He stared, wide eyed, at the blank ceiling above him. Down stairs the sounds of his parents shuffling about making breakfast could be heard.

He could smell eggs cooking, perhaps, even meat. He was not sure, but he knew he couldn’t wait till he was able to eat.

He laid there waiting for his mother to come. In all eighteen years of his existence, he never got out of bed by himself, except once. He was seven, he remembered falling from the bed and scraping his knee, his mother fussing about how nothing was safe for him, not even a bed, how his dad came home with wooden bars, and how when he returned to his room that same day to sleep, his mother had to unlock the bars that now surrounded his bed to tuck him in. Before she whispered ‘sweet dreams’ that night, she locked the bars and whispered ‘now your safe’.

Even now that he was taller than the bars, now that he could simply jump over them, he still lay in bed and waited patiently for his mother to retrieve him. If she ever caught him in such an act, he knew that he would miss breakfast, lunch, and dinner for that day.

"Yixing, how was your sleep?" the soft voice of his mother cooed above him. He turned his head to the voice and saw her empty eyes through the wooden bars, as she unlocked them and dropped the door so he can get out of bed.

"I slept pleasantly," he smiled to her, making her own smile grow bigger.

"Oh, my handsome son," her hands gripped around his cheek, caressing his dimple, "go and get washed up and join your father and I downstairs for breakfast, make sure you hold onto the banister as you go down, ok?"

Shaking his head, he got up and disappeared in the bathroom, where everything was round in shape with no sharp edges.

His mother trotted back down the steps and took her seat next to her husband, a very stern but overly caring fellow.

"Yixing is washing up," she smiled out.

"Are you going to let him walk down the steps by himself?" came his reply.

"I believe he can do it, right?" her face changed into worry, this was the first time she didn’t wait for him to finish washing so she can walk him down the steps herself.

"We have never let him do it alone before, what makes now different?" he asked placing his drink down, staring dead into the eyes of his wife, concern all over his face.

"I thought, since he made his eighteenth birthday, that maybe, I could allow him to walk down on his own. You never know, when he turns nineteen, we may be able to remove the bars on his bed," she reasoned.

He stared at his wife, reasoning himself on the matter. Why not give their son a little room to be able to move around the house?

He had moved them from the city early when they had first found out their precious son had some disease called Hemophilia. He was their only son, no more to be made, especially since child birth for his beautiful wife was so difficult.

He was thankful that his wife survived along with his son, but when he got the screeching news from his wife while he was at work that his three year old son had stepped on a piece of glass and his foot would not stop bleeding, he decided that he would give up his fancy job in the city and take his savings and his family into the countryside.

He found a job that would support three people, and a recently vacated house. Though the house was a two story, its only downfall, it was still the only opened one left. It was far away from concrete, people, and toxins. Nothing could hurt his family, he was sure.

Maybe he could give his boy some reign to walk on his own, to even go outside, yes, outside. He would allow him to do that.

Yixing sat down at the table across from his mother and next to the head, his father. He said his greetings as he should and his prayer while his parents only stared at him with slight smiles on their faces.

His mother, Zhang Xifan, happy that her only son would be allowed to walk down the stairs by himself and his father, Zhang Haodong, happy that his only son would be allowed out of the house.

"Yixing, we were thinking," Haodong started. He watched his son raise his head to give his attention as he was suppose to, "Your mother and I, were thinking, since you are eighteen now, we could give you some reign."

Yixing cocked his head to the side, wondering ‘reign’?

"Yes, my sweet child," his mother chimed in, "I would like you to walk down the steps by yourself every morning!" she mentioned excitedly, "did you enjoy doing so this morning?"

Yixing eyes grew, he knew it was weird, he waited at the top of the steps ten minutes wondering when his mom would come walk him down, before he summoned enough courage to go down himself, his heart beating roughly in his chest every step he took.

"Yes," he lied. He hated the nervousness he felt as he went down those steps for the first time alone. But he knew which answer would please his sweet mother.

"And I," his father started, "I am allowing you to venture outside."

"What!" Xifan screeched looking at her husband incredulously.

"Yes Xifan, outside, I am allowing him to go outside and experience the sun and grass," he explained.

"Bu, but, Haodong, this is too dangerous, grass blades are not named that for no reason! They can cut, then what? What if he gets cut?"

Haodong turned and looked at his son, who was staring at his mother with a look of apprehensive worry.

"You have a point," he said to his wife, "Yixing, you are allowed to go outside, but, you must wear pants and long sleeve shirts only, is that alright with you Xifan?"

She shook her head in agreement, "and you must check in every thirty minutes!"

"How about every hour," Haodong said. She looked at him with big eyes, mouth hanging open ready to disagree with such a time frame.

"I would like that," Yixing’s small voice spoke up. He looked from his mother to his father, seeing an argument brewing over the topic of how often he should check in.

How would he be able to go outside alone, when he had a hard time going down his own stairs alone?

"Are you sure?" Xifan reached across the table and grabbed her sons hands, gripping them tightly while staring into his face.

