Where Hearts Collide (Guontiveros One Shot AU)

Wish You Were Sober

Author's POV:

The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the worn wooden floor of the coffee shop. Alice, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen, stared at the half-empty cup of lukewarm coffee in front of her. The familiar melody of "Wish You Were Sober" drifted from the speakers, each note a sharp pang of longing.

Across the table, Risa sat quietly, her hand reaching out to gently touch Alice's arm. Alice flinched, pulling away, the touch a reminder of the chasm that now separated them.

"I know you're hurting," Risa said softly, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm hurting too."

Alice looked up, her gaze meeting Risa's. The pain in Risa's eyes mirrored her own, a shared grief that hung heavy in the air.

"I just... I don't understand," Alice choked out, her voice cracking. "We were so good. We were happy. What happened?"

Risa's hand reached out again, this time resting on Alice's. Alice didn't pull away. She held Risa's gaze, searching for answers in the depths of her eyes.

"We both made mistakes," Risa said, her voice trembling. "We let fear get in the way. We let the pressure of it all consume us. We forgot what mattered most."

Alice nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. She remembered the fights, the accusations, the hurtful words that had chipped away at their foundation. She remembered the fear that had driven a wedge between them, the fear of losing everything, the fear of not being enough.

"I miss you," Alice whispered, the words escaping her lips like a sigh of relief. "I miss us."

Risa squeezed Alice's hand, her grip firm but gentle. "I miss you too," she replied, her voice thick with emotion. "I miss our laughter, our late-night talks, our shared dreams. I miss the way you made me feel."

They sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound the soft hum of the coffee machine and the melancholic melody of the song playing in the background. In that silence, they acknowledged the pain, the regret, the longing. They acknowledged the mistakes they had made, the walls they had built, the distance they had created.

But in that silence, there was also a glimmer of hope, a faint whisper of possibility. They both knew that the path ahead wouldn't be easy. There would be hurdles to overcome, wounds to heal, and trust to rebuild. But they also knew that they had something special, something worth fighting for.

As the song faded, Alice reached out and took Risa's hand. Their fingers intertwined, a silent promise of a future they hoped to build together. They didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but they knew they had each other, and that was enough.