Nobody really enjoys waking up to ringing alarm clocks during Sundays but it was something Kris had to deal with everyday. Kris was known as the kid with the bad reputation in school and nobody dared to be friends with him. He had this hard exterior which made it difficult for anyone to communicate with him due to fear. No one knew that he was a kid who had to work part-time on weekends to provide for him and his foster brother, Zhang Yixing.

Unlike his brother, Zhang Yixing was the school's angel. His face was gentle and his friendly acts made him easily approachable. He was known as the kid who'd catch anybody's heart regardless if male or female. Their relationship was kept hidden from everyone not because they were ashamed of being called brothers but because it was best to keep it that way.

Kris lazily sat up and ran his long, slim fingers through his hair as he threw the alarm clock against the wall making it silent forever. He sighed heavily and glanced at his wrist watch. He still had two hours before his shift at the coffee shop would start but he never found it good to be late for work. He stood up by the edge of his bed and glanced out the window. The curtains were pulled back which signaled only one thing. His eyes drifted off to his desk where a meal was set for one.

Every morning, Yixing would sneak into his room with breakfast. He did not find it creepy but more of sweet that his younger brother would look out for him as well. A memory went on rewind in Kris's train of thought.

“Gege, You're fighting again..” Yixing said as he dabbed a cotton ball against the older boy's cheek.

“They were talking badly of you.” Kris grunted as the he felt the sting on his wounded cheek.

“You don't have to protect me. I can handle myself.” Yixing patted his chest proudly and chuckled.

Kris smiled sweetly at the younger and ruffled his hair. “Sorry, but you can't stop me from protecting you, La-Lay~”

“Stop calling me that, gege.” Yixing frowned as he dabbed the cotton harder on his brother's wound.

“Ya.” Kris whined and grabbed Yixing's wrist to stop him.

The younger boy just stared at him unknowingly and Kris did the same. It did not take time before the space between the two got cut off. Yixing's eyes widened as he felt Kris's lips softly placed against his. Their beats thumped in synchronization. It took Kris about thirty seconds before he realized what he just did. As he pulled away, Yixing wasn't looking at him anymore.

“Yixing...I'm...sorry..” Before Kris could speak up, Yixing had already vanish.

“Damn it, Wu Fan.” Kris groaned at the memory. “We haven't talked since then.” He told himself.

Despite of him having regrets of his action, his heart said otherwise. He knew how wrong it was to kiss a boy, moreover your own brother but his heart interfered by telling him that this was the real agony he was prolonging, his feelings for his younger sibling.

“Snap out of it.” Kris shook his head and proceeded to eat his breakfast and get dressed.

After he got ready, he went downstairs expecting to be greeted by the cheerful Yixing but instead he was greeted by a shutter sound. He looked to his left and saw Yixing's camera pointed at him. He pulled the camera away from blocking his face and smiled happily at Kris.

“Good Morning, gege~” Yixing beamed and placed his camera down.

“Good Morning, Xing Xing~” Kris greeted back like he would usually do so.

“Going to work?” Yixing tilted his head.

“Yeah, why?” Kris glanced at him only to hear another snap of the camera. “Ya.” Kris rolled his eyes.

“Can I come with?” Yixing said brightly.

“Don't you wanna enjoy your Sunday instead?” Kris yawned and went to the door's entrance to put on his shoes.

“I will enjoy watching you, gege.” Yixing grinned and sat down besides the giant and started putting his shoes on as well.

“Are you sure?” Kris chuckled.

“Of course.” Yixing beamed. He stood up and waved his hand. “Faster, gege!” Yixing pouted and started to walk out of the house when he felt Kris's hand pulling him back.

“Scarf.” Kris sighed and wrapped a crème scarf around the younger one. “It's getting cold so you best not get sick.”

“Thank you. Ge~” Yixing smiled faintly and started to walk with Kris to the coffee shop.

The two arrived at the said location and the day proceeded to its usual routines. Kris would be taking and serving orders while Yixing watced him from afar with a smile plastered on his face. Kris also took secret glances at Yixing. He would find his heart beating uncontrollaby whenever he laid his eyes on the younger one.

"Ge~ Can I order a caramel frappe?" Yixing said as he called out Kris to serve him.

