What Was Worth A Heart

Chapter 92: Vivid

Super angst. Sorry for not updating in a while. Homework piled up again. Now that's just an excuse.

I hope you're ready for heartbreak.

Don't kill me in my sleep.

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Soft wind swept the few dead leaves from their branches, leading them away to an endless dance before the fall. Winter was nearing. The harvesting season had long passed, leaving the trees remaining to be either black and bold or gold and glowing. The streets of Momos had been lined with birch trees, each one with scarlet and hues of gold decorating the white trunk that stood plain and tall. They weren't necessarily tall enough to hide away the view of the cars passing by.

During this time of the day, Momos laid quiet.

Autumn was really leaving. The air gets colder every night, and although the forecast had yet to announce the arrival of winter, the citizens had already started thinking of new winter coats to wear this year.

It could get really cold here in Momos, especially since it was so cold at sea. The breeze rushing from the harbour had kept the island cool throughout the whole year, and on winter, there wouldn't be snow, but every minute outside can make anyone shudder, much less sit for hours.

That was why when Charles saw a person sitting on the bench by the sea, he thought his eyes must've tricked him. Either that, or that person he was looking at was really crazy. However, wasn't he all the same?

Who would come out at nights like this walking aimlessly, ignoring the fact that it had now reached close to 1 am.

Only Charles was crazy enough for this. No, actually, only Charles-in-distress would. Because right now, all that clouded his mind was solely onto Shao Long.

Charles inched nearer to the person, a frown climbing its way onto his forehead. These days he really frowned a lot. More than that, he found lesser and lesser reasons not to frown every single day. Like, for example, he just found out that the heart they found in India couldn't be a match. A fake hope. He knew he couldn't blame anyone. But still, it was painful enough.

"Excuse me?" He spoke first, to the person sitting on the bench. Perhaps he was just as crazy as he was. Or perhaps they both shared the same fate. Finding love in lesser than a month. Only to have it at stake later on.

But when the person looked up, Charles could feel his heart light up.

"...Shao Long?" He tilted his head forward. You're awake? Sitting alone outside in the middle of the night, when the temperature was so low? He wanted to ask this, but no words came out.

Shao Long looked up, his face before was without a smile, only a look of confusion, but when he saw that it was Charles, a smile blossomed almost too immediately.

Charles felt his heart melt upon the smile.

If one word could describe it, Charles would say, mesmerizing. Or perhaps enchanting.... Calming.... Intoxicating.

"Charles!"

It was his usual voice. By now, Shao Long's voice which used to sound more like a threat, sounded so reassuring. As if telling him that he was alive and well. And that was what Charles wanted the most.

"Hey." Charles presented himself with a smile of his own. One of which he believed to be just as calming. "May I join you?"

"Please do."