Luhan sat on a bench with his camera settled in his lap. The rain had made it impossible for him to get the shots he’d wanted that morning so now he was stuck here trying to wash off the smudges on his lenses. It wasn’t going too well so far, however, leaving him to frown at his camera and pout over the fact that his whole schedule had been thrown off. What was he going to tell his boss? Those shots were due tomorrow…

            “You should have taken them yesterday,” Luhan cursed himself, putting away the kerchief that he was trying to clean with and popping the lens cap back on.

            The sun was still high up in the sky, but the lighting was completely off… He supposed he could take random pictures and just develop them for his own personal collection. Even if there would be a couple water marks on them blurring the image it would be a unique addition.

            His mind was set, he was going to waste film on shenanigans to take his mind off the scolding he was bound to receive. Not that he could really afford to buy so much film with the measly salary he was getting but… Details. He needed an escape.

            A heavy sigh rolled off Luhan’s lips. The pier would be a good place to start, he figured, wrapping the strap around his neck and beginning the trek down the street. Some ships were coming in at the port, setting the scene quite nicely.

            He leaned against the railing, deciding to take some wide shots of the area first. The way the seagulls were falling into the scene was quite nice and Luhan grinned at how pretty it was. He lifted the camera to his eye, oblivious to the water drops, and snapped a couple shots of the scenery. The horizon would come out nicely… With the buildings and the boats…

            He zoomed in on the scene, catching the workers as they helped unload the shipments from the cargo ship that had settled in near the pier. A truck was being driven by a man and Luhan zoomed in on him, wanting to catch him in action. He had always loved observing people in their natural habitat. This guy had dark hair, already making a pleasant contrast between the yellow of the truck and the blue of the sky. A wife beater over tanned skin… The perfect natural model.

            It was funny how his whole body was clear in the shot, albeit a bit small, but there was one spot of water that marked the head, keeping Luhan from seeing his face. His finger snapped a couple shots before he could move and lost the mystery of the photograph. He had a feeling that this would be one of his favourite shots of the batch.

            When the young photographer pulled away he noticed that the boy he’d been photographing had turned up to look at him, paused in his work while some people hooked up ropes. He pointed to his co-worker, a tall blonde with lean muscles, and said something. Immediately, Luhan flushed and lowered his camera so it was hidden behind the wall that kept him from falling into the water.

            It was more than just a little embarrassing to be caught spying on another. Well, he wasn’t spying, but he may as well been considering the others didn’t know he was working on a project.

            Still blushing from his neck up to his ears, Luhan rushed away from the river’s edge, finding the bench he’d been sitting on earlier that was just down the street and passing it still.

            He was done taking pictures here for the day… Maybe he could cheat with his work and take those pictures in a different lighting. At least he’d get the folder out of the way for his boss… But… His lens was still all mucky.

            “Aish, why?” Luhan grumbled, glaring at his camera. He needed better equipment. He needed to work for a new company who would actually give him new equipment to let him do his job.

            With another hefty sigh, he gave in for the time being, heading down the street at a leisurely place to get back to his apartment.

            Another day, another time. For now he needed to mentally prep himself for the lashing he was going to receive at work.

 

 

            Mondays. He’d always known that he’d hated Mondays. Luhan didn’t need any more proof that they were the epitome of disaster. He had to wake up early, he had to go to work, he had to get yelled at by co-workers and bosses and now he had to lose his job on a Monday. All because he’d woken up too late on Saturday to take the right shots for some stupid magazine that no one even read.

            So now what was he? Jobless, even more broke, with a camera that didn’t work properly and 20 dollars worth of film to waste. And where was he? At that same pier, watching that same boy he’d photographed the other day and debating whether it was smart to take more pictures of him.

            Luhan could care less at this point. He needed to release some pent up frustrations and he wasn’t about to let some stupid people lugging packages stop him with their curious gazes.

            With his scarf wrapped tightly around his neck to keep out the chilly breeze of fall, the boy moved to the exact same spot he’d been at the previous day, aiming his camera at the men unloading the ship. The breeze was picking up, sending chills all the way down his spine. He fought down the trembles so he could steady his shot, finger snapping a multitude of shots that he wasn’t even looking at properly. His camera was pointed to one place, though. Well, one person.

            The dark haired boy was still driving that pitch fork truck, pulling crates around like they were nothing. Luhan wondered if this is all he did all day. He looked too young to be working in this profession. Hell, he looked younger than Luhan himself was. Nonetheless, he was a great candid model… And he probably didn’t even know it.

