Work Text:
Time setting: Middle school.
Four years ago, it was winter when his mother breathed her last.
Even when he standing for a long time under the snowy weather, the coldness he felt was nothing compared to his frozen heart.
Cale Henituse stood in front of his mother's grave. He could hear his father crying.
His mother died in a car crash incident. She was taken to the hospital and received treatment, but she still died after three days.
Just seeing his father cry, Cale felt his tears freeze. The thirteen years old raised his arms around his father's neck, hugging him.
"Father, everything will be okay."
"I'm here for you."
"You still have me, remember?"
"Father ... let's go home together."
Cale could heard people around him talking about how him being heartless kid, not even shed a single tears at his mother's funeral, but he choose to pretended not hearing that. He can't cry, at least not now. Not when his father need someone to comfort.
However, Ron, Cale's personal butler, thinking otherwise. He clenched his fist, holding back anger. The man could see clearly that the red-head trying his best to prevent tears from falling. He could see Cale's trembling hands. He also could see how that kid bit his lower lip when huging his father.
He also need someone to comfort him.
After the funeral, Deruth drowning himself in work, leaving Cale alone inside the large mansion. It's so big for the small Cale. Only mourning can be felt there. Empty and cold.
Ron opens Cale's room door. It's so dark and cold, as if no one living in here. He saw the red haired kid laying on the bed, covering his whole body with blanket. Soft sniffling could be heard. Cale was crying when no one sees him, Ron knows that.
"Young Master-nim, it's time for dinner."
No answer.
"Young Master--"
"I'm not hungry," He answers with hoarse voice.
The old man let out a deep sigh. "You already skipped lunch, Young Master-nim. At least, please eat dinner."
"... My throat hurt. I don't have any appetite either."
Ron stepped closer to him, layed his palm on the boy's forehead. He frowned when he feel his palm burning. "Young Master-nim, you have a fever. Why didn't you tell me?"
Cale let out a dry cough. "I'm fine, it's not a biggie."
"It's not fine, Young Master-nim." The old man stood up, rushing to the bathroom to get some water for compress Cale. With a quick and gentle touch, he change Cale's position to be more comfy and warm. Pulling blanket until it reach the boy's neck, Ron staring at the face of his puppy young master that already felt like his own son. "Young Master-nim, please rest. I will call the doctor and tell Beacrox to prepare some light meal for you."
Ron was just about to leave, when Cale pulling his sleeve, prevent him from leaving.
"Don't leave." Cale's voice sounded cracked, makes Ron's heart instantly sank. "Please."
"Young Master--"
"Don't leave me alone." Tears starts falling from the corner of his eyes, flowing on his reddish cheek. His forehead already covered in sweats. With trembling hands, Cale pull Ron's sleeve even harder. "Please, please. I don't--sniff, I don't want to be alone."
Cale is a strong child.
However, no matter how strong he is, at the end he's still a child.
Ron touched Cale's trembling hand that still pulling his sleeve, holding it gently. He then sat beside Cale's bed, carressing the boy's sweating forehead with his other hand. "Don't worry. I won't go anywhere, Young Master-nim."
Ron's soft voices reaching Cale's ears, oddly bring some comfort to him. The red-head closed his eyes, letting himself drove to sleep. Ron still stayed until he make sure that Cale already fell asleep, before quietly go to prepare basin water and medicine.
***
"Hm, Cale hasn't gone to school yet?"
Alberu asked as he sat on the bench while handing Choi Han some sandwiches.
Choi Han unwarped the sandwich, take a bite before saying, "No. I already texted him but he hasn't answered yet."
"Weird. It's already been five days. Should we come over to his place?" Alberu staring at his sandwich that suddenly looked not that tasty. He's losing appetite.
"I don't have any schedules today. What about you? Don't you have any activity today on your drama club?"
"No, I'm free today. We'll start practicing for the festival tomorrow."
"Oh, is that why you change your hair color to blonde since yesterday?"
"Choi Han, you're being talkative today."
"Just asking, your highness."
"Oh, shut the fuck up. You're making me losing my appetite even more."
Well, Alberu joined drama club an apparently he got role as a prince. That's why he change his hair color from brown to blonde, even when the festival day is still next month. He just wanted to deepen his role as best as possible.
At first, he wanted to show this to Cale, but Cale hasn't showed up and mysteriously gone without any news.
After school is over, they went to the nearest mini market to buy something for Cale. They know that that red haired punk loves sweets, especially if it's free. They already missed him, didn't realized they already put bunch of cookies and chocolates in their cart.
Walking toward a familiar direction while chatting, they arrived in front of the Henituse mansion, Cale's house. Alberu push the bell button, welcomed by a familiar old man that they always see whenever they pay a visit.
"Ron." Alberu and Choi Han greets the old butler, smiling. "Is Cale here?"
Ron, who have complicated expression on his face, unlike his usual self, stay silent for a while, before nodding his head. "Yes, the young master is in his room."
"I see." Alberu could feel something was off, even Choi Han also realized it. The atmosphere around them is really gloomy. "Can we see him?"
"I'm not sure."
Ron's answer makes the two boy frowned.
"Huh, why?"
The old man's just smiled benignly, but they could sense some nervousness from him. "Please come in first."
