~5 years later~

He watched from the corner of his eye as the soldiers walked past. His body shielded from their sight. The raven continued to stare on in the darkness waiting until the palace guards left. It took about 15 minutes before they disappeared.

Changmin touched his chest, feeling the cold silver band that was threaded through a silver chain and wrapped around his neck to prevent it from getting lost. The coldness of the ring calmed him as it took away any nerves he had. Three rubs was all it took. Like the genie’s lamp that granted his wishes. All he wished for now was to see the other half of the ring as well as the other half of him.

“Come on Shim Changmin. There’s nothing you can’t do, right?” Muttering to no one in particular, he whispers the exact words of his lover from 5 years ago. As soon as the guards were far enough for Changmin to no longer hear them, he came out of the bushes. About to run towards the palace he turned around after realising where, or what he had been hiding in.

“Hey, rose bush.” He said with a smile, remember that this was the very same bush he hid behind during Kyuhyun’s confrontation with those people years ago. Never did he notice the bush was not a normal bush but rather, a rose plant that grew the most beautiful roses he had ever seen. He was thankful to the plant. It was because of that fateful day that Changmin and Kyuhyun came to be.

“You seem to be with me every time something important happens in my life, huh? Don’t worry; I’ll come back for you. I promise.” Changmin said, taking a petal to remind him of the promise. With a smile, he made his way towards the palace from the gardens. Everything around him seemed different. Maybe it was just him. It had been 5 years since he last stepped foot in the palace grounds. After all, he was now a wanted man for treason.

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“Where are you?” Changmin whispered to himself as he peered out from the wall he was hiding behind. It took some time to for him to navigate around the palace but he had succeeded in doing so. Only thing was the further he advanced inside, the more problems that came to face him.

The palace guards continued to walk on only to be replaced by another as soon as. Like objects on a conveyor belt, they kept on appearing. It seemed as though they were making their daily rounds to ensure that unwanted people couldn’t enter the palace. Of course if they did, (as Changmin has) they wouldn’t be able to get any further. Despite that, the amount of guards was overwhelming. Something bad must have happened for them to be like that. The raven waited till he could find a crack in their system that would allow him to slip by unnoticed. It was difficult but he had found one just as they next guard changed.

“Hey, you!” Changmin listened, pressing his ear as close as possible. Someone called out to another. The two guards turned around to face the person who seemed to be of a higher ranking. Changmin couldn’t see who it was as he feared if he peered out more than he currently was from the wall, he could get found out.

“Yes?” They answered, giving a respectable bow before they did so. The higher ranking guard opened his mouth to speak and it was clear to them that he was not having a good day. Judging by the tone he was using, something had happened in the palace.

“I heard we had a break-in inside the palace gardens. I was told Advisor Cho was attacked by a group of bandits last night at the palace gazebo. King Saejong is furious and has issued that the people who did it will be held responsible. I want you to round up everyone who was one patrol around the area 9pm- 11pm, do you understand? How dare you let not one but a group of bandits through the palace walls undetected! You were lucky it was only the King’s right hand man who was injured and not your highness himself!” Changmin tightened his fist. How dare they disregard his lover’s life like that? Sure the King was the King but Kyuhyun meant more to him than the King did. He swore he would make that senior guard pay for what he said.

“I’m incredibly sorry. I swear it won’t happen again.” One of the guards replied, giving another low bow while apologising.

“You bet it won’t! NOW GO!” Both of them left with a hurry. Changmin decided to not waste any time. Quickly, he leapt from the wall and made his way in the direction of Kyuhyun’s chambers. The hallway was long. Painted in the colours of white, gold and cream, it screamed elegance and exaggerated its beauty. Kyuhyun's room was always the 13^th room on the left as it had left a strong impression on him. It took a while for the ex-scholar to reach the room with the help of some unwanted guards running around. Luckily for him, their focus was to find those people who were on patrol during last night’s attack which made them focus else where.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he ran up to the room he had been looking for. Without bothering to knock, he grabbed onto the handle and pushed the door open. It was surprising that the door was unlocked but at the same time, it was Kyuhyun’s room after all. The boy had always been a bit of a dunce when it came to those little things. He had claimed it was because his mind was focusing on other things, causing him to forget stuff like locking his room which Changmin truly believed but decided it was more fun to .