            How much film did he have left? Luhan pulled his eye away from his camera to check only to be caught off guard by the hefty winds that were picking up in strength. How the hell did those boys down by the cargo ship manage to work in just their wife beaters? Luhan was freezing and he was wearing three layers.

            Whatever floated their boats…

            All puns intended.

            The photographer giggled to himself, forgetting that he’d stopped clicking away to check for film and leaning back over the railing. The tree on his right caught him on the arm though he quickly shook it off, trying to focus on his shot. The sun was hanging in the sky perfectly, the lighting hitting just the right spot so that the boy on the truck was perfectly illuminated… Luhan felt his breath catch, his finger stalling on the button at just how great he looked. Was God playing tricks on him? Or giving him some kind of light in this dark Monday of his…

            He was just about to snap a couple more pictures of the perfect set up that had fallen before him when the strongest gust of wind yet blew him hard enough to stumble. His scarf loosened around his neck, leaving his neck and flying off into the sky. For a second Luhan was afraid he was going to lose it (it was his favourite, after all) but it snagged onto one of the branches of the tree, leaving him a small chance of retrieving it.

            “Stupid, stupid scarf! I hate the weather!” Luhan grumbled, already grouchy enough. He didn’t need another stupid thing to add onto his resume of worst Monday ever.

            He made sure his camera was safely looped around his shoulder before moving on to the hunt to save his scarf. The railing made it difficult for him to reach the tree, and sadly, his determination may not have been enough to get him stretched out far enough to reach his scarf. His first attempt was a failure. He groaned as he stretched his fingers down to the last muscle. The branch was just too far away…

            “Damn it! Screw this Monday!” Luhan cursed as he once again leaned forwards to grab his scarf.

            If he could just get… A little bit further… He’d have it between his fingers and he could snatch it up and get back to his pictures… Another half inch and he’d have it…

            He was scaling on his tip toes now, his run down sneakers hardly even touching the pavement. Without his knowledge the cap for his camera’s lens slipped off, falling down and tangling within the dead brush by the river.

            “Why won’t you let me get you?!” Luhan muttered through gritted teeth.

            It was just there… In his reach…

            “Aha!” Triumph at being able to grab his scarf set in, lasting for all but two seconds until he realized that his sneakers were no longer touching the ground. There was a lapse in his brain where he wondered if it was possible to stay grounded and not actually touch the ground. But that was only until he realized that he was tipping over the railing. The ‘Aha!’ of victory turned into a full fledged “AHHHH!”

            His arms splayed out, trying to hold onto something to break his fall. It wasn’t exactly the hottest day, the water would be freezing if he ended up falling in. And the fall from the railing to the ground was going to be a painful one. He needed to catch onto something.

            Luhan’s heart hammered in his chest, he felt his breath disappear. The ground was rushing up to meet him; he had only a few seconds to do something about it. Come on, come on, come on! He screamed at himself, his mind abusing him with demands that he couldn’t possible act upon with his body. Oh God. Dear God. He was going to die. This was it. It couldn’t be the worst Monday ever unless he died. Yup, that was it. He was going to die.

            He could hear some other people shouting. Perhaps the passerby’s who had been walking peacefully till the dunce of a photographer (ex-photographer no less) had fallen over the railing.

            Just when Luhan thought he was going to die, his coat snagged on something and he found himself hovering ten feet from the hard, muddy ground. He could almost breathe again, though his eyes were spread so wide it was beginning to hurt. He was dangling from a branch… Good Lord, he was dangling from a branch.

            The young boy abandoned his camera, letting it go with the though that he rather hold on to his life than to a petty piece of machinery that was doing nothing but bringing him pain these days. The bark was cold and rough beneath his fingers yet Luhan clung to it with all the force he had left. He was half upside down though… And the railing was right over there… If he could just… Angle his body in the right direction he could… Grab onto the railing and haul himself over.

            As he reached out to catch the railing his other hand slipped. It solicited a shout of terror from him as he was threatened with the possibility of diving to his death again.

            “Don’t move! We’re coming to get you!” someone shouted at Luhan.

            He managed to twist his head enough to see a couple people that he’d been spying on down by the pier running up the curving street towards the area where a crowd was gathering.

            “Help me…” he whimpered, feeling the fear turn him into a big baby.

            All the rage he’d had before dissipated, leaving Luhan with the feeling of panic amongst many others. He suddenly wished he had his mom or a stuffed animal or his little blanket to hold onto again so he could hide and burrow away from the traumas he was facing.

