Chen opened his eyes. The blinding sun hit his eyes hard, and he squinted.

Oh my god.

This is it. My treatment is over. I'm recovered.

Yixing was asleep by his bedside. He blinked open a sleepy eye and grinned at Chen. "Hey, you're awake."

Chen grabbed Yixing suddenly, causing the older to squeal in shock. He shook his shoulders vigorously. "I'm better, hyung!! I'm all better! I don't feel ached or tired or pain or sore anywhere!! My powers are back my strength is back OH MY GOD!!"

Yixing chuckled as Chen squeezed him tightly to his chest in happiness. He rubbed Chen's back soothingly. "You can go back now."

Chen turned to look at Yixing with watery eyes. "I can't thank you enough, Yixing hyung. There must be something I can do in return?"

Yixing shook his head with a grin. "To be honest, you've already helped me."

"Huh?"

"You know the elixir? It's my patent invention. I haven't used it on anyone aside from you, because I just couldn't find the right testee. You helped me prove that my invention was a success."

"Wait." Chen's eyes widened as he took in Yixing's words. "Means... I was a guinea pig?"

Yixing said nothing, but blushed in reply. Chen smacked him with a pillow playfully. "YAH!!!"

***

Chen hesitated at the door. A million thoughts swirled in his head as his head reached for the doorknob. What am I going to say? What am i going to do? How is Luhan going to react? Is he going to hate me? 

He opened the door and slipped into the house. It was perfectly silent. Has Luhan gone to work? Chen headed straight to the bedroom, intending to change his clothes, when he froze to the spot. 

Sitting on the bed was Luhan himself, staring blankly into space, his mouth moving and forming incoherent words. Luhan?!

Chen gasped. Luhan's eyes shot up immediately, and he stared right through Chen. 

"You're a dream," he mumbled, and turned away.

Chen didn't know whether to scoff or laugh or cry or smack Luhan's head in frustration. Instead, he went over and sat in front of him on the bed, spreading his legs out around Luhan, and holding his hands. 

"I'm not a dream, Luhan." He replied in a serious tone.

Luhan blinked sadly at him, his eyes shimmering with tears. "Really? Then what about all the other times you came? Were those dreams?"

"I came once, on your birthday. I gave you a hug and a kiss. Do you remember?"

Luhan's jaw dropped open slowly as he stared at Chen and finally registering his presence, his breathing increasing in pace, his cheeks growing pink.

"Oh my god."

The next moment, Luhan had thrown himself onto Chen, knocking him flat onto the bed and squishing his face into Chen's neck. Chen's hands went round the older boy's waist and he hugged him back, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Luhan sobbed and sobbed, and Chen rubbed his back up and down comfortingly.

"I'm back." He whispered, the reply simple yet full of emotion. 

***

Chen let Luhan stick to him all day, everyday. Their reunion was bittersweet - it was happy and tearful, it was arousing and comforting, yet there was an unanswered thought that hung heavily in the air. There was that something in between them that Chen couldn't bear to go into.

11 days. 

He learnt that Luhan had quit his job, due to his mental instability and his long stay at the hospital. Chen sat him down seriously, and tried to discuss about his future work options, but Luhan didn't answer straight away. He just either avoided Chen's questions or told him that he'd think about it later.

"But I can't just leave like that without knowing you're safe with a job!!" Chen had yelled at him, and immediately regretted it, seeing the tearful heartbroken look in Luhan's eyes.

He kissed away Luhan's tears and cupped his cheeks. "Look, I'm sorry. Don't cry?"

Luhan bit his lip with a frown. "I have no mood to work, Chen."

Chen sighed. Then he got an idea.

"Luhan, let's go on a trip. A holiday. Just the two of us this time. How's that? It'll take your mind of things and let you relax a little after all these crazy happenings. Okay?"

Luhan smiled softly. "Really?"

"Yep. Let me do the planning this time."

***

Chen gripped tightly onto Luhan's hand as he pulled the other boy towards the train station. 

"You haven't told me where we're going, Chen." Luhan poked him with a giggle.

