't think, letting his hand open the door before he could hesitate. It slid open silently, opening up to him a dark room. When the door had been closed he hadn't heard anything but now he heard breathing that was too burdened to be normal and a voice that sounded like sobbing.

Mingyu knew it was Wonwoo and the fact that it was made him quicken his steps, old habits coming back to him. Once he saw the bed coated in pale moonlight he did nothing.

Wonwoo was sat up, head tilted against the wall with his mouth being bitten closed. Tears skimmed down his cheeks, barely noticeable until they caught light. The drops fell onto a familiar fleece scarf that matched the one in Mingyu's hands.

Mingyu had stopped-- just for a second-- to properly look at Wonwoo. He hadn't done that in a while, to just look at him without assessing for damage or possible outcomes. Mingyu didn't know why, but he felt that he had to do it then; that he owed it to Wonwoo.

When a choked sob fell past his clamped lips, Mingyu was moving again.

Mingyu remembered what Seokmin had told him earlier that day. Wonwoo was crying because of him, and maybe seeing it for himself was the last push he needed.

He dropped himself onto the bed, next to Wonwoo's waist and pulled in the latter for a hug. He did it on impulse, he had already stopped thinking long before he had even entered the room and it made it easier for him.

The older didn't seem to be thinking either because he held on to Mingyu as if he were his last lifeline and let everything out. He cried, attempting to say things in between but they both knew that none of it made sense.

Mingyu felt the cold that had settled in him from wandering empty halls dissipate the longer he sat with Wonwoo in his arms. It was replaced by the warmth that could only be given by someone else. The frozen view outside their window would melt away if it were between them, Mingyu thought.

Wonwoo's stuttered breathing slowed to a calm, steady tempo and eventually the crying had turned into hiccups occurring at random times with a strange silence stretching in between each one.

When Wonwoo finally began to calm down, Mingyu began questioning what he was doing.

Mingyu had not wanted to be there for the past month and just within minutes he had taken himself there without a second thought.

He looked down at Wonwoo who was still cradled into him, still a hiccuping mess, and wondered why it was that Wonwoo always managed to control him. Wonwoo had had that power over him since the first time they met and Mingyu was being pulled back into it after being away for so long.

Just as Mingyu was about to lean away, Wonwoo took in a huge breath and muttered two words, "Thank you," he said before another breath and three more words. "and I'm sorry."

His voice was hoarse but still the deep tone Mingyu had nearly allowed himself to forget. Mingyu didn't know how to reply because he thought he knew what Wonwoo was apologizing for, but he couldn't be one hundred percent sure.

"I know I've put you through a lot... Giving you a false happiness and then replacing it with nothing but worry and hurt," Wonwoo said as he leaned away by himself, settling himself so he would look into Mingyu's eyes. He reached for the latter's hands and held them gently as if they were made of delicate china.

Mingyu's heart was being crushed. A wave of guilt crashed onto him, followed by one of sadness, and then regret, and then longing, and then good, old sadness. He was being barraged by emotions that asked why Wonwoo was the one to be apologizing, why Mingyu was unable to say anything in return, why he had left Wonwoo in the first place when Mingyu felt so warm when Wonwoo was just looking at him. He was asking the 'why' questions that would have never been needed to be asked if he had just stayed.

"You've been alone for a long time, right?" Wonwoo's voice sent shivers to trickle over Mingyu's skin and tears were threatening to spill. He hadn't felt lonely but Wonwoo's words made him realize how solitary he had been. People had tried to convince him, but in the end, it was only Wonwoo who was able to make him see what he had really needed. "I'm sorry that I've done that to you. I didn't want the rest of them to leave you, but they did it anyway and it's all my fault."

Wonwoo brushed at a tear Mingyu hadn't realized had left.

"I know why you left me, I don't blame you for it." Wonwoo choked on his words, his eyes glistening again. "But I was lonely too."

Mingyu nodded, attempting to breathe but the sob he was holding in wouldn't let him. "I know," he coughed out. "I know, I'm so sorry."

Wonwoo shushed him, closing his eyes as he leaned in to touch their foreheads. "So let's not do this anymore, Mingyu," his voice was whispered and his breath tickled Mingyu's cheeks. "I didn't want to hurt you, but my god it hurts not to be with you so let's stop avoiding each other, please?"

