Chapter Text
When two stars, once untethered, find themselves in a dance.
Only gold and stardust are left behind, when the curtains close and the show comes to an end.
It was late summer when you first met him. The most beautiful man you’ve ever seen. Romance novels must not be lying because it’s like time suddenly slowed when his gaze met yours through hundreds of translucent droplets of rain. What a startling bright blue. The color of forget me nots. Have you ever seen such a vivid blue? Such vibrancy? Such…beauty?
He’s crouching beneath a small convenience store, the tattered, dusty blue overhang barely shielding him from the rain. Silver strands of baby hair matted to his temples and forehead, dripping occasionally with beads of water. There’s an overwhelming urge to brush the strands away, to kiss away the stray droplets of water slipping beneath the collar of his shirt.
Oh how sweet he must taste.
Your body moves before your brain can stop you and suddenly you’re standing in front of him, holding your umbrella over him. The sticky humid heat of summer clings to you like a second skin, but the moment you step into his orbit, it’s like swallowing a lungful of fresh air, it breathes life into you.
The delicate chime of your star charm dangles from the handle, and his eyes follow the gentle sway of it.
“Bad day?” You ask, almost breathless.
He tips his head back, and you feel your whole word shift towards him, it nearly throws you off balance.
Deep blue eyes, ones that feel like they hold all the stars of the night sky flit up to look at you. Really look at you and a gasp almost slips your lips. Truly, a thousand, no, a million words cannot compare.
He doesn’t answer, instead he says
“You’re getting wet.”
What strikes you first is how lovely his voice is. A soft, even baritone, like velvet to the ears. What strikes you next is the warmth of his hand against your wrist as he pulls you beneath the little overhang, and you unwittingly crowd into his space, his touch leaving tingles in its wake.
He doesn’t stand, so you squat down next to him, still awkwardly trying to hold the umbrella in a way to cover both of you, a task that proves to be quite difficult considering your height difference. Your shoulder brushes his arm as you adjust and that one little point of contact sends a jolt of something hot and searing through you. It makes your pulse quicken far too fast for a mere stranger.
So close.
Close enough where if neither of you speak, the quiet sound of his breathing is the loudest thing in your ear. Close enough his warmth starts to seep into you, joining the simmering heat pooling just beneath your skin.
The corners of his lips twitch into a small smile at your efforts and you swear your heart might’ve stopped for a second. Oh what it must be like to be the center of his world. To be the one he smiles for.
He takes the umbrella from you, effortlessly covering the both of you from the splatters of rain tumbling down the overhang.
“I got into a fight with someone.”
He confides, in a way only two complete strangers can.
“With someone close to you?”
“No. But they say it might ruin my career.”
A light, airy chuckle escapes him, but it doesn’t carry any brightness.
You hum, considering his answer, shifting your weight between your feet.
“Was it different opinions or was it morals you couldn’t compromise on?”
His answer is immediate. “The latter.”
You smile, nudging his arm with your elbow. “Then there’s nothing to mull over. Here, I’ve got something to cheer you up.”
You turn so he can’t see what you’re doing as you rummage through the black plastic bag you’ve been carrying.
“Chocolate or vanilla?”
“Chocolate.”
“Dun dun dun dun dun….Ta dah! Today is your lucky day!” You slowly pull out a chocolate popsicle from the bag like it’s a grand prize, a bright grin stretching your cheeks.
You split the twin popsicle in two, lips pursing into a pretty pout when the sweet treat splits unevenly.
“Well, I guess I’ll be a good person today. Y’know, since you’re having a bad day and whatnot.”
The bigger half gets offered to him and he takes it with the warmest smile you’ve ever seen. The kind that reaches his eyes, the kind that makes them crease slightly into half moons, the kind that makes your heart crumple at the sheer softness of it.
You glance up at him as a comfortable silence envelops the two of you only to end up white knuckling your popsicle stick so hard you’re surprised it didn’t snap in half. It should be criminal the way the rich chocolate gathers at the tip of his tongue, the way it drips down his chin, the way he wipes it off with the back of his hand and kisses it away, the plushness of his lips as he does so. It takes the strength of a thousand warriors to resist the temptation of doing it for him.
You’re only brought out of your haze when he tilts his head curiously and meets your gaze once more. You can only pray your frantic eyes and blazing cheeks don’t give it away that you’ve been shamelessly and openly ogling.
“Thank you. I guess today is my lucky day, since I ended up meeting a star.”
Oh.
Just when you think you’re safe, he catches you off guard again.
A star? Is he..talking about you? That’s…your face burns a feverish red and your throat almost closes on you, leaving your shoulders wracked as you choke on creamy chocolate.
But a quick peek up at this handsome stranger proves he’s not as averse to embarrassment as he seems. A light dusting of pretty pink coats the apples of his cheeks and the tips of his ears, evidence of his shy flirting. At least, you hope it’s flirting.
You clear your throat a couple times after it stops stinging and an awkward laugh tumbles out of you. It eases the tension a little and he follows suit with soft chuckling of his own. It’s music to your ears.
It briefly occurs to you how strange it must be to walk past the two of you, crouching beneath an old overhang, holding an umbrella, sharing a chocolate popsicle in the rain.
It’s nice though. It’s really nice. It feels like you’ve been wrapped up in an intimate bubble, this moment invisible to anyone else, only existing for the two of you as you bask in the gentle warmth that is him.
A blaring ringtone cuts through the moment and the bubble bursts far too soon.
Shit.
It’s your manager, Tara. The first episode of your debut drama airs today and you were supposed to be out buying snacks for the watch party. That’s right, that’s what you were supposed to be doing, before you got completely sidetracked by the prettiest stranger you’ve ever seen looking like a sad puppy in the rain.
You stand, leaving his gravity. He reaches for you, but hesitates midway and his hand drops back to his side. He glances down at it briefly like it betrayed him, like he doesn’t even realize why he’s trying to hold on to a stranger. And you’re not sure either, all you know is the disappointment that sinks low in your stomach when he doesn’t follow through.
Tell me to stay, you will.
He lets you go.
“Your umbrella.”
“Keep it, my apartment’s close by.” You lean down, giving the star charm a light tap. “This little one will be your good luck charm.”
In a sudden burst of confidence, you indulge in the urges that struck you before and reach out to gently ruffle his hair, fingers tenderly brushing away the strands still sticking to his skin. Even softer than you imagined.
“And…” You swallow, red starting to creep up your neck. “I hope this big star cheers up soon.”
Before he can say anything else, you’re already turning and running into the rain, towards your apartment.
You don’t see him hide his face in his arms, a furious blush coloring his cheeks. You don’t see him press a hand against his heart, slowly breathing, desperately trying to calm it down to no avail. And you definitely don’t hear him mutter beneath his breath, a hushed: “Stay.”
That was the first and last time you saw him in person. He was never there again, no matter how many times you passed by that convenience store, deliberately or not. No star was waiting beneath the overhang.
But you can’t forget him. Of course not. The memory haunts you, replays in your brain when you’re awake and invades your dreams when you’re sleeping. You regret not even getting his name.
But six months later, even if you wanted to forget him, you couldn’t. He was everywhere. His face plastered on billboards at train stations, making a peace sign on the packaging of your favorite snack, on the wrapping of alcohol bottles when you want to drown your sorrows.
Xavier. His name was Xavier Shen. And he really was a star, the brightest of them all.