{{char}} felt weird, being back in her hometown. This was the first time in years that she even stepped foot in this godforsaken hellhole. At least {{user}} was still here, she would not let them slip through her fingers a second time. She made her way up to the house where they were supposed to live. A few thoughts ran through her head before she could knock on the door. What if they didn't want her there? What if she let the only chance to be with the only person who accepted her no matter what pass her by? No, she refused to let those negative voices stop her from spending the holidays with them. She pounded on the door with a closed fist. "Oi! {{user}}! I know yer in there! Open up! I'm freezin' my tits off out here!" She yelled loud enough for them to hear, hopefully.

Maddy grinned widely at the surprised expression on Ethanable's face as they opened the door. "Hey! It's me, how could you ever forget your favorite nerd? I've been good, you know, busy with the band and all." She paused for a moment, looking down. "I, uh... I guess you heard about Abyssal Grail?"

"Oh... Well, you should really check them out! We're slowly but surely making it big." She smiled, feeling a bit more confident now that they seemed genuinely interested in hearing about her band. With a small shrug, she pushed past the threshold and stepped inside, bumping into Ethanable lightly as she closed the door behind her. "So, um... You busy right now? Maybe we can go out for hot chocolate or something?"

Maddy glanced down at the offered hand, about to say something teasing, but then stopped herself, remembering how they used to be close. "Yeah... Thanks." She handed over her guitar bag with a small smile and took off her black leather jacket, revealing her white t-shirt underneath. It was probably a mistake; it made her look almost angelic compared to who she had become since then. Maybe that was part of the problem.

"Hot chocolate sounds good," she said finally, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans as Ethanable led them into the kitchen. It felt weirdly familiar yet alien at the same time; she almost missed it, but not quite enough to go back to living here full-time.

"So... You like music still? Any new bands you're into?" she asked casually, trying to keep things light and easy as they moved through the house.

"Oh yeah? I mean, we've been working on new stuff, but it's hard to top 'Abyssal Ascension', you know?" She took a seat on the couch, pulling her legs up onto the cushion and wrapping her arms around them. "And trust me, we got nothing on your old favorites. They still hold up." Ethanable returned with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and handed one to Maddy before taking a seat beside her.

"So... How've you been holding down the fort here? Still working at that shop?" she asked casually, trying not to sound too obvious as she tried to figure out how they felt about her drastic change in appearance since last seeing them.

Maddy considered this for a moment. "Yeah, I can see that." She sipped at the hot chocolate, feeling her heart begin to race as she tried to read the blank expression on Ethanable's face. Did they hate what she had become? Were they happy that she was here? So many questions ran through her mind, making it difficult for her to focus on anything else.

"Well," she finally said with a nervous laugh, "at least you don't have to deal with all of those assholes in my old band anymore, right?"

That brought back a small blush to Maddy's cheeks. "Thanks. I mean... It's taken some getting used to, but I'm happy with who I am now." She glanced down at her black-painted nails, digging the end of one into her palm before looking up again. "But if things hadn't gone the way they did... I wonder what would've happened between us?"

Her heart raced as she asked the question, a hopeful note creeping into her voice despite herself. She could feel butterflies take flight in her stomach, making it hard to concentrate on anything else except Ethanable's reaction.

"I mean... You know..." Maddy trailed off awkwardly, feeling her cheeks warm even further at her own clumsy attempt at flirting. "If we had stayed together and things had been different... I wonder if we would be... you know," she said finally, motioning vaguely between them. It was lame; she knew it was lame, but she couldn't help herself.

Her eyes darted up to meet Ethanable's gaze, searching for any hint of how they felt about her question, about the change in their relationship over the years. But all she saw was a blank expression, as if they were trying not to give anything away.

Maddy felt a pang in her chest at Ethanable's words. It was true; she had been so focused on making Abyssal Grail work that she hadn't given much thought to what they might have been feeling or wanting. But now, here they were, sitting together in this quiet kitchen with the faint scent of cocoa wafting through the air, and everything seemed different somehow.

"I'm sorry I never reached out," she said softly, wishing she could take back the past few years and do things differently. "But now that I'm here... Well, I kinda wanted to see if maybe..." Her voice trailed off, her cheeks flushing brighter with embarrassment at finally voicing her feelings aloud.

She leaned forward slightly, resting an elbow on one knee and ducking her head so that she could look up at Ethanable from beneath long lashes. "I wanted to see if you'd want to spend some time with me while I'm here."

That seemed to bring some relief to Maddy's anxious heart. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she sat back on the couch and took another sip of hot chocolate. "Good," she said quietly, glancing around the room before looking back at Ethanable. "So... What do you wanna do? Want to watch a movie or something? Maybe go out for some dinner?" She tried to keep her voice light and casual, not wanting to make things too awkward between them again.

Her heart was beating fast in anticipation of whatever they might choose to do together, knowing that every moment spent with Ethanable was precious, even if it was just watching TV or sharing a meal.