"It's a secret!! I won't tell!!" Chen stuck his tongue out at Luhan, and he earned another merciless poke in the ribs, causing him to stagger forward and shriek.


"Namsan?" Luhan turned to Chen with a confused expression. 

Chen giggled. "Yep!! I wanted to bring you to a mountain park! Hence Namsan." He gestured towards the large towering mountains in the distance.

Luhan sighed. "I remember when I was a kid, I had always wanted to come here..." He pouted down at his hands, reminiscing the past half-heartedly. Truth be told, he didn't feel anything much about Namsan Park, but being the attention seeker he was...

Chen laughed and smacked his shoulder playfully. "You just want a kiss, don't you baby."

Luhan snorted. "What kiss?" He rolled his eyes and walked off childishly, upset that his plan was busted. Chen ran after him and grabbed his hand, pulling him back into his arms.

"Hey hey wait." Chen's hair was floppy, his smile messy, breaths rapid and shallow. Luhan never saw a more beautiful sight in his entire life. Chen pressed him close and captured his lips into a soft sweet kiss, taking his time to tug at Luhan's lower lip between his teeth.

"That pout isn't going anywhere except for down my throat." He whispered huskily, and Luhan could feel his cheeks blossoming into a apple-red hue. 

He pulled away and intertwined their fingers. "Let's go sweetheart."

Luhan felt like his heart would explode and frizzle into nothing.

***

Namsan Park, like the website described, was a glorious beauty. The skyline of the city of Seoul was gorgeously captured in that single continuous panorama that seemed to stretch endlessly. The mountain was a fairytale-like structure that rose from the ground so naturally, magical and almost God-like.

Chen was pretty amazed by the scenery. He had seen many breathtaking attractions of nature back in the other universe, but he liked Namsan better. It was like sanctuary in the midst of a bustling city, a small dewdrop flower in the midst of a hot raging desert. 

That evening, Chen and Luhan stood side by side on a viewing platform near the foot of the mountain, just watching the scenery quietly. 

"It's beautiful." Chen murmured, stretching his hand out to touch the perfectly painted cobalt blue sky.

"You're beautiful." Luhan replied, eyes trained on Chen. Chen swatted at him lightly. "You're supposed to look out there, not me!!" He whined in exasperation.

Luhan shook his head. "It's like a magnet, you're like a magnet, I can't look away." To prove his point, he inched up really close until his nose was buried into Chen's cheek, his eyes wide and googly. Chen chuckled and pulled him closer, ignoring the freaky expression on Luhan's face.

"You're forever as corny as can be."

"Let's get corn!!" Luhan leapt up in excitement and gestured happily towards a buttered corn cart a short distance away. Chen wanted to face-palm.

"Alright, lead the way," he smiled gently. I could never grow tired of this, he thought.

***

The next day, Chen brought Luhan to Namsan Hanok Village. It was a traditional Korean village with five restored traditional houses complete with a garden, a pond and a pavilion. They had fun pretending to be ancient warriors sent on a long arduous battle, and hopped along the stepping stones to get to the middle of the large smooth pond, and tossed pebbles.

Hand-in-hand, they walked through the late spring cherry blooms, admiring the pretty pinks and whites that dotted the trees, the ground and the buildings. It was Luhan's secret dream to see the cherry blossoms. It was queer that even though it was late April, the cherry blossoms were still in full bloom, but Luhan wasn't complaining. He bent down to pick up a flower and tucked it behind Chen's ear. 

"Awwh you're pretty", he cooed, and Chen rolled his eyes. But he didn't try to remove it and he was smiling so Luhan figured he liked it too. 


Throughout the course of the next week, Chen and Luhan went up the Namsan Tower to admire the view, the Global folk museum to appreciate the heritage, took the outdoor glass elevator to halfway up the mountain to sightsee like hyperactive crazed tourists. Luhan dragged Chen to the nearby MyeongDong district for a shopping spree, bringing him to eat his favourite local late-night snacks, bringing him to the arcade to play all day, bringing him to the park to skateboard and cycle. 


All too soon, it was time to go back. Chen tugged at Luhan's arm with a sneaky smile. 

