TWICE: The Multiverse

Tzuyu x Reader - Second Chance

Note/s: Gender neutral

This is an adaptation of a fanfic called "same auld lang syne" by goldfyshie927 from archiveofourown.org

P.S. Happy belated new year to everyone! Have a blessed 2023!

~oOo~

You held up the two packages of pasta you were considering, squinting as if it would make this absolutely stupid decision any easier. In the end, you decided to get them both and dropped them into the basket on your arm. Glancing down at your phone, you checked pasta off the list and moved onto the next aisle.

The grocery store was largely empty, a nostalgic song playing overhead as you perused the shelves for what you needed and continued checking things off your list. New Year's Eve was one of the best times to get grocery shopping out of the way; everyone else was out at parties or bars and you took full advantage of the quiet and lack of crowds.

Still, grocery shopping didn't distract from your loneliness, even though you pointedly ignored it as you filled your basket with only enough ingredients for meals for one. The holidays were a harsh reminder that you'd spent a large part of the past couple of months alone. It was always hard being new in a city, where everyone already had their groups of friends and acquaintances.

You turned down the last aisle to grab a few bags of frozen veggies. Looking at your list to make sure it was the last few things you needed, you didn't see the person standing in your way until it was too late. You bumped into them with a grunt and your basket slipped off your arm and clattered to the ground, spilling your meager stockpile onto the linoleum floor.

"Oh, fuck, I'm so sorry," you said as you knelt, eyes trained on the spilled items. "I totally wasn't looking where I was going."

The other person crouched next to you and handed over a protein bar. "It's my fault," came a soft, familiar voice. "I shouldn't have been standing right in the middle of the aisle."

You froze a the sound of the accented voice, your hand hovering over your basket, and finally looked at the person holding the bar out to you. Your eyes met and you swore time stood still for a moment.

"Tzuyu," you breathed.

Tzuyu's beautiful face seemed unchanged since the last time you'd seen one another, years earlier, as you'd parted with a kiss goodbye and tears on your cheeks after college graduation. She looked as surprised as you felt.

"Y/N. Wow," Tzuyu said, a smile spreading across her face. "Hi."

"What are you doing here?" you asked as you hurriedly put the rest of your groceries back into the basket and stood, Tzuyu mirroring the action.

"I just moved here." Tzuyu seemed suddenly shy, tucking her hair behind one ear. "I didn't realize this was where you'd ended up."

"I moved here a few months ago myself," you explained. "I–" you broke off, unsure of what exactly you wanted to say.

It was as if no time had passed but it had also been an eternity, and all you wanted to do was know everything about Tzuyu again and what had transpired over the last few years. You looked at her, breathless as you took her in. She was as tall as ever, her cheeks a little red from the cold, her nose pink-tinged. She was breathtaking. You blinked a couple of times, then shook your head.

"Sorry, I should let you finish your shopping." You gestured towards the freezer.

Tzuyu held her basket up. "Just needed a couple of things."

You laughed nervously. "Me too. Almost finished."

You both gathered your frozen foods and then awkwardly walked together towards the cash registers. There was only one checkstand open, so you pointed and insisted that Tzuyu go first. You waited patiently as the cashier rang her up and bagged her groceries, then did the same for you. Your conversation was a bit stilted, Tzuyu asking a bit more about the city and your opinion on different neighborhoods, and you answering as best you could. She waited at the end of the checkstand while you finished paying and took your bag, then the two of you walked towards the exit.