★ Kris || 1071 words || I wrote this story on 24 May 2013, and lost the document till now. So here's another Kris one shot for my dear sprouts. (Click!)

Kris entered the café as the last customer (excluding me) left the shop. He looked around and saw me sitting at the place we first had our drink together.

“Kris! You’ve arrived!” The owner of the café, also my friend, said.

“Yes, I hope she hasn’t been waiting for too long,” Kris said to my friend and came over to me.

I was looking out of the window, looking at the streets at night. I seldom stay out late. I only do so when my boyfriend, Kris, brings me out.

Kris sat down across of me and said, “I rushed here once I saw your text.”

I turned over to face Kris. His voice was deep and his tone was soft and worried.

“What’s bugging you so much that you’re asking me out at this time? Is it really that important that you have to tell me now? You usually don’t like to stay out late. And you sounded really upset in your text, if texts have tones…” Kris said.

“Yes they do,” I said while still keeping my frown, “So what would you like to have today?”

“Green tea latte. And you? Hot chocolate again?”

“No, I feel like having caramal frappe today.”

“Alright, I’ll go get it for you.”

I sighed as Kris walked off to the counter, just to show my depression. Kris turned back a few times to check on me, but I pretended that I didn’t notice it. I rested my head on the table and closed my eyes. The memories of Kris and me at the start of our relationship was so sweet. Thinking about those days made me miss them so much.

Kris came back shortly after with our drinks and sat across of me again.

“I thought you didn’t really like coffee?”

“Time passes, things change, likings change and people change. Everything changes, just like our relationship. It changed, didn’t it?” I said and took a sip of my drink.

“What’s wrong?” Kris then used his big and rough hands to hold mine in his.

I then tried to change the topic which I brought up. “My favourite coffee tasts bittersweet today.”

“Caramel frappe taste bittersweet all the time. Stop avoiding the topic, tell me what are you thinking about now.”

I sighed and looked down at our hands on the table. I withdrew one of my hand and placed it on top Kris’.

“Kris, let’s break up, shall we?”

I turned to look at him to see him widen his eyes at me. Shock overwhelmed him and he just stared at me dumbfounded.

“You must be wondering why,” I said. Kris nodded frantically and squeezed my hand with both of his hand with both of his hands.

“Don’t you think our texts are getting lesser now? As compared to a few months ago, when we first started. You also stopped being greasy and cheesy. You also stopped being greasy and cheesy. You stopped getting jealous when I go out with my male friends and classmates. I don’t think you care anymore.”

“I still do! I really do!” Kris replied immediately.

“Then why can’t I feel it? You don’t even arrange meet ups, I do most of it! Who is the boyfriend in this relationship?”

Kris started looking all over around the place, trying to find a place to focus at without seeing me look at him. He trembled a bit, I could feel it. He was totally at loss of what to do.

“I… I…”

“Save it. I had enough of those days where I reach home feeling exhausted from a long day and not receiving any calls or texts from you anymore.”

Kris turned back to look into my eyes while still unable to say anything.

“I hate having to wonder to myself whether I’m the only one who’s still loving in this relationship!”

Kris was about to say something, but I interrupted him.

“I’m off to find someone better.”

I pulled my hands out of Kris’ and stood up. Kris got up almost right after me. I was about to walk off but Kris stopped me by hugging me from behind.

“Kris sniffled a few times and said, “What about us? What about love?”

I kept quiet and stayed stationary. I waited to see his next move.

“Are you really going to go against your feelings just because I was caring less?!” He slightly tightened the embrace as he said that.

I shrugged him off and turned to face him. I gave him a glare. He couldn’t care much about that glare and pulled me in for another hug.

“Why are you giving up so soon?”

I smiled to myself and bit my lower lip. I didn’t stop liking Kris, neither did I ever wanted to give up on us. I love Kris. And I love him even more when I see and feel him worry about our relationship.

I unconsciously lifted my hands and was about to hug him, then I remembered I was acting to be angry at him for not texting me every day and not planning any outings. I clenched my fists and lowered my arms slowly. I really felt like hugging Kris too, at that moment, but I couldn’t, at least, not yet.

Actually Kris wasn’t caring less, he just stopped asking because I told him that he didn’t had to text me on a daily basis a few months ago. And he wasn’t pushing all the organising to me. I told him that I’ll plan all our meet ups because he once said that he was afraid he would bring me to a place I didn’t like.

Kris didn’t stop loving, he just forgot that those were requests I made a while back.

Kris thinks of himself as a man, so he doesn’t really like to show me his true emotions. Only when in times in need, he’ll really open up. And at times like these, I feel like I’m getting a step closer to him.

“Do you really want to break the promise we made to each other at the start of this relationship?” Kris asked.

I then finally hugged Kris. “I’ll give our relationship another try.”

Kris lifted me off the ground and spun one round. I giggled and kissed his cheek. He smiled and placed his forehead against mine.

Once again, by taking baby steps, I got closer to my boyfriend.