Yixing walked down the street, a bouquet of white carnations, purple larkspur, and white roses in his hands as an umbrella shielded him from the rain. He kept walking, ignoring how crazy he might look by being the only one walking in this weather. He had a destination in mind, and he wasn't going to stop just because the weather wasn't the best.

       The way to get where he wanted to go was ingrained into Yixing's mind, he had been there so often. It required him to not have to think too much, he would rearrange the flowers from time to time to make them look how he wanted them to look. Yixing turned left, and the place he went could be considered odd. To someone who didn't know, it would have looked like Yixing had turned to walk through a dense forest. The seemed to have no reason for a person to walk through it, but Yixing wasn't one of those people. He knew what was hidden within the forest, and he knew what he was doing and where he was going.

       Yixing walked down a small, hidden path, taking in the crisp, clean air brought on by the rain and the trees. Everything had a "fantasy-like" feeling to it, walking along a small path surrounded by trees and rain falling on your head. Yixing always liked this type of setting, this type of ambience. And Yixing knew that he also liked the same type of atmosphere, it was one of the many things that the two of them had had in common. It brought a sad smile to Yixing's face as he closed his eyes. Yixing knew where he was going like the back of his hand, he was undeterred as he kept walking through the forest down the small, hidden path.

       His pace was slow, so it took some time for his to reach the end of the path. Yixing knew that he was there when the sound of more raindrops hitting his umbrella fell upon his ears. Opening his eyes, Yixing found himself in a clearing at the foot of a small hill. Truthfully, the path didn't end, it just turned into stone steps that led to the top of the hill where a large hawthorn tree stood. After rearranging the bouquet for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Yixing took a deep breath before walking up the steps. He was wary, making sure not to slip and possibly injure himself. As he walked up, there seemed to be a slight phantom image that would occasionally appear before his eyes.

       "This place was something I found when I was lost one day," the phantom seemed to say, fading and then reappearing somewhere else.

       "Why did I bring you here? Well, it's because this place is special to me, and so are you Xing," this time, there was an obvious sign that showed that if the phantom had more features, there would be a smile on its face.

       "Look! We can see the Milky Way! I love the story of the Weaver Girl and Cow Herder, it's so sad but also sweet," the said as Yixing came to a small break in the steps where it was a flat platform, giving a good view of the currently cloudy sky, "The idea of two lovers being separated, but their devotion and love for each other allows them to see each other once a year is really touching. It was always one of my favorite stories. Hey! Stop laughing! Admit it, you love my sappiness!"

       A bird landed on a nearby rock, a marker on the stairs, and it began to sing, "I wish that I could understand what animals were saying, they must know something that we don't. But that's okay, we can still appreciate nature. A bird's song can have a lot of meaning to someone, you know?"

       Yixing kept climbing, one step after another. He saw more and more of these phantoms, the shape of it obviously that of a person but the features of the person were blurry. It could've only been something created purely from Yixing's mind, his eyes playing tricks on him as the rain made everything look blurry. But Yixing knew that it wasn't a trick, that the phantoms were representing memories. And Yixing knew who the memories were centered around the voice that he kept hearing.

       "Many people see the rain as something that's sad, depressing even," Yixing heard the voice say, "but I don't see it like that. I see the rain as a form of washing away everything. Your fears, your anxieties, your doubts, everything that has been keeping a tight grip on your psyche just washed away by the rain. Rain to me is something that can give you a fresh starts of sort. It's why I really, really like rainy days."

        Yixing finally reached the top of the stairs, and underneath the hawthorn tree was a tombstone. He slowly walked towards the grave, and as he got closer he smiled, but the smile was one filled with grief and pain.

      "Remember that Xing, that no matter what happens, remember that..."

      "The rain will always be able to wash everything away for a new start," Yixing finished after the voice had trailed off, now directly in front of the grave.

      Crouching, Yixing looked at the grave, and he gently ran his fingers over the words engraved on the cold surface, the rain now only lightly falling onto his umbrella because of the tree's leaves providing cover.

Here Lies Kim JunMyeon

A Caring Son, An Amazing Brother, A True Friend, and A Loving Boyfriend

Thank You For Being There For Us When We Needed You

You Will Always Be Missed, You Will Never Be Forgotten

You Are Forever Loved

(1991, May 22 - 2016, May 15)

       "Hey Myeon," Yixing whispered, the same sad smile still on his face, "how have you been? I know I visited last week, but I always like to know. You always wanted to know too, when you were still around. How everyone was, what we were all up to. If something was wrong, you were the first person who would try to make us feel better, who would try to make everything right."