            This was so embarrassing…

            “The fire fighters are coming to get you! Just hold on!” A deep voice was shouting at Luhan now. The small glance he got of the man calling to him told him that it wasn’t a man, but the very worker whom he’d snapped all those rain drop pictures of.

            Sweet Jesus with macaroni, this wasn’t what he needed.

            “I’m okay…” he lied, pretty sure that no one could hear him, though.

            “Just hold on! We’re going to help you,” the dark haired boy shouted again.

            Luhan peered at him again, taking in his tan skin and the crown of straight hair on his head. The furrow of those thick eyebrows as he leaned over the railing, trying to tell him that everything was okay. He was built, something he should have expected considering his job was to haul heavy objects around all day. And he was handsome… Great. Perfect. Luhan would never be able to live this down. All his friends would make fun of him for this till the day he died. That is, if he survived this thing.

            He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that when his hand slipped it hardly registered. The dew from the morning was still hanging around, worsened by the fact that they were by the river. Screw the humidity! Luhan cursed, wishing he could shake his fist. His anger was blown away again though when he remembered that he was clinging to a tree, ten feet away from his death, with one hand, and his fingers were still slipping.

            “Get them here faster!” Luhan screamed, freaking out. His legs flailed out, trying to reach a branch to add more support to the coat and hand keeping him hooked up. He kept kicking at empty air, however, expanding his panic into a full blown attack. This was not the time for this.

            His chest heaved beneath his layers, his words jumbling into frantic pleas that were heard but that no one could do anything about.

            “Hold onto the branch with your other hand!” the dark haired box boy called again, one leg flying over the rail as he prepared to climb the tree.

            Luhan did as he was told, both hands on the branch again, but now a tearing sound came to his ears and he started kicking his legs again; sure that he was going to fall and die this time. “My jacket is ripping! I’m gonna die!” Luhan near sobbed, foolishly staring at the ground.

            “No you’re not. Just listen to my voice; I’m going to try and reach you, okay? Just stay calm; I’m coming to you. Listen to my voice,” the boy continued to speak to him.

            He did his best to listen to him, though fear was quickly dominating over logic. He just wanted out of this tree. There were more of those little tearing sounds, the seams of his jacket only being able to go so far with carrying his wait. It was only a matter of seconds before Luhan felt his body lurching downwards.

            “AHHH!” he screeched, feeling his legs scrape against branches and then suddenly fall limp in the air. The sudden weight added onto his hands wasn’t something his reflexes had been expecting. As much as he’d been holding on tightly, he wasn’t able to take the initial shock of having all of his body weight pull down on his fingers and he ended up doing an upside down dive to the river bank.

            Luhan swore he heard someone curse, though he couldn’t tell if it was the boy who had been trying to help him or someone else. Many people were shouting, woman, children, men… Sirens were getting louder and gruff voices started barking orders to each other. Paramedics maybe…

            He was floating through the air, going full force but time having slowed for him. There was a mental list in his head that Luhan was going over, counting all the times he’d smiled or done something fun. Adding regret for all the times he’d rejected offers to go out or had spent nights cooped up in his hole of an apartment to pine away with ice cream over how big of a failure he was. As he was sure he was dying, it was the perfect time to re-evaluate his life.

            The impact he had on the ground was intense. All the air was knocked out of him, the screams he’d been eliciting stopped short. There was a shock of pain that started in his ankles and moved all the way up to his hips then back down, and he started to roll. His body was sent feet over head, head over feet, through long grass, weeds, mud and rocks. He could practically feel his brain shifting around in his head. It was not pleasant, it was not pleasant indeed.

            He was frightened that he was going to fall into the river. If he did, then he really would die of hypothermia; there’d be no saving him. He’d be a complete goner.

            Please Lady Luck, Jesus, God whatever, someone had to save him, Luhan whimpered in his head as he tried desperately to grab onto something that would slow his descent.

            When his hope was just about to disappear, he felt his body skid and then stop finally as it rammed into a large boulder, all but four feet away from the river’s edge. Had he been able to move, he might have done a dance to celebrate that he hadn’t died. In his head it was worthy of a party and he vowed to himself to buy Chinese food once he got back to his apartment.

            Settled down on the bank, he started to feel the extent of the bruising on his body. His arm was practically torn to shreds. Something warm was trickling down over his eyebrow and blinding him in one eye. He kept having to blink to get the drops off his eyelashes, and even then he still had to lift up his hand to try and brush away the droplets. But his hands hurt as well. It didn’t surpass the pain that he felt in his legs, though. Now that was excruciating pain. Luhan actually let himself cry and yowled when he tried to wiggle his toes.

