Warmth

Minlu was crouched down on the cold, icy freezing floor, breathing shakily as the misty air blew through her hair. She was in Switzerland, waiting with her family to board the train to France.

It was a freezing cold morning in Switzerland, and Minlu was not comfortable or warm even with her 3 layers of clothing.

"Ah, the lunar moon is still up. It's so beautiful." Said her mother.

It was early, too early for the sun to have risen. Minlu slowly looked up at the morning sky, the lunar moon was still in place. The lunar moon so free, with the ability to come out even in the morning when it's place was at night. Minlu looked ahead again, it was an early busy crowded morning at the train station.

There were people, everyone, occupying the benches, standing or crouching, impatiently waiting and chattering away for the train. The sea of people clouded Minlu's vision, she couldn't see anything. She was blinded by the road of busy people, she was freezing due to the cold air. The cold freezing icy air which seemd to pierce through Minlu's skin like shards of ice.

Suddenly, she heard a loud whirring sound. She had then assumed that the train had arrived. Before she could even get up, everyone started to dash and run forward, marching like soldiers into the train. Finally, when the sea of people had decreased only to a pond of people, Minlu stood up, with her hand in her father's tight grasp, she was led inside the train.

She was told the train ride would take at most 3 hours. Minlu being the kind of girl o get bored, was irritated by it. All she could do, was stare out the window.
And that's exactly what she did. She stared out the window, covered with foggy white mist. As misty as the window was, she could still see through the fog on the window. She could see the pale blue smoky sky, with white brushes of clouds floating ever so freely. How she wished she could be like the clouds.
The clouds were free.

She saw the green fields stretching endlessly across the landscape. She saw the animals freely prancing, flying around with nothing holding them back.

No chains, no bars, no grasps. They were free.

That was what she wanted.

To be free.

Free from her family's strict prison.

Her family's tight grasp on her life.

She wanted to be free.

"Minlu, your food is here. Please eat it." Said a gruff voice, her father. Minlu looked away from the window, and just stared at her food. She wasn't hungry, she didn't want to eat. She wasn't starving like the millions of other children out there, and some of those children were on this train. She'd rather give it to them.

"Father, can I instead give it to someone else in need of-"

"Minlu. You must eat. Those people have no food, be grateful you get to eat food." Her father said rather sternly.

"But father, that's sort of the point...." She let her words drag, knowing her father wasn't listening to a word she was saying.

It was always like this.

Suddenly, her father stood up and walked down the path. Leaving Minlu with her untouched food staring away, and her mother, sleeping soundly. Minlu heaved out a heavy sigh before she propped her chin onto her palm, continuing to stare out the misty window.

As the train stopped, more people came barging in taking seats, allowing the icy misty air from outside to enter the train. Minlu could yet again feel the shards of ice piercing through her skin, even though she was wearing about 3 layers of clothing. With trembling cold frozen fingers, Minlu tugged at her jacket, zipping it up and covering her head with her hoodie.

"Um...excuse...me, miss...." Minlu turned to see the owner of the soft voice. It was a boy, probably older than her by a year or two. He had worn out ragged clothing and his shoes had holes in them. His hair was impossibly untidy and scuffled, but despite all those imperfections, his face seemed to be perfectly flawless, the kind of pure gentlemanly handsome face you don't see as much nowadays.

"Yes? How can I help you?" Minlu finally replied after scanning the boy. The boy looked hungry, he seemed as though he was starving and hasn't eaten for days.

And he hadn't eaten for days. Before the boy spoke, Minlu willing,y gave her tray of food over to the starving boy. The boy was surprised, surprised that someone was showing him such kindness. Something no one has ever showed to him. He was always neglected. But Minlu wouldn't have known that of course.

Minlu gave a soft sweet smile. The boy smiled in return, a sweet soft dimpled smile. Similar to Minlu's but much more charming. The boy gave a bow to her and disappeared through the doors leading to other section of the train.

"What a charming guy he was..." Minlu thought, smiling to herself. That smile he had, the charming soft smile, was stuck in Minlu's head. It was a smile that was absolutely perfectly charming. Minlu was surprised at how perfect the boy's facial features were.

