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Yeonjun tossed and turned in his bed, his legs getting tangled in the sheets because of his frantic movements. His shirt was stuck to his skin, and droplets of sweat ran down his temples. The summer heat was brutal, and not even the opened windows that let in a slight breeze, helped cool him down.
With a frustrated huff, he reached down to pull the sheets that were tangled around his legs away, before he let his legs move over the edge of the bed, his feet making contact with the slightly cool wooden floor. The relief he felt from that was short lived, the heat of his skin transferring to the floor. He couldn’t handle the heat that encased his body in a tight embrace. He had to somehow escape the strong hold.
He raised to his feet, his head pounding, his breaths coming out in short little pants, the room spinning around him. He felt his body sway but he ignored that feeling, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other, his hands gripping the wall aiding him in his trip to the old door that led to the garden. He had to get outside, he was feeling like he was slowly suffocating.
His head felt like it was going to split open, and he let out a pained groan when he felt another pang running through his skull, rendering him motionless momentarily.
His hand trembled as he reached for the handle, and when he tried to open the door he failed the first time his grip not strong enough. He felt like he was going to faint, and he was regretting leaving his bed in this state but he had to get out.
The door rattled, the sound bouncing off the walls, and he felt a bit worried that he might have woken up his grandma, but then that worry was overwritten with his need to step out in the garden, to feel the breeze on his skin that was decorated with droplets of perspiration, another sign of the strain of his body under the blanket of heat.
His feet dragged across the old wood of the patio, small prickles of pain from the splinters that broke his skin, cutting through the haze in his mind. Once again, he ignored what he felt, concentrating on making his way to the grass that swayed gently each time the wind blew by, bending towards the gentle gusts as if to stop the wind from leaving them.
The grass under his feet brought him momentary relief, the blades of it caressing his bare skin, painting it with minuscule droplets of water that were left behind by a gentle drizzle that barely lasted for more than a few minutes.
Yeonjun slowly lowered his body until he was sitting criss-crossed on the damp ground, his eyes closed, trying to stop any stray light from getting through his lids to his retina, the light only making his headache worse.
His body swayed softly from side to side for a while, the static noise that was filling his head slowly being replaced with the sounds of crickets and rustling leaves. He let his limbs that felt like lead settle next to his body, let them pull him down, down, down till he was laying on the grass, his shirt getting wet, but he didn’t mind it. He liked the way it felt against his skin, the slight coldness soothing, fighting off the scorching heat that continued to cling to his pores.
Breathing was becoming easier, the erratic pants slowly becoming regular breaths that filled his lungs with fresh air, his chest expanding, letting the organs fill up to their full capacity, finally getting the air they were thirsting for. His blood ran through his veins in a constant race against time, the liquid carrying the oxygen that his brain was begging for, the oxygen that it was deprived of while he was being tortured by the merciless summer heat.
Everything was returning to how it was supposed to be.
But Yeonjun continued to lay under the night sky, the only source of light coming from the stars that managed to peek from behind heavy clouds, that spoke of a storm approaching their little home.
Maybe he should have been worried about the heavy clouds looming above him but he was slowly slipping under, his body relaxing completely now that he wasn’t feeling like his insides were slowly boiling from the scorching heat.
There was a soft caress, running over his forehead again and again lulling him to sleep, but Yeonjun couldn’t go back to sleep no matter how much he wanted to. He let his eyes open slightly, but the rays of the morning sun made him close them again, his lids doing their best to protect his sensitive eyes.
Suddenly there was something shielding him from the harsh light, and carefully he opened his eyes. He expected to see his grandma leaning over his body, but instead he was greeted by Beomgyu’s smiling face.
Yeonjun looked at him with wide eyes, not being able to process what he was seeing. He couldn’t believe that Beomgyu, who was once the size of his palm, was now leaning over his body, looking at him with his big sparkling eyes full of care.
Without even being aware of it at first, his hand rose till it reached Beomgyu’s jaw, his fingers softly caressing the unblemished skin, reaching higher and higher, his thumb stroking the plus lips that were stretched in a smile. He could feel that he was real, he could see that he was real, but he still couldn’t wrap his mind around this, his hands continuing to trace paths across Beomgyu’s face.
His eyes drank in the sight before him, and he couldn’t get enough. Couldn’t get enough of the pretty curve of Beomgyu’s lips, couldn’t get enough of the way his long eyelashes fluttered gently, couldn’t get enough of his expressive eyes.
Yeonjun knew he was staring, but how could he not stare when he was graced with such ethereal beauty?
Beomgyu was ethereal. Such a magnificent being. Yeonjun felt honoured to be in the presence of the fairy.
Beomgyu just let him continue to map his face, Yeonjun trying to memorise every little crease, afraid that if he would close his eyes for even a second, Beomgyu would disappear, and he would be left with nothing but the memory of him.
The two of them were caught in their little bubble, ignoring the passage of time as they just drank each other in, basking in the presence of the other. They didn’t talk, just enjoyed having the other beside them.
Their silence was broken though when Beomgyu chuckled watching a butterfly flutter around them in continuous circles. The deep sound ran over Yeonjun’s skin, seeping into his pores and travelling to his heart, making it flutter just like the wings of the fragile butterfly.
Yeonjun watched as Beomgyu let himself fall on the grass, his chuckles reverberating around the garden, blending in with the sounds of nature, creating a shooting symphony.
He couldn’t move his gaze away from the stunning sight.
“You’re dazzling.” His words came out softly, like he was afraid of saying what he thought. Afraid that he would make a fool in front of the being that was now watching him with his mouth slightly open, too stunned by the compliment to say anything.
They looked at each other, and Yeonjun watched as pink dusted Beomgyu’s cheeks, watched as a smile bloomed on his face, and then the fairy was giggling, joy radiating off of him once again.