            Good Lord… Had anything ever been so painful before.

            The sounds of the wind brushing over the water harmonized with the blood rushing through his ears and the throbbing pulse in his head.

            Somewhere off in the distance he was aware that there was still a mob of panicking people trying to get their curiosity sated as they glanced over the railing at his broken body.

            At his broken camera…

            His camera! The only thing that had brought him any joy or meaning to his life – ruined! How was he going to afford a new one? He had to pay for the medical bills he was surely going to get… And his rent… Food… He had no job… How was he going to pay for anything if he didn’t have a job?

            “Hey… Hey… Are you okay? Can you look at me? Jesus… Don’t be dead or anything… Hey boy, are you okay?”

            That damn voice needed to stop talking to him, Luhan grumbled mentally, cracking his eyes open to find the face of the highlight of his photo shoot in his line of vision. From up close it was easier to see the fullness of his lips, the dark lashes contouring his tender, brown eyes… And that dark hair… Luhan wanted to pass his fingers through it just to feel how soft it was; he didn’t even care that it was a bit sweaty.

            “I’m not dead…” Luhan groaned, gasping when he felt a stab of pain go through his chest. Okay, so he wouldn’t be able to talk for a while… That was okay…

            “Damn it, you took quite a big fall… But you’re speaking, that’s good… Can you tell me how many fingers I’m holding up?” the boy asked, holding up ten fingers… No… Four? Six? Who had six fingers on one hand…?

            “Two,” Luhan settled for, hoping his wild guess was right.

            “Two… You’re right… Are you in pain?”

            “Yes.”

            “Where? Tell me where? The paramedics are on their way. They’re coming down now with their equipment. Don’t worry; they’re going to take care of you.”

            Everywhere. Luhan wanted to tell him everywhere but he was mesmerized by the others face. For all he cared, he could blame his attraction to him on the pain fogging up his senses. But those lips, moving over tiny imperfect teeth… The light pink flush in those cheeks that was hardly noticeable on his dark skin. Something about it… Was cool. Was special… It wasn’t enough to blind him from the torturous pain in his legs, but it was enough to cool down the heat wrenching his body around, and the fact that he had to take shallow breaths because there was something trying to tear open his lungs…

            “Hey, hey no don’t leave me just yet. You have to stay conscious, all right? No falling asleep. I know you’re tired but you can’t nap yet…” the boy ordered, snapping his fingers in front of Luhan’s face.

            Had he closed his eyes? He couldn’t remember. If he had, then that boy’s face had been lingering behind his eyelids. Painted there like a portrait…

            What a lovely man…

            “No, no, no,” he snapped some more, “stay awake buddy… Come on…”

            “How old… Are you…?” Luhan wheezed, managing to flick his eyes to the stranger.

            “Me…? Nineteen… What’s that got to do with anything? Is your head hurting?”

            “Then don’t… Call me buddy…” Luhan murmured, feeling his eyelids getting heavy.

           

 

            The day Luhan woke up, he wished he hadn’t. He’d been hoping that if he did then the whole day he’d had was just a dream, but unfortunately it wasn’t. He had wires and tubes plugged into his body. There was an IV drip on his left side, a machine beeping off somewhere in the room, and his leg was plastered up into a big, ugly, pink cast.

Fabulous, now he couldn’t walk.

The doctor had come in and explained to him the situation; how bad the damage was to his body, the precautions he should take in the future, what medication he should take, when he would be released from the hospital.

            The only thing that really mattered was that last bit. Luhan despised hospitals. Not that there was anything wrong about them, or that anything traumatic had happened to him in one, but he despised being rooted to one spot when he could be at home… Eating Chinese food and sulking over the fact that he was going to lose all his money soon if he didn’t find a job.

            He sighed. It was going to be a long time in the hospital… With a broken leg that needed surgery, a few broken ribs, a concussion and more he was on high watch. By both the medical staff and the media.

            Flipping through the channels he’d stopped on the news, having been caught off guard by the fact that a reporter stood in front of the spot he’d dropped, retelling his embarrassing story to the many people who watched the news.

            He was completely humiliated.

            There was no way he could ever go back to that spot again. At least not with all the casts on his body and looking as pocked up as he was.

            What to do now…? There was nothing good on TV… Nothing to eat… He couldn’t go anywhere… Luhan supposed he could sleep… It was his last option after all.