She plugged in her earphones, and cranked up the volume on her IPod, listening to beautiful heavenly songs by her idol, IU and BoA.

Unknowingly, her father had just returned, and he was surprised that the food of tray was gone. He had thought she wouldn't eat it, which she didn't, but of course, he didn't know that. Before he sat back down, he could have sworn he saw Minlu smile to herself. For what reason, he did not know.

It was freezing. If everyone else on the same train said they were freezing wearing at least 3 layers of clothing, imagine how icy it would feel against your skin to have only just a worn out shirt, ripped jeans, a cap and a shoe with holes. It was definitely not pleasant. Yixing definitely felt like he was frozen in an ice block.

Thankfully, to that kind girl, he had food. The food wasn't exactly warm, but it was enough to keep him from starving another night.

Yixing ate the pasta, the moment it had entered his mouth, his eyes bulged out of its sockets. Never, had he ever tasted something so heavenly. It was, to him, a taste of heaven. Yixing barely ate. The most he would eat would probably be a tray of food in a week. He would have to collect buckets of water from the rain to bathe, or drink water.

It was never just him alone suffering the cruelty, he had a younger sister, Xiulynn. A few years younger, and she was the one who gave him courage each day, the drive to never give up. Before, he and his sister would wake up each day, walking through passageways, running away from scary angry pitiless humans...but now, she was gone. The only memory of her left with Yixing was the train he now called home. loved the train. Yixing honestly hadn't known why, he still didn't know why, but the first time she went on one with Yixing, she didn't want to leave.

"Gege, I wish I could just stay on this train and lay"

He remembered how much she used to lay on the chairs, the ground even of the train. That was how much she loved it.

She said she could feel somewhat at ease in the train, watching the raindrops slowly sliding down the window, watching the scenery pass by...even with the huge amount of people, she somehow felt at ease. She said that the exact train he was on now, would be the way out of their troublesome life.

Yixing honestly never believed that, but now with her gone, he didn't know what to believe in any more. Happiness, love, kindness, innocence...but knowing his sister believed in it, Yixing wanted to hold onto that belief. For her.

That train, Express 999, was very special to him.

Yixing sighed after gulping his cup of water, or rather, that girl's cup of water. Yixing was pleasantly surprised that the girl gave him her entire tray of food. Never ever had he been shown such kindness. He as thankful, gratefully, and in debt to the girl. If he starved for another day, he swore he wouldn't be able to live through it. All thanks to that girl, he could live on. Such kindness was rare, you wouldn't find a person who possessed such a kind personality. That girl, whoever she was, was indeed one of the rare special people who possessed that sort of pure kindness.

Unknowingly, Yixing smiled to himself.

"Oh, hey...weren't you that boy from earlier?" Yixing looked up to see that girl from before. She was smiling, the pure innocent smile he only ease coming from Xiulynn. As sad as it was to be reminded of her, he couldn't help but to smile back at the familiar smile he loved. The girl looked around, and her eyes landed on Yixing for a second or two, scanning him.

Under her stare, he felt his palms get sweaty. He didn't know why, but he felt pressured. Like he had to be extra good on behaviour for her.

"Aren't you freezing?" Yixing gave a puzzled look, but then after her words had processed, he gave a slight nod.

He was an ice block.

"Here, take my jacket. I have more than enough clothing. You need it more." She said taking her jacket off. At the sight, Yixing couldn't help but feel some heat crawl up his cheeks, no girl would give up their jacket for him.

"N-No it's ok, you're being too kind..." Yixing replied.

"No this is just being kind, it's just that everyone on this earth is cruel." She stated. She gave a slight smile, and offered her jacket yet again.

Why was she being so nice? Yixing pondered the thought, but accepted her kindness by wearing her jacket. She smiled warmly at him.

And suddenly, it wasn't freezing anymore.

His body felt warm, his cheeks felt warm, his heart felt warm.

For once in years.

He smiled at her in thanks, and so did she. She sat down beside him, blinking, then chuckling. For some reason, he chuckled along and they both grinned at each other.

So many words were exchanged by such small actions.

"What's your name?" The girl asked hugging her knees to her chest.

