Mizpah《Zhanyi version》

Chapter 8

Present time . . .

"What are we Zhan, what is it that's keeps us together, you and me? Are we friends, boyfriends, strangers, or people who just once collided in the past? Tell me, Zhan, who am I to you . . . ?"

The silence was all that answered Yibo's question while Zhan closed his eyes, continuing his story as if he had not heard Yibo's question.

***

Twelve years ago . . .

He hummed.

Zhan hummed while walking towards Yibo's house from which was a small light probably from the candle-like always visible in Yibo's room, and a small smile crept its way towards Zhan's lip.

When he reached Yibo's house, he saw how Yibo had already crept under his blankets, and for once Zhan shivered, almost meaningful feeling the cold of the night, but even if he did, it wouldn't affect him, after all, the death can not die once more of a cold.

Zhan chuckled at his own inside joke that was idiot, but sometimes it's better to treasure that what drags us down, we can better make out weakness our strength, that was the words of Zhan's father before he left him.

Even before Zhan had opened the window Yibo turned his head, his tired eyes in an instant changing to sparkles like stars, it was a beautiful sight, and Zhan knew that he would someday treasure it when he wouldn't be able to see it anymore.

So Zhan smiled back, and unconsciously to both of them, a deep sigh left Zhan's mouth too while he climbed elegantly through the window which was smaller than he remembered it to be or maybe he had just grown a lot.

"Yibo, tonight I wanna take you out to see something, so try to wear something warm or wrap a blanket around yourself, I don't want you to catch a cold," Yibo obliquely smiled while he stood up, walked towards his chair and picked up a thin yet warm blanket wrapping it around his petite body.

And Zhan nodded with approval seeing the warm blanket, before turning around to step out of the window again, only this time with Yibo following after him, and when he turned around, he saw Yibo breathing a long deep breath of fresh cold winter air.

"What is it that you're gonna show me, Zhan ge?" Zhan was about to walk when he froze down hearing the nickname, and slowly he turned around grabbing one of Yibo's hand while Zhan's other hand ruffled through Yibo's messy hair before he planted a small kiss on Yibo's nose that was slightly red of the cold weather.

Yibo reminded him of Rudolf, and he quickly held back the upcoming burst of laughter.

"What's wrong Zhan ge?" Yibo pouted with a small frown visible on his youthful face, making Zhan pinch his cute chubby cheeks which caused Yibo only to frown deeper and pout more, and all Zhan did was chuckling, pinching Yibo's cheeks once more and holding his hand while leading him through the quiet streets.

No words got exchanged between them, except for silence, a comfortable silence which held more secrets than the world.

The two boys walked downtown with both hands wrapped together and a blanket following Yibo's body like the cape of a hero, and while Yibo actually was very tired after such a long day, the tiredness all disappeared after putting his eyes on Zhan.

They kept walking until Zhan stopped, they were in the middle of a big grass field that was long gone abandoned by the villagers because they just didn't know what to do, sometimes it was still used by kids to play soccer, but not often, it was more considered spooky; the place.

"Zhan . . .?" Yibo watched Zhan while he walked towards a darker place in the shadows, and Yibo shivered, not daring to walk after him, but than Yibo reminded himself to trust Zhan, so step by step he walked closer to the darkness where Zhan was hiding.

"Zhan . . . ?"

"I'm here Yibo," even before Yibi could proceed the words a cold hand that was more than familiar touched his, and Yibo relaxed while crouching down next to Zhan, trying to understand were Zhan's focus was, only to find some bushes with nothing in particular special.

"Yibo, here see this flower," Yibo looked down more inspectingly, noticing a white flower which was slowly opening up, and Yibo was amazed by the beauty of it, so enchanting to watch as if it had an own kind of spell.

"Yibo, this flower is called the Kadupul flower and is known as the flower which only blooms once a year, only to bloom one day-"

"Why?" Zhan chuckled at Yibo curiosity before answering him.

"Actually I wanted to tell, but you interrupted me, so I won't tell anymore," Zhan chuckled even louder when seeing Yibo pout while turning his back to him, so Zhan back hugged Yibo while putting his head on Yibo's shoulder, continuing where he was left off about the exceptional flower.

"This flower is like I said called the Kadupul flower, it only blooms once a year for only one day, it's a beautiful flower which represents life, short yet graceful because sometimes that what is short does not mean it's meaningless, and what makes the Kadupul flower even more unique is that it can't be picked up because it would die. Just like humans can't be put into cages because we will die too, this flower represents human life in many different perspectives, and to be honest we are quite lucky to even see it bloom because it is a rarely found flower. And because it only blooms one day in one year," Zhan finished his story with a deep sigh while Yibo had been listening attentively the whole time, his eyes not detaching from the flower once.

"Zhan, a moment ago it was not fully bloomed, now it is," Yibo pointed at the flower with a big smile like a kid who just received a candy, and Zhan smiled softly, his head still on Yibo's shoulder, and he wasn't smiling because of the flower, but because of his cute little lion baby that was excited, he loved to see his lover smile and would do murder for it.

"Yibo, it's getting late, I think it's better to head back, okay?" Zhan closed his eyes for a second, listening to Yibo's even breath while he himself also took a deep breath of air that he actually didn't even need, after all, he was dead.

Yibo nodded while slowly standing up, making Zhan startled slightly and open his eyes while they both stood up and dusted their clothes off, Yibo's eyes still glued on the flower that carried the eternal beauty essence of life.

"Bo di~ Look at me~" Zhan whined while Yibo ignored him keeping his head slightly oblique watching the flower almost like it had put a spell on him.

Zhan pouted unknown to Yibo, and then he leapt forwards, putting his lips in touch with Yibo's, and even before then had time to be startled about it Zhan had already detached, this time making Yibo pout.

"Why did you do that?" Zhan lightly frowned when Yibo was about to turn his head again.

"Bo di~ it's time to go back~" Yibo smiled slightly, nodding before shivering under his blanket, realizing how cold it was, and the shiver wasn't missed by Zhan.

Zhan grabbed Yibo's hand dragging him away from the flower, and they walked back while Yibo glanced one more time behind his shoulder, only to see the flower closing again, maybe it was indeed time to head back to his place he called home, and along the walk, it was all quiet.

When they reached the house, Yibo sneezed and quickly walked inside with Zhan following him, and he prayed to God he wouldn't catch a cold because he knew what adventure otherwise would be waiting for him tomorrow.

The two boys immediately crept into the warm blankets while like always Yibo had his head placed on Zhan's chest a long and tiring yawn escaped his mouth.

"See Yibo, you're tired, quickly go sleep," without waiting for any more comments Yibo mumbled some words that sounded like 'I love you', and fell into a deep slumber while Zhan was looking down at him, softly smiling placing a soft kiss on his forehead before muttering, "I love you too, my beloved lion cub," and then Zhan soon followed Yibo into dreamland.

And it was the first time Zhan had slept so well without any nightmares since the last year Christmas, so he took all the sleep he could before the next morning dawn would make him leave his beloved lion baby, and leaving both lovers alone for a fight, again . . .

Word count: 1411 words