       Even though the ground was slightly damp, it wasn't too bad since the tree branches had blocked most of the ground from the rain. So, ignoring how he would most likely have to change his clothes later, Yixing sat down. Crossing his legs, he turned the flowers in his hands, smiling a little as he did so.

       "I'm sorry that last week's visit was so quick," Yixing apologized, "I had to go help Yifan-ge with getting a surprise for Tao. He wanted my help in setting up a scenario that'd allow him to propose. It was really sweet, Yifan-ge had the idea of setting up a room that was filled with pictures of the greatest memories the both of them had together. I had to help him get the photos framed and hang them, Lu-ge also helped out, and we finished the same day that I came to visit you. It was adorable, we didn't see the exact moment, but we went to check on them after what we thought was an appropriate amount of time. Don't worry, we didn't barge in or anything, we couldn't just ruin their special moment."

       Yixing chuckled as he said the last sentence, his eyes amused as he continued to look at the tombstone, "They were hugging each other when Lu-ge and I checked on them. They both had this look of absolute contentment on their faces, like their souls had been complete. When they were done hugging, Yifan-ge had one of his gummy smiles and Tao had one of the brightest smiles I had ever seen on his face. Yifan-ge thanked us and gave me and Lu-ge a hug, and then Tao crushed me and Lu-ge in a hug. It was great, their engagement rings are beautiful, I wish you could be here for their wedding. But, knowing you, you'll be watching everything from up there and taking care of us."

       Tears began to cloud Yixing's vision, but he wiped them away, he couldn't cry, not yet, "Everyone is doing alright. Yeol and Baek are their usual selves, the goofy duo that they are and who we love. Dae and Minseok-hyung are doing great, Dae's been doing great as a shadow artist and Minseok-hyung still loves working at the kindergarten, if I'm being honest, I think that those two are going to get married soon and are probably going to adopt a little kid who could use a family. And I know that Dae and Minseok-hyung would be the loving and kind parents that that kid would need. But that's just my opinion. Jongin and Soo are doing well, Jongin's been doing great with his new job as a dance instructor and Soo's bakery has been getting a lot of attention. Then there's Lu-ge and Sehun, Sehun is doing well at university, working his hardest as he always has. Lu-ge's been getting a lot of recognition as a computer programmer, he's been rising through the ranks in his company. Yes, everyone is doing well."

       Yixing looked down at the flowers for a moment, fiddling with one of the white rose petals, "I've been doing better, the others have been there to support me and I can't thank them enough. They've been with me through some of the dark periods of time that I've been through since you...passed away."

       There was silence for awhile, there being no noise except for the rain as Yixing sat with his head bowed. The bird from before had long since stopped singing, having probably flown away to find cover. It took some time, but Yixing finally lifted his head, looking at the grave as he held the flowers a little higher.

        "I brought you flowers this time, I'm sorry again about the brief visit last week and the lack of flowers, but I know that you'd understand, you were always so understanding and caring and kind," Yixing said, "so, here are this week's flowers."

        Pulling them a little closer to himself so he could touch each individual flower, Yixing began to talk again, "I know that you always loved to tell me about plant symbolisms, any symbolisms really you massive nerd. But you were, and always will be, my nerd. Anyway, I remembered how much you liked to tell me what plants meant what, I remembered how brightly your eyes lit up and how much your smile grew as you told me about this hawthorn tree, how you told me that the hawthorn tree represents, how it represents love and protection. I can't think of a more fitting place where we were to lay you down for your eternal rest. You loved everyone and you always protected us in the ways that we needed to be protected, you truly were our G-Guardian..."

           Yixing's voice broke at the end, small sobs finally beginning to interrupt his speech. It hurt, it all hurt so much. He missed Junmyeon more than anything, and he felt an ache in his heart, in his soul, every day since Junmyeon had left the world. Every day, he wished that Junmyeon could be by his side, that he could hear Junmyeon's corny Dad Jokes, that he could eat dinner with the older man and they'd go get ice cream while holding hands, that he could hear Junmyeon's bright laugh, and that he would be able to see Junmyeon's even brighter smile that lit up his face and made his teeth shine and his eyes turn into little crescents while his nose would slightly scrunch up. Yixing wished that Junmyeon was still there and that they'd be able to be by each other's sides as they walked towards the future, together. But it seemed like Yixing would have to make that walk alone.

