Chapter 4: Meeting

It's been a month since Xiao and Aether had started talking due to Aether getting a wrong number. They began growing more and more comfortable with each other as they continuously learned about the other. Their conversations had started out uncomfortably, mostly for Xiao, no, almost entirely for just Xiao. However, the blonde began growing on him.

Eventually, they set up a day and place to meet one another. They were meeting at a small café that Aether recommended on a Saturday around four in the afternoon. Both of them were so excited to meet the other, after hours of texting and getting closer.

Then when the day finally came and Xiao was getting ready and trying his damndest to not look like a hot mess. He wore a tight, white t-shirt and black sweatpants with black tennis shoes. He tied a black jacket around his waist in case he got cold. As well, he grabbed a black baseball cap and placed it forwards on his head. The final addition to his outfit was a black mask that he kept under his chin for the moment.

Aether, on the other hand, wanted to go for almost a more sexy look. He put on the outfit that he wore to the club the day before he and Xiao started talking. Only this time, he grabbed a black leather jacket from his closet and put it on. He walked to the full-length mirror in his room to make sure he looked, at the bare minimum, hot, which in his opinion, he definitely did.

Xiao had left about fifteen minutes before they were set to meet, he would be getting there about ten minutes early. He wanted to be able to get a table in case they were busy today because it wasn't a place where you could call ahead to get a table. Aether lived close enough to the café that he decided to walk instead of driving, which was better anyways because it would've saved some gas.

Once Xiao arrived, he parked his car nearby and went inside to see if Aether was there already. He looked around and didn't see him anywhere so he decided to sit down at a table and wait. A few minutes later, a familiar blonde man walked through the door, however, Xiao didn't notice as he was too engulfed in his phone. To no surprise, he was startled, to say the least, when he saw the blonde sat down across from him.

"Hi!" Aether exclaimed, waving a little with his hand.

"Hey." Xiao calmly said, waving back at the other man. He took the hat that was on his head off and placed it next to him. Xiao also lowered his mask so Aether could see his full face in person.

"It's nice to finally meet you!" The blonde cheerfully smiled at him, his eyes getting thinner as he smiled.

"I feel the same. It's nice to finally meet you as well." Xiao replied calmly, not showing much excitement in his voice, even if his lips curved upwards just slightly.

Aether couldn't help but admire that smile: in all the video calls and photos he's seen the other man in, he had never once had the chance to witness his smile. He would treasure this moment for the rest of his life: he got the ever stoic Xiao to smile!

They began talking about anything and everything they could think of. Work. Family. How their day was. Just anything. It didn't matter if there was meaning to the topic, they just relished in the feeling of being in the other's presence.

They were in the café for close to four hours; they had ordered drinks and things to snack on during the time they were there. However, after having been there so long, they felt bad for keeping the table for as long as they have, so they decided to go back to Xiao's place to continue talking.

It was there where their conversation shifted to their past, particularly on their past relationship: they didn't really know how the subject was brought up, but there they were. Xiao was cautious enough to keep it vague, just mentioning that he had had two major relationships - first with a girl, then with a boy - but they had both been very rocky and far from ideal. Meanwhile, Aether couldn't really remember how many committed relationships he had, mostly because his hookups stood on the line between friends with benefits and situationships so much that he didn't even know which was what anymore.

They spent another four hours just talking. They had only realized how late it was when Xiao had gotten a text from his brother, Zhongli, and Xiao wound up seeing the time. It was just about midnight when they had finally called it a night. Xiao suggested Aether sleep on his couch for the night and he would take the blonde home in the morning after breakfast.

In the morning, Xiao had woken up before Aether. So he decided to start getting ready for the day by doing his usual routine of showing then getting dressed, once he dried off, and then making coffee for himself, and for today Aether as well.

About thirty minutes later when Xiao was almost done making coffee, Aether had woken up, happy to smell the scent of fresh coffee.

"What do you want to eat?" Xiao asked the other as he poured them each a cup of coffee.

"Bacon and pancakes sound good if you don't mind." The blonde answered, hoping to not be a bother.

"Sure. You're welcome to watch something in the living room while I cook if you want." Xiao offered to the other man.

After about fifteen minutes, Xiao had finished cooking breakfast. No real words were spoken between them besides Xiao telling Aether that food was ready and asking if he wanted anything to drink until they were sitting at the dining table, eating their food and sipping on their coffee. If anything their conversation was as random as their conversations yesterday. They kept jumping from one topic to another, there was no real rhyme or reason to what they were saying as everything they were talking about was whatever came to mind at the moment.

Eventually, once they were done with their food and coffee, it was time for Xiao to take Aether back to his place. Both of them were saddened at the fact they would have to leave each other after how much they enjoyed hanging out the previous day. However, there will always be other chances to see each other again.

Xiao drove Aether to his apartment building, which was a couple minute drive from his own apartment. Dropping the blonde off he drove back to his place.