Spending a chilly Christmas Eve in a cemetery was never on Youngjae’s list of things to do with his loving beau . He wanted to revel in the warmth of his boyfriend’s arms that would encircle him, protect him and take him into an everlasting bliss where time itself ceased to exist and the world around them melted away with the snow that touched the heat of a windowpane. Yoo Youngjae wanted to witness the spark in his boyfriend’s eyes that always had the power to send his heart aflutter. What he wanted was that little sliver of normalcy that contrasted with who they were, what they were and the reason behind why they searched for what Youngjae longed for in his own life: The greatest love story of all time. 

“We went through two graves, Daehyun. Don’t you think their stories were enough?” 

Resurrecting the dead was a gift like no other. Jung Daehyun never once took his abilities for granted, but despite how careful he was to conceal it all from the world around him,  Daehyun had this carelessness about him when it came to utilizing his skills for his own gain. “I don’t have the inspiration just yet.” He tried to explain with a fit of frustration forming a knot in his chest. “What I have now is fine, but the sweetness of their tales, the poignant love story those corpses reminisce so sincerely about isn’t enough. I just feel so pressured, Youngjae.” 

Being a best-selling author in the twenty-first century had left Daehyun running on fumes from a tank of inspiration half emptied. He was always so creative, so very detailed, and masterfully unpredictable with his prized pieces of fiction because it was something he did for fun. He thrived in the art of story-telling. That was until publishers caught wind of his talent and drained him for all he was worth. 

“Just cancel the contract, Daehyun. You made enough money to last you a lifetime.” 

“It’s not about the contract that’s holding me back. It’s my fans. I want to do right by them for supporting me.” A kind soul with a heart of gold. It was the part of him Youngjae fell in love but  simultaneously frustrated him to no end. 

“One more grave and we’re done.” 

Daehyun whipped around and took his loving boyfriend in his arms. “I love you.“ He was so happy, so full of energy that he couldn’t stop himself from lifting Youngjae off of his feet and twirling him round and round until a quip of irritation demanded for him to be set back down. “I love you so much.” Daehyun could never let him go, let alone envision a day without him. "If you ever unexpectedly died, be sure that I would give everything to resurrect you time and time again.”  

Youngjae chuckled, the billowing cloud of his tempered breath brushing against skin as he leaned his forehead against auburn forelocks cut and trimmed to frame the perfection of Daehyun‘s smiling face. “Jeez, I thought you’d have a better line than that to sweep me off my feet, considering you’re an acclaimed writer and all.” He teased, pecking a kiss upon Daehyun’s freshly moist lips. “Don’t talk about me dying. We’re in a cemetery for god sakes.”  

Daehyun’s fingers laced at the small of Youngjae’s back, his unyielding embrace growing tighter as he pulled him close. “Okay, how about if I said I have the best Christmas present for you that’ll take your breath away?” What could contend with the smooth impeccable seam of the mouth that smiled against the welcoming curves of his own upturned lips? What could ever overshadow the hands that touched him in all the right places and left him begging for more? Daehyun’s eyes, his mouth, his hands, those remarkably deft fingers and his words swept a blistering heat across the expanse of skin that shuddered and trembled for him and him alone. There was no one who could replace him, absolutely no other being or thing that could render him breathless when Daehyun’s eyes imprisoned every ounce of his soul.  

“What is this breathtaking gift you speak of?” Youngjae questioned with a curious pang of excitement that pitched his voice by a fraction. “And don’t you dare tell me it’s surprise . I swear to god I’m not going to you in a cemetery.” 

Oh he knew him too well!

Daehyun would’ve let out a cry of disappointment if it weren’t for the seriousness of Youngjae’s face ruthlessly tickling at his funny bone. His joy muffled into the sinuous curve of Youngjae’s neck as he secured his hold around his boyfriend’s shoulders. “Why you gotta ruin the surprise, Jaejae? It’s the best present in the world. Something that we’ll tell our kids someday in excruciating detail.” 

“Tell our kids? Are you crazy?” Treating him like any lecherous off the streets, Youngjae shoved him away with a roll of his eyes, a trace of amusement still in plain view. “You’re a freak.” 

“I’m your freak that wants to get freaky in the freakiest place on earth.” 

