#nolatalks

Then, you felt soft, warm fingers intertwining themselves with yours. They were reluctant, but so gentle and sweet at the same time. Your heart was pounding in your chest, and anticipation was building up in every nerve you had. A firm hand laid against your lower back, keeping your posture straight. The swaying of your body started melding with the colors around you, and a familiar voice broke through your daze.

“It’s almost time.”

Oh, right. You had company, didn’t you?

Your senses came rushing back to you in an instant. The blotches of light around you receded into the confines of their glass cages, and the mass of glistening colors morphed into tight-fitting cloth. In front of you was the face of your colleague, Xiao, who was shifting his gaze toward the entrance. His gaze was as sharp and unforgiving as always- but somehow, you had come to find it endearing.

The lighting made him look so beautiful- immortal, even. Your heart would pound at the the feeling of his hands on your waist, and the stars that decorated his golden eyes. Whenever you two had to squeeze past another couple, he lips would near yours until there was barely any space between you. Every time this happened, you felt as if your soul would burst.

You were completely trapped by his beauty, and you didn’t mind a bit. Part of you hated the effect he had on you. However, the biggest part of you loved this feeling. You wished you could stay like this forever, swaying gently in his arms. You wished that he would look at you more often, with the same soft, concentrated look he had now.

Suddenly, Xiao pulled away from you. He pulled you off to the sidelines, and gestured to a suspicious figure standing in the corner of the ballroom. It was a woman, dressed entirely in white- with the exception of the black stockings that were underneath her dress. The dress she was wearing fell just above her knees, the lace rim extending a few inches lower than the cloth. Therefore, it was impossible to tell if she was armed.

Though, that was fairly standard for a masquerade ball. You couldn’t tell what was wrong, which caused you to turn to Xiao for an explanation. He silently placed a finger to his forehead and tapped a few times. You looked back over to her, and caught a glimpse of her mask before she disappeared into the crowd.

A gasp of realization escaped from your throat. A bright red jewel laid directly on the center of her mask. It’s colors shifted lightly as she moved her head to the side, her eyes making direct contact with your own. Out of shock, you stumbled backwards a bit. How did you miss that before? But, more importantly, where was she now?

Xiao’s arms linked itself with yours, catching you. He pulled you along through the sea of dancing pairs, trying to pull you along to the storage rooms. If that was the jewel you had been instructed to find, then it would be hell trying to get it off of that mask. The only thing you could do was wait until you ran into her again.

The only problem was, you two had been acting super suspicious earlier. It was pretty obvious that you had ties with that Woman, especially with how loudly you gasped earlier, and how boldly Xiao had gestured to her before that. You silently cursed at your companion for being so reckless. Soon enough, you were trapped between Xiao and an unsteady wall of boxes.

The space was incredibly tight, and your ears were radiating pure heat. Your chest was pressed against Xiao’s, forehead pressed into his neck for support. He could definitely feel your heartbeat in this position, and that was the last thing you wanted. Though, your reluctance begs the question- why do you care? Aren’t you just friends? What do your feelings matter to someone like him?

Why do you want them to matter?

You know the answer- you always have. It’s why your words get stuck in your throat at the mere though of him. It’s why he stands out among the vast sea of colors drifting around you. It’s why you feel the need to his your try self from him. The answer was always clear, yet you’ve been running away from it this whole time.

The truth is that you’re in love with him.

You shifted your weight, body trembling as you did so. You let out a shaky breath from behind your gritted teeth, and moved even closer to your companion. You didn’t want things to end up this way. Everything was perfect between you two- why did your stupid feelings have to get in the way of that?

And god, the space you were in right now only made it worse. He was emanating warmth, which made you feel absolutely electric. Your stomach was buzzing with excitement, but you were also scared out of your mind as well. What would he do if he found out about your love for him? Would he hate you? Would he turn away, vowing to never speak to you again? Or… would something good happen?

Either way, you knew it was better to leave things be for the time being. You couldn’t risk losing him.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from your earpiece, starling you out of your silent panic. Xiao’s eyes widened at the message you both received. Apparently the target had been captured while you were hiding- meaning that both of you had come in here for nothing. An embarrassed blush spread over Xiao’s face as he realized what state you two were in, and quickly moved to back up.

“X-Xiao, whats-“ You whispered, confused as to why he was acting like this. Your friend stumbled backwards, trying to compose himself.

Xiao coughed into his fist a few times before turning on his heel and walking out, leaving alone you in the dark storage room. You stood in silence for a few minutes, processing what just happened. Then, a mix of frustration and exhilaration started running through your veins. You pushed open the doors, and sprinted through the crowds of confused guests.

You had already found your answer- you just needed to know his. You knew that you’d regret it for the rest of your life if you didn’t ask him now.

The cold midnight air filled your lungs as you stepped outside. The sky was littered with star clusters, each glowing dot forming a spiral around the moon’s glorious light. And, strangely, Xiao seemed to be waiting for you. His forlorn gaze met your own as he turned around to face you. He knew that it was unfair to leave you hanging like that, but he had no choice. Certain emotions often became overwhelming for him, especially if he didn’t understand them.

Xiao opened his mouth to speak, mentally preparing himself if things went wrong.

“Xiao, please. What’s wrong?”

“I want to do this again. With you. I mean, uh… I like you.” He stammered. “I- I love you. If you don’t feel the same way, I understand, but I just needed to- mph!”

A soft pair of lips crashed onto his own. Xiao’s voice died in his throat as you cupped his cheeks. His pupils dilated at your touch, sheer desire taking over his mind. Finally, after years of pining for you, he knew how you felt. He knew your answer, and you knew his. The poor boy was almost seeing stars at this point. It all just felt so unreal to him.

Your lips moved against his as he rapidly recovered from his surprise. You felt Xiao’s hands drift to your waist, gently tugging you closer. You responded by wrapping your arms around his neck, which caused your lover to groan into the kiss. When you pulled away, Xiao’s cheeks were beyond flushed, and his eyes looked glassy.

Once again, you were rendered speechless by his almost inhuman beauty. All you could do was smile at him, hoping that your confession got through to him. Shaky breaths were the only things exchanged between the two of you for the next few minutes, and the silence that consumed you both was comforting. Xiao rested his forehead on your own, gently holding you against him as the cold, fall air rustled through the environment around you.

“So, what does this mean?” Xiao asked. Were you in a relationship with him now? Was he stupid for asking these kinds of questions? How did any of this work?

You blinked a few times before responding, a grin spreading over your lips at his cluelessness. “Well, if you’re okay with it, I would say that we’re dating now.” You inhaled sharply, looking up at the galaxies gathered within your lover’s eyes. “And if you’re up for it, I’d be happy to bring you here again!”

Xiao looked at you, exasperated.

“Absolutely not.”

“Huh, why?” You asked. A sickening feeling started settling in your stomach.

“Your dancing skills are appalling.” Xiao blurted. You stared at him for a moment, bursting into laughter only seconds later. Ah, right, this was the idiot man you had happened to fall in love with. He was blunt and terribly honest- it set your heart on fire. Thank god that his bold personality never managed to fade.

You grabbed Xiao’s hand, and dragged him down the street. Incoherent stutters poured from your friend’s mouth as you did so, making your last minute trip much more interesting. Tonight would be your personal night with him, especially after being cooped up in a ballroom for hours. The rest of your night was just spent walking around, talking about whatever came to your mind.