“Who enters?!” Kyuhyun tries to shout but all that came out was a hoarse voice as he sits up from his bed. A semi transparent curtain separates the lovers. All Changmin could see was his lover’s silhouette from the other side. His breathing hitches as he longed to see what Kyuhyun had become in those 5 years.

“State you name and reason, or else.” The other’s voice trembled but did its best to be strong as Changmin inched closer. Now that's something different. He thought, noticing the strong demeanour the other was trying to put up. A smile rose on his lips as he prepares himself for the beauty that is Kyuhyun (not that he wasn't beautiful before but who knows how much more he has become).

“Though your voice pricks like a thorn, your face, if I remember correctly, mimics that of a rose.” Changmin smirked with triumph. Almost immediately, the curtains drew opened revealing a wide eyed Kyuhyun clutching at his robes.

“Changmin?” Alas, his love had noticed him. 5 years was definitely not enough to prepare Changmin for Kyuhyun. The boy he once knew was now a man. His hair a little longer than before, lips more succulent and face, somehow more defined. With the work of a miracle, Kyuhyun had become more beautiful as time went by. Outlines of the bandages could be seen wrapped Kyuhyun’s torso as a thin white robe ‘covered’ the rest of his body. Changmin frowned at the sight, knowing that he was not the only one to see his lover like this.

“Kyuhyun.” The name felt foreign on Changmin’s tongue from the lack of calling at the same time, it felt so right. Finally, it time had come as the one was here for Changmin to call out to. No longer was the name called only to be greeted back with the sound of silence. Kyuhyun was here. Kyuhyun was real.

“Changmin!” The elder of the two flung his duvet aside and threw himself to his taller lover, embracing him for the first time in 5 years. Changmin caught the falling one just in time as he nearly collided into the said man. The king’s advisor wanted to cry out but fought his tears back, noticing that there was a reason why Changmin was risking his life to be in the palace.

“What are you doing here?! You must leave before anyone finds you or you'll be executed!” Kyuhyun cried, pushing away from Changmin’s embrace as he reached out. He grabbed the other’s face and caressed his lover’s solid features. Suddenly, the criminal’s expression hardened almost scaring the other in the process.

“We must leave! There is no time for me to explain but you need to get out of here. You’re in danger! It's not safe for you!” He grabbed onto Kyuhyun's hands, removing them from his tanned face.

“W-What are you talking about?” Kyuhyun stuttered with a faint blush over his cheeks as Changmin lifted him up by the waist and pulled him towards the door to exit his room. He tried to stop him but was weak against the other’s hold. Changmin sighed and stopped in his tracks before turning around to look at the pale Kyuhyun.

“Please. Trust me.” The ex-scholar whispered before leaning in to capture the raven's lips, shortly parting. Kyuhyun looked into Changmin's eyes, almost enchanted by the sudden sadness that had washed over it. Never in his life did he have any doubts in the other’s words.

It was true that the palace was never safe with the amount of nobles and important figures that stayed in these walls. An attack was bound to happen one day or another. However, it was still unexpected to have Changmin barge in and ‘rescue’ him from this impending danger.

“I do…I just…I can't believe you’re here! I've barely had enough time to make sense of it all yet we are already running from death.” He looked away shyly as his face burned a brighter red. The love they shared had never faded one bit since they had parted. Changmin knew how much Kyuhyun valued their time together but the quicker they escaped, the more time they would have afterwards.

“I know Kyuhyunnie but we have to go. I promise, we'll have a catch up after we get out of here, ok?” It was unfair the way Changmin could make Kyuhyun feel. Just a simple pet name like that gave him the upper hand to everything. Of course Kyuhyun was going to give in. Of course he was going to follow the other’s orders and do as he was told. Kyuhyun could be a bit of a rebel but Kyuhyunnie was always obedient.

“Alright…” The bright smile on Changmin’s face immediately turned dark as the taller ran toward the door to continue their journey out of the palace. His grip around Kyuhyun hand grew tighter as he felt his lover’s shiver from uncertainty. I'll protect you. He spoke in his mind, hoping that the other could hear those words.

