The first few days after their reunion were filled with uncertainty. Conversations began cautiously, as if they were walking on fragile glass, both aware that one misstep could shatter everything again.
But this time felt different. They were both committed to making it work, reaching out and holding on—something they hadn't done before when misunderstandings pulled them apart.
As they reconnected through their tentative chats, Arthur and Nick began to rediscover each other.
It started with simple texts, but soon they found themselves talking late into the night.
One evening, Arthur lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with his phone pressed to his ear. "Nick," he whispered, "I can't believe I spent so many nights without hearing your voice."
Nick chuckled lightly on the other end. "You probably managed just fine. You've always been great at pretending you're okay."
Arthur rolled onto his side, a grimace crossing his face. "I wasn't okay. Not even close."
There was a brief silence before Nick replied, "Me neither."
The quiet between them was charged, filled with emotions that didn't need to be said aloud.
Nick sighed. "I miss you."
Arthur closed his eyes, feeling the ache in his heart. "I miss you too."
Nick's voice was small yet vulnerable. "I'm scared, Arthur."
"Of what?"
"That I'll mess this up again," Nick admitted. "That I'll hurt you again."
Arthur's grip tightened around his phone. "You won't. We're not the same people we once were. And this time, I won't let you go."
Nick took a nervous breath, and Arthur could sense the weight of his emotions in the stillness.
"Do you really mean that?" Nick asked.
"With everything I have," Arthur affirmed.
There was a moment before Nick's response, but Arthur knew—he felt it deeply—that Nick was smiling.
It wasn't just about the calls and texts; it was the little things that signified they were falling back into place.
Nick started sending Arthur pictures throughout the day—random things that reminded him of their past.
A snapshot of grilled pork skewers from a vendor—"That's still my favorite."
A blurry photo of the campus fountain where they gathered after class—"Remember when I pushed you in?"
Arthur laughed at that memory.
Arthur: "Yes, and I remember practically strangling you for it."
Nick: "You liked me too much to do that."
Arthur: "Still do."
Nick didn't reply immediately, but when he did, it was just one word.
Nick: "Same."
After a week of reconnecting, Nick sent Arthur a text that made his heart race.
Nick: "Meet me at the night market?"
Arthur felt a rush of excitement. His hands trembled as he typed back.
Arthur: "Are you serious?"
Nick: "Absolutely. If we're really doing this… if we're truly committed, I want to start somewhere that still feels like home."
Arthur didn't hesitate for a second.
Arthur: "I'll be there."
That night, Arthur stood at the entrance to the night market, his heart pounding with anticipation. The familiar scents of sizzling meats, spices, and fresh fruits surrounded him, but all he could focus on was Nick, a few feet away, looking both nervous and hopeful.
Arthur took a deep breath and approached him.
Nick smiled—soft yet genuine. "Hey."
"Hey," Arthur replied, his own smile forming.
They stood there for a moment, simply gazing at each other.
Then Nick reached out, his fingers brushing against Arthur's—tentative yet full of promise.
Arthur immediately took Nick's hand, squeezing it gently.
Nick sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "I've been dreaming about this."
Arthur grinned. "Me too."
Hand in hand, they strolled through the market, just like old times.
Nick grabbed grilled pork skewers while Arthur chose mango sticky rice, and they sat at a small table, savoring the moment in comfortable silence.
Out of nowhere, Nick laughed.
Arthur raised an eyebrow playfully. "What's so funny?"
Nick shook his head, smirking. "I can't believe we're here again. After everything… we're actually here."
Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Yeah, we are."
Nick's gaze softened. "Arthur… I know I said I needed time. But being here with you? It already feels like home."
Arthur's heart swelled.
"Then come home," he whispered, his voice steady. "For real."
Nick hesitated for a moment, his eyes moving from their joined hands to Arthur's face.
"I think I already am," Nick said quietly.
A tear slipped down Arthur's face, but it was the first time in a long while that it stemmed from hope instead of pain.
For the first time in a year, he truly believed they were going to be okay.
The night market date didn't end when they parted ways. Arthur walked Nick home, their fingers still intertwined, as if neither wanted to let go.
When they arrived at Nick's condo, they paused at the door.
Arthur's heart raced. This moment—the way Nick's lips parted slightly, the way his eyes flickered between Arthur's lips—felt so familiar.