Yeonjun felt his heart swell with affection for this boy that brought so much joy wherever he went. But at the same time he felt a wave of sadness hit him, as he thought of how there could never be anything remotely romantic between them, because at the end of the day, Beomgyu was an ethereal being while he was just a mere human, with nothing particularly outstanding about himself. If he was going to be honest he couldn’t see anything worth falling for in himself.
Yeonjun was getting so caught up in the multitude of self-deprecating thoughts that he didn’t notice that Beomgyu stopped laughing, his beautiful smile being exchanged for a frown, his sparkling eyes looking at him with worry filling them.
“You seem bothered. Do you mind sharing what’s troubling you?” His voice was soft as ever, and as soothing as a balm, pulling Yeonjun away from the thoughts that mocked him continuously.
“I can’t share something when there is nothing to share. Nothing in particular.” He looked into Beomgyu’s eyes, and felt guilty when he saw that the other didn’t seem to believe him, his frown deepening as he stared at Yeonjun.
“I understand that you don’t want to share your problems with me, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t downplay it and would just be upfront about not wanting to talk about it.” Yeonjun felt a shiver run down his back, feeling slightly intimidated by the shift in Beomgyu’s demeanour, his sharp tone catching him off guard.
“Maybe one day I will be able to talk about my feelings, but for now I don’t. “ Beomgyu just hummed without saying anything, both of them staring in the distance, both lost in their thoughts for the nth time that day.
The silence stretched on, both men not knowing what to say anymore, the air filling slowly with an awkwardness they haven’t felt before. Yeonjun’s heart clenched in his chest, his overthinking having a field day, his mind screaming at him that he fucked up. That this would be the last time that he would see Beomgyu.
“Will you at least tell me why I found you sleeping outside?” This time Beomgyu’s voice was back to its usual softness, his whispered question carried gently by the breeze.
Yeonjun was quiet for a bit, but Beomgyu didn’t rush him. He waited for an answer humming a tune under his breath, his gaze fixed ahead.
“It felt like I was suffocating…In my room I mean…It was too hot, and their air…The air felt like it was choking me..I had to get out.. I don’t remember falling asleep but I guess I fell asleep after I calmed down.” Yeonjun saw movement in his periphery, and when he turned his head, he was met with Beomgyu’s wide sparkly eyes that scrutinised his body trying to find any injuries, but there were none. At least none that could be seen.
“Yeonjun. That’s dangerous. You never know what animal might stumble upon you. Sometimes the predators come out of the forest. They wander the garden at night in search of prey. Imagine what could happen if you were out here, when a hungry animal would come prowling out of the forest.” Beomgyu’s voice was laced with worry, his words coming out in a rush, the boy reaching out to lightly slap Yeonjun’s shoulder as if to make him come to his senses.
Yeonjun's heart swelled with happiness seeing that the other boy cared about him, but at the same time the cold hands of guilt started wrapping around his fluttering heart. He didn't think that the other would be so worried for his safety, but at the same time he knew that the other had every right to be worried because if he was being honest he was very reckless. But he couldn't find it in himself to regret falling asleep under the vast night sky, because in the end, he met Beomgyu again because of this.
“You’ll just have to watch over me, make sure nothing happens.” The words were out of his mouth before he could even attempt to clamp his teeth shut to keep the words inside. A blush spread rapidly over his cheeks, fuelled by the surprised gasp that came from Beomgyu.
It’s a short while before any of them says anything but when Beomgyu finally responds, Yeonjun feels like he’s floating but falling at the same time. He feels his heart starting to pick up it’s pace and it takes him a few seconds to fully comprehend the words Beomgyu just muttered.
“I will. I will protect you.” He said it so softly, so full of emotions Yeonjun couldn’t describe, emotions he wouldn’t dare look too much into. But even like that, he felt hope bloom in his chest as he looked at Beomgyu who smiled so sweetly while looking at him.
“I will hold you to that Beomgyu. I will take it as a promise.” Yeonjun dusted his pants off as he spoke, avoiding looking at Beomgyu who was now craning his neck trying to see him.
“It is a promise. One I won’t break.” He said this as he got up, his gaze never leaving Yeonjun, a small glint of determination shining through the multitude of emotions that swirled in his wide eyes.
They looked at each other for seconds, for minutes, before Beomgyu turned around, starting to walk towards the forest that loomed in the distance not once looking at Yeonjun who stood back, watching as Beomgyu got farther and farther away, watching as he got swallowed by the trees that bordered the entrance to the forest.
Yeonjun wondered why Beomgyu didn’t even say goodbye as he left. Why didn't he turn even once, even though he was sure the fairy could feel his gaze on his back?
He tried not to dwell too much on that, turning towards the small cottage that was his house for now, his steps taking him closer and closer, till he was standing in front of the wooden door of the entrance. He tried to pull the door open as quietly as possible, but like always the door hinges creaked loudly, the sound echoing around the house. He closed the door behind himself counting down the seconds before his grandma appeared in the doorframe of the kitchen. And like always, she peaked around the frame with a wooden spoon in her hand dripping some type of sauce on the floor.
“Where have you been? I went to get you for breakfast but your room was empty.” He hated the way her forehead filled with wrinkles as she frowned, worry painting her features.
“I went to the garden, wanted to enjoy the fresh air of the early morning, since I woke up early anyway.” He tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice hoping that his grandma would buy his lie, and leave him alone. And it seemed like for once the higher powers of the universe listened to him as his grandma just turned around without a word, returning to the kitchen to continue what she was preparing.
With another heavy sigh, he made a beeline to the bathroom wanting to get rid of the remnants of dirt that clung to his skin, a constant reminder of the previous night, of the conversation from before.
A constant reminder of the promise that was made.