Changmin opened the door slightly as he peered through the gap. There was no sign of life which was a relief on his end. He turned to Kyuhyun who was pressed against his back and gave the shorter a reassuring nod. He replied with the same gesture. Changmin flung the door open and ran out with Kyuhyun in his hold. The raven made sure to catch the door as he was leaving, closing it behind him to avoid any suspicion from passing guards. As fast as they could, they ran towards the end of the long hallway. It was easier to navigate now that Changmin had already made his way in. It was simply retracing his steps. Adding the confidence boost with Kyuhyun here with him was enough to make Changmin feel as though he was reborn. Luck was on their side as not a soul was seen as the lovers turned into a corner.

Kyuhyun clutched his chest to try and ease the pain. He could feel the wound along his chest open up but said nothing as it might alarm the other. Without any rest, Changmin continued to lead the two out of the walls.

“Kyuhyun.” Changmin warned as he put this arm in front of the elder. Using the very same arm, he pushed Kyuhyun behind him to shield him from unwanted eyes.

“Wha-“

“Shh…” Before the other could finish his sentence, it was stopped by a single sound. Footsteps came from the front in trained steps. So in sync, even Changmin couldn't tell how many there were that walked the hallways. They held their breaths as the guards inched closer. Only the wall they were hiding behind separated the runaway lovers from the servants to the law.

The pain was getting too much for Kyuhyun. His forehead was covered in sweat and his breath became shallow and quick. Worst of all, his vision began to fail him. It was hard to move, let alone run but he had to do it. For Changmin’s sake, I have to. He felt his body lean forward, almost falling to the ground. Feeling the weight on his arm grow, Changmin turned back to see his lover leaning against him. Kyuhyun fell forward but suffered no additional injuries as Changmin twisted his arm to support his lover better. A small thumping sound was made from their movements.

“Did you hear something?” A man spoke from the other side. Kyuhyun froze, lifting his hand to press against Changmin's arms which was still wrapped around his waist that held him up. The other shuffled closer silently as one guard broke free from his formation to try and investigate the sound. Their breath stilled as the person came closer and closer. A million thoughts came flooding in the wanted man’s mind but was quickly brushed away as most would reveal their location and put the two in danger. The hairs on their arm stood up as the guard was so close, they two could almost hear him breathing. Just then, a loud voice shouted over.

“KIM YONGSOO! GET BACK IN LINE!” The shout had not only startled the guard whose name was being called out but also everyone else. A silence brushed over them like a scene in the movies before the guard quickly answer with a shaky voice.

“Y-Yes Sir!” The man quickly ran back with the sound of shuffled noises following closely behind from the armour he was wearing. Changmin sighed with relief but the relief quickly subsided as he noticed the burning sensation on his arm. Kyuhyun's body cocked forward, his face almost touching Changmin's arm still wrapped around him.

“Kyuhyun…!?” Changmin spoke as he leaned down to see the elder’s face. He reached up to touch, only immediately retracting after the overwhelming heat gave him a shock.

“You're burning!” He swore to himself internally. How could he not realise Kyuhyun’s condition. So focused on trying to escape, Changmin had completely forgotten about the attack that happened last night.  

“I'm fine…we have to go…” Kyuhyun's words came out as a low whisper. The younger shook his head and moved back to their previous position.

“We’re going back. I'll come back another day when you're better.” Changmin took him by the arm and was about to lead them back when Kyuhyun stood his ground. It mimicked their scenario in Kyuhyun’s room. The ex-scholar turned around to see Kyuhyun shaking his head, no.

“I'm not going back.” The other’s voice was calm, almost too calm. Kyuhyun had his arm back on his chest again, hand clutching at his robe tightly.

“KYUHYUN! Look at you! There's no way I'm letting you go back. I'll come back again once you’re better!” Changmin gave his lover a hard tug as he tried to convince the raven to go back. Kyuhyun didn't move from his place. Using most of his strength, he pulled Changmin back and turned the other around to face him before using his left leg to trip him up. Changmin fell down, landing on his bottom as the angry Kyuhyun climbed on top of his lover and using his free hand, grabbing him by his collar.