Alberu and Choi Han looking at each other, before following Ron from behind. On their way through the corridor, all the servants they met wearing black clothes, as if they were mourning for something.
Seeing the confused look on the two boy's face, Ron opened back his mouth. "Did you, by any chance, have talk with the young master recently?"
"No." Choi Han answered. "I tried to texted him, but he never answered. Is something had happened in this past five days?"
"Well." Ron walking while looking outside the window. The sky were clear, leaving pill of snow on the ground from yesterday. "The madame, Young Master Cale's mother, has passed away two days ago."
They stopped their steps.
"W-What?" Choi Han's voice shaking. "What--how--"
"She get badly injured because of car crash accident, and died after receiving three days treatment. The funeral just held yesterday morning. I assume the Young Master didn't say anything to the two of you?"
"... No." Alberu looked down on the floor, clenching his fist. "He didn't say anything about this."
"I see." They continue walking in silence until they reached their destination. Ron stood in front of Cale's room door, staring at the two boy quietly. "I hope you could cheer him up. He's lonely and need someone by his side. So please ...."
"Don't worry, Mr. Ron." Choi Han locking his gaze toward the familiar door. "We ... we will try."
"Then, if you excuse me. Please let me know if you need something."
The door opens, showing a dark and cold room. They could see the red-head laying on the bed. His whole body covered in blanket. Alberu and Choi Han staring at each other, before entering the room and walked toward the bed.
Alberu sat on the edge of the bed, poking Cale's shoulder.
"Cale?"
He could feel the kid flinched from under the blanket. Alberu shook the shopping bag containing sweets on his hands, trying to sounds cheerfull.
"Look, Cale, we bought some cookies and chocolatte for you! Don't you want some?"
No response.
Choi Han sat on the other side of the bed, looking at the room ceiling.
"Cale, did you know that Alberu changed his hair color? He really looks like a playboy than a prince."
Alberu frowned, kind of offended by Choi Han's words. "Hey!"
However, in his surprise, Cale lower the blanket that covering his face, peeked a little. His appereance looks like a mess. His eyes were swollen with some dark circle around it, and his body covered in sweats. Looks like he was having a fever, but just recovered not too long ago. Alberu put his palm on Cale's forehead, internally exhales when he found the red-head's body temperature is not that bad.
The now blondie grin. "So, wanna some cookie?"
Cale just slowly nod his head. Choi Han helped Cale change his position to sit. Alberu unwarped one of the cookie, then give it to Cale.
"I got role as a prince for the school festival." Alberu crossing his arm in front of his chest. "The prince described as a handsome guy with blonde hair, so I change my hair color. It's really suit me, right? I think I feel way more handsome."
"You're just praising yourself, your highness." Choi Han chimmed in.
"But I do feel handsome. I kinda like it. Should I keep this hair color?"
"I'm serious when I said that you looked like a playboy."
"Choi Han, you--"
"Pfft."
Alberu and Choi Han turn their gaze in unison when hearing Cale's faint laugh. They smiled brightly seeing those small lips forming a little smile. This indifferent and nonchalant punk, finally smiled after what happened to him. Choi Han subconsciously patted Cale's head. Maybe his appereance looks younger, but actually he's several month older than Cale.
Cale took a bite on the cookie. He then staring at the half eaten cookie on his hand. The chocochips start melting on his palm. Cale take another bite, then another one, with tears start flowing from his eyes.
"Thank you," he said with low voice, almost like a whisper. He tried to maintain his voice to stay calm, but the sniffling betrayed him. He broke in tears.
Alberu warped his arm around Cale's shoulder, while Choi Han patting his back. The two boy also trying their best to not cry, showing a sincere smile to him.
"It's fine, Cale. It's fine to cry whenever you like until you feel relieved."
Cale lean his head to Alberu's shoulder. His crying got harder as the two other boy keep calming him with soft voices.
Choi Han smiled faintly. "Whenever you feel to, you remember that you have us."
Right, how can he forget?
He had a friends.
He had a shoulder to lean on.
He had someone to comfort him.
He's not alone.
The tears he hold all this time broke out. The feeling that trapped inside his heart flowing nonstop. The ice that froze his heart slowly melting.
They share him their warm.
They melt him.
***
"You're blanking out again."
Cale snapped out from his mind. He turn his gaze towards blonde and raven haired boy. They put their meal on the cafeteria table, before sat down.
"What are you thinking about?" Alberu asked while stirring his ice coffee using straw.
"Nothing, just thinking about the past."
"Hm? Not sounded like you."
"With all due respect, please shut the fuck up, your highness."
A frown created on Alberu's face. "Can we stop with that 'your highness' thingy? It's already been four years and you guys still teasing me with that."
"It's already been four years and you still keep that hair color."
"What's with that?" Alberu turn his gaze toward Choi Han. "Blonde really suit me."
Mixing his ramyeon that he bought using chopstick, Choi Han just smiled innocently and say, "You really looked like a playboy, Your Highness. Everybody also mistook you as foreigner since we enter highschool."
"The audacity this punk had in front of the current council prez. The only source of disrespect that I got is from the two of you."
"Then, should I kneel for forgiveness, Young Higness?"
"Argh, Choi Han, stop!"
Watching his two friends bantering with each other, Cale secretly pursed a faint smile while eating some cookie.