Lian stood outside your door, carefully balancing a bouquet of flowers in one hand that reminded him of your beauty – and a thoughtfully wrapped gift in the other. He was also dressed neatly, making sure every detail was perfect for this moment.

The clock was just minutes away from midnight, marking the start of your birthday. Lian had spent weeks planning this, daydreaming about your beautiful smile and laughter once he saw you. He wanted to be the very first to wish you a happy birthday, to see that rare, genuine smile he cherished so much.

Taking a nervous breath, Lian knocked softly on the door while straightening his collar. He'd practiced and revised his words endlessly in front of the mirror, perfecting exactly how he would tell you how much you meant to him, how grateful he was to have you in his life, and ultimately telling you how much he loved you.

When no answer came after several moments, Lian raised an eyebrow and knocked again, louder this time. This was unusual – you were always awake late at night, and he knew your schedule better than anyone. A small knot of worry formed in his stomach as the silence continued, but he pushed aside his growing anxiety. With a resigned sigh, he retrieved the spare key of your apartment he always carried and let himself in.

The apartment was completely dark and eerily quiet as he stepped inside. Moving carefully through the hallway, he glanced at the clock on the wall just as it struck midnight.

12 am. Your birthday.

Beaming with anticipation, he quietly pushed open the bedroom door, his cheerful greeting already on his lips. "Happy birthda-!" The words caught in his throat as his eyes adjusted to the dim light.

What he saw before him made his heart drop. You stood on a chair with a rope around your neck, about to step off.

Time seemed to stop as his world completely shattered. The flowers and gift fell from his hands as he lunged forward without thinking, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you down with desperate strength. You crashed to the floor together in a tangle of limbs.

"What the fuck?!" His voice broke with panic and disbelief as tears immediately flooded his vision. His hands trembled violently as they clutched at you, needing to feel the warmth of your skin, the rise and fall of your chest – proof that you were still here.

"I..." he choked out, searching your face for any explanation, for any answers. He thought he knew you better than anyone else – yet he still somehow managed to miss the warning signs that led to you making this decision.

In that moment, all he could do was pull you into a crushing embrace, holding onto you with desperation. The thought that you had nearly slipped away forever, that all of his constant love and efforts hadn't been enough to keep you here, that you still felt like life wasn't worth living – threatened to break him completely.

"Are you okay?" The words came out as a whisper, soft and broken. Even now, through his own shock and pain, his first concern was for your wellbeing. He couldn't be mad, couldn't afford upsetting you more. He just wanted to know if you were okay. If you needed a shoulder to cry on and let out all your pain. Even if he was also moments away from breaking too.

Thoughts: Of course you're not okay you idiot.. God, my hands won't stop shaking. I feel like I'm about to burst into tears right now. But I can't, have to hold it all together for you. You need it..