And with perfection came the perfect imperfections of Daehyun’s libido coming full circle. Before his touches could persuade him in getting down and dirty in a cemetery, Youngjae turned that toothy grin of his around with one simple push of Daehyun’s shoulder, smiling and holding in a giggle as he did so; for those faults of his -faults that were hard to overlook - never failed in amusing him. “You’re not cute anymore.” He said with a shake of his head. “Let’s hurry up and find your dead person before I command you to dig up a grave of your own.” 

As debatable as theorists, ignorant scientists and realist make it out to be, Youngjae believed a soul was as malleable, just as tangible and equally as quantifiable as the softness of flesh and the beating organ of one’s heart. It was personalized. A soul couldn’t be manufactured or duplicated because just like people, there always exist an individuality in a soul that could either be good or bad. 

“Can you see it?” Youngjae fixed his gaze on the unmarked grave beneath his feet, concentrating on the task his special abilities made him the only candidate to complete the job at hand. 

“There’s a light to him…a very bittersweet existence about the bones buried here.” 

Daehyun never understood how Youngjae’s ability worked. He could see a gleam of goodness in a soul, and in turn witness the darkness of corruption in those who killed for the thrill. Youngjae had the power to see through any solid fixture in the world, and determine when exactly people would die as if the hands of time loomed overhead and counted down their inevitable demise. Daehyun was a special case however. For some odd reason he was immune to Youngjae’s gift of foresight. 

“Is there a story to uncover?” 

Youngjae shrugged. “I’m not sure but his bones date back to the 15th century.” 

A chivalrous time where jousting, kingdoms and war bathed the world in blood. It was a period where one’s family name and civic duty trumped what the heart couldn’t control - where love was as irrelevant as the peasants who served the princesses and princes arranged to be wed for the sake of their country. 

“Do you think he’s a noble or maybe a king?” Daehyun had already started digging the earth that may have entomb the story he was waiting for. 

“I don’t know, Daehyun. But it wouldn’t hurt to find out.” 

It was decided. The two dug for hours and as the sun slowly crept behind the landscapes and streaked the sky in a muted shade of orange, Youngjae leaned back against the wall of earth in exhaustion. 

“Why don’t you go home.” Daehyun offered with a smile, his anticipation giving him enough energy to continue on. “Slip into a hot bath and get everything ready for Christmas morning.”

“I can’t leave you here alone on Christmas Eve.” It was hard to determine what brought him the most comfort that caressed his unsettling soul: the smile on Daehyun’s grimy face or the equally sullied palm of his hand that cupped his cheek. 

“Aigoo,” Daehyun lovingly crooned. “Always worrying about me like a good wifey would.” 

Youngjae gave him a stingy slap to the shoulder. “Stop calling me that.” 

“I will when you go home and rest. My baby boo needs his beauty sleep.” 

A roll of his eyes and an incredulous huff of laughter that averted Youngjae’s gaze off to the side was as magnetic as his smile. Daehyun loved it when he was mad and broody, loved it whenever he was as stubborn as a five-year-old who couldn’t bear the thought of sharing his favorite toys. Sure, Youngjae’s knack of putting his foot down on every suggestion that was given made it difficult for Daehyun to get his way. But the kisses in between the fuming grumbles of refusal and the little groans Daehyun elicited with every nip of Youngjae’s neck almost always made the struggle worth going through. 

“Fine, I’m leaving.” Youngjae captured Daehyun's lips in a roughness that reflected the wicked gleam of irritation in his eyes. “But you better come home before I wake up in the morning. Because if I wake up to an empty bed, you won’t unwrap the present that you’ve always been wanting throughout the year.”

Daehyun’s eyes widened. “No friken way.” His disbelief was twisted with a surge of excitement combustign a fire of passion in his eyes. “You went to the store by yourself? Oh my god! Youngjae I -”

Words were cut off by a hand that firmly pressed over his mouth. “Make sure I wake up to see you sleeping beside me.” The hardness of his expression softened as whispers so enticing breathed over his ear. He lured him in, set his mind in a maddened state when the lewd motions of his tongue dared him to forget about the grave he was minutes away from uncovering. “I love you, Jung Daehyun.”

He climbed the ladder and looked down to bless him with a smile before he set off to prepare the perfect Christmas they wouldn’t soon forget.  

