Chapter Text
Sitting in a cafe near his home, Xichen was spending his Friday afternoons as he always does. Cup of tea in his hands, people watching. Even after their break-up, this was a habit he was never able to break, and even now he still ordered two drinks while he sat alone in the cafe. A cup of green tea for himself and another cup of hot chocolate topped with a staggering amount of whip cream for a partner that will never show up.
It was their thing...spending their Friday afternoons in a cafe together, while they caught up on the past week while simply enjoying each other's company. Xichen would always reach earlier and after ordering their drinks and sitting at their seat, he would look out the window waiting to see the silhouette of his heart approaching. The way he would smile and wave at Xichen as he saw him through the window…that was all part of the past now. Just a sad memory, a deep-seated regret that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Perhaps Xichen was never able to break this habit because he was afraid that if he stopped doing it, it would break the last bond, the last good memory that he shared of his (ex) lover (Or maybe he was hopeful that if he watched long enough, he would one day spot his heart through the window again...that familiar face smiling and waving at him like he used to…).
It was almost closing time when Xichen finally decided that it was time to go home. His tea has long gone cold and the whipped cream from the hot chocolate has long since melted and dripped onto the table. It has been hours since he reached the cafe but somehow time always flew by when he was sat there reminiscing his past happy memories . While he was packing up his things, ready to leave, he caught a familiar face from the peripheral of his eyes. The face that has been haunting his every thought and memory for the past two years...
Could it be that the gods have finally heard his prayers? That he could finally see his heart once again?
His eyes never left the figure...trailing and watching as the familiar face entered the cafe and walked up to the counter. While a part of him wanted nothing more than to approach the familiar face and be reunited with the one person that he has missed for so long , he was suddenly held back by an overwhelming sense of self-admonition.
As much as he wanted to approach the familiar figure, he came to the sudden realization that he had no right to approach him, not after all the pain he caused all those years ago. That since he chose to leave, he had no right to invade of his beloved once again. (and if a part of the reason was that he was afraid of the potential rejection he might face, no one had to know).
As he sat rooted in his seat, consumed by his own fears and admonitions, he failed to notice that the familiar figure had recognized him and was approaching his seat instead...
(It appears the gods really were looking out for him tonight...)
"Xichen? Is that you?" a familiar voice asked
Getting broken out of his reverie, he was shocked to see his heart the familiar figure standing right in front of him.
Collecting himself quickly, he shelved his thoughts to the back corner of his mind as he plastered on a smile at the figure standing in front of him.
"Hi Wan Yin, it's been a while. How are you?"