Spring

Kyuhyun was exploring the hospital waiting for his father when he met an angel.

"Hello? Are you here to play with me?"

A black-haired boy in a blue patient gown beamed at him. His complexion was as pale as the first snow of winter contrasting to his black eyes and hair. Captivated by the charming smile, Kyuhyun approached the bed and offered his hand to the boy.

"Hi, I'm Kyuhyun. I just turned nine months ago. You?"

"Ah, we're around the same age! I'm Jongwoon and I'm ten years old. Nice to meet you Kyuhyun!"

"Nice to meet you!" Kyuhyun jumped onto the bed and held the boy's hand firmly, "hey, your hands are so small like a girl's hand."

"It's because of this stupid sickness," Jongwoon pouted, "Chulie hyung told me that I'll get taller and stronger if I take all the medication, but I've been taking them since I was four and nothing happened!"

"I like your hands like this though," Kyuhyun hooked his fingers around Jongwoon's smaller ones, "see? Our hands fit perfectly!"

"Oh, you're right! And, Kyuhyun, your hand is really warm. I like it."

"More like yours is as cold as an ice cream! Hey, are you cold? Should I bring lots of blankets?"

"Actually, if you don't mind, can I hug you? Hyung always hugs me when I'm cold and it works wonders!"

"Of course I don't mind! Come here!"

Kyuhyun spread his arms wide and Jongwoon immediately tackled him. Both boys giggled when they fell on the bed with Jongwoon on top of Kyuhyun. The brown hair boy reached out for a blanket and used it to cover them. Coaxed by the warmth from his new friend and the thick fabric, Jongwoon yawned and rubbed his nose against the crook of Kyuhyun's neck.

"Kyuhyun…"

"Hmm?"

"Can you tell me a bedtime story? I can't sleep without that but hyung isn't here."

"Sure thing! Do you have any books around here?"

"Mm… yep, I have one beside the pillow…"

Kyuhyun carefully felt his hand above his head to not disturb the boy sleeping on him. His hand made contact with something thin and smooth and grabbed it. It was a fairy tale book titled "The Princess in the Tower". The illustration on the cover depicted a prince who held a sword fighting a dragon while a princess was locked in a tall tower. Holding the book high above them, Kyuhyun began to read it to his new friend.

"Once upon a time, an evil dragon kidnapped the princess and locked her in the tower as tall as the sky. The prince took the legendary sword from a stone and fought the dragon bravely. He won and successfully rescued the princess. They came back to the kingdom and got married and lived happily ever after. The end."

"Kyuhyun…" Jongwoon fought off a yawn and spoke up quietly, "will I get a happy ending too if I be a good boy and take all medication…?"

"Definitely," Kyuhyun replied with no hesitation, "I'll be the best doctor in the world and cure you and get our happy ending!"

"Really?"

"Really, really! I promise!"

Kyuhyun smiled and kissed his new friend's cheek, causing Jongwoon's face to flush adorably. He snuggled closer to the brown-haired boy and closed his eyes.

"Thank you, Kyuhyun, my prince."

"Sweet dreams Jongwoon, my princess."

After one more yawn, both boys fell asleep while holding onto each other with a smile on their lips. Outside the window stood a tall tree. A tiny green bud shot out of its branch and barked in the warm sunlight of spring.

******************************************

Summer

"You idiots, how dare you mistook my boyfriend for a ghost? Hurry up and apologize to him!"

"Kyuhyun, don't be so hard on your friends! They meant no harm."

"Jumped at you and tackled you so you fell on the floor? And you said they meant no harm? What if your sickness worsened?"

"They were caught off guard. They didn't mean to do that and I'm perfectly fine! Look! So, Kyuhyun, will you forgive them for me?"

Seeing that pouting lips and pleading gaze, Kyuhyun immediately knew that he lost this round pretty much like every past round. He could never say no to that cute expression of his boyfriend. Sighing in defeat, he turned to glare at the two young men who were kneeling on the floor in front of them.

"... You're lucky that my boyfriend has the kindest soul on earth, or else I'd have strangled you two to death now."

"Don't murder us! We're so sorry! Pabo-Hae, say something!"

"Ah! Everything is Hyuk's plan! I'm innocent!"

"YAH YOU STUPID FISH!

"What!? I was saying the truth!"

"You two! Shut up! Don't annoy my boyfriend!"

""It's his fault!!""

