Chasing Sunset

Embers ✨

A dying flame yet not entirely gone; the embers remain, the embers still burn.

~~~

"They started it! Look what they did to my handsome face!" The man continued to ramble but Noeul, who was visibly embarrassed, quickly ushered him into the backseat of his car where the male splayed out.

Noeul then turned around and flashed a bright smile that didn't reach his eyes and said sheepishly, "I'm sorry this is how we meet again, guys."

Guys? Boss couldn't help but feel a pang in his chest from not even being addressed individually with him and Nat just being collectively referred to as 'guys'. He always thought he and Noeul shared a special bond.

"It's alright, man." Nat replied, trying to keep things light but the mood was honestly so awkward.

After all these years and waiting earnestly, this was how they meet—like they were just acquaintances who randomly bumped into each other. And perhaps Boss was being petty but it made him upset, very upset.

And yet, when Noeul told them, "I guess I'll see you guys around." And he made a move to get on the passenger's seat, Boss just automatically reached for his hand, taking the blonde by surprise and unknowingly making his heart skip a beat.

"Noeul..." Boss uttered his name softly, not a trace of the fierce male who beat the living crap out of someone just moments earlier left. His features had dramatically softened as well and he now looked more like a kitten than a tiger. "Do you...have time to spare?"

~~~

Noeul looked around the establishment with curious affection, touching the counters and eyeing the wall of varying liquors. It was morning and the bar was currently closed, serving him exclusively with the owner fixing him a drink.

Noeul's eyes naturally fell on Boss who was currently in his element, carefully crafting a tonic for his special guest. All Noeul could think of at that time was that Boss had definitely aged handsomely and being a working professional suited him but at the same time, he still thought younger Boss going around in a bike to make deliveries was cute.

The memory made Noeul smile nostalgically to himself, unaware that Boss had been looking at him for sometime now. When Noeul's eyes flicked up, he met the other's tender gaze and there was a brief awkward moment between them but Boss quickly diverted their attention to the concoction he made.

"Uh, here...try this."

Noeul approached the bar somewhat stiffly and took a seat on one of the high stools. He held the glass with both hands in an almost childlike manner and took a large sip, his eyes widening after getting a taste like in those tv commercials.

"This is really good." He said but Boss couldn't be sure whether he was telling the truth or just exaggerating. "I mean it." Noeul chuckled upon catching Boss narrowing his eyes skeptically to which the latter finally smiled.

Thanks to this, the air between them became less tensed and they both started to relax. As Boss poured a shot of espresso in a glass filled with ice, he asked, "Have you been staying hydrated?"

"Hm?" Noeul sounded while sipping on his drink, confused.

"I remember, back then, you always skipped drinking water after meals." Boss replied while pouring milk in his iced coffee. When he didn't get a response, he looked up curiously and found Noeul staring at him with a somewhat stunned expression.

"You remember that?" Noeul asked and only then did Boss realize that he did in fact remember such intimate details about Noeul.

"Of course, we ate together so many times." Boss said casually, trying to make light of things. But the mention of that fact was causing questions to arise in his mind again. He shook it off and focused on the Noeul in front of him. Thinking of the past only made him bitter; perhaps he should quit drinking so much coffee.

"I still forget." Noeul admitted, looking at the drink in his hand with gratitude. But that smile instantly faded when the thought of last night intruded in his mind. He sighed heavily and told Boss, "I want to apologize on behalf of P'Stop."

Boss wasn't thinking about it at all at that time and so he didn't immediately follow. "Who?" But his face fell when he realized who was being talked about. "Oh."

So that was his name; Boss wished he didn't find out. And why was Noeul apologizing for him? Did he care that much?

The air grew thick again, even thicker than earlier that you could practically slice it. But after a prolonged silence, Boss finally spoke up.

"I'm...sorry too for, uh, beating him up." That was a lie. He wasn't sorry. He had another employee in the hospital thanks to this P'Stop and he deserved every punch he got but Boss didn't wanna come off as unapologetic towards someone Noeul cared about.

"It's not your fault." Noeul reassured him. "P'Stop is quite notorious for causing trouble. But I'm convincing him to get therapy for his anger management issues and drug use."

Every word out of Noeul's pretty lips was just a dagger to Boss' heart. He couldn't wrap his head around how someone like P'Stop could be so lucky to be looked after by Noeul while he constantly ran away from Boss.

Deep down, it made him feel insecure, made him question what he lacked.

When it was becoming evident that they wouldn't be able to bounce back from this awkward situation, Noeul decided it was time to leave.

"I think I should go. P'Stop's probably giving my driver a hard time." Noeul stepped away from the counter and smiled, still missing the sparkle in his eyes. "It was really nice seeing you again, Boss." He said much more sincerely than he intended and he turned around before he gave away more than he was willing to.

But not wanting to just let him go, Boss piped up once more, "Noeul..."

"Hm?" Noeul glanced over his shoulder.

"Will I see you again?"

Noeul stiffened at that and he wasn't sure how to respond but Boss could tell he was leaning more towards negative. Feeling desperate, Boss reached into a drawer beneath the counter and slid a flyer across the countertop.

Noeul turned back to retrieve it and briefly scanned its contents, then with a genuine smile, he exclaimed, "You perform here?" There it was, the glint in his eyes that Boss last saw five years ago.

Boss looked a bit embarrassed as he nodded and hummed, "Mm, on Saturdays." He hesitated to say the rest and just kind of mumbled, "You were the one who told me to be a musician. Shouldn't you see me perform at least once?"

This side of Boss reminded Noeul of old times and just like before, it was painfully adorable. Noeul knew he would only make things harder for himself if he were to see Boss even just one more time but he didn't have the heart to say no.

In fact, he knew he was done for when he first saw him again anyway.

"See you this Saturday then." Noeul said and although Boss hoped against hope that he would say that, it still caught him off-guard and his lips parted in surprise while his eyes practically lit up.

Noeul chuckled at his expression and Boss laughed shyly upon realizing how goofy he must've looked. Both were unwittingly beaming and wearing their hearts on their sleeves. True, there were so many unanswered questions hanging in the air and unspoken pain from their sudden separation but for now, they just wanted to savor this moment.

Author's note:

I hope you guys liked the twist of how they didn't have a dramatic first meeting after many years. Of course, they will eventually dig up old wounds but for the meantime, let's just let these two softies be in love. ☺️