A scene paralleling the first chapter, except it's Jongdae and Yixing's anniversary, and Yixing can't help but wonder if he's fooling himself all over again.

Yixing sits alone in a booth meant for two, staring moodily at the candlelights around him and the water glass in front of him – his third refill, he thinks with an odd sense of deja-vu – and wonders if he’s made the same mistake as he had before.

Nearly an hour after their reservation time, and Jongdae still isn’t here.

He dips a finger into the glass, begins running it around the edge, listens to the pure note that resonates through the air. The same clear crystal, the same note that, even now, he cannot put a name to.

One year since he and Jongdae started dating officially. Almost 2 years since Luhan left. So much time has passed and yet – he’s still stuck here alone, in a booth meant for two, playing with a glass and listening to a note that he doesn’t know.

Really, has anything changed?

It takes a moment for Yixing to realize that the melody in his head isn’t just in his head any more – his phone is vibrating insistently in his pocket, Jongdae’s familiar adlibs ringing through the air and joining the crystal note. Quickly, Yixing fumbles to answer.

“Hello?” Jongdae’s voice is breathless, a little hoarse, and Yixing’s brows furrow. He sounds exhausted.

“Jongdae? Are you ok? What happened?”

“I’m so, so sorry about tonight,” Jongdae says hurriedly. “I know I missed the reservation time by like an hour – they wouldn’t let me off to call until now – I just – we’re still filming, Yixing, I tried so hard to finish but they – it’ll take me another hour at least, and you know how far it is to the restaurant…”

Jongdae is currently recording a movie scene, one that he hadn’t been able to reschedule since the other lead could only make this time, and had told Yixing so earlier in the day. “I’ll try to make it in time for dinner, we should be filming right after lunch so – I should be able to make it, it’s only the one scene.”

Yixing bites his lip, slumps in his seat, lets his eyes flicker shut. “I understand,” he murmurs into the phone. “I… I guess I’ll just. I’ll bring food back for you then.” He lets out a long sigh. “I love you, Jongdae.”

“I love you too,” Jongdae says, his voice catching. “I’m so sorry-” and Yixing can’t listen to this, not now, not like this, and he hangs up abruptly, tossing the phone to one side like it burns his fingers.

He shouldn’t be upset. Jongdae has a legitimate excuse. Yixing himself has come across similar situations, dates that he’d had to call off because of some show or recording or another, and Jongdae has always forgiven him for them. Yixing has done the same, forgiven Jongdae for previous dates missed, knowing that just because they don’t have time to meet doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.

After all, Yixing knows better than most the demands of an idol’s lifestyle, understands that their career comes first, and it doesn’t mean that Jongdae loves him any less.

But in the end, it’s still Yixing, sitting alone in a restaurant at a table meant for two, wondering if it’s too much to ask that someone can put him first instead.

Swallowing the bitter feeling in his throat, Yixing signals the waiter over.

He ends up ordering for two. Even after all this time – he’ll still hope that Jongdae will show up anyways, even though Yixing knows otherwise.

***

Almost two hours later, the other plate is still untouched. Yixing’s plate is still half-full, but he doesn’t feel like eating any more.

When Yixing signals for the bill, the waiter quietly shakes his head – “On the house tonight. I’m sorry they didn’t show.” – and Yixing has to fight the urge to break into hysterical laughter. He’s turned into the stereotypical stood-up date, the one that waits at an expensive restaurant for someone who will never show up, the one that gets pity from the waiters and gets a free meal but doesn’t feel any better for it.

His phone is vibrating in his pocket, but Yixing ignores it, instead dropping his forehead to the table, his shoulders shaking.

He thinks he’s laughing, but the quiet spatter of tears on the smooth table tells him otherwise.

***

Half an hour later, the bag of food is sitting quietly on his table, dropped off by a waiter while Yixing had been laughing (crying) without him noticing.

There’s an extra box, Yixing notices, and he nearly bursts into laughter again when he realizes the waiters have slipped him an extra dessert too. How more stereotypical could this get?

“Happy anniversary,” he whispers to himself as he stares at a table meant for two, a cold meal, and a single dessert, meant for someone who’s not here.

He walks away, giving the empty table a bitter smile, giving himself a bitter smile.

Another anniversary spent alone. Somehow, he’s not surprised.

And then –

“Yixing!”

There’s a hand on his wrist, and Yixing spins around, shocked, hopeful, but it can’t be –

But Jongdae is there, out of breath, his eyes wide, slightly smeared makeup still on his face. “Yixing – I tried to call – you didn’t respond – Minseok said you weren’t home so-”

Jongdae is panting out the words in between gasps of air, but Yixing isn’t really listening any more, too busy taking in the fact that Jongdae is here.

Jongdae’s monologue breaks into a startled squawk when Yixing tugs him in for a hug. “You came,” Yixing whispers into Jongdae’s shoulder.

Yixing can practically hear the fond smile in Jongdae’s voice as he says “Of course I did. I told you I’d be here, didn’t I?”

“You didn’t have to – I know you’re busy and it’s not your fault we could’ve rescheduled,” and then it’s Jongdae’s turn to interrupt Yixing, this time with a kiss.

“No. I couldn’t let you celebrate another anniversary alone.” I couldn’t do the same thing that Luhan did.

Yixing can feel the tears welling up again and he shoves his face back against Jongdae’s shoulder to hide, squeezing him tightly. “Thank you,” he mumbles.

“Happy anniversary, Yixing,” Jongdae says gently, and Yixing has never been happier.

***

Their table has already been cleared, so they have to leave the restaurant. Jongdae refuses to go back to the dorms so early, and they end up sitting on a bench in a park.

The food is still cold, but Jongdae eats heartily regardless. “Everyone involved thought we would finish early so nobody thought to prepare food,” he complains to Yixing between bites. “They managed to find bread but there wasn’t enough for everyone so I let the others eat first and-”

Jongdae continues to chatter about his day, telling Yixing about every single take and NG and how it really wasn’t his fault that the director was such a perfectionist and the other lead was terribly underprepared and all the staff had been complaining too and Yixing just leans against him, letting Jongdae’s presence comfort him.

This is all he ever wanted, he thinks with sudden clarity.

He doesn’t need to be the first priority. He understands that he can’t be, that Jongdae can’t be his first priority either, not with the way their careers work, not with the way life in general works. He doesn’t need that, doesn’t want to force Jongdae to make sacrifices for their relationship in that way.

All he really needed was for someone to care. For someone to tell him when they can’t make a meeting, to try their best to meet when possible, to let him know that he’s loved, that he’s important.

Yixing smiles at Jongdae and says again, “Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” Jongdae murmurs in reply, “Thank you for loving me, for trusting me, even though – well. Thank you.”

Jongdae drops an arm around Yixing’s shoulders, pulling him closer, and Yixing shifts obligingly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jongdae says gently, leaning in for a kiss, and Yixing knows it’s true.

subject to editing in future.