"I don't care who started it," Kyuhyun gritted his teeth, "I changed my mind. I'll kill both of you!"

Kyuhyun said and chased his two idiot best friends around the room. Hyukjae and Donghae kept running while throwing blame at each other. The scene of three teenage boys running in circles prompted a giggle from the sole patient in the room. Jongwoon's hearty laughter stopped the three boys and they couldn't help smiling at the black-haired boy who looked genuinely happy. Though their smiles were quickly replaced by a frown when Jongwoon started to cough painfully instead. Kyuhyun was at the patient's side within a second and helped rub his back. Donghae poured a glass of warm water for him while Hyukjae ran out to get a doctor. A middle-aged man rushed into the room just when Jongwoon finished drinking water. A kind nurse asked them to wait outside as the doctor began a quick check up. Kyuhyun wore a grim expression while walking back and forth in front of the room. Hyukjae and Donghae looked at each other, before placing their hands on Kyuhyun's shoulders and squeezing it.

"He'll be fine," Donghae said, "look how happy and healthy he is with you."

"That's right. They say a happy man lives a thousand years so nothing will happen!"

"Donghae… Hyukjae…" Kyuhyun smiled tearfully, "thank you, I really need to hear that right now."

The three boys then gathered for a group hug. They stayed like that until they heard the door open. Kyuhyun stepped away from his friends and approached the doctor with worry evident on his face.

"Appa, is Jongwoon alright? Did his sickness act up again?"

"Don't worry Kyuhyun-ah," the doctor comforted his son with a soothing smile, though he looked like he was holding a laughter, "Jongwoon-ah is fine. He just choked on his saliva."

Kyuhyun blinked stupidly.

"Jongwoon what?"

"He told me what happened. Apparently, he laughed too hard at your antics and choked on saliva. He is fine and his condition is stable, no need to be worried."

While Kyuhyun stood there completely stunned, the doctor turned to the two boys and ruffled their hair.

"Still, you made the right choice calling me. We should be on guard at all times no matter how silly the situation is. Hyukjae-ah, Donghae-ah, I leave my son and Jongwoon-ah in your care, alright?"

Hyukjae and Donghae nodded eagerly. The older man chuckled and ruffled their heads one more time before leaving, the kind nurse smiling at them before following him. The three boys got back in the room and saw the black-haired boy hiding his face in a pillow, probably out of embarrassment. Hyukjae smirked. Just as he was about to tease the patient, though, Kyuhyun charged Jongwoon and hugged the life out of the boy.

"... Don't scare me like that again."

Kyuhyun whispered in a shaking voice. Jongwoon didn't say anything. He just hugged the brown-haired boy back as tightly as his frail arms could. Despite the bright summer light, the atmosphere was very down and melancholy. In the end, Donghae who couldn't stand it shouted and broke the silence.

"Who wanna play board games!?"

"Me! I wanna play!" Hyukjae quickly added, "I wanna play cards and Ouija board too!"

"Great idea!" Donghae beamed, "we can sit in a circle and take turns telling ghost stories! It's summer, after all!"

"We can eat shaved ice too!"

Jongwoon's enthusiasm died down a bit when the three boys stared at him.

"...Or maybe we can't?"

Hyukjae looked at Donghae. Donghae looked at Hyukjae. Hyukjae and Donghae looked at Jongwoon. Jongwoon looked at Hyukjae and Donghae. Then, the three of them turned to look at Kyuhyun.

"Sigh, only if you share it with me and don't eat too much."

"Really!!? Yeah! Thank you! Kyuhyun, you're the best!"

Jongwoon grinned and kissed Kyuhyun's cheek. Hyukjae and Donghae laughed when the usually composed Cho Kyuhyun turned all red and stuttered after the kiss. Kyuhyun glared and chased after them despite his burning face, all the while Jongwoon was giggling in joy; which caused the three boys to laugh too.

The laughter of the four young men filled the room that was lighted up by the bright sunlight of summer. Outside the window, a lovely flower blooming on a branch danced happily to the refreshing breeze.

*******************************************

Fall

"Jongwoon, I'll graduate from med school soon. I'll definitely become the best doctor in the world and cure you. Wait for me, alright?"

"O-Of course I'll. We made a promise, righ— cough! Cough cough!"

