MG2018 - Ximen + Xiaoyou

Part 6

Meet me in front of Talent's Tea Shop at 10:00AM. Ximen read Xiaoyou's text message over and over. It wasn't that he was debating whether or not he should go. No, there was no question about that. Just the thought of her waiting for nothing was enough to make his stomach turn. He was going. But he was scared of what this might be about.

At 10:00AM sharp, Ximen made his way to the tea shop. Xiaoyou was already standing there, and she greeted him with a wide smile. His mind was telling him to just greet her a good morning, but as usual, his heart didn't obey. He found himself smiling back at her. "Thank you for meeting me," she said as he stood in front of her. She held up two passes at him. "These are two passes to the amusement park. I had gotten these before because I thought it would be nice to go back three months after the first time..." her smile faded a little, and he instantly knew what she was talking about. But she perked up as she looked at him, "I figured I'd rather spend the day making new memories instead." He nodded at her with a smile. "It'll be a good day," he promised, reaching to take the tickets from her. But she held up her finger, "Wait, I have two conditions for today." He stopped and looked at her in confusion. "The first is that you do everything I say," she said with a big smile. "That's a dangerous thing to ask of me," he said suspiciously, and she laughed. "You have to trust me!" Then her forehead creased with worry, "You do trust me, right?" she asked cautiously, and he nodded slowly to reassure her. She perked up again then continued, "The second condition is, no thinking allowed! Just do whatever you feel like doing, say whatever you want, no questions asked!" That was going to be difficult, but he nodded again. Because really, how could he say no to her? Satisfied, she handed the tickets over to him for safe-keeping and took his hand. Every time she touched him, he felt an electric current run through his entire body. He forced himself to stay with the feeling, and asked instead, "Where are we going?" She smiled, "You'll see!"

She took him to an eyewear store and picked out a pair of contacts. She handed him the box and took off his glasses gently. "Your eyes are beautiful. You should stop hiding them," she said with a soft smile, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He wasn't so sure about this, but she held up her finger, reminding him of their deal. He nodded and popped on the contacts after paying for them, and she smiled brightly.

Just when he thought they were done, she steered him into a barbershop next. He sat on the barber's chair and watched as Xiaoyou whispered in the barber's ear and he nodded at her. She looked at the mirror and took in his worried expression. "Trust me," she said, patting his shoulder reassuringly. The barber got to work and when he was done, Ximen couldn't believe his eyes. This was the best haircut he had ever gotten. "Wow..." He looked in the mirror and saw Xiaoyou looking at him with that look in her eyes. It was an open admiration that made him blush, so he bowed his head and cleared his throat. "Let's go?"

They headed to his car and he drove them to the amusement park. Once they got out of the car, Xiaoyou stopped him and looked at him from head to toe. He was surprised when she reached for his coat and pushed it off his shoulders. "Such aggressive layering," she was mumbling as she took in the jacket he wore underneath. She took off the jacket too and left him standing in front of her in his sweater. "Are you cold?" she asked and he shook his head wordlessly. She put his coat and his jacket in the backseat of his car, then grabbed his hand and led him inside the amusement park.

"We're going on this one first!" He gulped as he took in the big rollercoaster she was pointing at. "Xiaoyou..." he said hesitantly and she smiled at him reassuringly. "Trust me. You'll like this." The next thing he knew, he was sitting beside her and the rollercoaster began to move. "Follow my lead, Ximen!" she yelled over the sound of the wind rushing past them as the rollercoaster picked up speed. He was gripping the handle bars in fear, and she put her hand on top of his hand, lacing her fingers through his. The rollercoaster slowed down as it ascended, inching its way to the very top, and Ximen felt his heart in his throat. Xiaoyou held his hand tightly and looked at him, her eyes shining. "Ready?" she asked breathlessly and he nodded despite his fear. "Keep your eyes open," she said as the rollercoaster teetered at the very top. "Here... we... go!" she threw up their hands as the rollercoaster plummeted at a dizzying speed. Ximen screamed in fear, and he could hear Xiaoyou screaming with delight. His heart was in his stomach, and before he could catch his breath, the rollercoaster took a sharp turn and his body had no choice but to follow its twists and turns. Xiaoyou's tiny frame bumped against him at every turn, and he remembered what she said about letting himself feel whatever he was feeling. The rollercoaster was slowing down again as it crept to the top, and this time, when it lurched down, he looked up at the sky and screamed until every fiber of his being felt alive. He threw himself into the moment, throwing his hands up in surrender to the universe, and when the ride came to its abrupt end, he turned to Xiaoyou. She was looking at him breathlessly, her eyes shining in delight. He grabbed her to him and held her as tightly as he could, burying his face in her neck. "Thank you," he whispered, kissing the soft skin of her neck. She replied by giving him a quick peck on the lips and she smiled.

They rode the rollercoaster five more times until Xiaoyou said with a laugh, "Enough! My insides are all jumbled up now!" They stumbled out and nearly fell off balance. They grabbed at each other laughing, still dizzy from all those rides. His mind had shut down now, and his heart was in command. Ximen wrapped his arm around Xiaoyou's shoulder and pulled her close, planting a kiss on her head as they walked through the amusement park. She grinned up at him and he smiled back, a genuine smile that reached his eyes. "I love seeing you happy," Xiaoyou said as she snuggled close to his side. "You make me happy," he replied, and she smiled because she knew he had spoken straight from his heart. She wrapped her arm around his waist as they walked on. They played games, ate cotton candy and popcorn, and had fun like they were kids again. Ximen hadn't felt this free since he was a child, and he loved every moment of being with Xiaoyou.

As their last stop, they entered the haunted house. It was pitch dark, and the only thing Ximen could feel was Xiaoyou's hand gripping his. "Ximen," she whispered, and instinctively he could feel where she was. He turned and reached for her, and he felt her cheek against his palm. He dipped his head down and caught her lips with his. He held her tight in the darkness, kissing her with all of his pent-up longing, with all the feelings he had been trying to hide, with the love he felt had taken root in his heart. She kissed him back just as passionately, her response a love song that he heard deep in his soul. There was no denying it anymore. He loved Xiaoyou. And he knew, she loved him too. "Xiaoyou, I--" "Sshh," she murmured against his lips, "You don't have to say anything." Their kiss deepened and they stood there for what felt like eternity, kissing amidst the scary sound effects and the fake cobwebs and made-up ghosts.

The only problem now was, his demons still existed and they still haunted him. He hugged her tighter and kissed her deeper, trying to drown out the voices that said the best way to love her was to let her go.