Fated To Be His...

5. A-Zhan??

"I just don't get why we are having a party", Zhan grumbled and Lei elbowed him harshly making the Omega yelp. "You are the one who asked him to come and now you are asking why?", Lei's eyes narrowed and Zhan turned his face away fiddling with the lights that were hung in the shelter's clearing. "What's wrong, Zhan?", asked Lei and Zhan waved him off saying, "Nothing." Zhan was turned around and Lei grabbed his shoulders staring at Zhan. "What's wrong, Zhan? You aren't being yourself. Is something on your mind?", Lei asked softly and Zhan's eyes prickled with tears again. "I am just tired, Lei", was what he responded with and Wang Lei saw through his lies.

"You miss him, don't you?", Zhan's jaw clenched at the question while his eyes became hard as diamonds. "Don't. Lei", Zhan warned and the elder looked at Zhan with pity in his eyes. "You say you hate him, you forbid me from even mentioning his name but you still long for him even after five long years. Maybe it's time for you to let go of your anger, Zhan.  He didn't want to hurt you. Deep down you know that. I get you are angry at him but-"  "I am not angry at him, Lei", Zhan spoke calmly trying his damnedest to keep his emotions in check. "He did what he should have done. I am not angry. Why would I be?", Zhan questioned and his voice sounded bitter to his own ears. "Let's just focus on the shelter for now. I don't want to talk about this. I am fine."  If Zhan was not a boy Lei had seen growing up all these years, he would have believed Zhan. The young man was extremely selfless, put everyone before him but never shared his sufferings with others and Lei was partly to blame for it. Lei's eyes fell on the scar on his right palm and he was reminded of the night Zhan had last taken Yibo's name. It had been five days since Yibo left and Zhan was crying with Yibo's hoodie in his hands when Lei found him.

"Tell me where he is, Lei", spoke the young boy crying and Lei had no answer to give Zhan. "Zhan. Pull yourself together", Lei had said but had found Zhan three hours later, drunk and screaming in his room. "I hate you, Wang Yibo. You fucking coward!!! I HATE YOU!!! HATE YOU!!!"  It hadn't been just broken pieces of glass on the floor that night, there were thousand pieces of Zhan's shattered heart too. Zhan had collapsed on his knees and Lei had never seen the boy heartbroken before. "Why, Lei? Why always ME!!? First my family. Then my Yibo. Why do I only lose who's dearest to me. Please...P-Please, Lei. I want my Yibo back. Please, bring him back. I w-want my Yibo back. I..." The words broke on a heart wrenching cry and Lei could only offer empty words to the young boy hoping they would bring him some comfort. "He will come back, Zhan. He will. Give him time. He will come back, he loves you.." "No he fucking doesn't!!!!", Zhan bellowed standing up causing Lei to just stare wide eyed at the boy. "If he did he would have known...known that I won't be able to live without him. I...I can't breathe sometimes, Lei. M-My heart hurts.  I can't even breathe without him and he left me so fucking easily. That fucking asshole!"

Zhan had slammed the bottle in his hand hard on the ground and the shards of glass had scattered everywhere, one big piece getting embedded in Lei's hand. Lei hadn't even felt it prick him. He was too stunned seeing the devastation on Zhan's face. "Tell me where he is, Lei. Please..I can't live without him. Tell me. I will go...b-beg him to not leave me. Just please tell me where my Yibo is." Lei had nothing to say and in anger Zhan had grabbed his collar and pinned him to the door. "You want me to live alone just as you have, don't you? You were left alone that's why you can't see me and Yibo together. Right, Lei? That's why you aren't telling me. You are jealous. Jealous!!!" Tears were streaming down Zhan's face as he hurled insults upon insults at Lei but Lei had listened to it all knowing Zhan was grieving. He wanted to hurt Lei just as much he was hurting and Lei had wrapped Zhan in his arms as the boy suffered. The grip on Lei had turned desperate, the pleadings and Yibo's name hadn't stopped for a long time.

Zhan had cried until he lost consciousness that night and that was the last time Zhan had taken Yibo's name. Zhan had left the shelter the next day without as much as a word to Lei but the Omega had come back and apologized five months later for his behavior. Lei knew Zhan had gone to find Yibo. The young Omega had tried and tried but when he didn't find his Yibo, Zhan had come back. Lost and defeated. Something had changed in those five months. The young man didn't smile as much as he did in the past and he hid his suffering better. Xiao Zhan had closed his heart since then and had shut everything and everyone else out. The change in him worried most people and Lei even more so. The young Omega had so much love to give but unfortunately, there was no one other than Wang Yibo Zhan could give his love to. But, Lei hoped what he had done was the right thing. Today, everything was going to change and Lei hoped he got his old A-Zhan back.