Lu Chen watched the young man silently sob in silence.
he had met a lot of young men like this before. Some had lost their love, or some had lost their jobs. But he had never met a man who had lost his home come into a high-end restaurant and drink the finest wine. He did not know what to make of this.
He gently wiped the man's face and glanced back.
His shift was about to end; he could go home, but he strangely did not want to leave the young man alone. He sat down next to him. "What happened?"
"I don't have a home.." the young man repeated silently, sobbing into his cupped hands. "What did I do to deserve this? I never wanted this life. Why should I live like this?"
Hearing this made Lu Chen's heart stop for a second. 'Shit, he is suicidal..' He gently patted the man's back. "Don't cry. It will get better."
"How.. I'm hungry and broke and have no home. It's all because of him.. that bastard…" he let out a sob.
In his mind, Lu Chen could already imagine a lot of different scenarios. The conclusion he came up with was that this young man was betrayed by his lover and left homeless and in debt. Lu Chen sighed and helped pour a glass of wine for him. "I can help you find a place to stay. In fact, I'm looking for a roommate. If you want, you can stay with me for a while. After you find a stable job, you can move out."
Sniffling, the young man gazed up at him. "I knew it. You're a good guy. But why didn't he like it?" he let out another loud sob, this time attracting a few of the other customers' attention.
Lu Chen quickly patted his back. "Why don't we head to my place? You can drink and tell me all of your sorrows."
The young man sniffled. "You're a stranger. I can't go with a stranger."
He held out his hand. "I'm Lu Chen, age twenty-five. I live with my grandma. I don't have any bad habits, and I'm told to be a good listener. If you feel unsafe, you can hold this." He handed a bread knife to him. "You can stab me if I make any advances."
Tian blankly gazed at the bread knife and then at the young man. "You can't kill a person with that."
Lu Chen chuckled. "I'll give you a real knife then. How about it? Would you be willing to come with me?"
Tian nodded softly. Right now, he had no place to live. He hadn't paid his rent for a few months now. He would likely get kicked out of that matchbox-like apartment into the streets. When he was a broke angel, he was able to sleep on rooftops and pass his time. Now he was a fallen angel, he can't do that. He was clearly visible to human eyes, and his bodily features would soon turn human. He would not be able to handle the biting cold. Right now, a place to live was vital. Thankfully, this young man was willing to help him.
"I want a bag," he whimpered.
The young man named Lu Chen hurriedly brought out a huge plastic bag for him.
Tian squatted down and picked up every one of his fallen feathers. Even though they can't be seen by humans, they still held a bit of angelic energy. 'My beautiful feathers…' sobbing, he pushed them all into the bag.
Lu Chen watched the young man sweep the empty floor blankly. 'What is he doing.'
"I'm done," the man sniffled loudly. "Is.. is your house far?"
"Nearby. We can walk there. But we have to climb a few flights of stairs. Is that okay with you?" the young man looked at the empty bag in his arms. Strangely, it looked puffed up like something was inside there.
Sniffling, Tian hugged the bag and followed him out of the restaurant. "Wait. I haven't paid."
"It's okay, it's on me." The young man gently patted his back. "Don't be impulsive like that. There is much to live for in this world. Even though it might not seem that bright right now, I swear it will get better."
Lu Chen had seen young men like this one. They would do something impulsive like eating out in a high-end restaurant and then attempt something drastic the very same night. It was like their last act of living. He did not wish for this young man to die. Glancing to his side, he noticed the young man looking at his snow-covered feet. "What is your name?"
"Tian."
"Just Tian?"
"Hmm…"
"Your hometown?"
"Somewhere far." The man glanced up. "I can't go back…"
"It's okay." Lu Chen patted his back. "If you lose a home, then you can make another place your home. My grandma used to say, home is not a place but the people. When you are surrounded by people who love you, then you are home."
Tian sniffled. "My people are far, far away… wahhhhh" he wailed loudly. "I want my mommy…."
Lu Chen took the young man to his home, which was close by. It was an old-fashioned house that was at the top of the inclined roads. They had to walk a few flights of stairs to get to it.
The house was small but very clean.
That could not be said for either homes close by.
The whole street was empty.
Tian clung to his feathers bag. 'Is this okay….'
"Grandma, I'm home." The young man opened the gate with a huge smile.
The grandma was picking out leaves from her dried chilies, looked up at them with a soft smile. "Who is this? He looks very beautiful. Did you snatch him from some modeling agency?" The old lady whistled.
"Grandma…" He hugged her softly. "This is my grandma, and grandma, this is Tian. He is just crashing at our place."
"Hmm, good… That room has been empty for a while now." She nodded to the small room at the end of the house. "Be our guest Tian."