Hi guys!
First, I want to thank my dearest Maria for her fanart on this story <3 (it would be the image above, if you haven't noticed ;p) I love it so much, thank you dear <3
Second... Here I come with the epilogue of this story! I hope you like it! I'm glad I didn't make you wait months for it haha
Please enjoy! <3

          The sun beamed on his face, nice and warm, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation all over his skin. He kept his eyes closed, his nose pointing up to the sky, reaching out for that warmth he loved so much, and his lips curled up into a happy smile. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled slowly. The pleasure was simple, just bathing in the sun, listening to the birds chirping happily around him, taking in the smells of grass and wood and fresh dirt, feeling the gentle wind running through his hair. It was nothing much, some people would think, but it gave him joy. It felt like freedom. It felt like peace.

"C'mon Hae, let's finish this."

He cracked an eye open and turned his face to the side to glance at Heechul, who was sitting next to him. His friend was watching him, smiling softly as he chewed on his snack.
Donghae's gaze automatically travelled over the scars running across Heechul's face. Two white lines went from his left eye to his chin, perfectly healed now but still visible. There were more on Heechul's body, on his arm and his chest, but those were currently hidden under the man's clothes. Donghae knew they were there, though, and he hated them. The Witch had inflicted those scars to his friend during their frightful fight, six months ago, and the marks remained, as a reminder of the terrible things that had happened that day.

But Donghae's heart didn't clench at the sight of Heechul's scarred face, not this time. He still felt the guilt of having put his friend into danger but that feeling was not as strong as it used to be. Time was healing those things and he knew Heechul didn't hold it against him, didn't hate him for it. That helped too.
And right then, his friend was smiling, looking relaxed and content, and Donghae could only feel the same.

"How much left?" he asked.

Heechul chuckled, an amused smirk stretching up his lips. "Let's just finish the page, alright? I've had enough for today as well."

Donghae beamed and nodded happily. He looked down at his lap and at the book laying open on his thighs. He had stopped in the middle of a sentence, distracted by the warmth of the sun on his face, but now he was ready to resume his reading.

"She r-ran so... so fo... f-fast she... s-slipped... and... f-fe-fell down... into the m-mood..."

"Not mood, Hae. It's mud", Heechul patiently corrected.

"Oh. Mud", he repeated, trying to remember the word, then going on with the next sentence.

He was getting better at reading every day. It required a lot of practice but he liked it. Soon he'd be able to read his favourite book, all by himself - though, he hoped Hyukjae would still read for him once in a while, he loved it. He still stuttered and stumbled over the words, but Hyukjae and Heechul kept telling him to keep practicing, so that he could quickly master in reading.
Writing and drawing was a bit more complicated. He still had a hard time coordinating his hand, his eyes and the pen, and it wasn't easy to visualize the lines of the letters in his mind and put them on paper. But that would come with time.

Most of the time, it was Hyukjae or Sungmin who taught him. Kyuhyun was not patient enough and Leeteuk was a busy man. Heechul helped too, and everyone had been surprised to discover how patient the man was when it came to teach Donghae how to read.

Learning to write and to read were not the only things Donghae had been introduced to, the past few months. Hyukjae and the others had showed him books, photographs, movies and television - and he was not as gullible anymore to believe everything he saw on television was real. His favourite were the cartoons.

Everything was incredible and overwhelming. He had been shown the magnificence of nature around them, and of cities on occasions. He had seen the brightness of the sky on sunny days and the beauty of starry nights, the colours and their different shades, the forms and shapes of objects, of people, faces and animals. He had discovered the insects - he was a little obsessed with bees - and he had cried when he had first seen a bird flying in the sky. His friends had taken him for walks in the forest, where everything was green and fresh, but they had also brought him to the beach where he had walked on the silky sand and stared at the immensity of the sea.
He had seen so much and yet the others kept saying it was just a little part of the world, that there was so much more to see. He was still amazed every day with new discoveries.

Of course, not everything had been easy.
Losing Kangin had weighted on them and had made them very careful the first months. They still moved from a place to another every few days, as the Witches and Warlocks were still hunting down Donghae and his friends. The first weeks had been filled with grief and anxiety. As the days had passed and slowly taken some of their grief and fears, they had started to live again. Leeteuk was more quiet now, and sad, but still as gentle as ever. He protected them well.

Most of the time, Donghae was confined in the house they used as their hide-out. It was risky for him to go out. He was the one being hunted. But the others comforted him by showing him pictures and videos and bringing him things from the outside world. He could go in the garden or around the house, as much as he wanted. Leeteuk was always around to make sure it was safe. He particularly loved to hang out on the porch on sunny days, like he currently was with Heechul.
And then, on special occasions, he would be allowed to go out with them. Sometimes simply for groceries, but once in a while their destination would be more thrilling. Hyukjae would bring him for a walk in the woods or for a picnic on a flower field, or - his favourite date so far - to the sea. Hyukjae had promised to teach him how to swim someday.

"Where is Hyukkie?" he suddenly inquired, stopping in the middle of his reading.

"He'll be back soon."

Donghae pursed his lips. He said nothing and just nodded before resuming his reading, but his mind didn't fully get back to the task.

