This I Promise You (1/1)

Just as Luhan’s feet left the ledge, he felt something cold and firm wrap around his torso. Quicker than his muddled mind could comprehend, he surged forward and hit the rooftop, the impact being a little softer than he expected. Stunned, Luhan looked down his body to see pale arms wrapped around him. Wide-eyed, Luhan turned his head a bit and came face to face with the pink haired man from his vision. For a moment, they stared into each other’s eyes, unable to utter a single word.Slowly, the pink haired man extricated himself from the stunned little deer while Luhan continued to look at him with astonishment and bewilderment. Just as the man stood up, Luhan was engulfed in a sea of white coats and his sight of the pink haired man became obscured. Luhan struggled to keep the man in his sights as he was whisked away by the white coats, but the man disappeared.Once Luhan and all the white coats were out of sight, the pink haired man let out a frustrated scream. The area around him within a five foot radius froze over as the pink-haired man’s eyes glowed ice blue.“Whoa, Baozi, calm down,” a deep voice drawled from behind him.The pink haired man whipped around and a blast of ice stopped just short of the auburn haired man standing atop the very ledge Luhan had nearly fallen off. The auburn haired man didn’t even flinch as the pink haired man continued to glare at him. The two remained at a standstill for a moment, before the glow left the pink haired man’s eyes and the ice shattered to the ground in a thousand tiny shards.“Kris, don’t ever call me that,” the Boazi muttered darkly under his breath as his body slowly relaxed from its tense state.The auburn man shrugged his shoulders casually as he stepped down from the ledge. He lazily surveyed the rooftop and almost chuckled at its frozen over state, but he feared the impending ice attack that would follow if he did. “Xiumin, the light called to him tonight,” the man stated with a tone of worry as he flicked his wrists and shot blasts of heat at the ice to melt it away.“The mind is developing rather quickly,” the other man responded as he slumped onto the aforementioned ledge.“Much more violently too,” the auburn haired man stated as the last of the ice vanished. “How long…?”The pink haired man let out a ragged sigh as if the weight of a thousand worlds rested on his shoulders. “At best four weeks, at worst by the end of the week,” Xiumin replied.“Do you think he’ll…?” The man trailed off into silence as he stared unseeingly at the door of the roof.The pink haired man glared at nothing in particular as his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. “No, I won’t let it even come close to that, never again,” he replied but the last part was said so quietly the dragon strained to hear it.The auburn haired man stared at the pink haired man before him. Although he exuded anger and strength, there was an underlying sadness and brokenness that shown through his eyes and the slight crease in between his brows. The auburn haired man placed a comforting hand on the other’s shoulder and the pink haired man leaned toward him until their sides were touching. He opened and closed his mouth a few times trying to find the right words to say in this moment but nothing came to mind. Instead, he used his mere presence as a way to assure the man that someone was there to support him.After a while the auburn haired man noticed his companion become slack and his weight felt heavier against his side. He chuckled when he realized his friend was sleeping. “Aish, so childish, work yourself into a fit one moment, only to fall asleep the next,” the auburn haired man sighed out as he moved his friend into a more comfortable position.The auburn haired man looked towards one of the windows in the hospital. Luhan was being forcefully placed onto a bed by the white coats. He struggled and tried to get away from them, but he didn’t notice one of the white coats holding a syringe until it was too late and it pierced his skin. His resistance faded allowing the white coats to push him back onto the bed. The last restraint was tightened just as his eyes closed.Directing his attention to the pink haired man now curled into his chest, the auburn haired man exhaled loudly. His fingers began to brush through soft light colored locks. “I guess, it’s to be expected. You’ve been watching over him without fail since we arrived here. You’ll reunite soon, I promise…” There was a warmth like no other that flowed through his body and straight to his core. It was comforting and inviting. A gentle breeze moved through his hair, tousling it almost like a father’s hand. It was a serene feeling and gave him a sense of home.“Luhan, come on! We’re going to miss it!” A bubbly voice called out.Luhan snapped to attention and chased after the brown haired boy waving him over from base of the biggest tree he has ever seen. The trunk alone was bigger than a house and stood taller than any building in China.