“NO! 5 years Changmin! It took you 5 years to come back last time you promised. How do I know it won't be another 5 years!? What if we did go back? Are you 100% positive that you'll get out of here safely? And even if you do, what makes you think they'll let you come back in here undetected to take me with you again?! How long must I carry on being a half? I'm not going back Shim Changmin! It's either now or never!” He did his best not to shout but the anger that welled up inside of him wanted to burst. The younger looked into his lover's hardened eyes. A hint of sadness was apparent from the corner that twinkled like a tear drop. Was Kyuhyun been keeping this in all this time? He was happy that Kyuhyun feelings were as strong as they were but at the same time, it was his love for the other that kept hurting him. If only it didn't happen. If only Changmin kept his love quiet. Maybe then Kyuhyun would still be the happy Kyuhyun he once was. But no, Changmin couldn't keep dwelling on the past. Though those days were most peaceful, the present is what gave them a future. The now told them they were lovers and that was nothing to regret.

“Alright, we won't go back. But you must tell me if you're in too much pain to carry on. We will take a break to ease your body, alright?” Kyuhyun nodded and gave the younger a shy peck on the lips before pushing his frame onto Changmin’s as the taller happily bought his arms around to hold him.

“Thank you for coming back.”

“Anything for you, my other half.” Kyuhyun gave the Changmin a knowing smile as he spoke those tender words that meant the world to them. A small silver chain twinkled from fire light that was wrapped around Kyuhyun’s neck. It held the item Changmin was looking for and was wrapped around the person he was craving for. My love, my Kyuhyun.

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They escaped through the west gates of the palace and back to the gardens. The cold wind hit their face almost making Kyuhyun fall on his feet. It chilled him to the bone, making his shiver ever so slightly. Changmin felt the movement from the elder’s hands and gripped it tighter as if to comfort the young advisor. There was an eerie silence as they escaped the walls and into the open. Suddenly, it felt hard to breathe. Kyuhyun fell onto his knees almost immediately, clutching at his chest in a fit of coughs.

“KYUHYUN!” The younger cried out to his lover and knelt down to tend him.

“No…” Kyuhyun muttered, his eyes not leaving the brick floor. They are here. They knew… He reached up to Changmin and pulled down with his collar. The strength used was a lot greater than what Changmin had thought as he almost landed on top of his lover.

“Kyu-” Before anyone could say anything, a hoard of footsteps came running over. The stampede was so great; it felt like a small earthquake, ready to separate the two.

“SHIM CHANGMIN! YOU ARE ARRESTED FOR SEVERAL ACCOUNTS TREASON AND THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE ATTACK ON KING SEJONG 5 YEARS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?” The King’s guards surrounded the two from all angles. Kyuhyun bit his bottom lip from anger. The ex-scholar turned to see who had spoken to him. There stood General Jung who was in charge of the King’s guards. Full of raging anger in his eyes, he looked at them with killing intent. Changmin did this best to try and think of something to say, something that would save at least Kyuhyun.

Death was something he had planned for when he entered this sacred place but Kyuhyun was not yet allowed to die. There were great things left for him to do and only he could do it. He opened his mouth to speak but his words were stolen from him as a louder voice pushed his aside.

“Only an idiot to the King would be blinded by lies!” Kyuhyun laughed in a teasing tone. He stood up from where he was and walked in front of the now-in-shock Changmin.

“Shim Changmin-ssi committing treason is as believable as trees being human once upon a time.” The blood from Kyuhyun’s wound had now seeped through his layers of bandaging and tainted the white robe. He pressed down hard to stop the bleeding as best he could as he carried out his last duties.

“SILENCE ADVISOR-CHO! HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR YOUR POSITION, YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN BEHEADED THE MOMENT YOUR SHADOW WAS IN OUR VIEW!” General Jung shouted and pointed accusingly.

“General Jung, the stupidity you possess renders me speechless.” Kyuhyun remained calm despite the pain that stuck him continuously. His vision blurred and re-focused several times. Be angry. Be angrier!

“So it's true?” A whisper came from afar.

“I bet it was Advisor Cho’s doing all along.” Another joined, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“He just wanted to be the King’s advisor so badly; he would do that to Scholar Shim? I thought they were friends!” The whispers grew louder before everyone’s words were almost a shout. The general became enraged with what had become. The words got to him like a bullet to the head. Reason no longer had a part in his thoughts as he gave one loud shout.

“SILENCE!” He shouted. The chatters died down immediately. As the elder predicted, the General grabbed his sword, releasing it from its scabbard and aimed it at the Advisor.

