ocean

Like the classes, his shift felt like an eternity as he was the one who had to close the place, there was no one else there so he could stop hiding how tired he was. Usually, when he was alone, he cleaned the place a little or stay awhile drawing and drinking something but at that moment he just wanted to go to his uncles and sleep.

So he turned off the lights, locked the door and started walking, it wasn't that late so he wasn't worried about walking alone in the street.

To go to his bus he had to pass a bridge, it was pretty, and in some way relaxing so it didn't bother Zhao Yun at all.

The stars couldn't be seen but the air felt quite fresh, he closed his eyes and regretted not having brought his headphones, the cars passed by him and it was like a moment of tranquility and clarity, he took a big breath and opened his eyes and the moment of tranquility faded away in a second.

There was a boy on the edge of the bridge.

**

He was shoeless, the asphalt was cold against his skin, his clothes were dirty and not very warm, but he didn't really care about that, his body and his mind felt cloudy as if his brain was stuffed with cotton.

He just wanted to shut everything up.

His attempt to do so had gone wrong, apparently hanging from the ceiling with a rope and making a lot of noise had not been the best idea in the world, his dog had noticed and started barking, which alerted his mother and caused her to watch as her son tried to hang himself in his

room.

Lan Xue just felt bad for his dog, he should not have seen him that way, as for his mother ... there was not much to say, she gave him the talk of his life and how he was ungrateful, that how it was possible that he tried to leave her as her husband had done, that everything she had fought to give him a good life for him, and how he didn't care.

He was just looking at the floor wondering why he could not even die in peace. His mother's voice was distorting and becoming static and it did not reach Lan Xue's ears.

His mother had not even asked him if he was all right, all she had done was look at him with disdain and disappointment, as she always did, and sent him off to clean up the mess he had made.

As if nothing had happened.

The only thing different was his eyesight, what was once black and white was now blue, Lan Xue did not want to see blue, he wanted to see nothing at all. He wanted to stop seeing, to stop living...

Partly he felt bad for his soul mate, who was not to blame for his crappy life, but Lan Xue did not want to see anymore, it was not worth it. He just hoped that his soul mate would understand.

This time he was going to make sure it was impossible to save him.

Before leaving he had made sure to clean up his room completely, had made it spotless. What did hurt was leaving his sweet Cloud, his dog did not know what he was going to do but before he left he had looked at it as if he knew, something inside Lan Xue had broken, his dog would not know what had happened to him. He felt bad but Cloud knew how to take care of himself, he would be strong because he couldn't be. He made sure

to leave him food and pet him as if there was no tomorrow.

He had sent a message to his friend, he hoped she wouldn't be angry with him.

Lan Xue had heard of a bridge, that if you jumped off that bridge, it would be impossible to save him, he had heard that it would be painful but at that point in life, Lan Xue couldn't care less about a little pain to finally get rid of it all.

Nothing could go wrong...

**

His feet began to run before he realized it himself, the boy was about to set foot in the void, Zhao Yun knew that if he did he would not make it in time.

"Don't do it!" He screamed and that distracted the boy.

He looked at him and Zhao Yun saw panic, fear, tiredness... Emotions that were well known to him so he sympathized but he couldn't let anyone die

if he was there to prevent it.

When his eyes connected, something also did in his heart, a void was filled and it was as if for the first time Zhao Yun could feel the oxygen in his lungs, the way his clothes brushed against his skin, he felt alive.

However, he associated it with the adrenaline of the moment, the boy who had been about to set foot in the void reacted like him but worse.

He had been paralyzed as if the pause button was activated when Zhao Yun was a few meters from him could see how the eyes of this were a blue as deep as the sea, he somehow knew they were actually blue and not the blue effect that now had his eyes, also could see these eyes as deep as the sea began to fill with tears.

At that moment he grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him to where he was not in danger. The boy was cold and completely still and silent, except for the 'silent' sobbing that he suddenly could not control.

"It's okay, it's okay," he said in the calmest voice he could.

He didn't know him but the need to protect and comfort him clouded his mind and without him noticing, his hand was already gently caressing the boy's slightly long hair.

They lasted several seconds on the floor, Zhao Yun continued to whisper and gently caress until he stopped sobbing and had become completely still.

The boy had fallen asleep.

Zhao Yun turned him over with all the delicacy of the world, and when he could see his face clearly. A smile settled on his face.

The boy was a sweetheart, he didn't look very young, but he didn't look older than he was either, he had somewhat long eyelashes, small but pretty lips and in general, he was quite an attractive guy. Zhao Yun could not help but look at the large dark circles under his closed eyes and as he looked down, a sound of surprise escaped his mouth when he saw the boy's neck.

There was a mark between red and purple that surrounded his neck.

The marks on his neck intrigued him, had he tried to hang himself or someone did that to him? Zhao Yun wanted to know, more than curious he was worried.

How did a boy who looked so innocent end up like this? He wanted to protect him.

At that moment, a phone rang.