           "S-so wh-where was I?" Yixing asked, small hiccups still making him occasionally stutter as he spoke, "You kno-ow h-how forgetful I can be. Y-you balanced th-that pretty w-well with your good m-memory. The guys actually b-bought me a no-notebook to write stuff d-down, and it reminded me of y-you. You always loved to wr-write lists. Th-they gave me a n-notebook with our p-picture in the front. I should b-bring it sometime, I think you'd l-like to see-see it."

           Stopping again, Yixing took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. It wouldn't do any good to barely be able to talk properly. There was so much he wanted to say, and there was so little time. He had to help Yifan and Tao pick a place for their wedding and he also promised Jongin to come to an afternoon class to help teach some of the younger kids. Oh yeah, and Yixing also told Tao and Yifan that he would go see Kyungsoo to arrange a cake testing date because the two newly engaged men had to pick a date and send out invitations for the wedding. Yixing, in short, had become a very busy person, but that was okay with him, because he was helping out his friends, and in a way, he felt like he was carrying on Junmyeon's idea of putting others before himself.

         "I guess I turned into you in a way, huh Myeon?" Yixing asked rhetorically as he wiped the tears from his cheeks, the rain still falling, "helping everyone else before I help myself. Of course, I'll never be as good as you at that, but hey, I'm trying."

         The grave was silent, but Yixing liked to imagine that Junmyeon would be smiling at him, telling him that he was doing a wonderful job and to not worry about it. But he wasn't there, and Yixing had to carry on what Junmyeon had begun by himself.

         "Though, knowing you, you'd probably tell me to not worry so much and to stop stressing myself out. But I mean, that'd be hypocritical because we all told you the same thing and you didn't listen, so I'm taking a leaf out of your own book," Yixing lightly teased before scratching the edge of his ear, a habit he had developed some years ago, "But it's fine, really. I don't mind doing it, I actually enjoying the others out. And I'm not alone, Minseok-hyung, Lu-ge, and Yifan-ge also help out. And I know that for you, it was just how you were. And we all loved you for that, we loved you, actually still love you, because you were you. And, I still love you and will always love you because you're Kim Junmyeon, the lovable mother of his ten 'children' and my loving boyfriend."

          Yixing scratched his ear again, "This got off topic real quick, huh? Sorry about that, there's just a lot of things on my mind. This all started with me talking about your love for plant symbolisms, so let me go back on that. Like you probably know, and I've said it so much that you're probably thinking 'Xing, what's your point exactly?' or something like that, last week I wasn't able to bring flowers. But I did now, and I chose the flowers specifically for their symbolism. I thought that you'd enjoy that, so here we are. I only got three because I thought they represented the emotions and feelings that I wanted to express the best."

           Taking hold of a rose, Yixing played with the soft petals with his long fingers, "White roses, they symbolize purity. To me Myeon, you were an angel, so pure and selfless. I thought that a white rose would be able to represent that quality that you have. You must be getting along with all the other angels in heaven, and you must shine so brightly with snow white wings and being free from all the pain we experience here on Earth."

            Yixing then moved on to the purple petals of a flower, "Purple larkspur. I wanted to get you a purple flower because I know that one of your favorite colours was violet. I spent a long time looking on Naver for the perfect flower. Eventually, it ended with larkspur. Now, I know that larkspur can have some negative meanings to it, but I didn't get the flower for the bad things it can mean. No, I didn't get it for that. I got purple larkspur, not only because violet was one of your favorite. I chose this flower because purple larkspur represents a beautiful spirit, you have such a pure and beautiful spirit, I hope that this flower can somewhat show how beautiful your spirit actually is, at least to me through my eyes. Purple larkspur also represents first love and sweet disposition. And I have to say, those two things are one hundred percent true in reference to you. You are my first love Myeon. When I first saw you, my heart just skipped a beat and I knew that I wanted to be the person who would be by your side. I wanted to be the person who you would take walks with while we would hold hands. I wanted to be the person who would cuddle you as we watched cheesy dramas or movies late at night. I wanted to be the person who you would be able to talk to. I just wanted to be that person who you would cherish and love, and I'd return all of that love and affection to you. Myeon, you made me feel that way, I fell in love instantly. And it was the first time I was actually in love, not something like a little crush. No, head-over-heels-and-angels-are-singing in love with cheesy rose petals falling around you when I first saw you was the feeling I had when I first saw you. And I'm so, so happy that you chose me to be your special someone, thank you so much."