 With a special knife passed down from generation to generation, Daehyun cut through skin and bled out upon the bones buried in dirt. There was no casket, no sign of honor worthy of the royal he was hoping to discover. It was a bit of a disappointment, but he had to think of the circumstances as a matter of give or take. He could either give up, go home and cuddle with his boyfriend who waited for his return, or take what he could get. As much as the former warmed him to the core, Daehyun decided on the latter, and when incantations were said, a fresh human corpse was given and he set the course of resurrection in full motion with nature by his side, flesh mended, muscle threaded, organs came to full bloom, and within hours he was staring at the body of a man who showed no sign of terror as most resurrected corpses would. 

“Here,” Daehyun offered a set of clothes he hoped would fit the man’s masculine frame. “Put this on and then we can talk.” 

He had no control over the mind of the dead. Unlike what myths and legends portrayed where the dead beckoned to a necromancer’s every whim, Daehyun’s abilities were limited. He could transfer flesh upon bone, reconstruct dead tissue and jolt them back to life, but other than that, the corpses life was in their own hands. So it didn’t come as a surprise when the other male gave him a long, hard stare that rattled the cages of his soul. Fixating over his eyes was like looking up at the vastness of the night sky filled with ascending stars. Beautiful. Captivating. Impenetrable. There was a light of confusion that flickered passed dark irises, and Daehyun could only hold his breath as the corpse held his gaze with an intensity that ignited a flame and spread like wildfire throughout his body. 

“Your thoughts muddle.” His first words  were glazed in a thick swath of honey, his accent, the enunciation of his words as smooth as silk. “You’re besotted.” 

Daehyun had to physically shake himself from the deep abyss that was the low tenors of his voice. “Excuse me?” 

“You possess a fascination I’ve seen within the doe eyes of women throughout Altria.” 

“What?” 

“You’re taken by me.” 

Was he really accusing Daehyun of being infatuated with a man who had been dead for over a hundred of years? “No, I’m not taken with you.” 

The man smiled a courtier smile. “You’re enchanted.” He wittily corrected. 

“No, I’m not enchanted.” Daehyun was thoroughly convinced the man he mistaken as a royal was actually a jester. He was funny, a very clever flirt who knew how to make him laugh. “I’m with someone and I’m happily in love with my soulmate.” 

“I dare say I am not convinced.” 

“Believe me, I’m in love.” Why was he defending himself with a corpse? He didn’t need to prove just how much his heart skipped a beat when the love of his life was near. There was no need for him to grab at his backpack and pull out a small case the male shifted his attention to with a look of confusion. “You see this.” Daehyun lifted the velvet casing at eyelevel and opened its lid to reveal a solid sphere of gold. “It’s an engagement ring and I’m going to ask him to marry - erm…court me.” 

“Him?” 

“Yes. Another man. The thought of a man laying with another man must’ve been a condemnatory thought punishable by death in your time, right? It must’ve been -”

“Who is this male you speak of?” 

The sudden interruption left him to stumble on his words a bit, but Daehyun smiled with a look of longing directed upon the ring he placed back into his bag. “His name is Youngjae.” 

Like any respectable lad of the 15th century, his lips drew into a small smile as he tipped an invisible hat off to him. “I bid a prosperous and happy life to you and Youngjae.” 

“Thank you.” To have someone of his time unquestionably open-minded was a bit odd.  Those within the royal court and anyone under their beck and call followed a particular faith that damned the love that strayed from the courtship between a man and a woman. Any other form was put to fire, beheaded before a crowd or stoned until death rid them of the sins they committed. Daehyun wasn’t much of a history buff, but it was that particular topic alone he thoroughly understood. “But I’m not here to talk about myself. I resurrected you because I wanted to know about your life…your loves.”

“My loves?” His eyes fell upon the hand that took him gently by the wrist. He looked up at Daehyun and back at the fingers that warmed his dead skin. 

“Oh, sorry. I have to touch you in a non-romantic and very non-besotted way.” He chuckled at the emphasis of his own words. “If you’re not physically connected to me you’ll decay within the hour. So why don’t you get dress and we’ll sit here and talk.” 

After he put on the clothes that was provided for him, they assumed back to their sitting positions of the floor; Yongguk crossing his legs in front of him and Daehyun laying a hand upon his wrist. “Will you tell me your story?”

“I don’t know where to begin.” 

“Why don’t we start with your name and go from there?” 

The male before him let the silence of the graveyard consume him as a reply waited to be said. He wasn’t quick to give him a confirming  nod or any other form of reassurance that he’d comply to what Daehyun expected of him. Instead, he tilted his head up toward the snowy sky, the purity of white settling comfortably on a soul that relished in the coldness he had long since been exposed to. He overlapped his hand with Daehyun’s own and found his gaze again, offering a smile that could melt the ice bergs of the Antarctic.  