His last word was tiny, muttered as if it had come from a child. Mingyu had never seen Wonwoo acting this way and it made him think how long Wonwoo must have been thinking for him to go this far.

"Okay," Mingyu replied, his voice just above a whisper. "Let's do that. We'll just be together, no worrying, no ignoring, let's just be happy. Okay?"

"Okay."

Mingyu said it one more time. "Okay."

Wonwoo muttered something Mingyu almost failed to catch.

"Maybe okay will be our always."

Mingyu couldn't help but laugh.

"So you're reading John Green, now?"

Wonwoo laughed back.

"Don't judge, it's a good book. I don't think you'd like it though."

"I won't read it then."

"Okay."

"Stop with the okays, it's making me anxious."

"Okay." 







 

When they had finished joking around and Mingyu had tucked Wonwoo in and let him doze off, he still sat by the side of his bed, watching him sleep. Mingyu remembered the first time he had voiced his feelings, in a dark hospital room while Wonwoo was asleep.

There are times when a person is apart from something for so long that they forget what it was like to be with it at all. Then, something comes along, a memory, a sound, a view, something that could be incredibly small comes and triggers a feeling that reminds them that maybe their feelings haven't changed that much.

Wonwoo's careless snoring, was, surprisingly, what brought back Mingyu's locked away feelings.

As he listened to the sporadic sounds, Mingyu leaned over, just until his face was right above Wonwoo's.

"I think I might be in love with you, again."

And he didn't only think he was in love with Wonwoo, he had known it forever but had denied it out of fear.

He was only saying it that way to mirror what he had said for the first time, over a year ago, in the hopes that things would return to the happy days of the past.

Mingyu left a kiss on Wonwoo's forehead with a smile, and stood up, preparing himself to leave.

He gave him one last glance before he left.

I'll tell him properly, tomorrow. 




 

When Jeonghan and Seokmin found Mingyu in Wonwoo's room the following day, they went bat- crazy. Mingyu could tell they wanted to ask him questions, but no one dared. Instead, they sat around while Jeonghan talked about patients that he should obviously not be sharing information about and Seokmin talked about awful nurses who could never shut up. Jeonghan wouldn't stop glaring at him.

When the two left, Mingyu told Wonwoo he loved him and things finally fell back into place. This time, they were definitely going to be okay.

Days after became just as they had been when OHEA had been in effect. Mingyu went back to being his cheery self as if Wonwoo had been the antidote to his broken, lonely self. Their friends were all back together, coming in one big group. Mingyu could see that Wonwoo was happy again, and he cursed himself for having ever changed that. Mingyu was seeing things in Wonwoo that he missed when he was away, and things that he would have never seen had he not come back.

Mingyu was determined to make it up to Wonwoo, no matter what it would take. Every day, he would love him, and every night he would stay by Wonwoo's side until he wasn't needed anymore. Their feelings for each other came back stronger and even though it should have made Mingyu even more afraid to lose him, he no longer gave those things a thought.

Wonwoo's family came for Mingyu's head but Wonwoo straightened everything out before his mother could take his life, or before Bohyuk could give him a black eye. None of them really forgave Mingyu, but he knew he deserved it so he did nothing to retaliate. It took them a while before they could hold a civilized conversation. Wonwoo's family slowly began to forgive Mingyu as time went on but he knew they wouldn't trust him as they did before.

Despite the positive changes, Wonwoo wasn't getting any better. Jisoo mentioned that the cancer was progressing and it was hard to tell where they would go from there.

Jisoo was hesitant in telling Mingyu to be careful, fearing that he might go overboard like before but Mingyu took it well. He was showing a different way of being careful. His touches were gentle, his visits came often, his words were soft and everything he did was simply warm.

It was obvious that Mingyu wasn't going anywhere anymore. He planned to stay until the very end.

When the two were together, it seemed almost as if nothing could ever break them apart. In those days, they were inseparable. 







 

In the last weeks of March, the snow was disappearing and so was Wonwoo's ability to walk. He was getting weaker by the day and his legs could no longer support him. He got a wheelchair that Mingyu treated like his old laptop. Despite it being hospital property, Mingyu stuck random things on it that he found or that he received from patients.