            Playing with the purple petals, Yixing smiled a small and gentle smile, "And the sweet disposition. You were always so kind, always willing to help us. I bet you still help anyone who needs it in heaven. You always put others before yourself, it was like it was just your nature. And it made you you, it made you Kim Junmyeon. And that's what matters, that you were your own person."

           Yixing came to the petals of the final flower, they smelled sweet with a hint of spiciness, the petals soft as Yixing explained the final flower, "And then, I got white carnations. Carnations in general, the flower itself, symbolize pride and beauty. I liked those two aspects of the flower, so that's why I chose carnations as a flower. The beauty is because you were, and still are, a beautiful person. As for pride, I hope that you are proud of me Myeon. It sounds selfish of me, and I'm sorry, but I hope that I'm not letting you down. And I also hope that you have pride in YOURSELF hyung. You're someone who has a lot to be proud of, even if you don't seem to notice it. Now, the colour of the flower, that's where there is more depth and meaning into my choice of flower. White carnations mean innocence and pure love, as well as remembrance."

            Yixing paused for a moment, staring the the carnations before looking back up at the silent tombstone that marked where the love of his life was placed for his eternal sleep, "You always had this sense of innocence to you. Even though you are probably one of the most mature people I know and definitely one of the more mature people out of the twelve of us, you had this air of innocence to you. It was like you operated on your own wavelength. I mean, we all do, but yours just seems like something else, but not in a bad way. You innocence allowed you to be so kind and caring, it allowed you to have a big heart. And that quality of innocence while still being able to handle situations maturely and like an adult is what helped make me fall even more for you. Pure love, well I feel like it represents our relationship pretty well. We were always together, and we were just so close. We just loved each other so much...I can't really explain it all, but I think you know what I mean."

            Running his fingers over Junmyeon's name that was engraved on the tombstone, Yixing kept talking, "The last thing is remembrance. I want to remember you as you, as Kim Junmyeon. As the kind person who was always willing to help others no matter what. As the dork who would always tell Dad Jokes with Minseok-hyung and drive everyone insane with how corny and terrible they usually were. As the older brother who would buy food for all of us, even for those who were older than you. As the beautiful, beautiful person who has an amazing spirit and the best laugh and the brightest of smiles. I want to remember you as the person who I love, and that's what I hope this flower will be able to express, at least just a little bit."

             He placed the flowers at the base of the tombstone, and a tear slid down his cheek, "I want to see again so badly. I want to be able to hold you in my arms and give you sweet kisses. I just want to be by your side again...but I can't give up."

             More tears fell, but this time Yixing had a smile on his face as he shed his tears, "I'm still needed here, everyone stills need me here. And I think...I think that I'm finally beginning to move on, to move forward. I don't think I'll ever love someone again like how I love you, but I'm not letting this sadness suffocate me for any longer. And I know that you wouldn't want to see me be so sad, so you must be thrilled to hear that I'm finally stepping out of the darkness. The white carnations and remembrance, I guess you could say that the remembrance also shows how I'm finally moving forward, but that I'll never forget you or the the time that we spent together. I'm not erasing you from my memory, I would never do that, but I'm not letting myself be chained down."

            Yixing placed his left hand on the tombstone, palm flat as a silver band gleamed on his finger, "I will always love you Kim Junmyeon, forever and always. I can't wait to see you again. Please, wait for me, it's not time for me to leave quite yet."

            He placed his forehead against the tombstone, the stone smooth against his skin, but Yixing didn't mind. He sat there like that for a little longer, his forehead pressed against the tombstone and his eyes closed. When he finally reopened his eyes and looked up, he jumped back, startled by what he saw. Blinking, Yixing rubbed his eyes, not sure if what he was seeing was real or not.

            There, standing next to the tombstone, was Junmyeon. Except, there were some differences. Junmyeon, when he had passed, had raven locks and his skin had had a rather sickly pallor to it. But this Junmyeon before him, his hair was a pale blonde, almost white and his complexion was back to being its usual paleness, but it looked healthy. Of course, most of Junmyeon's appearance was still the same. His hair still looked incredibly soft and silky, his eyes still bright as if there were galaxies in them, his smile still warm and kind, he just looked like Junmyeon. But as Yixing looked at the blonde, he notice what really made Junmyeon look so different.