 

 

            Waking up again was easier this time. Though Luhan had no idea how much time had passed, he knew that he’d most likely slept through that afternoon and the whole night. The sun was just rising outside his window when a nurse came in, tray laden with food and some pills.

            “Good morning,” she greeted him, flashing a brilliant smile.

            “Morning…” Luhan croaked, shocked to find his throat so dry. That carton of apple juice on the container was suddenly appearing very appetizing.

            “Oh, you sound like you have a frog in your throat,” the nurse giggled, placing the tray on a table attached to the bed and rounding around to Luhan’s other side so that she could prop him up into a sitting position. She had delicate hands and was careful not to brush against any painful part on Luhan’s body. He appreciated that. He wasn’t sure what day it was, but it wasn’t a day he wanted to intensify his pain.

            She came and went. As did many other people. The days flew by. Luhan was beginning to wonder if he’d ever be able to get home. He’d kill even just to get out of this God awful bed… To take another walk down by the river and snap some pictures with his mind… Since his camera was nothing but a scrap of plastic and glass now…

            As he was thinking about how great it’d be to roam outside again, when the door opened. He glanced at the clock, frowning when he read the time. The nurses didn’t usually come till half past eleven and it was hardly ten o’clock… Visiting hours. Luhan never forgot it because he never got any visitors. The joy.

            Which is why when the door opened his eyes bugged out of his head. Out of all the people that could have come to visit him, he’d not been expecting the dark haired boy from the pier who had tried to rescue him from the tree.

            Why in the world would he be here? Luhan wondered, eyebrows furrowing. He watched the boy stand awkwardly by the door hanging half closed and slowly swinging shut. His hands were shoved deep into the pockets of his worn down denim jeans. He wore a black shirt over his tanned body… He looked even better close up now that he was looking at him without being hazed by the pain and raindrops… Yes… He did have a rather gorgeous face and body…

            Luhan felt his heart beat faster in his chest when the other took a tentative step forward. His palms began to sweat. He suddenly wished that there was a way he could get up and walk on his own, but the bloody cast was hindering his movement a little too much for his liking.

            “Hey,” the stranger greeted, nodding his head towards Luhan.       

            “Um… Hi?” Luhan asked more than responded. Any one would be confused if a stranger showed up in their hospital room, though… So he wasn’t exactly falling out of the norm, was he?

           “I know this must be weird,” the other started, running a hand through his hair and advanced closer to Luhan. “Well, I guess I should introduce myself… I’m, uh, I’m Jongin, some people call me Kai, um, but you can uh, call me whatever you want…” He chuckled nervously, and then quickly stopped, realizing how his words may have played off to Luhan. “I mean, you can call me either Jongin or… Kai,” he corrected himself.

            Despite the pain he suffered when he laughed, Luhan found the other comical and couldn’t stop himself from letting out a couple chortles. For a moment he thought he could get away with it, but the pain spiked up in his chest and he winced, bringing a hand up to the area where he’d been stabbed with the pain.

            Kai seemed to sense it like a hyena on the hunt as he leaped forward, one hand outstretched like it could magically reduce the others discomfort. “Hey, are you okay? Should I buzz a nurse?”

            Luhan quickly shook his head. The last thing he wanted in the room was some chirpy nurse trying to get him to press the morphine button more often. A smile graced his lips. “Don’t worry about it… I’m okay, just a broken rib. I can tell you it’s not the most comfortable thing in the world,” he joked, slowly allowing his hand to come back down and rest on the bed.

           “Okay… Good, good, I came here… Not to kill you,” Kai chuckled, again pulling his fingers through his hair.

            “I think I’ve done enough dying for a while… I can tell you that if you ever feel like it’s a good idea to fall twenty feet out of a tree and into a rock… Don’t do it.”

            “Well, thanks for the advice; I will take that into mind.”

            “Good,” Luhan said with a smile, nodding his head lightly. However, the question still remained as to why Kai was here… In his room… Making small chat with him when he should have been either at a) work or b) anywhere but here if he even had the smallest inkling of a life.

            Cocking his head to the side, he raised his eyebrows and asked, “So why exactly are you here?”

            “Ah well… I don’t start until noon on Monday’s for work, so I thought I’d drop by and see if you were still… Well, alive…” Kai explained, blushing slightly.

            “I’m alive all right… Though I feel myself dying bit by bit in this room,” he sighed, staring wistfully outside of his window.           

