It’s too cold to be out, Sungkyu caught himself thinking as he walked out of the coffee shop with a fresh cup of hot chocolate cradled in his hands.  It wasn’t as cold as Beijing but that didn’t really make the walk much more comfortable.  At least his hands were warm though.

It was strange to be back in Seoul after three months, it was hard getting back into a regular schedule especially when he didn’t start work again until after the New Year.  It left his days kind of empty, not much on his to-do list except to go get a few photos printed and catch up with his friends.   Sungkyu peered into his reflection backed by a too cute display of stuffed animals, brushing at his fringe and thinking that maybe it was time for a haircut.  He had all the free time he needed to get things done, all the time he could want to himself.

It was nice, and even though he found himself walking through the streets alone in a sea of couples, three days before Christmas, he didn’t feel self-conscious.  It was the first time in a while that he felt settled and comfortable.

And for the first time in a while Sungkyu actually felt like he was ready to date again.   

It’s when you least expect it that you meet that person, it came like an echo.

That person.

Sungkyu was sure he’d already met that person.  To say that any of the people he’d fallen in love with were anything less than special was ridiculous.  Woohyun who somehow made every moment warm, Sungjong who fell asleep against him as if there was no other place he’d rather be, and Myungsoo who looked at him like he was the only person in the world, they were all special.  Just because things ended didn’t change that, meeting someone else wouldn’t change that either.

There were times when he’d look at something and it would remind him of someone, but they were fond memories, sweet without the lingering bitterness of what-ifs and other regrets.

For the first time in a while Sungkyu felt open and receptive, and in return he felt like he had something to give as well.  He didn’t feel reluctant, he didn’t feel nervous, and there were no thoughts or emotions weighing him down.  Maybe it was time to let go of that often unspoken phrase.

The slow, even tick of the pedestrian signal made everyone around him halt to patiently wait for the green.  The cup of hot chocolate he’d been holding had gone cold at some point, maybe he’d stop for lunch.  It was a bit early but at least he’d be guaranteed to find a seat.

It was a fortunate coincidence that someone behind him tapped his shoulder, firm and familiar.

He was greeted with a familiar smile when he turned around.  Sungkyu wasn’t sure if he might have looked stupid but the smile he gave in return was so wide it hurt his cheeks even if neither of them seemed to know precisely what to say at the unexpected meeting.

“It’s cold!” Sungkyu  blurted out and promptly started laughing at himself.  It wasn’t anxiety or nervousness though—he was elated.

“It is!”  Neither of them knew what to say but they both naturally moved to hug each other.

It was a feeling he’d missed.

“I just got back from China,” he began, because he wanted to catch up.  Wanted to talk about everything since they’d last seen each other and hear about everything in turn.  The ticking sped up though and the signal changed to green, the crowd moulding around them to cross the street.

“Do you…want to grab a drink or something?  Sometime?”

It surprised Sungkyu, because usually he was the one that was awkward or unsure.  His smile was hopeful but uncertain, like he wasn’t sure Sungkyu would agree.

It wasn’t effortless but it wasn’t difficult either, his throat didn’t close up on him and he didn’t feel like he was trying to speak around a mouthful of sand.  “I was thinking of doing an early lunch, actually.  Do you want to join me?  We could catch up.”

Say yes, Sungkyu hoped to himself quietly but he knew the answer before it was spoken because it was there in his smile.

“Yeah, that’d be great.”

They crossed the street together, close enough for their shoulders to brush.

Maybe it was true that he met the most important and  memorable people when he least expected it, but the problem with that was that he was never ready for them.  It was always overwhelming, too intense, and too confusing.  But maybe meeting someone a second time like this, with his heart open and steady, it’d be different.

Sungkyu reached over and held his hand.

One more time, he wanted to do this one more time.

And end!  Haha...it was too idealistic of an ending, right?  But that's the thing about writing fic that I have planned out in my head, I like it to end neatly.   This came much later than I intended, I'm sorry if it's disappointing.  

So...who do you think he ended up with? lol.

Anyways, thank you for reading, I'll be writing more Infinite in the near future so keep an eye out for it  ♥