"Anything else?" Kris smiled at him, the smile that was reserved only for his brother.

"Nope." Yixing shook his head and wavered him to go and work again.

As soon as Kris was out of sight, he took out a Lavender scrap book from his bag and started jotting down something on one of the pages. He smiled to himself and looked out the window, deep in his thoughts, he was distubed by the certain sting he was feeling on his chest.

"Gege." Yixing decided to ignore the pain and scanned the pages of the scrap book he kept safe and hidden from the latter. "You're really handsome~" He chuckled at the polaroid picture that was taken not longer than a month back.  

"Yixing, I got your frappe." Kris said from afar giving the younger boy an allowance of time to hide the book from his brother."Receipt?" Yixing opened up his palm and Kris rolled his eyes.

"Why do you keep asking me for receipts whenever we eat out?" 

"Can't I?" Yixing grinned which made Kris hand him the brown paper which had his penmanship of the stated order in it.

"Xie xie, gege." Yixing placed the receipt in his bag. "What time do you get off?" 

"In a couple of hours."  Kris shrugged. "Why?"

"Maybe I can cook for us for tonight." Yixing smiled making his dimple visible on his cheeks.

"Cook? Hmm. I do love your cooking, so sure~ I won't buy takeout for today." Kris chuckled and ruffed the younger boy's hair. 

"Gege?" 

"What is it?" Kris watched the younger one as he stood up and slung his backpack around his shoulders. 

"Can you buy me more ink for my printer?" Yixing pleaded with those innocent eyes of his. 

"Aigoo." Kris was really weak against aegyo, moreover when Yixing was the one doing it. "Fine." Kris frowned at how easy he gave in to his brother's demands. 

"Xie xie, Gege." Yixing look around first if there was anyone who was watching them. When he saw how the coast was clear, he quickly kissed the taller boy's cheek and then headed home. 

Kris was frozen in place, he couldn't get to bare in mind that his younger brother just kissed him. The thoughts of his younger brother having the same feelings for him made his heart skip a beat but it was too good to believe in so he just decided to shake the thought away.

After three hours of working, Kris decided to go straight home knowing how Yixing had prepared him a home cooked meal for tonight. He could not help but have an endless smile on his face. In a few minutes, he was in front of the door that separated him from Yixing. Before he could fit in the key into the lockhole, the door flung open to reveal Yixing wearing a pink apron with unicorns imprinted on it.

"Welcome home, gege." Yixing waved at him while holding a spoon.

Kris noticed how Yixing was a bit pale today but he decided to ignore it. He knew that despite all the beauty products he uses on his skin, Yixing would always be the one having the better complexion which he did not mind because he truthfully enjoyed watching Yixing's encompassing elegance.

"What did you cook for me?" Kris beamed as he took off his jacket and hanged it over the coat rack.

"I made lemon chicken." Yixing smiled as he walked back into the kitchen. 

Kris followed behind the younger boy and watched him from the entrance at how he delicately handled the ingredients. Yixing was smling calmly like everything felt right that they were having another family meal. Deep inside Kris, he did not consider it as a family dinner but...a date. He did confirm to himself how he saw Yixing not as a brother anymore but someone he wanted to date, someone he wanted to cheris, someone he wanted to spend his forever with. He only needed to know how Yixing felt about it.

"Yixing." Kris called out, was it the right time to ask him?

"Yes gege?" Yixing took a quick glance of him before placing the chicken inside the oven.

"Do you see me as only as a brother?" Kris knew how straight forward it sounded but there was no point in just prolonging the agony of trying to manipulate his words making the idea blurred.

"...No." Yixing looked away and bit his bottom lip, he just felt the same way with Kris but he did not want it to be more awkward than how it already was.

"I don't either." Kris smiled happily with his hopes raised high. 

"What do you mean?" Yixing looked at the older boy with a confused expression.

"Every time I see you, I just want to hug you, kiss you and even make love to you." Kris said bluntly.

The last one made Yixing blush and chuckled softly. "What will we do about it then? You know very much how we can't---"

"Why can't we?" Kris walked towards the younger boy. "Our parents? Are you going to give me that crap?" Kris chuckled at the younfer boy whose face just flushed into a brighter shade of red. 

"What are you saying then, ge?" Yixing looked up at him.