            Kai followed his gaze, wondering what was so interesting outside the window. There was a parking lot and a lonely tree, but not much else was training outside… Perhaps it went deeper than that, though…

            “If you want, I can ask a nurse if I can take you outside?” he suggested, looking away from the window and letting his look fall onto Luhan.

            Those were the very words Luhan had been waiting to hear all week. He nearly got whiplash from how fast his head turned to focus on Kai. “You would do that?” he asked. He didn’t want to get his hopes up just yet, but a stroll outside, whether he be in a wheel chair or suspending from a crane, would be the best possible thing for him that day. The best thing of his week, of his whole life. So he was dramatizing a bit, but anyone would if they’d been caged in like a hamster the whole week.

            “Yeah, I can ask and try to get you out.”

            “Do it. Go! The door is there, there should be a nurse down the hall. Try to get the one who has the pony tail and the yellow scrunchie, she likes me,” Luhan said, pointing frantically to the door. He made a wrong movement and winced but he was adamant about getting out of here and he wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip out of his hands. Kai seemed to understand and gave a little salute to Luhan before escaping the room.

            Luhan was waiting impatiently, staring at the clock above his door while he waited for Kai to come back. He could go outside… He could feel the wind in his hair. Maybe if he convinced the other enough they could escape hospital grounds and go to the pier. He wondered if anyone would recognize him as the idiot who fell out of the tree…

            It didn’t take long. Kai came back less than five minutes later and he was waving a pass around in his hand which Luhan cheered to. “I finally get to go out!” he said in a voice that was much calmer than he felt, but he blamed everything on the broken ribs. Soon he’d be able to fully express his delight.

            The nurse had to help him up and out of a wheel chair. It was no easy feat when you had broken bones basically everywhere yet they managed. In no time at all, Kai was wheeling Luhan and all his excitement towards the exit that would lead to the courtyard.

            The sun was shining bright, hanging high in the sky where barely a cloud was placed to block it. Luhan tilted his head up to greet the little breezes that blew every so often, his smile only growing the more his wheel chair rolled along. It was strange how much he missed the outdoors when in the past he did everything he could to stay inside most of the time. He supposed it was a different case when someone was forced to stay inside.

            “It’s such a nice day out,” Luhan gushed to Kai. He wondered if the other had an appreciation for the outdoors that surpassed his own. Or if he found that Luhan was just too weird to stay around. For all he knew, the near stranger of a boy could think him completely stupid… Though he had been the one to come visit him in the hospital… How had he even found his room? He didn’t recall ever telling him his name…

            “It is a nice day out,” Kai agreed. Whatever he was about to say was cut off abruptly by Luhan as he was pestered with these persistent thoughts.

            “Hey wait, how did you find me?” Luhan asked, tilting his head up as much as his body would allow to stare at Kai.

            “Uh well… I went to the hospital and asked them if they knew what room belonged to the guy who fell out of the tree…”

            “But don’t you need to like, be a relative in order to visit me. I’m in the ICU.”

            “I may have lied and said that I was your brother…”

            At this Luhan snorted, unable to believe that the nurses and personnel had actually believed that this boy was his brother. For one, they looked nothing alike (blonde and black hair, and the facial features that just didn’t match up) and two, the other was clearly a native Korean and he… Luhan still struggled with some of his pronunciation since he was native Chinese.

            “Can’t believe they fell for that…” Luhan murmured, stifling a chuckle.

            The hour they had to stroll around was the best part of Luhan’s day. A Monday that actually went well… It was still a surprise to him. But somehow he and Kai managed to talk about all these little things. By the time he was wheeled back to his room he could consider the other something just a little more than a stranger but not quite an acquaintance… As it hurt for him to talk too much he had needed to stay silent most of the time, but he contented himself in listening to the deep voice that belonged to Kai. He had some interesting stories to tell… It seemed he’d managed to have a bit of adventure and all before he turned twenty. It was quite amazing to be honest… Though he admitted to being a bit jealous at the fact that he was a good four years older and all he had managed to do was lose his job and then nearly kill himself on accident.

            “I have to say, I had fun today,” Kai said as the nurse left the room after helping Luhan back into his bed.

            “I did too,” Luhan murmured in agreement, smiling softly to Kai.

            The other boy’s hands were shoved into his jean pockets again. His shoulders practically touched his ears and when he realized he was positioned in such a way he chuckled and let himself shake out his tension, running a hand through his hair. “Well, I have to get to work now… But I’ll come back some other time if I can, if that’s okay… I’d like to get to know you better,” Kai said.