As usual, they wouldn't tell him where Hyukjae was. Out or back soon, were the best answers he'd get, when he got any. Hyukjae himself remained elusive about wherever he was going and whatever he was doing, and Donghae didn't like it - especially because Hyukjae went out a lot, lately.

Not only did it make Donghae nervous, because going out was still dangerous for his lover - even more now, with his new eyes condition - but he also missed the man. He missed him really badly whenever Hyukjae was away.
And, secretly, he felt a little guilty too. Sometimes he couldn't help but think that maybe Hyukjae was getting fed up of being stuck with him inside their hide-out. Hyukjae probably needed fresh air and space for himself. Donghae knew he was really clingy and it could be annoying. He felt like a burden sometimes, even if Hyukjae never even showed any sign of thinking so, nor implied anything about needing space.

For Donghae, staying more or less confined inside the house most of the days was alright. He had lived this way his entire life. Damn, he had never lived better now that his curse was gone. Of course, he would have preferred to be out there, but this was alright. Watching documentaries on television and looking at photographs and drawings in books was already more than he had ever had. And he could go out, once in a while. It was more than he had ever been given.
But of course, for Hyukjae and the others that would be different. Donghae sensed that they felt trapped in the house, even if they changed house once or twice a week, and they surely missed their former lives. They never complained, but Donghae knew the situation was weighing on them.
And there was that time, one day a couple months earlier, when Hyukjae had promised Donghae that he would find a way to get them a better life, one where they wouldn't have to run away, where they'd be at peace and safe. Donghae had nodded but he wasn't sure how that would be possible. The Witches obviously wouldn't leave him alone any time soon.

"Hae, c'mon", Heechul chuckled.

Donghae snapped out of his thoughts and realized he had been wandering off tracks again. He grinned sheepishly at Heechul and muttered a soft apology. Heechul only laughed and took the book from Donghae's hands.

"Okay, let's stop for today. You can hardly focus anymore", he said.

Donghae let him take the book away and sighed in relief. He was indeed too distracted to keep reading, and he was getting tired too. He couldn't stay focused for too long, his brain would start getting confused and his eyes were already itching a little.

Donghae leaned backward until his back made contact with the floor behind him. He giggled and went to lie down, shifting his body until he was all sprawled on the floor. Heechul snorted but let him do as he wanted. Donghae happily sighed and closed his eyes. The sun was warming his face and his limbs, and the wind blowing gently on his skin, and it appeased him.

They remained there for a while, quiet and relaxed, sometimes making small talk as they bathed in the sun. At some point, Donghae found himself half asleep, his body and mind lulled by the rustling sound of the leaves and the branches dancing with the wind. He wasn't fully sleeping though and his mind drifted back to consciousness when his sharp ears caught the sound of someone walking inside the house. He beamed. His senses were still very acute and he could definitely recognize who was coming their way.
Hyukjae was back home.

"Donghae?" the man's sweet voice called from inside the house.

"Oh, there comes your prince charming", Heechul laughed. "Hyuk! Here!" he called out for Hyukjae, to guide him toward the porch. He pushed himself up on his feet and went back in the house, leaving Donghae alone.

Donghae didn't move, didn't open his eyes, pursing his lips to contain his smile. The footsteps were coming his way, shoes tapping against the wooden floor as they got closer, until they stopped right beside him. He sensed as Hyukjae kneeled down and leaned over him. His shadow covered Donghae, hiding the sun and its warmth from him. He was about to pout at the loss, but gentle fingers came to brush over his cheek and gave him another sort of warmth.

He cracked his eyes open and grinned widely as he found Hyukjae's face only a few inches away from his. He squinted as his lover came down and erased the distance between them. And then, his favourite soft and plush lips brushed against his mouth, leaving a tender kiss on his own thin ones. A jolt of pleasure ran through his flesh, travelling all the way down to his belly, bringing the usual tingling butterflies to rush inside his gut. He pressed his mouth back against Hyukjae's, sighing with delight. The kiss was short, too short for Donghae's liking, and soon Hyukjae pulled away.

"Hi there", the man said, giving Donghae one of his sweet smiles.

Donghae beamed, heart beating fast with adoration for his lover. "Hi", he said back.

"How was your afternoon?" Hyukjae inquired. His knuckle brushed over Donghae's cheek tenderly. "Did you practice your reading out here?"

Donghae nodded. "I did. I was enjoying the sun."

"Good", Hyukjae grinned and then shifted to come and lie next to Donghae. "I'm going to enjoy some of it too then", he said and placed his body on his side, facing Donghae.

Donghae immediately shifted, rolling to lie on his side as well, so that they could both face each other. He placed an arm under his head and drew closer, trying to snuggle against Hyukjae. The man didn't move and watched him, affection and amusement sparkling in his eyes.
Once he was settled, Donghae looked up to meet Hyukjae's gaze and immediately felt himself drown into his lover's eyes. Those red, blood-like eyes.

The scars remained around Hyukjae's lids, thin white lines scattered on his skin like wrinkles, there where the Witch had cast her spell and destroyed Hyukjae's real eyes. The skin had been healed by Leeteuk but the damage made to Hyukjae's eyes had been too bad to allow the sorcerer to reconstruct them. Sometimes, Donghae missed those beautiful, black orbs. But he was still thankful about the new ones. 
Instead of the soft, black eyes Hyukjae had once been endowed with, the new ones were