When Jiyoung opened his eyes, he screamed. A loud, blood curling scream that runs shivers down your spine. Seunghyun was in front of him in seconds, holding him, trying to calm the shaking boy as he cried.

“Shhh.” He shushed him, rocking Jiyoung back forth in his arms, and the sound of rain on the rooftop helping to sooth Jiyoung. “Calm down Jiyoung.”

Jiyoungs sobs slowed down and his shaking slowly came to a soft shiver. “You’re safe.” Seunghyun whispered in his ear, saying it  over and over again, so that Jiyoung knew that he was there, and no harm would be brought to him. Jiyoung breathed in and out, trying to calm himself down. Before he knew it, he started hiccupping; he covered his mouth in surprise, trying to stop the sound from coming out, but they came out over and over again, louder and louder each time. Seunghyun who noticed Jiyoungs discomfort took Jiyoungs hands away from his mouth, putting his mouth there instead. Letting a surprised moan, Jiyoung responded to the kiss, tears falling endlessly down his cheeks. Seunghyun rubbed his thumbs against Jiyoungs cheeks as he kissed him. Leaning back, Seunghyun separated his lips from Jiyoungs, who was no longer hiccupping.

“I heard that if you surprise someone they stop hiccupping.” Seunghyun said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Jiyoung just stared at him, not noticing that he had stopped crying. Seunghyun looked at him and said, “What happened?” Jiyoung frowned, his lips shaking.

“I-I just had a nightmare.” Jiyoung replied, rubbing his eyes with his fists. Seunghyun looked at the boy between his legs, and reached out, laying Jiyoungs head onto his chest. Jiyoung sniffed, and clung onto the boy’s shirt.

“He isn’t here and never will be.” Jiyoung flinched at this. Seunghyun looked into Jiyoungs shocked eyes, “How did you know?”

Seunghyun chuckled, “Remember, I know everything about you.”

Jiyoung rubbed his face cutely into his shirt. “Like what?” He asked curiously.

Seunghyun smiled, and leaned into Jiyoungs ear and said, “Your memories, both good and bad, the things you don’t tell anyone, your deepest secrets and your hidden desires.” Jiyoung closed his eyes. “How can you do this to me so easily?” Jiyoung whispered, “Make me so…”

“Vulnerable? Open?” Seunghyun said. Jiyoung nodded, nose pressed against Seunghyuns neck. “No one is perfect Jiyoung, everyone has their imperfections. You try hard to hide it from everyone. Your friends and family don’t have a clue about what happens, and even if they did, you wouldn’t let them know how much it hurts you, how it drives you into insanity. Believe me when I say this, everyone needs to speak to someone at some point before they explode. I can be that someone Jiyoung. Tell me what you feel, pour your heart out, fall apart. And when its over, I’ll put all the pieces back together again.”

Jiyoung looked into Seunghyuns honest and sincere eyes, and sobbed, pouring out his heart, and like Seunghyun said, he fell apart. He cried out, and yelled how it was unfair, why him, why does it hurt so much, and though he felt vulnerable, and completely out in the open, he felt safe, feeling Seunghyuns arms tightly wrapped around him. He felt protected as he heard Seunghyuns breathing, felt it as it moved the strains of his hair.

He couldn’t help to realize how ironic it was, someone he had not met even for a whole day meant more than him to people he knew his whole life. And as he fell deeper and deeper in the arms of this man, he couldn’t help but think that he would never want it any other way then this.

Jiyoung slowly calmed down after what seemed to be hours of hysteric sobbing and wailing, but though you would think he would be a mess, he felt calm, resolved, like all the pain that was bottled up bursted out, leaving only its mist behind. Sure, he had a slight headache from all the crying and rambling, but he felt clear as never before. He looked at Seunghyun who looked right back at him. Care, worry and acceptance were clearly laid out in his eyes, and Jiyoung felt so right at that moment, so sure of himself. He never spoke to anyone else, their eyes to full of pity and not understanding him even a little. They didn’t understand, it was beyond them what he went through, so he stopped trying. But here was someone he just met that seemed to know everything, but not only that, seemed to understand everything completely. He didn’t judge him; give him pity he didn’t need. He just gave him that listening ear he wanted. That’s all he ever wanted.

Jiyoung smiled, a true, genuine smile, full of warmth and happiness, that it caught Seunghyuns breath. Seunghyun, snapping out his daze, smiled back, a smile that showed the same warmth that was being sent his way.

The sun seemed to shine brightly, lighting up the whole room. Standing up, Jiyoung detangled himself from Seunghyun, walking towards the balcony doors. Seeing the blue sky without the dark, large clouds that seemed to lurk in the background, trying to block the sun from reaching him, he grinned, feeling accomplished.

Turning around, he asked Seunghyun, “Can we go outside? Onto those hills?” Seunghyun stood, and walked over to Jiyoung, hugging him closely to his chest. “As you wish.” He said.

--

Laying on the luscious, green grass that swayed in the warm gentle breeze, they looked at the sky, hands linked together. Jiyoung watched as the small fluffy white clouds floated by, and he fell in love with the peace that surrounded him, them as a whole. It was quiet. So quiet and he loved every moment of it. The sound of the wind softly blowing, and Seunghyuns breathing and heart beating underneath him was like a lullaby to him, and as he drifted to sleep, head on Seunghyuns chest, he promised himself that he will do what he can to keep it this way.

He held the promise of the words that Seunghyun told him closely, that they will stay here, forever. Their own little haven, their paradise for only them and them only.

He wants it no other way. With those thoughts, he fell asleep, a smile gracing his lips.

--

--

--

Two young women stood together, gossiping in a long white pathway with trees running along its side, in front of a plain slab of concrete.

“How awful. Who would think that a child would be driven to that?” Said a shorter, younger lady with a short black bob. “What an awful mother as well! If only she would take her medication, maybe she wouldn’t have been so crazy.”

“But it wasn’t all the mothers’ fault I heard. The older brother I hear was abusive as well. I heard a couple of ladies talking to each other earlier. Seemed that the boy was covered in brushes, and scars. All hidden of course, but still.” Said the older one, long black hair tied up in ponytail.

“Really? Oh my, how dreadful! Where was the father during the whole thing?”

“Someone had to work. The mother was mentally sick; the brother a pure devil, the poor man had trouble even paying rent. From what I heard the father was completely heart broken when he heard what happened. I heard that the young boy was the only normal one, that he was a shy, kind and quiet boy.”

“Maybe that’s what did it! The quiet ones always keep to themselves, and then suddenly, boom! They snap. I swear it’s the scariest thing.” The older one nodded, agreeing with the younger.

“What a shame though. So young, if only the police had arrived earlier. Maybe they could have saved him.”

“Who’s to say? What was the boys name again?” The younger one asked, glancing down at the concrete that rested beside them, surrounded by flowers and pictures.

“Kwon Jiyoung. Committed suicide at only 16.” The older one said. Lowering a small, white daisy wrapped with a light pink ribbon, she stood up straight, and said. “Insanity raised him, and with it, he took his own live.” She sighed. “Come on, I’ll buy you some coffee.”

The ladies left together side to side. As they left, a tall handsome man seemed to stand in front of the tombstone out of nowhere.

“Don’t worry.” He whispered into the empty pathway, eyes trained on the two young ladies “He’s in a happier place now.” And just as the wind blew across the cemetery, the man seemed to disappear along with it, without a trace of him to be found.