11:45

It was only a matter of time until he had returned, Yifan muttered to himself. 

Only a matter of time until he was back in the country he had left the closest thing he had known to home over here.

Only a matter of time until he crossed one of them again.

Until they would ignore him.

Leave him.

Abandon him.

Like he did to them. 

How could he do that to them?

It had been four years and the giant man did not regret his decision to leave, but he can't say that he doesn't miss the boys he had grown up with. 

Neither can he say that he regrets not telling them everything, telling them goodbye.

But he knew he couldn't have handled that.

Goodbyes were too hard, too permanent. 

They would have tried to make him stay and he would have let them.

He owed them so much and he never wanted to break their hearts.

But he did what he needed to, what he felt was right. Because how could he take care of other people when he was barely holding on himself.

He wouldn't have survived much longer like that and he'd much rather they all hate him [even if that itself hurt like hell] than them mourn him. 

With his long grey trench coat and leather snapback, he ducked into the silent cafe they once frequented. Ordering a strong coffee [he knew he wouldn't be sleeping tonight anyway], he was surprised to see two others in the cafe.Taking his hot drink from the barista, he sat down across the small, deer-like boy as quietly as possible. Trying not to disturb the Korean male three tables over.

The boy across him looked up from his own drink in greeting, and gave Yifan a broken smile. To which Yifan returned with his own broken smirk.

Both not speaking, trying to leave the other man alone, not wanting to upset him tonight.