            The Kim Junmyeon before him was wearing white clothes, which wasn't too weird. No, something that made Junmyeon look so different was that he had this ethereal glow to him, like he wasn't a human. And as Yixing looked at Junmyeon for a little longer, he realized that that was true. There, just barely visible, were large, snow white wings coming from Junmyeon's back and slightly extended, as if he had just landed from a flight. 

            "Y-you're an angel," Yixing announce weakly, looking at the love of his life who was laughing softly.

            "Indeed I am," Junmyeon said, looking at Yixing with his usual smile on his lips, "I don't have much time here Xing, I only got a little bit of time to talk to you."

            "C-can I hug you?" Yixing asked timidly.

            "Of course!" Junmyeon answered, opening his arms wide as he invited Yixing for a hug.

            The Chinese man instantly went into the older man's arms, and everything finally felt right after so long. Junmyeon's hugs were just like how he remembered, strong, secure warm, and comforting. Yixing heard feathers move, indicating that Junmyeon had wrapped his wings around the both of them. The Chinese man was crying a little, he never thought he'd be able to hug Junmyeon again, at least not for a long time.

            "Shhh, it's okay Xing," Junmyeon cooed as he ran a hand through the taller man's hair, "everything's okay, I just wanted to give you some final words."

            Regaining his composure, Yixing ended the hug, looking into the angel's eyes, "I'm all ears."

            "Good," Junmyeon said with a smile, "first, I want to say sorry, I'm sorry that our time together was cut so short."

            Yixing looked like he was about to say something, but Junmyeon silenced him by raising his hands to cup both of the Chinese man's cheeks.               

             "Don't try to say anything about it Xing, nothing was your fault," Junmyeon soothed as he began to run his thumbs over Yixing's cheekbones, "I want you to know that I am so proud of you, that I'll always be proud of you. And I also want you to know that I love and that I always will love you. I'll always be looking out for you and the others up in heaven, you're never alone because I'll always be keeping an eye on you and I'll listen to anything that's plaguing your mind, just like when I was alive."

             Junmyeon's smile was still warm and gentle, even as a tear fell down his own cheek, "And I'll wait for you, I'll wait an eternity if it means that I can be with you again. Please, please know these things, and never forget, okay?"

             "I won't forget, I promise," Yixing nodded, smiling as a shy dimple peeked out.

             "Good," Junmyeon nodded in approval, before standing on his toes and kissing Yixing on the forehead, "I have to go, but please remember what I said. Goodbye Xing, I'll be waiting. I love you, forever and always."

             "Goodbye Myeon, I love you too," Yixing responded with as the man began to slightly fade away, "forever and always."

             Right before he entirely disappeared, Junmyeon gave Yixing one final smile, and then he was gone. Yixing stood there for a little longer, and he felt so much lighter than he had a year ago when Junmyeon had passed away. He brushed his fingers over the top of the tombstone, and he smiled before bending down and picking up his umbrella. He looked up at the sky, still smiling as he did so even though it was still raining. Today would be the day that Yixing was going to start once again to move forward.

             "I guess you were right Myeon," Yixing said as he looked up at the stormy sky, "Rain really does wash everything away to give us a new start, I think I can finally see why you liked the rain so much."

             He smiled one last time at the grave, "I'll be back next week, I love you Junmyeon."

             Yixing finally walked away through the rain, his heart feeling lighter than it had in so long. He was going to keep moving forward, no matter what. And he couldn't wait to see the love of his life once again. It would be a long time, but Yixing didn't mind, because he knew that one day, he'd once again be able to be by Junmyeon's side.

A/N: My first one-shot, so how was it? I hope it wasn't too bad, I don't really like the ending. I'll try to fix it later when I have time, but like how most of this came out. Oh yeah, the day Junmyeon died, May 15th, was the day that Yifan's lawsuit was officially announced. So yeah, I made the date sad for a different reason.

I can't believe I'm posting a story in which our beloved leader and guardian dies and it's EXO's five year anniversary. I don't know if that's good or bad, but I can say to EXO: Thank you for being here for 5 years even though there have been so many hardships! EXO-Ls are here to love and support EXO forever, and we always have been here since the beginning. To more years of success and happines!

Thank you all for reading! See you in my other stories! Bye~ (^_^)V