            “Sure, I’d love to meet with you again… If it means we can go outside again,” he said with a light laugh, retaining a groan when he remembered that he shouldn’t be laughing.

            “All right then, it’s a deal. I’ll come back to take you for another walk next Monday. See you later Luhan.” And with the most casual of waves, he was gone. He left out the door, turning right, leaving Luhan with a grin as he anticipated the next Monday…

            Perhaps he’d never have a bad Monday ever again…

 

 

 

             Every Monday since then was like a gift to Luhan. He would be out of here soon, he just needed to go through a bit of physical therapy for his hand since it had been a bit demolished at the nerve endings from the fall and had a hard time moving his fingers. Kai would be here soon, though, to take him on his daily walk. Right before his first therapy session.

            Any second now he’d be walking through that door…

            It was impossible for Luhan to deny the fact that he liked the others company. No… he liked more than just his company at this point. He liked the deep tone of his laugh when he made a joke that wasn’t even funny, liked the way his eyes crinkled at the corner when he smiled, liked the way his hair ruffled in the breeze when they were walking outside and the weather was a little chilly. He was just a very handsome boy…

            “Morning.”

            Speaking of that very guy… Luhan looked up from his bed, happy to be able to smile and laugh at his cheesy wave without having that stinging jab of pain in his chest at last.

            “Morning, you’re late,” he replied teasingly, pointing at the clock. 10:02 it read, and he would never let Kai forget it. Being on time had been a running joke between them both and if ever they were late they would always point it out and make a big deal out of it.

            “Yeah, yeah. But only because I brought breakfast. I figured you might be annoyed of all this crappy hospital food,” Kai said, striding over and placing the bag of food down on the tray where he had a bunch of gooey, mushy slop waiting to be eaten. Lovely, Luhan was starving and he didn’t feel like choking down the baby food.

            “You said that last week too. Your excuse isn’t going to work forever,” Luhan said, reaching for the bag.

            Kai quickly swatted his hand away, wagging a finger at him like he was a naughty boy. “Hey, not yet. We’re going to eat outside.”  He paged the nurse, still making mindless chit chat with Luhan, poking fun, exchanging stories. He was always so full of stories. He always had something to say to entertain the bed ridden boy. It was something he loved about him… There was never a chance for Luhan to get bored when Kai was around… Which is why his Monday’s always ended up being the best day out of his whole week.

            Ironic.

            Luhan was helped into the wheel chair, getting better at manoeuvring into it with the cast going all the way down his leg now. Once he was all settled in Kai placed a blanket on his legs, dropping the food into his lap, and started wheeling him out.

            “Let’s go, let’s go!” he cheered in a soft voice, chuckling along with Luhan as they practically ran down the hallway.

            The rush made Luhan squeal. He clung to the sides of the chair, hoping to God that they wouldn’t run into anything. He didn’t think he could stand to have a collision with his leg… It would be much too painful, and yet he knew he’d forgive Kai no matter what.

            That boy was like his toxin.

           

 

“I got you a present.”

            “Huh?”

            They’d reached the outdoors without a mishap (that was worth celebration alone). Outside it was cold, but not cold enough to be driven indoors. The shade was abundant out in the hospital’s courtyard; sitting on a bench beneath a tree wasn’t the wisest idea probably since they should have been trying to catch the sun. There breakfast had been consumed, always continuing with that light banter that they’d become experts at.

            And now Kai was springing things out of nowhere like a present.

            He was trying to keep his confused act up, but a smile was tugging at his lips. The more he stared at Kai and the excited expression on his face the stronger the urge became to beam at him.

            “A present, I got you one,” Kai repeated, shuffling closer on the bench.

            “What is it? What’s you get me?” Luhan asked, hardly able to contain his anxiousness. No one ever got him gifts… Especially not on Monday’s.

            “If you want it… We have to get off hospital grounds,” Kai said, getting up and starting to wheel Luhan away.

            “Wait, where are you taking me? We’re not allowed off the hospital grounds! And don’t you have to work in like a half hour?”

            “I took the day off… Got a double shift tomorrow to make up for it. Don’t worry about it Lu; I won’t get you in trouble, I promise. Unless you don’t really want your gift?” he asked.

            That smirk told Luhan all he needed to know. It was teasing and daring all at the same time, as if questioning Luhan to see if he would go with the flow. Thankfully for the other boy, adrenaline was running through Luhan’s veins – he was so going to accept this challenge.

            “All right then… I trust you.”

            That one statement was all that Kai needed to hear. It was the key that would let him wheel Luhan out of here and closer to the present he had.

