Forever Yours, (Hualian Fanfic) //Completed//

Chapter 9: The Past and the Future

"Letters...?"Xie Lian pondered, before feeling a sting of jealousy. Could he be sending these to someone...could he.But no.Xie Lian tilted the box up to see there were over 50 letters, many put in envelopes some so old you could see the paper had browned and wrinkled.No one would send so many letters at once.So these letters had to be kept for Hua Cheng's sake.For a moment XIe Lian pondered if they were sent to Hua Cheng but then looked at the words written on the paper, addressing someone.The words were crude, and wobbly, messy, and horrendously unreadable.Hua Cheng's handwriting.

Why would Hua Cheng write so many letters and not send them?

Xie Lian quickly glanced at the bathroom door, then he sighed.It wouldn't be right to peek through his things, he thought but when his fingers graced the pages he couldn't help looking at the words that were splayed on the dark grimy pages.

Dear,

How have you been? It's been many years since I saw you last.It almost feels like a dream.Your face was covered in tears, your hair disheveled, your dark eyes filled with sorrow.I was too young then to understand why you came to me, but I knew that you needed normalcy.All I could do for you was distract you, but that seemed to help.If I saw you today, I think I would like to ask your name.And what made you so sad that day.

Sincerely,

Hong'er

Xie Lian got swept away into the letters, from the brownest of paper to the papers that were white as snow.The older ones had more spelling mistakes, but the words were written sincerely, never too hasty, never too reckless.Always signed with a sincerely, Hong'er, but in more recent letters that 'sincerely' turned to 'love' and the words that were contained in those letters turned from the past to the present.

I hope that I'll meet you again

I pray you can indulge me and tell me your name when we meet again

I believe you are the person I think about most, the one I can't get my thoughts away from.Everyone I see, I always think they might be you.

I adore you, your kindness

Your who I want to spend every waking moment with

The one I treasure most in this world

Xie Lian couldn't help but smile, the sweetness in all the words were so strong, it was almost overwhelming.But something that also caught his attention was the older letters, those reflected on a past.A past that sounded familiar.Xie Lian's mind swam through his memories, grabbing at a memory so weak he could barely remember what the weather was like.

Xie Lian remembered vividly that he was a child, around 8 or 10 years of age, his eyes and cheeks soaked with tears, he was curled up in a ball, his clothes tattered and dirty.Xie Lian remembered.This was the time after his mother died, his father in grieving.He had run away from home, wanting something, somewhere to escape too.Something normal.But all he found was a neighborhood, so dirty, and unpopulated that you couldn't identify the streets from one another.Xie Lian, in his effort to find something, ended up being the one who needed to be found.He remembered that it felt like hours since he last ate, his stomach churned and growled in protest.He couldn't stop himself from crying, the tears warm and big as they slid down his face.He was a mess, so battered that he couldn't keep himself upright.It didn't take him long to find a wall to lean on as he bundled himself up, hugging his legs, and trying to keep from shaking.He didn't know how long he was out there, how long he was balled up, but he remembered that after a moment he felt warmth at his side.He opened his eyes, and saw a child, a young boy, with bandages covering his face, his arms, and his feet.His clothes looked worn down, but his eye was big, an obsidian orb, so close it made Xie Lian flinch.The boy backed away, as if realizing his closeness was uncomfortable.The boy looked away, and hugged his legs, resting his chin against his knees.Xie Lian couldn't help but stare at the boy.He seemed to be younger than him, maybe 5 or 6 years old, this hair was disheveled and long, looking like black ink riding against his back.Xie Lian looked away after a moment staring at the ground, the pavement gray and crumbling.Xie Lian glanced at the boy again and asked, his voice rough, and crocky.