“My name is Bang Yongguk, heir to the throne of Altria. I am a condemned soul who threw away his kingdom for a love I couldn‘t call my own.”

Yongguk leaned heavily against the stone frame of the open window that overlooked the village of his kingdom. The townspeople milled about at a distance, tending to livestock, plowing crops, and trading whatever it took to make a living. His little brother, Jongup, sat on the window seat with an unpleasant look on his face, his grave appearance beckoning for the attention Yongguk was compelled to give him as he averted his eyes away from the town. 

“What’s wrong, Jongup?” 

“It’s the arrangement.” He sourly replied, his soft-spoken nature shadowed by a grey cloud of displeasure. 

“He’s our brother and as such he’s going to stay under our roof and look upon you without so much as a smile marring your features.” 

“A smile? Are joking?” Jongup crossed his arms tightly over his heaving chest. “He’s the bastard son of our father. He’s not our brother. He’s merely a reminder of our father’s sins.” 

“Speaking in whispers doesn’t safeguard you from the dangers that lurk about the halls. Someone might hear you. You shouldn’t speak of such things again.”  Yongguk warned with a tone of finality Jongup caught onto. They stared down upon the courtyard where their little sister, Soon Kyo, who was addressed as Sunny to all who fall at the hem of her gown, stood at the edge of the graveled walkway with her ladies in waiting. The whole court, which included the queens own ladies, the kings advisors and most trusted friends lined the path that stretched out from the castle’s entrance to the dirt road that awaited the carriage their brother resided in. 

“Look at father.” Jongup glared down at the king who waited on the staircase with a poise and self-entitled air to him. “He stands there beside our mother to greet his mistress’s son without a conscious baring down on his shoulders. It’s sickening.” 

“Jongup, we are not in the position to speak lowly of our father, the king.” 

The reminder of their father’s position  didn’t disperse the clouds of his raging resentment for a man he deemed as hypocritical and unfaithful to what he preached to the people of Altria. “He’s going to favor him over you and I can’t have that. You’re fit for the throne. You have a big heart, Yongguk, and I can’t see Altria ruled by no other but you. You’re my older brother. You’re my flesh and blood and I want the best for you.” 

He pulled away from the window with Yongguk following after him. “Jongup.” His older brother took his face within his hands and kissed the top of his head, the affection scribbled along every shallow indentation and imperceptible line that made up his face. “You are my most beloved brother. You are my kin and there is no reason for you to worry. I will not fall out of favor. I was born to take father’s place and to make this kingdom as bright as our sister’s name entitle her to be.” 

Daehyun checked his recording device for any discrepancies before looking back at the man who called himself the sole heir of Altria. “You must’ve fell out of favor, considering the conditions of your burial.” 

Yongguk looked round him and regarded the barren earth that held no jewels, casket or sentimental values that were usually buried with the corpse of a royal. “I did, but it was of my own doing that I fell out of favor with my father. As much as I wanted to make my brother proud and my sister overjoyed by what was destined for me since the day of my birth, I wanted to step back from the responsibilities or ruling a kingdom. 

“Because you fell in love?” Daehyun quietly prompted. 

“No,” Yongguk looked down at the hand that still laid sprawled upon his wrist. “It wasn’t love. I desired nothing more but to find myself. However, I came up short without a single clue of how to define my existence. I was lost, but my brother helped me through it. He helped me find myself in more ways than I could have ever imagine.”  

“What did Jongup do to get you out of the darkness of your own confusion?”

A reminiscent grin, softened by memories of a more happier point of time, graced his face. He lowered his eyes to the floor as if to screen out the world would pull him back to the days he’d long to experience again. “It was Zelo who showed me the light.”

After the festivities in honor of his half-brother drew to a close and he retired to his room, Yongguk walked toward his bed only to find  his sheets bundled in a heap on the floor. Pillows joined the mass of quilts, leaving his bed barren with only a body curled up into a fetal position. Yongguk brought a candle to the slumbering features of his kid brother sleeping soundly with arms tucked under his head. 

“Zelo.” 

The raven haired teen only winced at the sound of his name. Lashes fluttered, he shifted in the bed but refuse to open his eyes to see the man who stared down at him. “Leave me.” He coldly demanded with one whispered breath. 

“This is my chambers.” 