 

 

            “Where are we goingggg?!” Luhan asked through a shriek of laughter, once again finding himself clutching to his wheel chair for dear life as Kai ran through the streets of the town, guiding him to who knew where.

            Kai was staying curiously quiet, though, making his curiosity all the worse. He didn’t even know if he was ever going to tell him when suddenly he stopped, out of nowhere with no warning.

            “Where are we?” Luhan questioned, glancing around at his surroundings. It took him a while to pin point where they were but soon enough he started piecing things together. The bench, the tree, the river… The port down the little hill with the cranes and other things needed to unload the boats that passed through. They were at the pier… Where they’d first met and where Luhan had nearly died. “Why are we here?” he asked, cocking his head at Kai.

            He couldn’t fathom why Kai had taken him here. Though he supposed the answers to his questions had to wait since he was rummaging through his bag, looking for something that was seemingly very important.

            “Kaiiii,” Luhan whined.

            “Wait a second you booger,” Kai shot back with a laugh, still with his head shoved deep into his bag.

            He bit his tongue, not wanting to annoy the boy but he was dying to know what it was. Not that he didn’t enjoy the view of the top of Kai’s head, he had a lovely crown of hair, honest to God, all silky and smooth and shiny and stuff… But the view would be so much better if Luhan could see the front of Kai’s head (AKA his face), holding out a lovely present just for him. The present could be a pebble… It could be a partially eaten sandwich (okay, maybe not…) but he just wanted to see the other holding it out to him.

            His heart was fluttering at the thought. His palms were clammy again, fingers tapping on his thigh anxiously. Why were their knots in his stomach? He couldn’t understand why he felt jumpy and nervous all of a sudden.

            “Tadah! This is for you. I know it’s not the same… I mean, I saw you with a camera not long ago you know, before you uh, fell out of the tree… But I can’t exactly afford the high tech stuff, so this was the best I could do.” Kai held out a disposable camera to Luhan, shifting on his feet as he waited upon the reaction of the boy in the wheel chair, hoping and praying that he’d like it.

            Luhan was practically stumped for an answer, his heart having stopped beating in his chest. It was… The best gift he could ever hope to get from anyone. He didn’t need four different lenses and a state of the art Nikon camera with all the fancy buttons and stuff… Not if it was Kai giving it to him.

            “Do you like it…?” Kai asked when a while passed and Luhan had still yet to say anything.

            “No… No I love it,” Luhan said, taking it from Kai and his finger over the simple button on the top. “It’s great,” he added, smile stretching across his face, reaching all the way up to his ears.

            “Then let’s take a picture!” Kai exclaimed, startling Luhan with the ferocity of his suggestion.

            “Uh… Okay?” Luhan agreed, chuckling softly at what seemed to be a random explosion from Kai.

            He let him take the camera and round around his wheel chair, squatting down to get at eye level with Luhan. “Smile,” he told him wrapping one arm around him and stretching the other out so that he could snap a picture of them together.

            Luhan was already smiling, though and he didn’t need to be told twice to do it. He just needed to wait now, to get that picture snapped and start a whole new scrap book of Kai without getting all of the stalker guilt out of it.

            “Three, two, one.” Kai counted down to when he was going to snap the picture and yet the moment the button clicked and Luhan thought the picture was taken, Kai pushed his face to the side and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. For a moment he actually believed he was day dreaming. The pounding in his chest grew intense, he was sure that if his rib still ached like the first time Kai had visited him, he’d be crippled over in pain from the force it was placing on his rib cage. Every muscle in his body froze; his fingers and toes tingled…

            Was this happening or was this just a dream?

            Where was he even right now? The pier or somewhere up between the eighth and tenth cloud up in the sky? No cat had his tongue, though his mind was too warped with a euphoric fog that he couldn’t even tell if he was clenching his right hand or left. Perhaps it was both… Whatever it was… Whatever this was… He felt joy… Joyfully gay and happy and splendidly… Splendid.

            “Hope you like your present,” Kai murmured, lowering the camera and his stare away from Luhan.

            The boy in the wheel chair studied the red dusting Kai’s cheeks, tilted his head and tried to look at his mussed hair in another way. Tried to view him as someone completely different in a completely different way. He couldn’t understand it… Nor express it in a way that made him intelligent… There were no clear answers when it came to Kai, but there was always something to say…

            “It’s perfect,” Luhan said, grinning and taking the camera from Kai. “Smile.”

            And for now, there were no other words that needed to be said.