The wheelchair didn't change much, but Wonwoo had to often go 'exercising' with nurses to help keep the strength in his body. Otherwise, Mingyu would wheel him around in his wheelchair and take him to empty spaces where they would practice his steps in their spare time.

Their favourite spot to visit was the budding garden, on the stone paths that would be hard to navigate with the wheelchair. They stopped by often, picking out the prettiest flowers so that Wonwoo could bring them back to his room. Seokmin scolded them for killing his flowers, but in the end, he never stopped them.

March 30th, Mingyu came in with a strange piece of fabric and the brightest grin that Wonwoo had to voice that he was slightly afraid.

"What do you have, Mingyu? Should I be afraid because I kind of am."

"I have a life-changing piece of a costume," Mingyu explained as he pulled the wheelchair out of its corner and unfolded it. Mingyu's eyes were fixed on a sticker of a star that read "You did it!" that he received from a teacher that he was seeing for dissociative disorder as he pushed the chair closer to the bed. "Hop on, and I'll show you what it is."

Wonwoo pushed the bedsheets aside, his arms taking a little longer than they used to. He stood up with difficulty but Mingyu assisted him, holding him up by the arm and leading him into the chair.

"Look at you, you've turned into a sloth, Wonwoo," Mingyu commented with a lighthearted laugh.  "This is why you should eat more to get stronger!"

Wonwoo scoffed as he adjusted his seated position. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I can't."

"Then what are we going to do with this sloth?"

"Not like you've ever been that fast, either, Mingyu," Wonwoo shot back with a smile. His head was tilted upwards so he could speak to the one standing above him. "I'm in the chair, show me what you've got."

Mingyu's eyes lit up as he remembered the object in his hands. He unfurled it in one swift motion and it fell between them, a curtain of red silk.

"Is that..." Wonwoo paused to examining the ends. "That's a cape, isn't it?" His voice fell into an unamused tone but his eyes betrayed him. He found it funny.

"Spot on, my friend!" Mingyu brought his hands down to tie it around Wonwoo's neck but the latter's own hands shot up to block him.

"No way."

"What?"

"There is no way I'm letting you put that on as you wheel me around the hospital."

Mingyu pouted, much like a little child. "Why not? Isn't it cool?"

"If it's so cool, you can wear it yourself."

Mingyu thought about it for a second before he nodded. "Sure, I will."

Wonwoo responded to his comment with a chuckle muffled by his hand. "Actually?"

The younger nodded and widened his eyes as if to say: 'Watch me'. Mingyu wrapped the strings around his own neck and tucked in his chin so he could see enough to tie the strings together. Once he finished the knot, he gave a twirl and watched as Wonwoo's eyes followed the swaying cape.

"So? Do I look like superman yet?"

Wonwoo snorted.

"That's a little short, isn't it?"

Mingyu tilted his head to the side before he caught the ends of the cape, seeing that it ended halfway down his back. His eyes widened, having only realized its length then.

"Mingyu, you stole that from a kid, didn't you?" Wonwoo joked.

Mingyu's hands shot up in defense as he shook his head vigorously. "No, no, no! He gave it to me, kids do that a lot."

Wonwoo clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Who knew? Mingyu, the kind-hearted physician turning into a cape-stealing thug."

Mingyu tugged at the string and let it come undone. He huffed angrily before leaning down and tying it around Wonwoo's neck. He did it so fast, Wonwoo couldn't even say a word.

"Well, you touched it last so now you're in on the theft."

Wonwoo forgot about untying it and instead tilted his head up again. "So you're acknowledging it was a theft?"

Mingyu opened his mouth, but shut it again, realizing that he had said that it was theft, himself. He had put himself into a corner and he wanted to smack himself upside the head.

"Let's go!" Mingyu shouted as a way to change the subject.

He took the handles and wheeled Wonwoo out the room at an unusually fast pace. They flew down the halls, the cape billowing into Mingyu's chest.

Wonwoo wanted to shout, but he knew they were in the halls of a hospital where disturbances could spark into something a lot bigger so he closed his eyes instead, letting the sound of Mingyu's laughter wash over him and the wind to catch on his face.

Mingyu steered them into the elevator where they had to pause for a second. Wonwoo took the advantage to scold Mingyu for running in hallways.