“Luhan you’re so slow!” the brunet complained with a pout.Luhan smiled and poked the rounded cheeks, “Baozi!”“Yah! I told you not to call me that,” the brunet glared at him before playfully shoving him away. “Last one to the top has to eat Taemin’s newest creation!”With that, the brunet jumped up onto the nearest branch and started making his way up. Luhan yelled at him for cheating but the brunet just stuck his tongue out at him in a teasing manner as he continued to climb. Laughing, Luhan started making his way up the tree at a rather fast rate and soon he caught up the brunet.The round cheek boy stared, shocked as Luhan passed him. Grumbling inaudibly, his brown eyes flashed ice blue for a moment and Luhan slipped from one of the branches. Taking his chance, the brunet bound passed him.“Hey! No powers, that’s cheating!” Luhan called after his friend as he regained his footing. All he received was a laugh in response. “Hmph, if that’s how you want to play, then fine!” Luhan muttered under his breath.The deer’s eyes flashed silver and a branch moved to hit the brunet on the butt, causing him to lose his pace as he was thrown off balance. Luhan laughed as he continued his climb to the top. Their little tricks continued until Luhan popped his head up at the top of the tree.“Yes! Take that Baozi!” Luhan called down.“Take what?” a bubbly voice asked him from behind.Luhan turned around quickly, only to see the round face boy smiling at him cheekily as he waved a “V” sign at him. “Still can’t beat me Luhan,” the brunet stated teasingly as Luhan moved to sit next to his friend atop the tree.“Did we miss it?” Luhan asked once he was settled on the large branch. The brunet shook his head and motioned for Luhan to look at something in the distance.Atop a cliff, a man stood with his arms spread out as the wind around him picked up. Suddenly, the man tipped forward and began to fall. A red flame engulfed him almost immediately. From the flames, a huge red dragon burst forth and let out a roar that rocked even the tree they sat upon. The dragon swooped low to the ground in a wide circle, before coming up and moving towards them. The brunet jumped up and put a hand forward just as the dragon passed over them, patting lightly at the underbelly.“May the Light guide and protect you,” the brunet said. There was a rumbling response before the dragon took off again, the wind from its wings almost blowing Luhan off the tree.The two continued to watch the mighty beast as it took one more wide circle around the land of Light before heading into a large column of light and disappearing completely.The brunet remained staring at the spot the dragon disappeared at for some moments before sighing loudly and plopping down next to Luhan. His eyes were distant and filled with sorrow as a single tear escaped. Luhan watched the boy next to him and felt sadness creep into his heart. Tentatively, he reached out and brushed the tear away.The brunet froze and stared in shock at Luhan as he shyly smiled and pulled his hand back.“Don’t cry, Baozi! Minho-shi will be back!” Luhan said.The brunet gave Luhan a withering look. “No, he won’t. Those of the Fire are born from the ashes of the Phoenix. Minho is going to the world of Light and Dark to die. His ashes will spread across the land and search out the new phoenix,” the brunet explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. In a much quieter voice he continued, “He’s leaving me, just like they all leave me.”Luhan looked away from the boy, he couldn’t imagine living a life so isolated from others and then being left behind countless times as those he grew close to passed on. In that moment, Luhan made a decision.“Baozi, give me your hand,” Luhan ordered.The brunet gave him a quizzical look but did as he was told albeit hesitantly. “This is how we make a promise back home,” Luhan explained. Carefully, Luhan made the other’s pinky stick up while the rest of his fingers made a fist. Slowly, Luhan brought up his own hand and wrapped his pinky around the other.Looking straight into deep brown eyes, Luhan let a wide grin stretch his features. “From this day forward, I make a vow, never to leave you nor forsake you. To be by your side, even when all else falls away, I’ll remain… By your side, forever and always, this I promise you.” “Liar…”The auburn haired man perked up at his companion’s mumblings. Curious, he looked at the face of the pink haired man. His once sleep lax facial features were scrunched and his eyelids started to flutter as he began to wake.Deep brown eyes snapped open and flashed ice blue for a moment causing the auburn haired man to flinch away as the pink haired man’s body temperature dropped suddenly. He was dazed for a moment as his eyes darted around wildly trying to get a bearing on his surroundings. Once the pink haired man’s eyes landed on the auburn man next to him, he relaxed.