Yixing took a deep gulp before shaking his head ‘yes’, he was sure.

"Good!" his father clapped, "do you want to go out now?" Yixing gripped is mother’s hands tighter at the sudden question.

Now?

Already, so soon, today, as in right now?

Stiffly he shook his head.

"Good, good, go and change your shirt, put something long sleeved on, it is a beautiful day!" his father cheered.

~~~~~

The wind hit his face immediately sending chills through his body. He was not cold, just…sensitive.

The air smelled like flowers, many flowers, he had only smelled when his father brought some home for his mother.

He stared at the green blades that he only seen from his window, apprehensive about letting his converse even touch it.

He took three deep breathes closing his eyes and gripping the banister before leaving his porch…1 step…2 step…3 step…soft…

His eyes popped open upon feeling the softness under his protected feet.

He walked further, looking back at his house every now and then. Before he knew it, he couldn’t see the address on the front of his house, after then, he couldn’t see the steps, after that, the house just looked small.

He picked up his pace as he climb up hill, his breathing relaxing as his lungs filled with the fresh air of outside. The sun shined on him illuminating his immense paleness, he looked around at the beauty of outside, the sky, the ground, the river, and the temple in the distance.

Finally reaching the flat landing of the hill, he looked back once again at his home, he could see it still, and then he looked at his watch, making sure he still had time before he had to check in. Thirty five minutes to go…turning around again, his eyes caught sight of a tree, it looked like the Peking Willow his mom would tell him about when he was  younger, before he had bars around his bed.

Walking closer to the tree, he grew more nervous, its leaves and vines hung low enough to touch him. The willow itself was greener than the grass, and it seemed dark under its coverage. Even then his feet took him closer to the willow as if it was calling out to him. The wind picked up, causing the hanging vines to sway around, lifting its veils just enough for Yixing to see a person before the wind died down and the curtains covered his foresight yet again, reliving its darkness.

Yixings mouth dropped open, he was sure he saw someone. All the while he moved closer until the first reached vine tickled his cheeks causing him to jump at the sudden contact.

Flailing his arms about to fight off the leaves, he wove himself deeper under the darkness of the tree.

Before he could open his eyes again he heard a voice. He stopped moving and turned around shooting his eyes open. His eyes fell on the inside of the tree, the low hanging leaves swaying with the wind, the damp feel of the grass underneath his shoes, even the cooler temperature of the air surrounding him.

He took a deep breath forgetting the sound of a person earlier to reach up and touch a leaf with his bare hand.

It was his first time touching something from outside of his house. It felt soft yet firm, cool to the touch…new.

"Its refreshing isn’t it?" a cheery voice asked him. He whipped around, almost tripping himself before his eyes landed on a…girl.

He slowly straightened his head as his eyes focused in on her. She was smiling. He felt the simple muscles on his face tightening his lips, furrowing his eyes brows and his nostrils inhaling and exhaling as his nervous breath grew more fervent.

His lips parted to speak words that would not come out, she giggled, a noise that seemed to travel all around Yixing, the sound echoing in his ears.

"I am Lian, who are you?" she asked bravely approaching him.

His head dropped lower to keep his eyes on her face, her petite frame coming all the more closer.

"Yi, Yixing," he whispered. He felt the nerves in his body causing him to tremor slightly.

"Yixing, like clay, easy to mold. What a nice name," she smiled.

His eyes ran over her features. Her bright eyes, her tanned healthy skin, her short black glossy hair, over all she seemed amazingly healthy and happy.

He smiled, "Li…an," he said her name slowly, eyes still stuck on her.

She twirled around in circles swinging her arms out, "that’s me!" he laughed at the sound of her bright voice.

His laughter…something he hadn’t heard in a long time. Lian stopped spinning and looked at him with a shocked face.

"Your laughter," she started, "It’s good to hear."

He smiled genuinely, his cheeks hurting from the stretching of his face, another thing he has not done in a long time.

"Do you want to be my friend?" she asked him.

"Yes," his reply was immediate without a thought behind it.

"Great!" she cheered clapping her hands and spinning again, her bare feet digging into the damp grass below.

"Does that hurt?" Yixing asked her, noticing she was not wearing shoes to protect her from the blades.

"Where? My feet?" she lifted her wet left foot forward to let him examine it. It seemed fine, apart from the tinted red flesh on her soles and heels; nothing was scarred or openly bleeding.

"Hey, the grass is soft, it doesn’t hurt because it is soft, you should try it," she said looking up at him.

"No, no, it’s too dangerous for me," he hurried to explain, shaking his hands and head in a negative manner.

"Why? Why would it be dangerous, the grass is soft," she whispered now.

"No, I can’t, mother would not like it," he looked down away from her pleading eyes.

"Fine, if mother won’t like it," she said in an inaudible mocking tone.

She reached out and touched his sleeve on his shirt making Yixing flinch, "Does mother make you wear long sleeve shirts in warm weather too?" she asked.

He gulped at her question, looking at what she was wearing, a simple flowing summer dress with patterned flowers surrounding the otherwise white fabric. Why does it feel like he was being…teased?

