the mid-february sunlight was as blinding as a flash of gunpowder. for a moment, he wondered if his eyes would ever adjust. the snow crunching under his feet brought the (mostly) empty streets back to life. the crisp air made his nose run and his eyes dry.

cars cruised by leisurely and traffic picked up as yugyeom made his way towards town. his head was clear of everything but his surroundings as he walked. he didn't actually know where he was going, he just had to go somewhere. be anywhere but home alone with his thoughts.

he ended up absentmindedly walking into a small coffee shop he used to come to all the time with his ex. it was their favorite place to sit and talk and laugh. everything on the menu was delicious, not to mention dirt cheap.

"just a mocha latte, please," he said to the familiar barista.

he paid the lady and stood around, waiting for his coffee. then, the bell above the door rang, signalling that someone had just walked in. yugyeom nearly dropped his drink when he saw who it was.

kunpimook. his ex. the one who shattered his heart into the million pieces that he couldn't pick back up.

yugyeom pretended not to notice him as he brushed past and went to their old table by the window. his mind was now racing with memories, and the things he would say if kunpimook decided to say anything to him.

there was a tap on his shoulder. "hey, gyeom... can i sit here?"

yugyeom was internally screaming 'no, there are literally tons of empty chairs, you .' instead, he responded with a small nod and a "sure, i guess."

"it's...been a long time. you look so mature now," kunpimook observed with an eyebrow quirked, taking a slow sip of his iced coffee. strange. he had never liked iced coffee before.

"yeah, last time i saw you, you were breaking up with me and walking out that door without so much as a word," yugyeom muttered. he felt ice pulse through his veins and the heartbreak felt like it happened just yesterday.

"come on... don't do this. we don't have to argue."

"don't do what? don't be upset after seeing you for the first time in almost a year? watch all my plans of getting over you go up in smoke as soon as i see your damn face?" yugyeom sighed loudly and picked up his things. "i should leave."

"yugyeom, wait, please!" kunpimook called out, chasing him out of the shop. hey 

"wait for what? for you to apologize, gaun my trust and break my heart all over again? i'll spare myself the trouble."

"i've changed, yugyeom. we aren't kids anymore, you know. i'm sorry for—"

"no! i don't want to hear it. if i keep listening to your stupid voice i'll fall for you again, and i can't. not now." yugyeom faced kunpimook, the formerly empty streets now flooding with cars.

"you know, it's not like i was expecting to see you either. i'm just as shocked and heartbroken as you are!"

"you're the one who broke up with me. i thought we were good—perfect, even! and then... you drop that kind of bombshell? there's no way you're as heartbroken as i am! you shattered my heart and then kept half of the pieces!"

"i was scared, okay?! is that what you want me to say? i was scared to lose you! we were growing up and starting to go our separate ways. we were going to different universities. we'd promise to talk every day, but then, we'd start to grow apart. and that's the worst kind of heartbreak." kunpimook said all at once.

"you were scared of losing me so you broke up with me? where's the ing logic, kunpimook?! you know, i got you that promise ring for a reason!" yugyeom felt tears welling in his eyes.

"we were kids! statistics suggest we wouldn't have ended up together, anyway."

"since when do you care about statistics? whatever, i don't care enough to find out. i'm—i'm going home." yugyeom turned away from kunpimook and began walking down the sidewalk.

"wait, i'll give you a ride! it's freezing out here. you'll get sick!" kunpimook suggested before yugyeom rounded the corner.

yugyeom wanted so badly to refuse, but it was freezing despite the sunlight. his warm coffee had turned cold in the few minutes they had been outside. he pondered for a moment before slightly nodding and walking back towards kunpimook. yugyeom told himself that he absolutely was not accepting because he wanted to spend just a little bit more time with him.

"this isn't how i pictured our reunion," kunpimook sighed, leading yugyeom over to a ty pick-up truck and hopping in.

"you pictured us meeting? cute. i never wanted to see your face ever again."

"do you want a ride or not?" kunpimook asked as he drove down the road, asking for directions to yugyeom's new apartment.

"well, uh, here we are," yugyeom said awkwardly as kunpimook pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex. kunpimook looked like he was expecting something. "thank you for bringing me home..." 

kunpimook nodded and flashed a small smile.

"do you want to come inside?"

"i'd love to."