"My name?"

"You do have a name, don't you?"

"My name is..." Yixing paused, this was a chance to give a new start to himself so he could feel free. No one asked for his name before, but this was a chance. And at that moment, he didn't want to go anywhere, he didn't want the train to stop, he wanted time to continue this moment forever, as he lay there beside the beautiful girl on that train. He wanted to lay beside her "...Lay"

Minlu looked at him, and he just smiled that gentlemanly smile that only true people had. He had a dimple smile, the most adorable smiles on earth, She couldn't help but to blush.

"L-Lay?" She asked, eyebrow raised.

"Id like you to call me by that name. Lay." He smiled, but she could see the tint in his freezing cheeks. It was too obvious against his pale icy skin.

"How about you?" He asked, with a voice sounding like honey.

"M-Me?" She pointed to herself. He chuckled at her question. Minlu blushed even more. "My name is...Lunar." She said with a distant look.

With the early morning light shining on her face, she felt fresh. With the early lunar light shining through the icy freezing windows, she somewhat felt fresh.

"Lunar?" He asked chuckling. "It isn't your real name, or is it?" He grinned.

She could have sworn she felt butterflies in her stomach.

"Um, yeah, it's not...like Lay is your actual name." She said chuckling too.

"True, but I want you to call me that."

"Then you must call me Lunar." Minlu smiled.

"Will I ever get to know your real name? I'd like to know the true name of the kind hearted lady who gave me her lunch. If it weren't for her, I would have been dead by now." Lay said with a sort of joking tease in his voice, yet his voice still managed to sound like honeyed melodies.

"Hmm, when...we meet next time." Minlu said smiling, truly hoping that she would meet him again someday.

She pictured them slightly older, a few years older from now, meeting at the train station, except that he had gotten a job, and was looking his finest, offering her a cup of coffee, smiling. And she would be smiling sheepishly at the handsome man offering her coffee. The cold winter air would breeze past them, causing them to shiver, but chuckle. And for some reason, in her imagination, the jacket he wore seemed familiar. At most, it was giving him warmth he had been seeking for years.

"I..." Yixing dragged his sentence, smiling. Picturing a similar scene, except that she was offering him a scarf. With the pure kind hearted smile only she could pull off. Now grinning, he looked at her with a soft gaze full of admiration. "I'd like that."

Minlu gazed back at him with soft eyes and a heavenly smile, it melted his heart.

"Good. You should like that, because I definitely do." Said Lunar with courage, yet pink cheeks. She was an adorable, pretty and beautiful girl.

"Good."

"..."

Silence had dawned on them, the thing was, the silence wasn't exactly awkward, it was just funny, as though they wanted the silence and just lay beside each other under the lunar light. Yixing was smiling widely but softly. The beautiful girl, Lunar, was sitting right beside him. A poor, penniless, homeless guy. If only.

If only he could be free from the hardships, and lay with this girl for as long as time is endless.

"Lay..." Lunar said softly, smiling.

Yixing raised a brow.

"Do you...always stay on this train?" She asked, her head laying on the wall instead of his shoulders.

"Yes.." Yixing said his thoughts going to his sister, Xiulynn. "I stay on this train, luckily for me, the people on this train are nice enough to let me live on it, but they don't usually provide me food."

"But...why?"

Yixing's lips pressed into a thin line, he wasn't angry at the question, he was just, blank. What should he say? No one ever asked about it, no one ever cared about him other than Xiulynn, and now, her.

"I..." His eyes nervously darted everywhere but to her. He didn't know how to explain. He rarely and barely talked to anyone at all, but here Lunar was, asking for an explanation. He really did want to explain to her, but he had no idea how...the words were on the tip of his tongue but for some reason he couldn't utter any words.

"Its okay, you...you don't have to explain." She said, smiling softly. Yixing eyes were sad, but he couldn't help but to smile softly back.

"EXPRESS 999 HAS REACHED FRANCE, PASSENGERS GOING TO FRANCE PLEASE WAIT UNTIL WE OPEN THE DOORS."

"France? Already?" Minlu said gasping. Time had passed so quickly she hadn't noticed. Her father was probably worried to death and if he found Minlu, he'd scold her to no end.