“I don’t care. I just want to sleep.” The cold winter air was seeping in the open window Yongguk closed to conserve the little warmth the room provided. He refueled the fire place with wood and was about to light it up when Zelo shot up from the bed and took him roughly by the arm. “Don’t.” He growled. “If I wanted the warmth of a fire I would’ve done it myself.” 

“You’re freezing.” Yongguk quickly notice the icy grip that encircled his wrist. “Your teeth chatter, your body shivers, and you curl up to fend from the cold. You need the fire.” 

“I don’t want it.” Zelo snatched the candle from his hand and threw it across the room where it collided with the stone wall. “I don’t want the warmth of a fire. I refuse it. I condemn it to hell.” 

“Zelo…”

The boy  reeled his arm back and just as quickly as it retracted, the back of his had came barreling down within seconds to strike his prince in a blink of an eye, the infliction sounding with a sharpness that reverberate the walls of his privy chambers. “Hang me. Hang me in the cold if you must. I rather have a noose around my neck than the comfort of a fire.” 

Any royal would’ve called for his head and demand for a public execution for the daring slap that reddened Yongguk’s cheek. No one, especially not a bastard child, had the right to lay a hand on a royal. “I’m not going to hang you." But he couldn't do it. 

“Why? I struck you. What I did should have sent me to the gallows.”

As true as it was, the circumstances was undeserving of a death sentence in Yongguk’s eyes. “We should never disregard the importance of a life. May it be a farmer, a , a royal or even a bastard, a life is a life and to dismiss something so precious only warns of an emotional state that must be fixed.”

“I’m not emotional.” 

“On the contrary, you are. You, Zelo, are unstable.” 

“No one but his mother knew his real name. He lived by an alias because it made him feel safe.” Yongguk shifted under Daehyun’s hold. He shrugged his shoulders, twist and turned to loosen up the tense muscle at the small of his back. They were exposed to the elements, the biting cold making it difficult for him to continue. 

“Is something wrong?” 

“My body doesn’t agree with the floor is all.” Yongguk raised a smile to him. “If you don’t mind, can I come closer?” Daehyun had his back on the wall since Yongguk began his story. The dirt and gravel wasn’t the best accommodations for his own still joints, but having a little support did make it easier for him to bare with the harsh conditions he subjected himself to. 

“Sure. I don‘t mind.” He didn’t see the harm in inviting Yongguk over, until he got on his hands and knees and made himself comfortable on his lap. He laid with his head resting upon Daehyun's thigh, a chill running up his spine almost immediately when Yongguk brought the palm of his hand to his cheek. The cold nipped at the tip of his nose and Yongguk sought warmth in the fingers he pressed into. His face buried in the hallow Daehyun's palm provided and he took in the scent of him, closing his eyes to revel in the memories that emblazoned so vividly in his mind. “U-Um, Yongg-” 

“I opened my heart to him.” His words muffled against Daehyun’s hand. “He refused the heat of the fire, so I gave him my entire being to keep him warm during the blistering cold twilight brought with it. I wanted to help him.” 

A single tear dragged down his cheek. It was out of instinct Daehyun ran his fingers through his hair. It was the part of him that couldn’t bare witnessing another’s pain that made him sooth every part of the man within his arms. Yongguk took a moment to compose himself, keeping Daehyun’s hand near as if he feared what would come of him if he let him go. 

“You gave everything up for him?” 

“I did. He was my brother….my family.” 

“Why do you show the bastard child such respect? You treat him as if he belongs here.” Jongup dared not to look at the man that placed the furrowed brows of disappointment on his face. He stared at the water that filled the fountain they sat upon instead, keeping his mouth pressed tight in frustration. 

“Jongup, you mustn’t punish him for what he had no control over.” 

“I can’t stand the sight of him, Yongguk. I have nightmares that you die because of him. The more you’re near him, the closer the reaper’s scythe draws near.” 

Their sister, who sat upon the lawn with the richness of her gown gathered around her, took her elder brother’s hand and gave it a consoling pat. “Our dear brother is right. You mustn’t get close to him. His presence haunts me. He‘s the embodiment of a bad omen.” 

Yongguk folded his hands over her own and pressed his lips against her milky skin. “You worry too much. If you take the time to get to know him, you’ll see what I see.” 

“And what is it you see, Yongguk?” The request for a little insight came out much more forcefully than he expected, but Jongup didn’t make an effort to apologize for overstepping his boundaries. “I want to know what is it that compels you to treat him as a full-blooded brother.”