Kyuhyun gently rubbed his boyfriend's back while dabbing his lips with a handkerchief. His heart throbbed painfully when he saw droplets of blood on the white fabric. Putting the handkerchief back into his gown pocket, Kyuhyun gave a glass of warm water to the patient. After that, he gently laid the sick man on the bed and pulled a cover up for him. Jongwoon smiled weakly as he held his thin hand out to the taller man. Kyuhyun took it and turned it over to kiss the soft palm that was colder than normal people's palm. He then let it rest on his cheek to absorb warmth.

"Kyuhyun…?"

"Yes?"

"Will you read me something? I love your voice… It always lulls me to sleep…"

"Anything for you, my princess."

Kyuhyun took a novel from a bedside drawer. He turned to the page where he left off last time and took a bookmark out. He placed the book on the bed so that he had a free hand to hold Jongwoon's hand. He kept reading until the patient's breath was even and his eyes close. Putting the bookmark in the book, he set it aside and held the sleeping man's hand using both of his hands. He didn't even realize that someone came in the room until a dainty hand landed on his shoulder.

"Don't you have some exams tomorrow? You should take a rest, kid. Go, I'll take the night shift."

"Heechul hyung," Kyuhyun greeted the older man, "no, I want to stay with Jongwoon. He'll be sad if he woke up and didn't see me."

"Sigh, what a stubborn kid."

Heechul sat down on a chair at the other side of the bed opposite of Kyuhyun. He carefully brushed stray bangs out of his little brother's face while staring at the younger man fondly. His baby brother used to be an adorable boy full of life and energy, until he caught a bad flu at four. Although the flu was cured in a week, Jongwoon's condition didn't get better so they took him to a doctor. That was when the Kims learned that their youngest was born with a heart defect thus he was at a greater risk from a heart failure than other children. Jongwoon's world turned upside down ever since that day. He stayed at the hospital permanently and took tons of medication everyday. Luckily, their family was well-off and the director of the hospital, Kyuhyun's father, was their parents' friend, so they didn't have to worry much about the treatment expenses. Sadly, no matter how much money they paid, they couldn't completely cure Jongwoon but only stabilize it. If they weren't so rich and didn't have such a great friend like Kyuhyun's father, his little brother would have already…

"Jongwoon will definitely recover."

Heechul looked up and saw Kyuhyun staring at him. The younger man's brown eyes shone brightly with determination.

"We made a promise and you know that both of us always keep our words."

"... Sometimes I'm jealous of your confidence."

"Jongwoon himself never gives up, so I won't too."

"I see… and… kid?"

"Yes? Hyung?"

"Thank you for always being with Jongwoon. You're one of the reasons why he hasn't given up yet."

Kyuhyun smiled and tightened the hold around the sleeping man's small hand. The closed window blocked off a strong wind of fall from entering the room. Outside the window, a red-brown leaf swayed dangerously to the wind, before falling off its branch and disappearing with the wind.

****************************************

Winter

"Jongwoon, look! Hyukjae and Donghae sent these photos from their concert tours in America and Europe. They said that they'll take us there and be our guide, but only if you're fully recovered and I beg them nicely! Would you believe that!"

Kyuhyun's smile faltered when his boyfriend didn't answer them. It had been two months now since Jongwoon underwent a heart surgery. Although nothing went wrong and the surgery went exceedingly smooth, Jongwoon had yet to recover. The laborious surgery took a toll on his boyfriend's weak body so he needed more time. His father who was the lead surgeon of the operation told him that the first two months would be the hardest so anxiety kept bothering him. If only his boyfriend would laugh and smile at him again...

"A strong snow storm is expected to hit Seoul tonight. It'll be the harshest winter in a decade. Citizens are advised to stay in and keep warm. However, a spring is forecasted to arrive soon so we may look forward to it."

Kyuhyun turned away from the tv and glanced out of the window to the night scenery. A leafless tree withered under the heavy snowfall. White cushion of snow weighed the thin branch down and bent it, but it refused to give in. Kyuhyun turned off the tv when he had nothing to watch and took out a novel. Even though Jongwoon was barely conscious most of the time, he still read something to his boyfriend when he was free. Time flowed serenely as he kept reading through the book. Halfway through the story, a beeping noise pulled him out of the book. His heart immediately dropped to the floor when he saw numbers on a vital sign monitor slowly decreasing. He pressed an emergency bell and checked on the sleeping man. Jongwoon's complexion was even paler than usual and his face was void of colors. His heart rate and blood pressure also kept dropping. Two nurses rushed into the room looking panicked. Not many doctors stayed at the hospital during the long holiday. Only Kyuhyun and some other residents were at the hospital now, and he was the only cardiologist.