"Yes, to protect me," he said lowly.

"From what? The soft wind? The soft grass? The air that cools your skin and keeps you alive? What do you need protection from?" she jabbed her pointed finger into his chest.

Her jab spread through out his chest into his mind.

"I have a disease, my blood doesn’t clot, if I hurt myself, I could die, it is hazardous," he explained.

"Yes, a danger," she repeated his words seemingly to herself.

He looked at her again, her face that seemed familiar to him some how.

"Maybe, one day, you should try it, yeah?" she asked him.

He should try it?

Should he?

Yes…

He looked up at her, shaking his head ‘no’. She pouted at his answer and stomped her feet like a little child not getting their way.

He laughed thinking she was cute, "how old are you?"

"I am the same age as you, eighteen right?" she asked.

His eyes widened at her correct answer, "how did you know? Did I tell you my age earlier?" he asked excitedly.

"No, I just know," she answered, "time never escapes me."

Time…

Time!

Yixing looked down at his watch on his arm that screamed ten minutes until he had to check in. It took him twenty minutes to get here walking so surely he would be able to make it back home on time running…right?

"I have to go! I will be late if I don’t run," he said turning from Lian.

"Running is…hazardous," she said smiling making Yixing stop in his tracks and look at her with big eyes, "your mother tells you that too, I am sure," she continued.

He gulped, something he was doing a lot of today.

"Why don’t you try it, just today, you don’t want to be late do you? And Yixing, keep me a secret will you?" she said tauntingly.

He turned away from her again, reasoning with himself before his legs started to pick up speed on their own.

A speeding walk, into a light jog, a jog, into a light run, a run, into running, his feet carried him all the way home, down the hill across the field and towards his house. He could see it growing in size, the steps becoming visible, the address numbers appearing, his house.

The smile on his face as he felt his lungs expanding with exertion was something he wanted to feel more often.

He climbed the steps feeling healthy and opened the door breathing harshly with a huge smile on his face.

A smile that was wiped away immediately when he saw his mother's face, her back facing the window, arms crossed in a defensive manner, and a stern cold look in her eyes.

She took calm steps towards him, her eyes getting bigger to Yixing the closer she got.

"Were you…running," she spat the word out harshly as if it were poisoned.

"I, I, mom, I wanted to be on time," he stuttered over his words.

"Do you like seeing your mother in pain, Yixing!" she screamed.

He backed up away from her, whenever she got like this he knew it would be better to keep his distance. Even though it was a cautionary method that made him feel better, he could never truly escape her wrath.

If he broke a simple safety rule, he would be punished, he knew this, so why did he run?

Lian…

"Your father made me promise to let you continue going outside, so I can’t take it away from you! Just wait till he finds out you ran here today! So you wouldn’t be late!" she scoffed.

"How far did you go until you had to run home?" she yelled again screeching loudly.

"I was just up the hill, I didn’t go too far, I just lost track of time," he explained with a quavering voice.

"I will talk about this with your father later! Go down to the cellar and get on your knees until your father comes home!"

"But mom! It’s too early, its only noon! Father won’t be home until four in the evening!" he pleaded.

"Well then it looks like you will be on your knees for four hours! Now go! You must like seeing your mother in pain," she said grabbing his arm and leading him down to the cellar.

She turned his lean body around to face her, his shoulders slumped in defeat, and his head and eyes looking towards the ground, not wanting to make eye contact with his mother.

She roughly unbuckled his belt and buttons on his dark jeans before yanking them down to his ankles and forcing him down to his knees on the cold floor of the cellar.

Yixing dropped his head in shame as hot tears began to pool in his eyes, "Mom, I was distracted," he pleaded, thinking of Lian.

"By what?" his mother grounded out.

He looked up into her face with his quivering lips and red rimmed eyes, before thinking of Lian’s last words to him.

"…Yixing, keep me a secret will you?"

His face bawled up immediately at the thought, the simmering tears racing down his face. He wanted to oblige her; she was the only other human he ever remembers talking to besides his father and mother.

Xifan griped her son’s chin forcing him to look up at her, "Got distracted by what?" she asked again.

He feels weak under her gaze and inhuman before whispering out "nature."

She dropped his chin and turned away from him walking back towards the stairs, "you really do like seeing your mother in pain," she mumbled dejectedly to herself as she climbed the stairs, shutting him in darkness.

He dropped to his , pulling his already sore knees up to his chest and burying his face in them.

"Running is hazardous, Yixing," he whispered to himself over and over again.

No its not…

His head whipped up from his knees hearing the sound of Lian’s voice in his ears.

You should try it sometime…

A/N: This was the first installment of ‘Now That I See You’, this will be a threeshot so stick with me, only two more chapters to go!

Thanks to my unni Nana, for showing me that poster above and asking me to write a story on it, and my unni Kiya, for giving me all the best ideas for this shortfic!

I'd appreciate any COMMENTS!