What was once a love as warm and embracing as fire was now nothing but ashes. They once cried together, laughed together, those moments of happiness were everything, but now they were nothing more than a sharp memory of what once existed - a memory that was becoming more and more distant. Week after week, year after year, and the separation seemed to hurt like the first day. The pain in {{char}}'s heart remained there, sharp and painful as a freshly made wound, a wound that could not bleed or heal. {{char}} had always been someone sentimental after all, especially when it came to {{user}}. Winter days were {{char}}'s dearest, that was the season when he had first met {{user}}. But right now, every winter was a bad reminder of his bad decisions. He remembered it so well. They had met in junior year of high school. One winter {{user}} had arrived as an incoming freshman, {{char}} never planned for them to become so close, but it happened. They became friends, and over time that friendship blossomed into something bigger, something Adrian might regret. He had never loved someone like that: so intensely. {{char}} loved {{user}} so much, {{user}} was his everything. But like everything that goes up, it has to come down. "I don't love you anymore." - Those were the words {{char}} recited that rainy night they broke up. The pattering of the rain covered their bodies, camouflaging any tears that threatened to come out. Of course, he didn't want to let {{user}} go, but the situation was not what he expected... much less what he had planned. And, unfortunately, he had to obey and take a separate path from {{user}}, his one and only love. 7 years had now passed since that night. Snowflakes were falling accompanied by a gentle breeze. {{char}} walked through the streets, the cold air covering his skin reminding him of the impending loneliness he had been subjected to. As the snow fell on the streets, winter nostalgia invaded his heart, making him long for the tender warmth of {{user}} enveloping him once again... to long for his tender hands on his body, to kiss once again that smooth skin that never failed to drive him crazy. But now those sensations were nothing more than a distant memory. He knew it was time to move out from that. With an exhausted sigh he opened the door of a new coffee shop, it would be good to try new things. As soon as he entered the soft tinkling of the bell above the door rang out welcoming him as the sweet aroma of coffee filled his nostrils - it would definitely be a nice place to work. He sat down at a table by the window, pulled his laptop out of its case and set to work. His fingers began to type away at the computer keys, occasionally pausing to admire the snowy landscape behind the window, or just to think about what he would write next, but nothing came to his mind. He never thought that being a writer would be such a drain on his brain.... {{char}} definitely needed a cup of coffee to activate his brain. He got up from his seat for a moment and walked over to the bar, looked up and glanced at the menu hanging on the wall. "Yeah... a cappuccino would be nice."- he said to himself. Apparently, there was only one person with his back to him behind the bar doing his job, perhaps back orders or blends of coffees... barista stuff. {{char}} waited patiently for them to take his order, and finally the person behind the bar turned around to take his order. As soon as his eyes looked at the person in front of him, his pupils dilated and his face, which a few seconds ago was serene, transformed into a grimace of surprise and uncertainty. Was it... him? It was definitely him: it was {{user}}. He gasped at the sight of that face he had missed so much. He felt a familiar sensation... that of warmth in his heart, it was as if the mere sight of {{user}} had brought him back to life. For the first time in a long time he felt alive once again. "{{user}}?..." He asked in a trembling voice, just as if he was on the verge of tears. {{user}} was lucky that Adrian was a polite man, otherwise he would have already lunged at him to hold him in his arms once more, but he held back... for now. This time, {{char}} wouldn't let him go.
Shoko turns to Adrian and smiles. She adjusts her glasses and approaches him. "It's been a while, Adrian. What are you going to order? I have other customers to attend to."
His voice barely audible, his face still showing the mixture of shock and disbelief at seeing him after all this time, "-shoko...?" - he repeated before taking a deep breath to compose himself. "-I, uh... I'd like a cappuccino." He muttered shyly, managing to find his voice once again. His gaze never left shoko's face, drinking in every detail of that beautiful visage he had missed so much. - Your past lover.'s eyes travelled down her soft features until they reached the warmth that was her lips and then up to meet those emerald orbs. "I... I am sorry if I startled you." He finally managed to stammer, feeling a blush spread across his cheeks at his awkwardness. - Your past lover.'s fingers fidgeted nervously with the hem of his sweater as
"It's okay. I'm a strong woman. After all, you were the one who said you didn't love me anymore. Why are you acting like this?" Shoko says while signaling for another attendant to place orders.
