"Yongguk hyung?" Zelo turned face to face with the older man the moment he shut his door. 
    Yongguk stood in front of him in sweatpants and an old hoodie pulled up over his head. He looked around at the empty hallway, then at the boy. Zelo watched him with confusion on his features.
    "You're not supposed to be here today.." Zelo continued. "Why are you here?"
    Yongguk shrugged. He hadn't been able to get the thought off his mind all night that the doctor would tell Zelo his secret after he'd left for the day. It made Yongguk's chest clench to think the boy might find out about his secret habit. Innocence like that shouldn't be spoiled.
    "I was just nearby.." Yongguk muttered, doubting he sounded convincing. "Thought I'd drop by."
    Zelo's face lit up into a smile suddenly. "Did you come to see me, Hyung?" 
    "Don't be stupid, Kid." Yongguk snapped quickly, watching the smile melt off the younger's face. He sighed, closing his eyes and dropping his head. After a short moment, he looked back up to find Zelo still standing in front of him, staring at him with a blank expression.
    "Then what are you doing here?" His voice lost the excitement it had moments before. Yongguk's frown deepened.
    "Fine..fine.." He muttered. "I came to check on you.."
    Zelo's smile returned. "I was just going to go for a walk in the garden..do you want to come? Or.."
    "No..no that sounds fine." Yongguk looked around awkwardly, motioning with his hand for Zelo to lead the way.
    He only noticed then that the boy had started using his IV pole again. Sometimes Zelo tore out his IV and refused his fluids in exchange for skateboarding down the hallway or stuffing himself full of ice cream in the cafeteria. Sometimes, Yongguk could find the boy clinging to it like the stick was the only thing keeping him alive. In truth, sometimes, it probably was, Yongguk realized.
    "Are you feeling well?" Yongguk found himself asking, falling into step beside Zelo. He his lips, thinking of small talk while he tried to figure out how to bring up the subject with the kid.
    Zelo turned to give Yongguk a look like he'd grown a second head. "First you come to visit me when you don't have to be here, now you're asking how I'm doing?"
    Yongguk shrugged again. "Maybe I care?"
    Yongguk watched the expression fade from Zelo's face before he quickly turned the other way. He pretended not to have noticed, biting his lip.
    "Is it because Doctor Kwon threatened to tell me your secret if you didn't spend time with me?" He asked suddenly.
    Yongguk stopped walking and watched the boy with wide eyes. Zelo turned to look up at the older boy, an emotion Yongguk could clearly define as disappointment in his eyes. His stomach dropped. That bastard of a doctor had told him even though he promised not to.
    "It..it's..it's not like that.." He stuttered. 
    Zelo shrugged. "I don't really care, Hyung. If you see me because you're forced to or whatever reason you've got...I don't really care."
    Yongguk paused, blinked, and looked back up at the blonde. "Y..you..what?"
    Zelo shrugged. "I'm used to it, Hyung. People don't like being around me if they don't have to be." He stopped and pulled open a heavy glass door. he struggled with it for a moment, but Yongguk made no effort to help him until the door was wide open. 
    Yongguk reached out a hand and held the door while the boy grabbed his IV pole and pulled it out the door with him. Yongguk followed and let the door fall shut with a thud behind them.
    "I don't hate being around you.." Yongguk started to speak, but Zelo stopped him.
    "It doesn't matter." He stared out at the garden they'd just entered. No other people filled the space, leaving the two in private silence for a while. 
    "It does matter." Yongguk felt stifled by the overwhelming scent of all the flowers. "Because I don't hate spending time with you."
    "I know that's a lie, Hyung." Zelo responded, his fingers tightening around the metal pole until his knuckles turned white. "But it's okay. You don't like being near me, and I don't blame you. I wouldn't want to be near me either.."
    Yongguk paused, staring at Zelo with his jaw dropped. He blinked a few times, surprised at what the younger boy had just said to him. Not only did the words not fit with Zelo's character, but they were spoken in a broken tone Yongguk had never heard before.
    Zelo looked away from him then, turning so the older man couldn't see his expression anymore. He started to walk, taking shaky steps along the cobblestone pathway.
    Yongguk followed behind him, watching the younger boy struggle to walk. He could see clearly in front of him, not the young boy with so much life left to live, but the vision of his mother. He gasped at the sight, recalling a memory of him, a younger him, a him who didn't hurt everyone he cared for. He stood in this exact place, taking a walk with his mother the day before she passed away.
    She had looked just like Zelo did now, clenching to the pole for support and taking every step like it was the most difficult thing she'd ever had to do. His mother turned back to look at him and gave him a smile, the last smile he'd ever seen from her. 
    "Hyung.." Zelo's voice shattered the image, and in place of the memory of his mother, the tall blonde stood, looking back at him with shocked, wide eyes. "Hyung...you're crying.."
    Yongguk panicked, reaching up quickly to wipe the tears from his eyes. "Ani..ani..it's nothing.."
    "Hyung..." Zelo took a tentative step towards the younger boy. "What's wrong?"