"Give me a stimulant and prepare the AED machine," Kyuhyun said sternly to the nurse.

""Yes doctor!""

Two nurses quickly followed his orders, one bringing a medication trolley while the other wheeling the AED machine to the bed. The nurse drew the stimulant out of a glass vail in a dose according to Kyuhyun's order. After pushing the air out, the nurse gave the syringe to the young doctor. Kyuhyun injected the stimulant into the catheter on the crook of Jongwoon's arm. He waited anxiously while staring at the beeping monitor. However, the patient's heart rate still dropped in the worrying rate.

"Turn on the machine and apply the gel."

Kyuhyun gave another order while ing Jongwoon's patient gown. The nurses followed through his words. Praying to god in his heart, he shocked Jongwoon and kept a close eye on the numbers. Still dropping, he gritted his teeth and shocked Jongwoon again.

"Come on Jongwoon… Didn't we promise to get our happy ending?"

Still dropping.

"Are you going to let Hyukjae and Donghae wait? They're willing to clear their schedules just for us so don't let them down!"

The lines became a straight line.

"No…! Jongwoon! Don't give up! Your prince is doing his best so you mustn't give up too!"

Kyuhyun's vision was blurry from tears. He quickly brushed them off before shocking the patient yet again. The lines still made no move and he started to imagine the worst. He gave the machine back to the nurse and took Jongwoon's hand. Closing his eyes, Kyuhyun whispered to the love of his life as tears trickled down his face.

"Jongwoon… I love you… don't leave me alone… please…"

Sadness soon fell on them. The only sound echoing within the room was Kyuhyun's sobbing. One nurse turned away from the scene to give them privacy while the other looked down. The young doctor's grief was too heavy for them to handle.

Beep…

The noise was very quiet that everyone almost missed it, but one of the nurses looked up at where it came from.

"Doctor Cho!" She quickly called the young man, "the patient's signals are back!"

Kyuhyun snapped his head up so fast that he almost broke his neck. Just as the nurse said, the numbers on the screen gradually increased. Even Jongwoon's complexion looked slightly better. Kyuhyun broke into a full sob from relief. He almost collapsed to the floor but held himself tall. He wiped his face with the gown sleeve and asked the nurse for another stimulant with decreased dose. After he was done with the treatment, he slumped on the nearby chair. He felt like he just lost ten years of his life span.

"Doctor Cho, you can take a rest at the waiting room. We'll take turns looking after him in your stead," one of the nurses kindly offered.

"Thanks, but a prince must take care of his princess himself, right?"

The older nurses giggled and nodded. They then collected the machine and medication and left the room. Kyuhyun held Jongwoon's hand and kissed his frail knuckle. Exhaustion was biting his bones but he fought them. He wanted to stay awake until he was sure that Jongwoon was safe.

"Besides," Kyuhyun chuckled, "you'll be all pouty and upset if I'm not there to greet you when you wake up, right?"

Kyuhyun glanced at the window. He didn't even realize that the snowstorm had subsided and the new day had begun. A branch just outside of the window was still covered under a blanket of snow, but the sun slowly melted it. Spring was probably approaching and a new bud would soon sprout.

"Why don't we have a picnic in the garden when spring arrives? You and me and our families."

Although Jongwoon didn't answer him, he knew just from looking at his boyfriend's healthily blushing cheeks that he had to think of the menu soon.

**************************************

New spring

"So you actually keep your promise and cure me, huh?"

"It's more like appa who cures you but, yes, I always keep my words."

Kyuhyun shrugged. He put the book down since it was clear that his boyfriend wasn't in the mood for it. As he expected, Jongwoon not so subtly looked at the beautiful weather outside of the window and pouted at him.

"Can we take a walk in the garden? Pretty please?"

"Jongwoon… Your body isn't fully recovered yet…"

"I know," Jongwoon beamed, "but I have my prince by my side, what else I have to be afraid of?"

"I can never win against you, can't I?"

Kyuhyun sighed but fetched a coat from a hanger anyway. He helped Jongwoon get down from the bed and put the coat on his frail shoulders. Together, they headed to the garden where new lives sprouted and decorated the world in colors.

Spring always came after winter. Even the most withered tree blossomed and came back to life, as long as there was light.