"You...have to get off?" asked Lay softly. Minlu looked at him, he looked dejected, heartbroken.

In only a matter of a few hours, their hearts were tied to each other.

And neithe rof them wanted to untie it.

"HAS ANYONE SEEN MY DAUGHTER?!" Minlu whipped her head to her fathers voice from the distant crowd. She didn't want to get into trouble, she didn't want Yixing to get into trouble.

"Lay, I have to go now." Minlu said softly. Her eyes reflecting his with the sadness and sorrow.

"Lunar..." Lay said, as though it would save his life. "I...would really...love to see you again someday." Lay said, holding onto her wrist tightly as she stood up.

"I would love that. Here, my number." Minlu took a piece of scrap paper and scribbled her number on it, writing her real name. She smiled and passed it to him. "If you ever get the chance to call, please, don't hesitate a millisecond. I'll be waiting and looking forward to teh call." Monlu said, tears on the edge of her eyes.

"WHERE ARE YOU?! MIISS CHIA!"

With one last sad heartbreaking smile, Minlu broke her arm free off his tight grasp, and rejoined her family, wherever they were.

Yixing looked at her, her eyes full of sorrow. Their stare was held, until the doors of teh train had closed. And in that instant, the stare was broken, the train was moving. Moving away from her. Tears were b down his face.

They had only just met.

But to lose someone whom had shown you so much kindness, pure kindness straight from the heart, was hard to handle.

It was like losing Xiulynn all over again.

Yixing bruied his face in his hands, holding in the cries and sobs, but the tears wouldn't stop. His tears felt cold, and icy, yet at the same time warm.

If he wanted to meet her again, he would have to try his hardest. He won't lose someone close to him ever again. He won't let it happen again.

Yixing opened the crumpled paper with her number on it.

Aria Chia Minlu

Changsha, China
+60122005700

"Aria Chia Minlu?" Yixing whispered. He gave a soft smile. "Minlu. Aria. Lunar. Such beautiful names." Yixing looked closely. "Changsha?..." He gasped. It took a few moments to process the information.

Changsha was where Yixing was born.

If it weren't for the bloddshed soldiers, he'd be at Changsha right now. Not poor, not weak or frail, but like everyone else. His mind was blank. If, if, if...If only. If it hadn't happened, if it had happened,...his mind was blank. He just couldn't think. He would have been happier. His sister would be alive. Changsha. How was it now? Was it still filled with blood as it was years ago? Of course not. But Yixing wouldn't know that. His parents would be alive. He could be there, at Changsha, waiting for Minlu's return or just waiting for fate to make them meet.

If only...

fate wasn't this cruel.

A sudden cool icy breeze blew past him. For some reason though, he didn't feel as though he was an frozen in ice, or the icy shards of the wind piercing his skin. He felt warm. His cheeks were warm eventhough stained. His body was warm. His heart felt warm. And a sudden realisation dawned onto him.

Wherever Minlu was at that moment, he would find her, he felt warm despite the icy wind when he thought of her. His body was warm due to her jacket. He was alive due to her kindness. His cheeks though tinted pink with blush were warm thanks to her. His heart fluttered with warmth thinking about her.

He couldn't let her go. He wouldn't blank out and think of the past. He needed her, she made him feel the warmth of being alive again. The warmth he hadn't felt in years.

You can't let go of a heartwarming person.

And that was the last thing Yixing intended to do.

This is also by far one of my favourite oneshots I have written. I absolutely adored the idea or the plot, Idk. I have this obsession with storylines with trains and vinatge kinda stuff, and coffee houses, tea houses, paris, London, IDK. XD But I love thinking of thise not too old, but old trains and how steamy and misty cold the air would be and LOVE STORY BAM. XD

It was going to be Kevin Woo at first, but I was like Lay Lay Lay eversince I read 'That Empty Bus Seat' GO READ IT NOW ITS SO DGEDCHEB <3 I LOVE LAY AND THAT FIC AND MY LAY FEELSIUEHFEUR

I hope you enjoyed reading this, if so please comment and subscribe? :D

--dear-baekhyun