    Yongguk sighed, wiping the last of the tears from his cheeks. "It's really nothing, Zelo-ah.." He tried to sound less upset than he had suddenly become, but he just couldn't seem to put the right tone in his voice.
    Zelo sat down on the bench nearby and looked at the older man. "I only have two friends, you know." Zelo started to speak, staring at his hands in his lap. "I used to have lots of friends, but one by one they stopped talking to me. Some came to see me in the hospital for a while, but in the end it's just those two..Daehyun hyung and our friend from next door. Who would ever want to hang out with a sick kid anyway, huh?" He laughed bitterly and looked up at the older boy. 
    Yongguk his lip, glancing at Zelo but unable to fix his gaze on the younger while he spoke. 
    "It makes people uncomfortable." Zelo told him. "Being around someone you know will die soon."
    Yongguk's eyes finally found Zelo and stared at him, unblinking. "You might not..."
    "I will." Zelo stated, matter-of-factly. He didn't say it sadly, or with any hint of fear as most others in his situation would, but with a resigned acceptance, his eyes closing for only a moment before turning to look back up at the older man.
    "It doesn't make you uncomfortable, though, does it, Hyung?" Zelo asked.
    Yongguk watched the boy without answering, racking his mind for something to say, but unable to really say anything.
    "None of the other patients bother you to be around. It's just me."
    "You're not like them." Yongguk finally spoke, taking a seat on the bench beside Zelo. He mirrored the younger's position from before, wringing his hands in his lap.
    Zelo didn't say anything to this. He watched the older man, waiting. Yongguk his lips again, opening his mouth and closing it a few times before the right words found him.
    "Death doesn't bother me." He spoke softly. "Lord knows I've seen my share of it. I sat by my mother's side in this same hospital, in a room just like yours. I watched her whither and die before my very eyes, unable to do anything for her. I couldn't ease her pain in any way before she went. All I could do was add to it."
    Yongguk looked up at Zelo. The boy was staring at a flower near by, but Yongguk could tell he was listening intently. He sighed, looking up at the sky through the glass roof that kept them safe from weather.
    "I was never that great of a kid, obviously. I was constantly getting in trouble and causing problems for my mother, up until the day she died...I couldn't even be there when she passed away..."
    "I'm sorry, hyung..." Zelo muttered softly, his voice barely above a whisper. 
    Yongguk grunted, watching Zelo as a silence grew between them. Zelo watched the flower, not moving his eyes away from it for even a second. Yongguk watched the soft muscles twitch, his chin tremble. He felt tears sting his own eyes at the anguish he could feel radiating from the younger boy. Zelo's eyes remained dry, not a tear to be seen through all the pain Yongguk could see.
    "You remind me of her." Yongguk finally broke the silence. Zelo's head whipped around to stare at Yongguk. Yongguk quickly averted his eyes to the ground. "That's why..It's not that I don't like you..or don't like  being around you...It's just.."
    "I understand." Zelo's soft hand reached over to rest on top of Yongguk's. 
    The older boy looked up at him to see Zelo's smile once again on his face, directed at the older boy. 
    "You even smile like her." Yongguk blurted out. "Even when she knew the end was coming, she smiled. She was happy. Like you. Innocent."
    "It's not innocence." Zelo hesitated to speak. He coppied Yongguk's action of his lips and gripped onto his IV pole. "It's acceptance. It's gratitude."
    "Gratitude?" Yongguk scoffed. "What do you have to be thankful for?"
    Zelo's soft smile stopped Yongguk's words. "The time I have left, Hyung."
    Yongguk responded with a blank stare and a few blinks. Zelo chuckled slightly at the response. 
    "Most people, they have years ahead of them to accomplish their dreams...I've only got a few months left. I'd rather spend them in happiness rather than just waiting for the end. If not for my sake, then for the people who care about me."
    "You sound just like her." Yongguk chuckled. Zelo chuckled as well, tightening his grip on Yongguk's hand. 
    "Your mom sounds like a good person." 
    Yongguk nodded. "She was...and you are too."
    "I'll take that as an apology." Zelo laughed, pulling his hand away and standing up. "For being so mean to me this past month."
    Yongguk looked up to see the boy, smiling happily as he teased the older. Yongguk's gummy smile showed, despite himself. 
    "You're not the type to apologize." Zelo spoke, holding his pole with both hands. "But I'm glad. I thought you just hated me. I feel better knowing that's not exactly the case."
    Yongguk stood, his eyes searching over Zelo's face. "I'm not a good person. I'm not always a nice person..."
    "That's not true." Zelo interrupted. "You saved my life that once, remember?"
    Yongguk chuckled, reaching up to ruffle the blonde curls. "Just listen to what I'm trying to say."
    Zelo's smile returned and he stood silent, listening.
    Yongguk took a deep breath and started speaking again. "Being near you reminds me of when I used to spend time with my mother before she died. At first, it made me uncomfortable and angry, but my  mother would be disappointed in the way I've been acting. I'm sorry I've been treating you badly...I'd like to try to be friends."