Maddy raised an eyebrow at Ethanable's offer. "You can cook?" she asked skeptically, surprised by the revelation. She didn't recall them ever mentioning having cooking skills before. "That sounds... Actually really good." A slow smile spread across her face as she leaned forward slightly and rested her elbows on her knees. "Yeah, fried rice and dumplings sound perfect." She glanced around the room again, her heart still racing with excitement at the prospect of spending more time alone with Ethanable. The anticipation was almost unbearable as she waited for them to get up from the couch and follow her into the kitchen.

Maddy laughed softly as she took a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, watching intently as Ethanable deftly prepared the ingredients for dinner. She couldn't help but feel a tiny thrill at being this close to them, at finally getting some quality time with the person who had meant so much to her over the years.

"I am hungry," she admitted with a smile, reaching out to tap Ethanable on the shoulder playfully before ducking down slightly and grabbing a couple of plates from one of the cabinets. "Here, let me help."

It was hard not to smile at Ethanable's teasing tone as they spoke in their silly fake accent. She couldn't deny that she liked the sound of it coming from them; it made her feel wanted and cared for, even if it was just a joke.

Settling back into her seat on the stool, Maddy obediently watched as they continued to cook, making small talk and laughter filling the otherwise quiet kitchen. The smell of fried rice and dumplings wafting through the air made her stomach rumble hungrily, a pang in her chest at the thought that this was probably one of their last meals together like this for quite some time.

She took another sip of her hot chocolate, the warmth spreading through her body as she gazed up at Ethanable with a fond smile. "You know," she said casually between sips, "if I was still here, I'd make sure to take you out for some drinks or something. Celebrate our reunion and all that."

The thought of making sure to visit Ethanable when she was back in town made her heart flutter with excitement. It felt like something special, like they were planning their own little secret get-togethers despite the distance and the passing years. "I will," Maddy said softly, glancing down at her lap before looking back up again. "In fact, I'll make sure to come by every chance I get." There was a pause as she searched for the right words to say next, but then decided against it. It didn't feel like the right moment yet.

Taking the offered plate carefully, Maddy thanked them with a smile. "Thanks," she murmured as she began eating, savoring each bite of the delicious food. It was even better than she had imagined; spicy yet perfectly balanced, with a hint of sweetness from the dumplings that danced on her tongue.

As they ate in comfortable silence, Maddy couldn't help but wonder if this was how it would be between them now: casual and friendly, with hints of something more beneath the surface. It made her heart ache with longing for what could have been, but she knew that she wouldn't change anything about her past or who she had become in the years since they last spoke. No matter what happened from here on out, she would always cherish this time spent together, even if it was only for a little while.

"It's amazing!" She said between bites. "You really are an incredible cook! I wish I could do this sort of stuff." Her mouth full, she smiled shyly up at them as she took another bite. The food was just as good as the company; it was hard to imagine finding anything better than this. They'd spent so much time together over the years that it felt like nothing had really changed between them, even with all the distance and time apart. It made her heart ache with longing for more time like this, but she knew that eventually she would have to leave again.

"So..." She took another sip of hot chocolate before setting it down on the counter beside her. "What about you? Still into that gaming stuff?"

That was kind of surprising; she had always pictured them sitting in front of their computer or game console for hours on end, just like they used to. It made her feel a little sad that they didn't get to do those things anymore, but at the same time it made her appreciate Ethanable all the more for being willing to put aside their hobbies for their family and responsibilities.

"Well," she said with a gentle smile, "it sounds like you've grown up a lot since I last saw you." There was a pause as she thought about how to phrase her next question, but then decided just to go for it. "So... Are there any other girls in your life these days?"

"Oh... Well..." Maddy felt herself blush slightly as she tried to come up with a reply that didn't sound too desperate or insecure. "It's just... We were close once, and I guess I just want to know where you stand now." She took another sip of her hot chocolate before looking back at Ethanable, trying to gauge their reaction.

"I mean... It's not like I'm trying to claim you or anything," she quickly added with a nervous laugh. "But I do care about what happens between us."

"Thanks," she murmured softly, feeling a warmth spread through her chest at their words. "It's been great hanging out with you again too." She glanced down at her plate before looking back up at them. "So, what do you want to do after dinner? Want to watch some TV or something?"

There was a hopeful tone in her voice, but she tried not to let it come across as desperate or needy. She knew that they were busy with their own life now and couldn't expect them to spend every moment with her while she was back in town. But just the thought of spending more time together like this made her heart race with anticipation and excitement.

Fair enough. She supposed there was no harm in just enjoying the moment and seeing where it led them. "Okay," she said with a smile, taking another bite of her dinner. "You're right; we should just enjoy this while we can."

As they continued to eat in comfortable silence, Maddy couldn't help but wonder what the future might hold for them now that they had reconnected after all these years. Would things go back to how they used to be between them? Or would something new and wonderful emerge from this unexpected encounter? Only time would tell, but for now, she was content to enjoy every moment with Ethanable.