"Wait, there is one more place I wanna go with you," he tilted an eyebrow, and Luhan blinked back innocently. "Let's go!!"

He took Luhan to a familiar place. Luhan stared at the streets and the roads, his brows furrowing. Haven't I come here before recently??

"Cable car." Chen pointed into the sky with a broad grin.

Luhan turned to look - and all at once the memories rushed back. That dark wintry evening, the endless blackness of the sky, the pretty dotted Christmassy lights, the soft lips of Chen on his. A blush crept onto his face, and Chen noticed it, laughing and hooking their pinkies together. "Come on."

They bought two tickets and went up on the cable car. The scenery was different - it was nearing summer, the mountains lit with large colourful fluorescent lanterns, the snow on the caps wispy and the sky slightly cloudy. Chen leaned his head on Luhan's shoulder as they stood at the railing, watching as the mountain view passed slowly before their eyes.

"Do you remember?" Chen whispered. Luhan smiled and nodded.

"I sat down like this," Luhan went over to the bench, "you sat down like this," he stretched out his hand and Chen went over to him. Luhan pulled them down to sit on the cable car bench.

"You looked at me like this," he cupped a hand until Chen's chin and tilted his head towards himself, "and I fell for you like this." Luhan leaned close, his breath fanning across Chen's face, as the other boy shivered under his intimate gaze.

"Then you kissed me." Chen concluded. And Luhan did just that. Like before, it started hesitant and shy. But unlike before, it was deeper and more passionate, Luhan's hands balling into fists around Chen's neck, Chen slipping his fingers under Luhan's shirt. It ended with them gasping and clutching each other, laughing breathlessly. 

I never want to let you go.

I want to hold onto you forever.

Luhan's laughs turned to pants, which eventually turned into sobs as he buried his face into Chen's neck. Chen hugged him silently, his face masked with unusual serenity, his eyes swimming with uncertainty.

"Luhan, can you promise me something?"

"Mm?" He sniffled.

"Be happy. Don't cry. Smile and live your life to the fullest. Forget me."

Luhan stilled, his fists unbunching from Chen's shirt, dropping to hang limply from his side. 

How can you expect me to do that?

Do you know how important you are to me?

Do you know how much I love you?

How do you expect me to just push you away from my mind, just like that?

I cannot do that.


Chen and Luhan walked back to the train station from the cable car.

"Let's take a picture. Using your phone." Luhan said suddenly. Chen turned and smiled. "Okay."

They stood with the cable cars as a backdrop, pressed closed together as Luhan stretched his hand out for a selfie. He did his best to smile as naturally as possible, but it didn't turn out so well. Chen sighed and pinched his cheek. 

"That was more a grimace than a smile, Luhannie."

Luhan shook his head. "It's a smile. I'm trying."

Chen blinked. "Trying?"

Luhan turned Chen using his shoulders to face him. Staring right into his eyes, he took a long, shaky breath.

"I will never ever forget you. That's something I can never do. But... I'll try to smile. To not cry. To be happy. I'll try to be happy for your sake."

Chen slowly brought his hands up to Luhan's face, cupping his cheeks and his face with his thumbs. His soft cheekbones, his large deer-like eyes framed with perfect lashes, his smooth, soft delicate lips. 

Luhan...

For the first time since the showdown, Chen felt his control slipping.

He cried.

***

Luhan didn't want to wake up. He knew what would happen if he did, and he just wanted to continue sleeping and sleeping and live forever in his dreamland, where he could manipulate his life. Where he could live forever with Chen.

Chen.

Luhan finally opened his eyes. The bed was horribly cold and entirely too large, the morning light was seeping through the blinds, and everything else seemed so normal, like any other day.

It is too quiet.

Luhan rolled to the side and stared at his dresser.

Way too quiet.

The Newton's cradle sat on the mantlepiece.

The silence is stifling.

It wasn't ticking.

5th May 2014. 

Chen is gone.

A/N: *rolls about in angst* I'm sorry!! But it has to be this way.

This story isn't over though, so stay tune :)

This chapter was kinda weird i think, but it was a hard one to write :'(