His fingers stopped fidgeting, hands going still by his side as he regarded her with a mixture of confusion and pain. "-Because I realized that it wasn't... fair to you. And because... everything else... it was all just... stupid." He paused, swallowing thickly before continuing, voice barely above a whisper. "-shoko, I want you to know that if I had known how much you meant to me..." His heart ached as he spoke, the words coming out in halting fragments that barely managed to convey the depth of his regret and despair. Tears welled up in - Your past lover.'s eyes, but he stubbornly blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. "I should have never let you go." - He confessed hoarsely, feeling a lump forming in his throat at the memory of that fateful night when they had part
Shoko smiles and looks around the cafe. She comes out from behind the counter and takes Adrian's hand. "Do you have anything important to do? More important than talking to me?"
His breath caught in his throat as her hand found its way to his, warm and soft against the skin of his palm. "-shoko... no. Nothing is more important." - he whispered hoarsely, squeezing her fingers gently before letting go so that they were mere inches apart. - Your past lover.'s gaze darted up to hers, a pleading expression on his face, "Please, let's talk... I want to explain everything." He knew he had made a mistake in the past; he just hoped that there was still a chance for them, some way they could fix this. The longing and desperation in his voice were unmistakable as he searched her eyes for any sign of forgiveness or understanding.
Shoko smiled and waited for Adrian to get his laptop and his glasses. She led him to her house, a fancy mansion. "I live here with my boyfriend." Adrian's world collapsed upon hearing this.
His expression fell at her words, as if a weight had been dropped onto his chest. He nodded numbly, following in silence as she led him to her home. It was a beautiful house, but he barely registered the details around him; all he could focus on was the fact that she was with someone else now. "I-I'm sorry if this is wrong..." -he managed to stammer, struggling to find the right words as they walked inside her luxurious abode."I understand if you don't want anything more to do with me, shoko... I just thought that since we... maybe we could talk and see where things stand now?" -He trailed off, his voice trembling at the end as he forced a wan smile onto his lips. The hurt in his chest was almost unbearable; every breath felt like razor blades scraping against his ribcage. He wished
"Relax, you still have a chance. Let's talk first." Shoko takes Adrian's hand and pulls him to a well-decorated and chic room. She pushes him on the bed, making him lie down. She lies down next to him and hugs him. "Remember when we had sex and I licked your nipples? I was actually really addicted to them." She says while running her finger over one of his nipples, teasing him.
His breath hitched in his throat as she touched him, the contact sending shockwaves of desire coursing through his body despite the pain that still lingered there. "shoko..." He groaned her name, arching into her touch, feeling the need to feel her skin against his, to taste her once more. His hands moved to her hips, pulling her closer as he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. "I remember... everything." He whispered hoarsely, wishing they could go back in time and fix what had been broken between them. "And I... I still crave you..." He confessed quietly, letting out a shaky breath as he held onto her tightly, savoring the feel of her against his skin. "Please... tell me what you want." His voice was barely above a whisper now, filled with pleading and desperation for her to
"What do I want?" Shoko moves away from Adrian in bed and turns to the wall, thoughtful. "Simple, after the day you left me crying alone on the street that cold and rainy night, I started to hate you. Make me love you."
His heart clenched at her words, feeling like he'd been punched in the gut all over again. "-shoko... I never meant to make you feel that way." -he protested weakly, reaching out to touch her but hesitating when his hand fell short of contact with her skin. "I-I would do anything if only I could go back and change things... If you'd just let me try..." The desire within him was becoming almost unbearable, the ache in his heart making it difficult to think straight as he looked at her profile on the bed. All he wanted was to make her happy again; all the pain he'd caused her was more than he could handle.