"Really, what's so special about Jeju Island?" Park Chanyeol asked as he packed the things they would need for their sudden and unplanned winter get away that day. He heard the boy in front of him clicked his tongue. 

"Idiot. That's the place where we met," Byun Baekhyun said with a pout before crossing his arms. 

He grinned, thinking Baekhyun might be probably too old to pout, but still, he find it cute.

"Well, you do realize that Jeju might be covered with snow now, don't you?" he asked, securing the bag before zipping it. Lastly, he carefully placed Baekhyun's medicine container in the bag's pocket, and looked at his husband.

Baekhyun's still beautiful, he thought. Still beautiful that not even a pale and frail skin could take away. Still beautiful that not even the loss of hair from sessions of chemotherapy could wipe out. Still beautiful that not even layers upon layers of thick and dull winter clothes could hide. Still beautiful in his eyes. Before he could stop himself, he find himself closing the distance between them. Then, he leaned over to him, claiming his mouth as he closed his eyes. He wanted to stop the time. He wanted the moment to last forever. He wanted to, but he couldn't.

After what it seemed like a thousand of years, he pulled away for air. He grabbed Baekhyun's hand, gripped it tighter. He don't wanna let go. Never.

"You're beautiful," he whispered, caressing his cheeks gently. He heard Baekhyun chuckled.

"I'm no longer am, look at me, I'm not, but thanks, you're handsome," Baekhyun said, hands landing on his cheeks, caressing it too. "I love you,"

"I love you more, and you're beautiful, I don't need to look at you just to know how much."

"Oh, you." Baekhyun giggled, squeezing his hands, as if sending him assurance. "Come on, I don't want to see Jeju before the whole island was buried with eight feet of snow. Let's go."

"Wait, are you sure you don't want to heat things up first? It's pretty cold outside," he said, grinning, furrowing his brows suggestively.

Baekhyun blew an exaggerated sigh then rolled his eyes before slapping his arm playfully. "Let's go, you Park ert Chanyeol!"

*

Once in their car, he grinned as he fasten Baekhyun's seatbelt. "Are you ready?" he asked, Baekhyun nodded, smiling. And he stepped in the accelerator, driving toward the place where their story began before it ended.

Baekhyun's right, he thought. They met in Jeju Island one summer. He was walking around the shore then, collecting seashells that was left after every strong and big waves. Then, he saw him, walking unsurely toward the sea. He was walking with head down, hiding his face. He was beautiful, he thought instantly. And all the people around them thought so too, only Baekhyun doesn't.

He collected his courage then, before he smiled at him. One smile lead to easy conversations. Conversations lead to friendship. Friendship lead to love, and love lead to marriage. And now, their marriage would lead to goodbye.

It was two years after their wedding anniversary that Baekhyun began to whine about his frequent and painful headaches. He suggested immediately they see a doctor, and Baekhyun, reluctance at first came for a check up. The doctor thought it was due to stress and it was his eyes that's the problem, and recommended wearing a glasses. Baekhyun wasn't happy about the idea of the glasses. In the end, he doesn't need to worry, because it turned out that it wasn't his eyes. It was the tumor that was growing inside his brain. When they first heard the news, Baekhyun yelled and moaned and hit things and cursed and cried. At the end of the day, they had to accept the fact that they were in numbered days. They hugged each other as they silently wept.

 

The road was slippery because of the melting snow, and Mokpo's temperature dropped to 5 degree Celsius that day. The news wasn't recommending anyone to travel, but Baekhyun wanted to see Jeju, and despite the coldess and the three-hour drive to the port, he nodded when he asked. Because he knew, it maybe the last time he'll ask for it.

"What were you thinking? You're scowl is bothering me," he heard Baekhyun asked with teasing in his voice.

"I was thinking about you, how we met and how we fell in love," he replied, glancing at him.

"Then, why are you scowling? Are you regretting it?" Baekhyun asked, obviously suppressing a chuckle.

"So much," he said, followed by his laughter. "Come on, don't be silly, I regret nothing. You're pretty much the only reason I get up in the morning, the reason I smile,"

Baekhyun hummed in return. "That's good to hear, I don't regret anything too. And you're pretty much the reason I'm holding on,"

He only smiled. He often thought about the impending goodbye, but he doesn't want to talk about it. Not yet. He's not ready yet.

Afterwards, he heard Baekhyun yawned, his hands scratching his eyes. "I'm sleepy, Yeol." Baekhyun said quietly. Too quietly.

He shook his head, reaching for his hand. "No, stay awake, it's pretty boring driving alone, and we're getting there, just few more miles. Oh, you see that tree? Lookie! It's white all over, then that barrier, it was black, well everything is covered with snow," he chuckled. "I do think we'll have white Christmas, let's build snowman once we came back, okay? Oh, look at the road, I can't even see the pedestrian lane, you remember last year? We were --"

Baekhyun touched his arm, he turned to him. He find him smiling.

"Okay, go ahead, sleep. I'll wake you up before we reach the port. And I'll be here, I'll watch over you," he said finally, kissing his hand. "Sweet dreams,"

"Yeah, I'll dream of you," Baekhyun said, yawning again. Before he rested his head in the car's door, he turned to him again, and said, "I love you, Park Chanyeol, remember that, okay?"

He nodded, squeezing his hand before pulling away, driving silently to Jeju's way. Luckily, a house resort there agreed they reserved a room once they arrived. He drove down the Express lane, paying toll fee in the areas. Then, just before they reached the boundary of the port, he realized that the breathings had long stopped.

He pulled over, parking his car in the side of the road. He smiled before he unfastened Baekhyun's seatbelt. Then, he moved closer to him, cupping his cheek. "Your cheek is so cold Baek," he said, averting Baekhyun's head to his shoulder. "You really have fallen asleep,"

"Dream of me, okay? And I love you, too." he said, kissing Baekhyun's forehead as he closed his eyes.