Mizpah《Yizhan version》

Chapter 8

Present time . . .

"What are we Yibo, 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 Yibo, who am I to you . . . ?"

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

***

Twelve years ago . . .

He hummed.

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

When he reached Zhan's house, he saw how Zhan had already crept under his blankets, and for once Yibo 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.

Yibo 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 Yibo's father before he left him.

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

So Yibo smiled back, and unconsciously to both of them, a deep sigh left Yibo'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.

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

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

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

"What's wrong Bo Bo?" Zhan pouted with a small frown visible on his youthful face, making Yibo pinch his cheeks which caused Zhan only to frown deeper and pout more, and all Yibo did was chuckling, pinching Zhan'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 Zhan's body like the cape of a hero, and while Zhan actually was very tired after such a long day, the tiredness all disappeared after putting his eyes on Yibo.

They kept walking until Yibo 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.

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

"Yibo . . . ?"

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

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

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

"Actually I wanted to tell, but you interrupted me, so I won't tell anymore," Yibo chuckled even louder when seeing Zhan pout while turning his back to him, so Yibo back hugged Zhan while putting his head on Zhan'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," Yibo finished his story with a deep sigh while Zhan had been listening attentively the whole time, his eyes not detaching from the flower once.

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

"Zhan, it's getting late, I think it's better to head back, okay?" Yibo closed his eyes for a second, listening to Zhan'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.

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

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

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

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

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

Yibo grabbed Zhan's hand dragging him away from the flower, and they walked back while Zhan 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, Zhan sneezed and quickly walked inside with Yibo 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 Zhan had his head placed on Yibo's chest a long and tiring yawn escaped his mouth.

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

And it was the first time Yibo 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 bunny, and leaving both lovers alone for a fight, again . . .

Word count: 1411 words