„I made you simple Green tea. Hope you don’t mind.”

I just placed myself on a chair at the plain white kitchen table. It was early in the morning, the sun was still rising and so the kitchen was dimly lit.
I haven’t even been to the bathroom yet, my hair was messy and I was wearing pajamas, which consisted of underwear and one of his t-shirts.

“You finished up the coffee can in just two days. I don’t think that’s healthy, do you?”

He gave me a simple teacup he has found in the cupboard. I was just holding it for a moment, feeling and enjoying the warmth as if trying to unfreeze myself. When I was dozy I was feeling cold. I don’t know if that’s how everyone felt or if that was actually odd.

“I’m just really tired.”

He took the seat in front of me at the table, so he was able to face me. He was sipping on the same tea as he gave me. I looked at the kitchen clock.

5:12 am

“You should have stayed in bed. I know that you are tired.”

Zitao’s voice was still sleepy and sounded rough. His dark, sharp eyes were observing me gently.
And I was staring back. There was something about his gaze when he was looking at me like that. It was tenderness and concern in his strange eyes.

“I need to see you before you go and I am willing to wait until you come home at midnight just so we can go back to sleep together. Yes, I am tired, but you are as well.”

I was ready to give up on sleep just to see his face, just to speak to him a little longer.
I wouldn’t sleep ever again so that we could exist in the same reality. With him I could function, with him I could breathe.

Zitao lowered his gaze and there was a sad smile on his lips. He looked so vulnerable.
But the man sitting right in front of me was of enormous inner strength. He’s been through so much. He knew how to survive in this world.

I was a little pond existing closed up all by myself and he was the ocean.

Zitao was a man with a soft heart. And he was so strong because he didn't let himself become cold in a world like this.

“In a month it will be over. Then I will take to you to my hometown and we will stay there for a while. We will get a healthy amount of sleep together and even when the sun rises we won’t part, okay?”

The man reached out for my hands and held them. His were warm, comforting. I felt at ease. He was giving me a calm but sincere smile.

“Stay strong a little longer. Don’t break.”

Finally I saw the sun on the morning sky shining through the window and painting the room in its natural colors.
I returned Zitao’s smile.

“With you I feel stronger than ever.” I whispered.

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