"What about we lose the 'gege' calling and call me baobei instead?" Kris leaned down to meet Yixing at his eye level. 

"Baobei." Yixing mumbled. "Kris baobei." A smile crawled onto the younger boy's lips. "I like it."

"I like it too but I like you more." Kris winked and placed a soft kiss on Yixing's forehead.

Months have passed and it had been the best feeling for both of them. Every day seemed like a fairytale for both. Sleeping together in one bed room, resting on each other shoulders, it was an experience that was memorable and irreplacable. Until the day when Kris received a strange envelope addressed to Yixing. It was from a hospital. Kris thought clearly about it, he had never seen Yixing show interest in medicne nor did her shower any signs of being sick. He was about to open it when Yixing snatched it away from him.

"What's that?" Kris said in a rather concerned voice.

"It's nothing you should worry about, baobei." Yixing smiled weakly. "It's just results from my monthly check up. You know how I love keeping myself healthy for you." Yixing chuckled nervously.

"Tell me the truth." Now the older one's tone was more demanding than it should be. 

"I am." Yixing's smiled faded.

"Are you sick?" That questioned made Yixing lose his color and had replaced with a paler shade.

"I'm not." Yixing forced a smile.

"I won't be mad if you were. Just show me the damned letter." Kris snatched it from him. 

"I'll tell you...please don't read it." Yixing begged. 

Kris looked up at him and nodded.

"I am sick. I just asked the doctor to send me in the medicine I needed to buy to get better." Yixing tried his hardest to convice Kris but this only earned a glare from the older boy.

Kris started to tear the envelope open, having to take out the folded paper which had the results to some test he didn't know Yixing took without him noticing. His eyes widened as he saw the words Tuberculosis on it. He looked up at Yixing and felt how his heart broke into shattered pieces. Yixing avoided his gaze and stepped back.

"How long have you known?" The older boy's throat was dry, like he wanted to choke on his own question.

"S-seven months ago.." Yixing confessed. 

"And you did not tell me? Don't you trust me?" Kris did not even try to mask the pain in his voice. 

"I did not want you to worry---"

"Is it terminal?" This was the question that bothered Kris. He had to know.

Yixing bit his lip and looked down at his feet. A small nod came from him making Kris lose his breathe. He felt his chest getting more painful from each second he had left with Yixing.

"H-how l-long..?" Kris said in an almost inaudible tone.

"T-three months...left." Yixing felt tears forming in his eyes making him bow down his head lower. 

"And what? You just planned on leaving me after three months? You didn't even plan on telling me that you were gaddamn dying?!" Kris lost it, too much information was not enough for him handle. His composure was lost with his future where Yixing was destined to be in. 

"I did but..."

"Enough." Kris pointed at him. "You...didn't trust me." Kris frowned. "I can take care of you. I can try to save you." Tears started to flow down the older boy's eyes. 

"Nothing can save me! We both know that! It's terminal, Wu Fan! TERMINAL!" Yixing screamed back.

Before Kris could answer back, he saw how Yixing almost fell down on the floor if it was not for his fast reflexes that caught the fragile boy in his arms. He bit his lip to muffle his sobbing, this was the image of Yixing that he had to face in three months. It was something he couldn't take in as his last memory of the boy he loved te most.  

He carried the boy up to his bedroom before phoning thee doctor who sent in the letter. After the long discussion, he glanced back at Yixing who was staring blankly at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry." Yixing mumbled. "I just did not want to spend my last few months being taken care of at the hospital."

"I understand."Kris sat down at the edge of his bed. "You are going to die anyway, right? So why try and stop it?" Kris told him.

That pained Yixing, having to listen to the older one who showed the slightest care of condition. "True." Yixing smiled weakly and faced the other way.

"So...I'm going to make you feel more lively than ever starting from now on." Kris leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Yixing's cheek.

Yixing sat up and glanced at Kris with swollen eyes. "Are you for real?" A quick smile appeared on his pale face.

"Of course." Kris chuckled and pulled Yixing's head close to his chest to the younger boy's chest. Without Yixing knowing, another tear escaped the older boy's eye.

They spent more time together, Kris decided to quit his job to enjoy quality time with Yixing. He relied on the savings he had in his bank account which was enough for the two of them. It never seemed like Yixing was ill because he acted like how any other healthy person would. Except for the time when he started coughing out blood which made Kris decide to admit him into a hospital. 