    The smile Zelo gave him warmed Yongguk from the inside out. It was like someone plugged a lightbulb into the boy and every part of him glowed with happiness. He nodded, his hair flying all over the place. 
    Zelo gripped his head suddenly, swaying and grabbing tightly onto his IV pole. "Ah..."
    "Are you aright?" Yongguk asked, jumping towards him and grabbing Zelo by the arm to steady him.
    Zelo nodded, more softly this time. "Deh...I just got a little dizzy. I must have shaken my head too hard. Mianhe.."
    Yongguk sighed, shaking his head. "Come on, let's get you back to your room, okay?"
    Zelo agreed, chewing on his lip when Yongguk wrapped their arms together and started to walk towards Zelo's room once more. 
    "Lean on me." He spoke softly to the younger boy. "If you start to fall, I'll catch you."
    "Thank you, Hyung.." Zelo muttered, then remained silent until the made it back into the room.
    Yongguk opened the door and Zelo walked in, only to be tackled into a hug. Yongguk watched this new stranger as he clung to Zelo's weak form. He hadn't realized he'd actually started to growl softly until the boy looked up from Zelo and turned to him.
    "Yeobo.." The boy nuzzled his face into Zelo's neck, arms wrapped around the boy's waist. "Is this that convict that Daehyunnie was talking about?"
    "He's not a convict, Hyung." Zelo pouted, giving a quick glance at Yongguk.
    The older boy set his jaw hard and looked back at the stranger. "If you wouldn't mind, Zelo needs to get back into bed. He wasn't feeling very well a moment ago."
    The stranger pulled himself away from Zelo, holding the younger boy at arms length. "Yeobo..are you ok? Did this mean man do anything to you? Are you hurt?"
    Zelo closed his eyes once more, taking a deep breath. "Hyung, stop being mean. Yongguk hyung isn't a bad man, he's my friend."
    The stranger pouted, looking at Yongguk. The older boy crossed his arms over his chest and looked back at the other with an eyebrow raised. Honestly, his heart swelled in his chest when Zelo defended him. Yongguk usually didn't respond to those kinds of insults, since he'd heard them so often, and most of them were correct anyway. 
    "Zelo..get into bed." Yongguk turned his expression to Zelo, his whole face softening. He lead the younger by his shoulders and got him into the bed before the stranger pulled up a chair beside him and grabbed both of Zelo's hands.
    Zelo shot a glance at Yongguk before looking back at the boy. "Yongguk hyung, this is Youngjae..he's one of the people I mentioned earlier.."
    Youngjae's face lit up. "Awe...my baby Zelo is telling his friends about me! How sweet..I knew you cared!"
    Yongguk shot a hard glare at the boy. His face turned into a smirk as he spoke. "Oh..this must be that kid from next door you mentioned."
    Zelo nodded, watching Yongguk. Yongguk watched the smile fade from Youngjae's face and felt a burst of victory rush through him.
    "Yeobo..you didn't introduce me as your boyfriend?" Youngjae whined, pouting and tugging on Zelo's hands. His attempt to be cute only caused Yongguk to shudder.
    "Youngjae Hyung...you're NOT my boyfriend." Zelo stressed, pulling his hands away from the older boy's and making himself comfortable on the bed. "You're a boy and you're my friend, but you're not my boyfriend."
    Youngjae sighed, his eyes shooting to Yongguk for a moment before he leaned back in his chair. "So is this criminal your boyfriend, then?"
    "Hyung!" Zelo's voice rose to a yell for the first time Yongguk had ever heard. He looked at Youngjae as if he'd just been slapped. "Stop being mean or I'll tell Daehyun hyung."
    Youngjae sneered, standing up and knocking the chair back. "Well, I came to spend some time with my favorite person...but I guess you've lowered your standards and got busy. I'll just go."
    Yongguk groaned inwardly and rolled his eyes. "No, you stay. It's obvious you two have some issues you need to work on."
    "Hyung..." Zelo pouted, pleading with his eyes for Yongguk to stay.
    The older boy smiled, reaching over to ruffle that soft blonde hair once more. "I'll  be back tomorrow, arra?"
    Zelo's smile reached from one side of his face to the other and he nodded. Yongguk returned the smile, then shot Youngjae a glare before he walked out the door.
    "Hyung." Zelo called him, stopping him right before the door shut. "About your secret." Yongguk bit his lip. He had forgotten all about that, since their discussion had taken a completely different turn than he'd expected. "Doctor Kwon didn't tell me what it was."
    The door shut behind Yongguk and he leaned against it with a deep sigh. His heart felt a lot lighter now than it had in a very long time. He even found his lips turned up into a small, crooked smile as he walked out of the hospital. 
    He stopped at the trashcan right outside the revolving doors and reached deep into his pockets. His fingers wrapped around the black box that had weighed him down for years. Looking at it for a moment, he tossed it into the trashcan and walked away with a smile. For the first time since before his mother had gotten sick, Yongguk was looking forward to tomorrow.