(M) Unspoken Affection - MilkLove Fan Fic - Completed

13. You're back

Love PoV

I had the most unsettling dream last night. Milk returned, and she was at her apartment. It woke me up far earlier than usual. God, I miss her so damn much. I tried probing Tu and Ciize about her, but they were stubbornly silent. Eventually, frustrated and resigned, I got ready for work and poured myself a cup of my favorite drink. Standing on the balcony, feeling the morning breeze, the emptiness without Milk hit me harder than ever.

"It's been two years, Milk. Will you ever come back to me?" I murmured to myself, knowing it was a futile question. Memories of us flooded my mind when Gun's name flashed on my phone screen. Annoyance surged through me.

"What do you want, Gun?" I snapped. Our relationship had ended ages ago because he wanted more commitment, and I wasn't ready. His abrupt decision had caught me off guard, and his inability to accept my decision had only soured things further. Since then, he'd blamed Milk, tried to guilt-trip me into reconsidering, but I stood my ground. And now he was intruding again.

"Nothing, just wanted to hear your voice. Can't I do that?" Gun's voice softened, trying to evoke our past closeness.

"If you don't have anything important to say, I'm hanging up," I replied curtly, feeling my patience wane. He needed to understand that I'd moved on.

"Wait! I have something of yours to return. Can we meet at your shop?" Gun pleaded, a faint echo of his former self surfacing. Against my better judgment, I relented.

"Fine. See you later," I said tersely before ending the call, irritated that my drink had gone cold. As I washed it in the sink, a pipe burst, flooding my kitchen.

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, rarely one to swear, as water spread across the floor. Tu was the only person I could think to call. I hurried to her place, wet and flustered, ringing her doorbell insistently.

"Tu, my pipe burst!" I exclaimed urgently, not paying attention to who answered the door.

"I... um, sure, I can help," a familiar voice responded tentatively. It couldn't be. Slowly, I turned, stunned to see her—the woman I'd dreamed about just last night, the one whose absence had left a void in my life.

"Milk...?" I breathed, disbelief coloring my voice. This couldn't be real. Yet, here she was, looking as breathtaking as ever.

"Love... Let me help. Let's go to your apartment," she said softly, and I could only nod dumbly, overwhelmed with emotions. Her gaze searching and uncertain. Before I could speak, another voice interrupted.

"Milk, who's at the door?" a woman asked from behind her. I looked up to see a beautiful stranger, standing beside Milk, her hand intertwined with hers. Jealousy and curiosity churned inside me.

"Oh, you must be Love. I'm June!" the woman said warmly, her eyes curious yet welcoming. I struggled to mask my emotions, unsure of what to make of this unexpected introduction.

"Hey June, could you prepare breakfast? I'll help Love for a bit," Milk said gently, pulling me away before I could fully process everything. As we headed to my apartment, silence hung heavy between us, filled with unspoken questions and a longing that had never left.

Milk fixed the main pipe and arranged for someone to repair the damage. Once everything was under control, Milk turned to me, her expression unreadable. Before I could speak, she spoke softly.

"I'll go now. Let's talk at our pottery gallery?" Her words hung in the air, leaving me stunned and speechless. I managed a nod as she smiled gently and left my apartment.

As the door closed behind her, reality sank in—Milk was back. But who was June? Had Milk moved on? The pang of jealousy and longing twisted inside me, leaving me conflicted and unsure. I wanted to cry, but I had to meet Gun to retrieve my things and confront whatever awaited me with Milk and this enigmatic June. So I gathered myself as best I could and headed to work early, thoughts consumed by Milk and the new woman in her life, unable to shake the feeling that everything had just shifted beneath my feet.

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Milk PoV

"What the hell happened?" I muttered to myself, clutching my shirt as if to steady my racing heart. Seeing Love unexpectedly, and then having to deal with a burst pipe of all things—what a way to start the day.

"What's going on?" Tu emerged from her room, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"I just saw Love... and ended up helping her with her pipe burst. I completely froze and just blurted out that we should talk at our gallery. I'm such an idiot," I sighed, frustrated with my own reaction. Love always seemed to catch me off guard. Tu burst out laughing at my expense.

"Fate has a sense of humor, doesn't it? You were clearly not prepared for a run-in with Love. This is going down in history," Tu teased, chuckling, while View stumbled in, looking bewildered by all the commotion.

We all sat down for breakfast together before heading to the shop.

"I think Love looked surprised to see me hanging onto your arm earlier... Is she... jealous?" June asked casually between bites. I nearly choked on my drink at her question.

"What? No way... Why would Love be jealous of you? She's with Gun and all... Maybe it's just a hint of friendship jealousy..." I waved off her comment, but June just shrugged. View nodded in agreement, calmly munching on her crispy pork as usual.

View and June dropped Tu and me off near the shop. As Tu went inside, I checked my bag. I had brought back some desserts from Phuket to give to Love that I had left in the fridge last night. Just as I was about to enter, I spotted Gun walking up to the shop with a box in hand. Then I saw Love meeting him outside and taking the box. I couldn't quite make out what was happening from where I stood, but my heart sank a little.

"They're probably still together, navigating life's twists and turns... But I made a solemn vow to myself that no matter what challenges or obstacles arise, I will always stand by Love's side. Love isn't always a straightforward journey; it's full of unexpected detours and hidden depths... Perhaps it's time I heed Tu's wise suggestion to give her a chance if Love rejected me... Haha," I chuckled softly to myself, a mixture of nervous anticipation and determination propelling me forward.

Both of them turned abruptly, their expressions a mix of surprise and uncertainty, as I offered them a gentle smile and approached with deliberate steps. Gun's sharp glance pierced through me before he briskly walked away without a backward glance, leaving an awkward tension in his wake. Meanwhile, Love remained rooted to the spot, visibly stunned by my unexpected reappearance, her emotions unreadable yet palpable in the charged atmosphere.

"Milk... you're back," Love managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes searching mine with a mixture of surprise and apprehension.

"Let me help you with that box," I offered gently, gesturing towards the parcel in her hands. "Shall we talk inside?" I added with a warm smile, trying to ease the tension that hung between us like a heavy curtain. Love nodded silently, her usual eloquence seemingly lost in the moment.

As we walked into the shop together, my heart raced with a swirl of emotions. Her silence unnerved me—was she glad to see me, upset, or perhaps repelled by the depth of my feelings for her? I couldn't discern her thoughts, but I was resolute in confronting the truth.

We had been inseparable friends for so long, sharing laughter, dreams, and countless late-night conversations. Yet, beneath it all, my love for her had blossomed quietly, persistently. It was time to lay bare my heart, to unravel the tangled threads of uncertainty that had kept us dancing around our unspoken truths.

The conversation ahead promised to be fraught with anxiety and vulnerability, but it was a conversation we both needed to have. It was a pivotal moment where our paths could either converge or diverge, where honesty could bring clarity or complication. I took a deep breath, steadying myself for what lay ahead, knowing that regardless of the outcome, this moment would mark a turning point in our relationship.