“Come with us, Advisor Cho. King Sejong will decide your fate.”

“Not a chance.” General Jung bit down at his lip and charged forward with his sword in hand. Kyuhyun stood there, waiting for the man to reach him and decide his fate. A metre of distance separated the newly made enemies when Changmin grabbed the elder, making Kyuhyun fall backwards. The ex-scholar proceeded to let the other land on his back with his arm shielding Kyuhyun’s head from the hard floor before he moved on top of him. Kyuhyun's eyes widened. The events unravelled before him came as slow motion. His body frozen beneath his lover but reality grabbed him back.

“NO!” He shouted. Flashbacks appeared in front of him, showing the times when Changmin and he were in the palace gardens together, having a laugh. Changmin thought it would be a good idea to teach the smaller some simple self defence in case anyone would try to jump on the young beauty. Kyuhyun had declined many times stating that no one other than Changmin would do that to him but the younger persevered. Finally, Kyuhyun gave in.

Kyuhyun held his breath as he reached out. Using his left hand to sweep Changmin's body off him with force, he made up his mind on how to counter his lover. Luckily, Changmin hadn't realised and fell back as Kyuhyun had wanted. With whatever time left, Kyuhyun sat up from the floor. General Jung was right in front of him with his sword aiming for Kyuhyun. Quickly, Kyuhyun moved his body to the side. Jung Yunho was his full name, missed Kyuhyun by an inch and his sword landed right near the other’s arm. The raven lifted his right arm up and twisted it around Yunho’s. Shocked, the general turned his head to face the weak Kyuhyun. The bite on his lip gripped harder, almost enough to draw blood before he swung his arm to free himself from Kyuhyun. His sword escaped his careless grip and landed on the floor somewhere out of sight. One hand grabbed the small knife like dagger from his belt and his other pushed Kyuhyun back down. One fell swoop, he lunged his hand with the dagger down to the King’s advisor’s heart. Kyuhyun turned his head to face Changmin, mouthing a few words before the smile he possessed faded and so did the light in his eyes.

“KYUHYUN!”

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Kyuhyun had fainted in Changmin's arms. After the confrontation, after the kiss, Kyuhyun’s body could no longer take the overwhelming emotions that were sent to his body. Everything happened in a flash.

Noticing Kyuhyun's body suddenly fall forward, Changmin acted quickly and caught the teacher in an embrace before he could seriously injure himself. The boy, of course, didn't know what to do or what exactly had happened. He contemplated calling the ambulance but quickly decided against it. For someone his age, Changmin was surprisingly strong. After deciding it would be best to rest Kyuhyun on a bed, he lifted the elder up bridal style.

He felt his cheeks warm up from their closeness and his heart beating uncontrollably from the warmth that he had been missing life time after life time. The elder was a lot lighter than Changmin had expected. Maybe teaching had become too stressful for Kyuhyun? He hoped it wasn't because of his absence but part of him knew it was because of him.

Gently, Changmin laid Kyuhyun down onto the bed. Doing his best not to wake the other up, Changmin pulled the duvet from underneath and over Kyuhyun. To his dismay, Kyuhyun began to move in his sleep, only soon turning into harsh thrashings from side to side. He wanted to shout, the scream but no sound came out from the sleeping figure’s lips. All that was left was dry the calls that were left unheard.

“Kyuhyun?! KYUHYUN! WAKE UP!” Changmin shouted, forgetting the fact that the other was his teacher and calling him directly by his name. Almost right away, Kyuhyun's body jerked upwards with his eyes as wide as can be. Changmin gasped and leaned in to get a closer look at the elder.

“Kyuhyun?” The student softly called. Kyuhyun jerked his head after hearing his name, looking right into Changmin's eyes. Their faces were centimetres apart but neither of them minded. The sadness in his eyes told Changmin everything. A small smile rose up to his lips as he reached out to touch the elder’s face.

“Welcome home.” Kyuhyun tried to speak but once again, all that came was silence.

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“Are you a whole?”

“Without you, I'm only half.”

ANDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD! THIS FIC IS DONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Go check out my other fics! I hope you have enjoyed this fic~ It took a lokng time for me to finish but I have inally done it!

Thank you for reading, thank you for staying and thank you for believing!