Chapter Text
Auroma of instant coffee made her feel alive and one sip, though extremely bitter, help her brain immediately get rid of sleepiness. Her hands move on her own, only the sound of her fast typing on her laptop was heard in her tiny apartment. When she felt sad, confused or happy she wrote. Even though her laptop was barely alive, tapped together by the unicorn insulating tape, it was precious to her. It was the only gift her shity parents gave her and Aether. Lumine didn't understand why she cherished the thing her parent, that made her struggle so much, gave her, but he just couldn't bring herself to get rid of it. She lost contact with them a while ago and it was what her and Aether wanted.
Her writing was a therapy for her. Sometimes she wrote letters to the people who hurt her, imagining how she send them it made her feel more at easy, or letters for her future or past self. Sometimes it was poetry, or silly short stories, or thing she wished to said to Aether. Yes, there are close, but some things a just to hard to say. Right now she knew, that soon he will be back from his work trip and this conversation will be unavoidable so she slowly prepared herself from it. But how could she casually said thay she dropped out of uni, her only friend just left her be and now she's alone and what was worth is that she pretended to be doing so well for so long. It troubled her, she knew that Aether would have supported her no matter what, but why trouble him, why make him worry. He always was overprotective, she was afraid, that if she admits that she's having a hard time, he would abandon everything for he and she didn't want that.
She should be on her own. She's an adult now. But wow it was hard.
What trouble her more was a man jacket, left by non other then Xiao. It felt so surreal to see him. To hug him. To be comforted by him. She wrote him once, though it was her therapy writing. It was back when he left. But she knew he left for a better future.
Xiao was an orphan, but later some old man adopted him. But they needed to move to the different country. That was sudden. But she was happy that he finally found a family, another person to relay on and she encouraged him to not give it all up. We will keep in touch, she said, but it didn't go well.
But now he was there, she had his phone number, she could meet him, contact him any time she wanted. Teenage Lumine would have exploded from this, but the adult one was worried. But regardless of her worries, she should have return him his jacket and there should be no delay with it.
She get up from her chair, cup of coffee I one hand and her phone in other and she swiftly found his number. His profile picture displayed him, with his messy hair loose, dressed in a white shirt with top bottoms unbuttoned. What a shot, she thought. It was so unusual to see a picture like him. Bet everyone are going crazy about it. She gor distracted admiring him, and, in her head, she admitted that it was hard not to stare.
How should she text him. Should it be casual "Hello I want to return you jacket." Or should she small talk first. While her mind was concerned with finding a way to talk, the massage suddenly popped on her screen. Alert, Alert! He text her! On his own! Did he knew she was going to do it?! Did he was has she typed something several times, but then erased it?!
Stop, she need to stay focused. She looked at the message that said "good morning" with the glittery flower sticker. What is it? Is he suddenly became an old man. But she had to admit, it has some charm and looked cute. She smiled.
"Good morning." She replied with the cat emoji.
"Wow i didn't expect you to replay so soon. Are you a morning person now?"
He didn't saw her type? Well that good.
"Not always. But im trying to. What about u?"
"I had my morning run and I though about u"
The last part cut her of guard. But at the same time, who would thought about a girl you knew since high-school suddenly reappearing after a long time crying like a baby. She definitely left quite an impression.
"I thought about u too. I wanted to thx u for yesterday."
"You don't need to. I was happy to see you again, though that meeting was different from what I expected."
"Do u want to meet up?"
"Today?"
"If you free. I want to give you your jacket back."
"U only want to meet me for that?"
"?"
"I already missed u. Im free whenever you like. Text me when you are ready, I can drive to you're house."
"Okay, I will be ready in like 30 minutes. Will it be okay?"
"Yes. Can't wait to see u."
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●•°Extra°•●
Xiao was worried for her. He dreamed about meeting her again, showing how much he grown. He missed her, his little sun, so the moment he got back to their old town he desperately wanted to get in touch with her and Aether. And now he met her and it was different from his dreams. She looked miserable. Like a drenched little kitty, searching a shelter. He wonder what happend to her, but pressure her with bunch of questions might scare her, hurt her. He will be there for her, waiting for the moment when she will opened up.