| ~ fluffy ~ |

Dino, you didn’t miss me too much didja? I’m kidding. No I’m not, ‘cause I missed you loads. I’ll see you soon!

He didn’t know how many times he had already reread the message, the number was probably on its way to the two hundreds by now. He had wanted so badly to text you back and to ask, why, how, what, and most of all when?

But every single time he worked up the courage to type up a message, he would look at it and chicken out. He had no idea what to say to make it seem like he cared less than he actually did.

So he left it.

Maybe it was because he was still bitter over the fact that you had left without so much a good-bye and that he had to find out via your parents. But you had explained that you had been given a crazy opportunity abroad and jumped immediately at the chance to go.

He knew he wasn’t supposed to think of it as you choosing something else over him, but that was exactly what he thought. He had been and still is hopelessly in love with you and feeling as if he mattered little to you hurt more than anything.

But you were coming back, after years. You were finally coming back.

. . .

When you arrived home via your parents car, you couldn’t help but to feel nostalgic. It really had been too long since you had visited; you were truly unable to as it was much too difficult to leave where you had been working for the past three years.

Although you missed the place you called home for three years, it paled in comparison to the feelings of happiness upon returning to where you felt like you truly belonged. You glanced at your phone again, a pointless action you knew, if Dino wasn’t going to reply three days ago, he wasn’t going to reply now.

You wondered if he was still angry at the fact he had been abandoned, every time the two of you managed to speak to each other, it would always end up with him throwing obviously passive-aggressive comments.

But it didn’t matter to you really, the two of you had been friends for much longer than you had been apart.

Perhaps that was why he was so hurt, the two of you had both planned to go to a nearby university, but you had suddenly left to pursue your ambitions. He could only try to adjust his life without you in it. Not that the past few years had been totally awful, but it did seem much more dry compared to when you were around.

You smiled broadly when you entered your childhood home. I’m finally back.

. . .

Dino wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see when he stepped out of the house that summer morning, but he definitely wasn’t at all prepared to see the sight that greeted him.

You were sitting peacefully on an old wooden swing set that had been there for the past decade, old ropes clearly fraying. You weren’t swinging so much as gently swaying, the movement caused your hair to flutter playfully and Dino wondered what it would be like to slip his fingers between the strands.

A small chuckle left your lips as you read the book you held in your hands, you hadn’t changed.

But then, as if you knew he was there, you looked up and angled your head slightly to the side to catch Dino’s eyes.

You had changed, he thought dazedly as he was ensnared tightly in your gaze. Somehow your already compelling eyes had an even greater depth and maturity to them. And he just couldn’t look away, not even as you began to stand and make your way towards him.

Dino wanted to walk way, to leave, to do anything except wait there patiently for you to arrive; but he was unable to take even the smallest step in the opposite direction. He watched with increasing dread and untold excitement as you drew closer, a quirky grin on your face.

“Lee Chan.” You stared at him unblinkingly, as if willing him to speak.

“I-I,” he spluttered for a moment before he changed his mind, saying, “Welcome back.”

You smiled softly at him, “It’s good to be back.”

Dino could feel his heart begin to race.

. . .

Lee Chan had changed, you thought as you sat next to him. The two of you were resting beneath the large maple tree, that had the wooden swing attached to it, enjoying the early fall sun.

You glanced at him again; he was lying down while you were sitting, leaning against the tree. He had grown up, you recalled his baby face that had totally disappeared while you were abroad and couldn’t help but to feel as if you had missed out on something special. The man, for he was no boy any longer, had a new aura around him, a charisma that was undeniable. It was there in the ease that he moved in or the way that he spoke, it was almost hypnotic.

“Why didn’t you text me back?” You shattered the silence. “I mean, I know you aren’t the happiest with me, but I don’t know, I feel like it wouldn’t have hurt to have sent an ‘ok’ emoji or something.”

Dino shrugged, “You know that if I replied you wouldn’t have left me alone.”

“I see how it is.” Dino made sure to keep one eye open so he could see your huffy face of annoyance. At least some things didn’t change.

“I’m just teasing,” he chuckled, “But it wasn’t like you meant all that mush about missing me, right?”

He was playing a tricky game here, and he hoped you wouldn’t catch on. But from the way your cheeks flared with red, he decided his chances of winning weren’t so abysmal.

“Now I feel like I’ve wasted precious amounts of my feelings on someone who can’t appreciate them,” you blurt out, hurt that he would think that the relationship between the two of you was so shallow.

A sneaky grin began to take form as he spotted not one, but two openings that he could exploit, “You’ve wasted precious amounts of your feelings? What kind of feelings are we talking about now?”

You wanted to bite your tongue for saying something so open to interpretation, “You know, like feelings of fri–” You cut yourself off suddenly. Did you really only feel friendship for Lee Chan? After seeing him and talking to him, you realized that the jittery feeling of anxiety still hadn’t gone away and that of all those you missed, you had yearned to see him the most.

Dino seemed to be lying down one moment and sitting in the next, “I never really wanted to tell you this, but now’s a good time as any.” You could only see his back as he spoke quietly.

“I’ve been in love with you for years, even though through the past three years I’ve tried to love other people,” he turned around, his face closer to yours than you expected. “But none of them could ever free up the space you hold in my heart.”

He reached out to brush his fingers down your chin, touching you as if you were something precious he wasn’t worthy of touching.

His words and actions dispelled any uncertainties you had regarding your feelings. You leaned in against his touch as his hand opened to cup your cheek, “Somehow, I’ve fallen for you but never seemed to realize it. You’ve come like a thief in the night and stolen my heart.”

Dino chuckled at your cheesy phrase, but he couldn’t help but to think the same thing. When had he fallen in love with you? Was it when he realized that you were the person that made him smile the widest? Or maybe when his heart fell to pieces when he found out that you were gone?

But it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that you held similar sentiments and that he could finally do what he had wanted to do for ages.

He leaned in slowly until your foreheads were touching, “Hm, I appreciate your feelings very much. Now how should I show this appreciation?” You wanted to wipe that smug little smirk off his face.

So you did.

Dino was shocked when you closed the distance between your lips and his, but he gave into the kiss almost immediately. He couldn’t seem to get enough of you.

When the two of you pulled away, you had a pleased twinkle in your eyes as you tried to catch your breath. “I appreciate your appreciation very much.”

There was a content hum to his happy laughter before he pulled you into another kiss.