The dull walls suffocated Yixing but he knew that time was eating up his life and it was best to get the slightest treatment to ease the pain or how Kris described it to be like. He would sleep later than Kris because he would watch the older one holding on to his hand while his head rested just above the pillow that had Yixing's head resting on. He smiled weakly at the thought of the short time he could show his real feelings towards Kris. He knew what would make Kris happy was to be with him but he knew Kris's real happiness depended on seeing Yixing avoid the time to suffer because of his illness. Yixing glanced towards his side and saw a purple sticky note and a silver pen, like it had been there for his convenience. 

With the remaining energy he had in his body, he wrote down his message before putting it inside his lover's jacket. He leaned in closer to place a gentle kiss on the older one's lips before he let his eyes close and breathe his final breathe.

Five mornings after, Kris had finally went home. His eyes were swollen and his hair was messy. It was finally the day he said goodbye to Yixing after coming home from his funeral. It felt painful how he was asleep when everything happened.It was never anyone's dream to wake up seeing the only person they loved, lifeless on the hospital bed. He scanned the room and sighed heavily. It was just a house, it was not 'home' anymore. He dugged out his keys in his jacket when he felt something else inside it. He took out the item only to find a purple paper folded into a heart. He unfolded it and read the message with had Yixing's writting.

Baobei, when you read this, we won't be together anymore physically...but there's something in my night table that will bound us forever. I love you before, today and forever. 

XOXO,

Yixing.

Kris snuck the paper back in his pocket with a heavy heart. He was trying so hard to keep his tears back in before heading up to Yixing's room. He wasn't ready to see any item that reminded him of his late lover but just as usual, he bowed down to Yixing's requests. He opened the door to his room and quickly scanned for the younger boy's night table. There he saw a lavender colored book which was wrapped in a small, pink transulecent wrapper. He made his way through the room and sat down on Yixing's bed. He pulled the item to his lap and his eyes fell onto the small card that was knotted with the silver ribbon. 

Wu Fan,

This is for you.... Obviously. You're the only person I hang out wiith.

The note said, Kris chuckled at Yixing's cuteness. He undid the ribbon and opened the wrapper neatly. His hands traced down on the silver writtings on the lavender book. It had both his and Yixing's name on it. He took it a deep breathe before he opened the notebook. His eyes started to water up again from everything that was in the small book. There were pictures of him and Yixing growing up together. All the receipts to the places they've been in. The candy wrappers of the ones Kris gave to him whenever he was upset. The photos they had from their memories at the photo booth. Evertyhing was their. It was their whole story.

He could not help but feel the tears flow down his cheeks anymore. When he reached the second to the last page. There was a letter from Yixing.

Wu Fan,

By the time you'll read this, I'd probably be gone. This is the only thing I can leave you just to remind you that I was someone that loved you from the very start. You were the greatest brother I can ever have but nothing compared to the relationship we had as lovers. You made me feel like there was a reason to stay alive even though it was really out of my hands to control what would happen to me in the days to come. I hope you'll find someone better than me when I'm gone. Don't let your life revolve around me anymore because that wouldn't make me happy. Seeing you happy would make me happy as well. Remember that, nobody can separate our hearts, baobei. Not even the boundaries of heaven and earth. 

P.S; I left cash on the last page. Buy a new scrap book and fill it up with new memories. One which is less creepier than mine. Don't laugh at me!

I love you.

- (Wu) Yixing

Kris chuckled and wiped the tears off from his eyes. He took the money off the last page and placed it back in one of Yixing's drawers. He grabbed a random colored pen and started jotting down something on the last page of the scrap book.

(Wu) Zhang Yixing,

This is the only scrap book, I'll ever keep. Not because it's already done but it's because it was the only thing that meant so much to me. I love you too and you know that. Before, today and forever. A promise I will never break. This is a tale about two individuals. A relationship with a catch. Everything stored in a single book. Your memories, my memories, our memories. This is my love story. My love story with you. A love story that is only for you and me. I can't write another story alone but wait for me and we'll write one together in heaven. I love you...Wu Yixing. I will always love you. 

- Wu Fan

I hope everybody enjoyed reading! <3