stranger [C. TARTAGLIA]

epilogue

the man immediately shot his eyes open, gasping for air as he sat on his bed. he breathed heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead from what just happened.

2:58 am.

the clock on the side of his bed reads. he sighs, wondering what just happened. "what the hell was that?" he mumbled.

it felt like he had a long dream about someone, someone who he couldn't remember. he couldn't remember a face, just the feeling of missing the person was what lingered.

he looks around, seeing that his roommate was still fast asleep on the bed beside him. his long blonde hair draped over his pillows, a string of saliva drooling from the side of his mouth.

childe could only roll his eyes at this and went back under the covers, trying to get back to sleep.

but no matter what he did, he couldn't. he tossed and turned but all he could think about was the dream he had. he couldn't remember itu all but parts of it, one with the image of a woman with [H/C] hair. unfortunately, he couldn't see you her face.

he squints his eyes shut, trying to force himself back to bed.

°

"what happened to you?" thoma, his roommate, asked the ginger when he noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes.

"couldn't sleep." childe responded, drinking the the cup of coffee he made that morning.

"the first day of college yet you pulled an all nighter?" his friend laughs.

"i had this weird dream." he looks down as he walked, the image of the girl still on his mind.

"a nightmare?"

"not really," he replied. "it was a realistic dream. y'know, ones that you think actually happened but didn't?"

"man, my grandma used to tell me stories similar to that when i was young." thoma crossed his arms on his chest as he tried to remember. "she told me that dreams like those are actually memories from your past life."

"past life?"

"reincarnation and stuff." he explained. "i never believed those though."

childe shrugged, wondering if he couldd actually trust something from thoma's childhood.

a couple of minutes of walking from their dorm the duo finally arrived at the university. people flooded the field outside doing the most random of things, to which childe easily got distracted at looking.

while he looked around, he spots someone familiar walking towards the entrance. his eyes widened, having the urge to actually come up to them but thoma brought him back to his senses.

"c'mon, lets get to our first lecture." his friend nudged him.

"y-yeah, right."

they both went to their first class with childe not being able to see the girl that morning. at lunch, he started to sulk to which thoma had noticed.

they were at the field eating sandwhich since thoma had brought him there to have some piece and quiet. the cafeteria was too loud for him.

"what's up with you?" he asked when he caught childe sighing every five seconds.

"nothing..." he replied, his chin resting on his palm.

"...if you say so."

thoma knew it wasn't nothing. he knew childe ever since he was young, since their families had been friends for a very long time. he knew something was up with him, he hadn't been like this ever since he lost that one fight in high school.

"i'll go get us something to drink." childe said.

"i'll have sprite." he nods at thoma's request and went to go to the nearest vending machine.

childe didn't know why he was so bummed out over some dream. maybe it was true that it was actually something from his past life? something that tragically happened that made his mood like this.

as he walked, he stared down the ground to think of what he could remember from it. "the fatui... a harbinger? uh, i think teucer was even in there..."

he ruffles his hair in annoyance. "man this sucks!"

when childe finally looked up, he saw someone standing in the middle of the pavement. her [H/C] hair blew with the wind that passed, causing the leaves from the trees above to rustle.

his eyes widened at the sight, feeling a sense of familiarity within her. she turns to face him, her [E/C] eyes meeting his.

her eyes also widened, and from that childe knew that she also found him familiar.

in unison, you had both unexpectedly asked each other, "have i... met you before?"

and just like that, they became what they were to start with.

as strangers.

°

a/n: hi... how are you guys...