“A human being.” It wasn’t much of a explanation. It was far too simple for Jongup’s liking and he wrinkled his nose in response. “He bleeds as we do, hurt as we do, hope for the best in a future that cannot be foretold, and cares for you all despite the odious glances he wrongfully receives. Zelo loves you two as I do.”

Jongup shook his head, clearly not convinced. “I don’t want to speak of him anymore. The talk I want to pass the time with is the struggle we have with the kingdom of Exothiam.”

Yongguk sighed. “Jongin has gone power hungry since his father passed on. He’s young, naive,  and he’s finding someone to blame for his father’s death.” 

“Wasn’t his death of natural causes?” Sunny smoothed out her dress, a nervous habit of hers' she had adopted from her mother when discomforting topics came to ear. 

“Jongin suspects treason.” 

The siblings had gone silent when the sound of footsteps came round the bush that concealed them. Zelo stepped out with a small smile, raising a hand of greeting at the three who stared at him. “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was here.” 

“Nothing to apologize for.” Yongguk said with a smile. “Come join us. We’re simply talking amongst each other.” 

Zelo took the seat that was offered to him. He sat down, but as soon as he did Jongup bolted to his feet like rapid fire, his cold and  unwelcoming expression ridding Zelo of his grin. Jongup left without a word, sharply turning on his booted heel. 

“Wait.” Yongguk called, stopping him short of his escape. “Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to go fetch the stable boy to prepare my horse. I need some fresh air.” 

“But Himchan’s away. With father’s permission, he went to see his ailing mother.” Sunny informed in an effort to keep him near. 

“Then I shall call for another stable boy.” He made his exit as quickly as his venomous words left him. 

Yongguk looked to his sister, expecting her to stand and make her escape for the same reason that left Jongup a prisoner to his own rage. Sunny smiled a charming smile fit for a princess and gathered herself gracefully to her feet. There was a fondness in her eyes and a hospitable air about her that took Yongguk by surprise as she gave Zelo a respectable curtsey. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Zelo. My brother speaks highly of you.” 

“I’m sure he only speaks of my towering height.” 

She giggled. “He fears you’ll out grow him. He doesn’t want to be looked upon as a Hobbit when he stands beside you. Isn't that right, lord Hobbit?” 

Yongguk gave a small laugh at the memory of the two spending that warm afternoon teasing him. “They got along well. Sunny and Zelo were inseparable from there on. They were the same age so they confide in each other, laughed with one another, and they wholeheartedly accepted one another as siblings. They were quite the troublesome duo, but their foolishness brought them together.”

“What about Jongup?” Daehyun questioned. “Was he still distant with Zelo?”

“He treated him like the plague. We couldn’t get through to him. His hatred swelled within his heart and ran through his veins like a poison that couldn’t be extracted.”

“So how did he deal with the attention Zelo was getting from you and your sister?”

Yongguk sighed, his grip upon Daehyun’s hand tightening ever so slightly. “His hatred for Zelo evolved into an indescribably hostility that made us nervous when he was around. We were unsure of what he’d do whenever celebrations were had and they were both in the same room.  

“He was trying to win back your affection.” Daehyun said with a certainty that brought Yongguk to stare up at him. 

“What made you come to that conclusion?”

He shrugged. “If I were to put myself in his shoes, I’d feel like I was losing my brother and sister. Perhaps he felt you two favored Zelo over him.” 

“That was never the case. I loved my brothers equally.” 

“But you fell in love with him. You fell in love with Zelo,  your own flesh and blood.”

Yongguk had gone quiet and redirected his gaze upon the dirt wall across from them. “He understood me and was there when I needed him the most. He was there when I wanted nothing more but to give up on my faith.” 

An incurable sickness spread throughout the castle. Those gripped by uncontrollable tremors, the wicked heat of a fever and a deteriorating mentality was cursed with an unavoidable death. It couldn’t be ignored, couldn’t be fought or defend against, and when the first bodies were discovered, the king and his queen packed up for the country side. 

“I want to stay.” Jongup tried to make his way back into the castle, but Yongguk stood in his way, keeping him from disobeying the orders that were given to him.

“You have to go.”