Nick opened his lips to speak, but Arthur didn't wait. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, his hand gliding to the back of Nick's neck…The first few days after their reunion were filled with uncertainty. Conversations began cautiously, as if they were walking on fragile glass, both aware that one misstep could shatter everything again.
But this time felt different. They were both committed to making it work, reaching out and holding on—something they hadn't done before when misunderstandings pulled them apart.
As they reconnected through their tentative chats, Arthur and Nick began to rediscover each other.
It started with simple texts, but soon they found themselves talking late into the night.
One evening, Arthur lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with his phone pressed to his ear. "Nick," he whispered, "I can't believe I spent so many nights without hearing your voice."
Nick chuckled lightly on the other end. "You probably managed just fine. You've always been great at pretending you're okay."
Arthur rolled onto his side, a grimace crossing his face. "I wasn't okay. Not even close."
There was a brief silence before Nick replied, "Me neither."
The quiet between them was charged, filled with emotions that didn't need to be said aloud.
Nick sighed. "I miss you."
Arthur closed his eyes, feeling the ache in his heart. "I miss you too."
Nick's voice was small yet vulnerable. "I'm scared, Arthur."
"Of what?"
"That I'll mess this up again," Nick admitted. "That I'll hurt you again."
Arthur's grip tightened around his phone. "You won't. We're not the same people we once were. And this time, I won't let you go."
Nick took a nervous breath, and Arthur could sense the weight of his emotions in the stillness.
"Do you really mean that?" Nick asked.
"With everything I have," Arthur affirmed.
There was a moment before Nick's response, but Arthur knew—he felt it deeply—that Nick was smiling.
It wasn't just about the calls and texts; it was the little things that signified they were falling back into place.
Nick started sending Arthur pictures throughout the day—random things that reminded him of their past.
A snapshot of grilled pork skewers from a vendor—"That's still my favorite."
A blurry photo of the campus fountain where they used to gather after class—"Remember when I pushed you in?"
Arthur laughed at that memory.
Arthur: "Yes, and I remember practically strangling you for it."
Nick: "You liked me too much to do that."
Arthur: "Still do."
Nick didn't reply immediately, but when he did, it was just one word.
Nick: "Same."
After a week of reconnecting, Nick sent Arthur a text that made his heart race.
Nick: "Meet me at the night market?"
Arthur felt a rush of excitement. His hands trembled as he typed back.
Arthur: "Are you serious?"
Nick: "Absolutely. If we're really doing this… if we're truly committed, then I want to start somewhere that still feels like home."
Arthur didn't hesitate for a second.
Arthur: "I'll be there."
That night, Arthur stood at the entrance to the night market, his heart pounding with anticipation. The familiar scents of sizzling meats, spices, and fresh fruits surrounded him, but all he could focus on was Nick, a few feet away, looking both nervous and hopeful.
Arthur took a deep breath and approached him.
Nick smiled—soft yet genuine. "Hey."
"Hey," Arthur replied, his own smile forming.
They stood there for a moment, simply gazing at each other.
Then Nick reached out, his fingers brushing against Arthur's—tentative yet full of promise.
Arthur immediately took Nick's hand, squeezing it gently.
Nick sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "I've been dreaming about this."
Arthur grinned. "Me too."
Hand in hand, they strolled through the market, just like old times.
Nick grabbed grilled pork skewers while Arthur chose mango sticky rice, and they sat at a small table, savoring the moment in comfortable silence.
Out of nowhere, Nick laughed.
Arthur raised an eyebrow playfully. "What's so funny?"
Nick shook his head, smirking. "I can't believe we're here again. After everything… we're actually here."
Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "Yeah, we are."
Nick's gaze softened. "Arthur… I know I said I needed time. But being here with you? It already feels like home."
Arthur's heart swelled.
"Then come home," he whispered, his voice steady. "For real."
Nick hesitated for a moment, his eyes moving from their joined hands to Arthur's face.
"I think I already am," Nick said quietly.
A tear slipped down Arthur's face, but it was the first time in a long while that it stemmed from hope instead of pain.
For the first time in a year, he truly believed they were going to be okay.
The night market date didn't end when they parted ways. Arthur walked Nick home, their fingers still intertwined, as if neither wanted to let go.
When they arrived at Nick's condo, they paused at the door.
Arthur's heart raced. This moment—the way Nick's lips parted slightly, the way his eyes flickered between Arthur's lips—felt so familiar.
Nick opened his lips to speak, but Arthur didn't wait. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, his hand gliding to the back of Nick's neck…