Mingyu apologized but as soon as they were on their floor he ran out again, watching Wonwoo to find that he was actually enjoying it. He wanted to stare, but he had to look up again to swerve past a column in the middle of the floor.

They finally reached the doors of the garden and Mingyu had to pause to open the door. From there, he walked slowly, taking them out towards their rock. He dodged cracks in the ground and anything that was sticking out.

When they stopped, Wonwoo gave Mingyu a smile. "Are you getting younger, or something? You get more and more childish as time goes on."

Mingyu gave him a flawless wink. "You caught me. I have a secret that will make you younger," Mingyu made up on the spot, leaning on Wonwoo's wheelchair so their heads were a foot away. He made it seem as if what he was about to say was a huge, unrevealed secret.

"Oh yeah?" Wonwoo's eyes were glittering with amusement. "And what is that?"

"Smiling," Mingyu said with simplicity.

Wonwoo's mouth broke out into a grin, and he was doing exactly as Mingyu had told him. He was smiling, and the doctor was convinced that he was a couple of years younger and there was absolutely nothing wrong with him. Mingyu told himself that someone who looked so alive couldn't possibly be dying.

"At this rate, you're going to outlive me," Mingyu joked.

Wonwoo's laughter was a little short, but Mingyu didn't comment on it.

"And laughter," Mingyu added. "Laughter will make you live forever."

Wonwoo shook his head,  another laugh escaping his lips as he tilted his head down, facing his attention towards the folded hands in his lap.

Mingyu shifted himself so he stood next to Wonwoo so he could get a view of Wonwoo's shy smile. Mingyu loved looking at it, even though it was fading by the day. It was all the more necessary for him to see it whenever it appeared, so he could remember it for a long time, just in case he would never be able to see it again.

After a moment of silence that Mingyu had taken to admire Wonwoo, the former clapped his hands childishly. Wonwoo jumped out of his daze and looked up at Mingyu, tilting his head to the side.

"Okay, let's get walking," Mingyu said, moving so he stood in front of Wonwoo's chair. He put out a hand for Wonwoo to take, and the latter took it while nodding. With his other hand, he pulled off the cape and let it rest on the back of his chair.

"I'll do my best."

Wonwoo stood up unsteadily, leaning on Mingyu so that he could get away from his wheelchair.

"Not bad," Mingyu commented as they stepped forward towards the fountain in the middle of the court. "We're off to a good start."

Wonwoo eventually relaxed the farther they walked. His steps were slow, but Mingyu adjusted so they could be the same speed. Wonwoo's eyes alternated from the path ahead of him and his slipper-clad feet. He stepped over cracks and crevices so he wouldn't trip.

Mingyu was watchful, careful of anything that could slip up and cause an accident but he let down his guard after seeing how well Wonwoo was doing.

When they were only a couple feet away from the middle, Wonwoo's knees let out unexpectedly. He fell over onto Mingyu and they lost their balance, the two of them falling to the ground. Mingyu managed to control it so that Wonwoo fell over onto him and he sat up soon after, bringing Wonwoo with him.

Mingyu asked him if he was okay but Wonwoo just kept apologizing.

"I'm so sorry, Mingyu."

"Hey," Mingyu caught off his slew of apologies and forced Wonwoo to look him in the eyes. "It's okay. You fell once, everyone falls from time-to-time."

Wonwoo nodded slowly but diverted his gaze again to something behind Mingyu. "But..." He paused, closing his eyes to the brightness of the sun. "I fall more than I walk, Mingyu. Maybe one day-"

Mingyu cut him off again, directing his head back to the center by cupping his hand on Wonwoo's cheek.

"But I'll be here, and I'll help you. Wherever you go -- if you need me -- I'll follow you."

"You can't always be-"

Mingyu cut him off one last time.

"Everywhere. I'll follow you everywhere, as long as you let me."

--

A/N 

SLOW DOWN. 

I said that because I know I always skip Author's Notes (oops). Anyway, before the next chapter, I want to say a huge thank you for everyone reading because this is the first story I've ever finished. It's incredibly special to me and I hope everyone anticipates The End! (haha see what I did there) I hope you've loved everything and I hope that you'll continue supporting me! (love ya, pizza_soo) 

If you haven't already guessed, the last chapter is the next one. There's also an Epilogue written out but I'm debating whether or not it should be released. Tell me what you guys want ^^