“But Sunny is in there. I will not leave her bedside. I will not abandon her.” His voice trembled and the tears fell before he had the chance to hold them back. “I will not let her die. S-She can’t die. She's our baby sister.” He had to get to her. As her older brother Jongup had to do everything that he could to get pass Yongguk and see her smiling face again. He had to tell her she was going to pull through, whisper the chance of her survival was more than a hundred percent certain she’d come out alive. Jongup needed to be the older brother that ran to her whenever she called. “I want to take her place. Let me take her place.” It was too much for him to withstand. His soul shattered and with it his legs gave in, knees that buckled succumbing to the weight of his heavy heart causing him to break down on his brother’s shoulders. Jongup cried into the crook of his neck, muttering incomprehensible prayers that would never reach god’s ear.

“You must go with father. I’ll stay here with her.” Yongguk tried to coax him to his horse but his grip on him kept him in his brother’s arms. 

“And if you catch this plague? What then? What will become of the future we all dreamed of? What will become of our happiness?” 

Yongguk pulled Jongup’s face away from his shoulder and forced him to witness the unwavering confidence in his eyes.  “It will still be there. Sunny will conquer this sickness and I shall be there to see her come out triumphant. We’ll be happy like we were in those fields of poppies we played in as children.” Jongup managed a smile that matched the mask of reassurance Yongguk didn't dare to part from. Eventually he convinced him to mount his horse and escape to the safe haven of the country side. 

Yongguk entered his sister’s bed chambers once Jongup disappeared beyond the horizon. He turned round to lock the door behind him, but was caught by surprise at the sight of Zelo by her bedside. 

“You shouldn’t be here.” Zelo gave him a look of concern. 

“And neither should you.” 

“No one cares for a bastard, but to have the next heir in harms way is unheard of. You should leave. I’ll take care of our sister.” 

He hadn’t the chance to refute him. Sunny had awoken from her slumber and sat up with the help of Zelo who took her clammy hand. “Zelo is right. You can’t be here. I fear for your wellbeing.” 

“I will not leave you. I promised Jongup I’d bring you to see him when you’re well again.” 

“I adore how positive you are, Yongguk.” She could hardly speak, and the whisper she managed was barely discernable at the distance he stood at. He would’ve closed the gap between them but she insisted in a hoarse whisper that he stay as far away as the room allotted. “I’m not like the others. This sickness is so much stronger than I can manage. I can’t keep anything down, Yongguk. I can’t drink. Breathing take so much effort that I wish for it all to stop. I wish for the pain to stop.” 

She spent her waking days crying her heart out. With each hour passed Sunny made sure her words of ‘I love you’ touched her brother’s hearts. She never stopped reminding them how much they made a difference in her life, that no other could ever replace them. However, as the days drew on, it seemed like mourning a death that was soon to come wasn’t needed. Sunny was recovering, her strength returning to her and it was under a sheet of stars did she finally grapple onto the hope that she’ll make it out alive. 

“You should wish on a falling star.” The encompassing warmth of Yongguk's arm brought her back against his chest. They both looked up at the night sky and marveled at the twinkle of stars they had made a habit of counting since they were children. 

“I have everything I could ever want.” Sunny opened her arms to Zelo who sat at a distance. He didn’t hesitate to beckon to her and fall into her awaiting embrace. “I have a little brother who thrives at the art of trickery, an older brother, who will soon be a hobbit I might add, who would protect me from a fire breathing dragon, and a very stubborn brother who I love dearly and who loves me.” Sunny carded  her fingers through Zelo’s hair and adoringly pecked a kiss upon the arms that wrapped around her shoulders. “I only wish Jongup was here with us.” 

After gazing up at the stars for an hour in silence, Sunny requested to be carried back to her room. Yongguk lifted her  and set her gently on her bed, kissing her dainty fingers with a smile that lit up her world. After Zelo bid  her goodnight, Yongguk followed him out the door. He stopped at the threshold, looking back as she nestled her head in her pillow. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

She her side and nodded with the most darling grin that reaffirmed the hundred percent chance of survival Jongup had spoke of. “I expect a platter of fresh berries when I wake, Yonggukkie.” 

Sadly enough, he didn’t get the chance to pick the berries she loved so dearly.  

Sunny died the next morning. 

A/N: I was supposed to update my Daeup oneshot first but Bangdae was calling me out of nowhere, and this happened. It didn't even come out on Christmas ;n; *le sigh*  Well, like I said in my forward, this will be a two-shot x3. The last part of this fic shall be posted soon-ish <3

Thanks for reading /throws hearts/