Lost and Found

35: Love Story

"Now, can we talk, my legend of frost?" Chen pulled away, held Xiumin on both his shoulders tightly, and looked straight into his eyes.

"I need to take a seat," Xiumin was slightly dizzy with the sudden rush of memories coupled with the shock of his first kiss being taken.

"Are you okay?" Chen smiled affectionately at Xiumin.

When Xiumin's mind caught up to the present, he wasted no time barraging soft punches and slaps at Chen. Chen had to defend himself from the onslaught.

"That. Was. My. First. Kiss! How dare you take it without permission!" Xiumin continued attacking Chen.

"I'm sorry, okay? But given the situation, I'm glad I was the one who took it," Chen was giggling while shielding himself. "Your lips were soft as fresh snow and as sweet as ice cream."

"Stop flirting with me! I am still confused about everything," Xiumin sulked.

"What's to be confused about? We kissed. We got our memories back. I'm yours and you're mine. That's all that matters," Chen said with a huge grin.

"Does this make me the legend of frost?" Xiumin was unsure.

"The legend of frost. My significant other. My lover. My everything. You name it," Chen took Xiumin's hands and kissed the back of his hands.

"Oh... wow..." Xiumin was still in disbelief. "Really? I still can't believe it."

"Well, you better believe it because I am not letting you go now," Chen pulled Xiumin for an embrace.

Xiumin won't admit it out loud but Chen's embrace felt like coming home after being gone for too long. They held the posture for several minutes before Chen broke away for something more important.

"Now, can you tell me the whole story of how we first met?" Chen looked at Xiumin

"We were both young when I first saw you," Xiumin closed his eyes and the flashback started. "The orphanage was one of the pit stops of your tour. So, it held a party to celebrate your return. I was just standing there on a balcony feeling the summer air but then, our bullies started to pick on me for some reason."

"What happened next?"

"I saw you make your way through the crowd and stop the bullies," Xiumin continued to narrate. "The bullies originally did not want to stop, even asking you to mind your own business. They were about to gang up on you when your bodyguards found you. Realizing who you are, the bullies scampered away."

"So, I sneaked out to the garden, only to see you being bullied. I tried to keep quiet because we could be both in trouble if they knew I was there," Chen recalled. "However, something inside me compelled me to help you. I did not realize I was helping my significant other that day."

"Then you said 'Hello, are you all right?'. And I responded with a simple yes," Xiumin finished the story. "I was seven and you were five but since then, I may have developed a little crush on you. Fast forward, I became an employee here and then this happened."

After Xiumin told their past, the two sat in silence for a short while. Chen was just observing the features of the other while Xiumin couldn't look straight into the other's eyes.

"When you sacrificed yourself years ago, I almost lost my sanity. You were everything to me so I was begging you to please don't go," Chen broke the silence. "When I reincarnated, I almost got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around. But now, words cannot even express how happy I am."