“Man, I hate when you do that,” the auburn haired man let out a fiery breath as the pink haired man’s temperature returned to normal.The pink haired man let out a small laugh but it did not reach his eyes. “Then why do you remain?” he asked quietly.Kris looked at his companion and could see the underlying sadness in his eyes. Tentatively, he reached out a hand and grabbed the other’s chin to turn his face towards himself. Xiumin avoided eye contact but Kris refused to let go so he relented and looked at his friend.“I remain by your side because I don’t want you to be alone. I refuse to let you succumb to the darkness that dwells in your heart,” Kris replied softly as he moved his hand to gently cup the elder’s cheek.For a moment, Xiumin allowed himself to lean into the tender warmth that Kris provided. “Thank you, my little dragon,“ the pink haired man responded. However, just as quickly he turned away and brushed off the other’s hand. “But I’m fated to be forever alone and to one day be fully consumed in darkness.”With those words, Xiumin pulled away from the auburn haired man completely until his back was to him and looked towards the hospital window. He could see his little deer fast asleep, surrounded by his family.“If you truly believe that, then why do you insist on trying to save him?” Kris asked as he too turned to watch the little deer.“My saving him has nothing to do with my fate. I just want him to live and be happy,” came the reply.“And so will you!” Kris responded vehemently as he noticed small droplets of ice shattering upon the roof ledge.“No, the fates are cruel, and I am not meant to find happiness, just a mere existence wrought with darkness,” Xiumin solemnly said with a shuddering breath as more ice crystals dropped to the ground.Kris reached out from behind the pink haired man and wrapped his long arms around the other’s much smaller physique. The smaller man tried to get the other off him by dropping his body temperature but the other simply raised his own. “You’re not going to get rid of me that easily, especially when I know it’s coming,” the auburn haired man stated as the two men silently tried to outdo each other by simply controlling their body temperature. After a while, Xiumin relented but he did not relax into the other’s hold, grumbling about giants and oversized dragons.Kris just smiled as he rested his head on top of the other’s. “You are ccompletely and utterly wrong, you are so much more than just a mere existence in this world. You’re the strongest guardian of us all, your heart is filled with warmth even if on the outside you’re made of ice, and you’re my round cheeked Baozi,” Kris stated as he tightened his hold on the other as he harrumphed about being called Baozi. “But above all, you’re my brother, my family, and I refuse to let you be alone. If it takes one hundred life times, I’ll ensure you find happiness.”Xiumin remained silent as he let the other’s words sink in. Could he really find happiness after having it taken away from him so many times? His life had been filled with sorrow and wrought with loneliness. He’d lost hope so many times that he did not even know if he really could find it again. His only desire for so long was to see someone else live, could he turn that desire towards himself?As he continued to think, he stared longingly at the man in the hospital bed so far away from him yet so close. The fates were cruel, continuously dangling the light in front of him only to snuff it out when it was within his reach. Even if he found the want to live, could he really continue to endure the heart ache and pain that came with chasing after his deer? He’d already lost the man so many times and each time tore out a part of him that he didn’t think he’d ever be able to find, until all that was left of him was an empty shell, devoid of life like the ice he creates.However, he knew it was worth it, as long as his light continued to shine and call to him like a beacon in the night, he’d continue to fight for him, to try to save him. Because he knew that if that small light disappeared from his life, he’d truly succumb to the darkness that settled in his heart long ago.“Okay,” he murmured almost inaudibly that if Kris’s ear wasn’t already by his mouth, he would not have heard.Confused, Kris tilted his head down to properly look at the man enclosed in his arms. “I’ll continue to fight for the Light of this world and for the light of my own,” Xiumin stated as a smiled crossed the other man’s features.Lifting his hand up, Xiumin stuck his pinky out and directed it towards the hospital window where his deer lay. In this life, I will bare myself before you and say the words that would set my world ablaze if only they came from your lips. This, I promise you.