Imperfect Desires

As life goes on, we come to know who was meant to stay in life and who was meant to leave from the beginning. We all meet someone new in life and someday, we all fall madly in love with that someone new without realizing it.

Even the fear of heartbreak is not able to hold us back. Because love is often between two people who are like subatomic particles; having an undeniable connection. 

However, what we don't realize is that it's not that we find our way to a new person, it's that we actually find our way back to the one who was meant to be ours from the beginning. Every destination needs some detours that don't mean that our destination changed, it only means that our journey changed.

Finding someone who could understand you even without words is a huge blessing. Xiu was realizing how that blessing in her life had come in the form of Darren. It was another first for her when her heart sincerely wished for this moment to 'last longer'.

Xiu hesitated as they entered the building but in the end, she did place her hand in his. Darren looked at her hand in his and then looked at her. When he didn't say anything, Xiu smiled to herself as she walked beside him. 

"Do you know before I met Nora, I used to think that if we remove 'Fri' from 'Friend', only 'End' is left. And in the end, every person shows their true color. But Nora really changed my views about friendship. I had to rethink my whole life beliefs because of her," Xiu was still talking since she didn't want this moment to just end here. "In a way, Nora is exactly what Dylan is in your life."

"I already got that," said Darren as he pressed the elevator's button for their floor.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. You can't ask me to stop arguing with Dylan just because he's your best friend. Irritating him is the most favorite part of my day," Xiu didn't try to sugarcoat her words or hide anything from him. 

Darren smiled to himself and said, "If you both stay out of police station, I won't bother coming between you two." 

Xiu was satisfied with his reply as she said, "That's for sure." 

With a 'ding', the elevator door opened and they walked out together. As they came close to their individual doors, Darren suddenly was reminded of something as he smiled and said, "Do you know how much you scared Didi with your ghost story? He stopped coming to my place after that just because he still thinks that I live in a haunted apartment."

Xiu recalled that day as well and laughed out, "Gosh! That explains his panda eyes and a sour mood. Pfft! That's called the way of karma. He messed with me and ended up like that. It's satisfying. I took my revenge without even knowing it. Cool!" Taking a brief pause, she asked, "My boss is scared of ghosts?"

Darren looked at her expression and tapped the tip of her nose saying, "Stop the scheming. Didi is traumatized because of ghosts. Don't do anything to him. If it went a little overboard, he might get a heart attack."

"I wasn't planning anything," said Xiu with innocence dripping from her expression but Darren obviously didn't buy it at all.

"You can stop with your acting performance. I can see through you. You definitely had something cooking in that brain of yours. But I'm telling you, ghosts are off-limits especially if he's alone." Seeing Darren's stern expression, Xiu felt like it was really a serious matter. So, she stopped the schemes that had been running in her mind. "But I can tell you that Didi is quite similar to you."

"Me? How am I similar to that Uncle?" Xiu's voice turned slightly sharp.

Darren laughed at her reaction and said, "Because that Uncle would have the same reaction as you right now. You both have mood swings all the time. And you both don't like it when the other person is right. The argument between you and Didi is that you called him Uncle and he called you a kid. But you both are holding that grudge till today. Aren't you similar?"

Xiu couldn't refute anything he said. The argument between her and Dylan was because he called her kiddo. And Dylan held the same grudge. The rest that followed was the consequences of that one argument. 

Xiu cleared her throat as she felt his eyes on him looking for her to try and refute his words. When she couldn't, she stubbornly said, "Mood swings are for kids. I have mood tsunamis and that too every single hour. It's like... They pivot, bounce, recoil, rebound, fluctuate and occasionally twirl as well."

Darren placed his hand on her head and shook his head at her. "You always have something to say, right?"

Xiu rubbed the tip of her nose and said sheepishly, "I can't help it."

Darren lowered his head to come at her eye level and said, "Little lady, don't forget to wear your smile before going to bed." He kept saying something else again but Xiu wasn't listening again. It had happened before with her. Whenever he was around, instead of his words, her attention would be on his eyes. Because of that she often missed out on what he said. It was like she could hear everything but still couldn't make sense of anything since she wasn't paying attention at all.

Darren pinched her cheek making her yelp, "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're zoning out again. Why do you always zone out on me like that?"

Xiu rubbed her cheek and said, "Who told you to have such gorgeous eyes? I can only focus on one thing."

Darren briefly closed his eyes since he really didn't know what to say to her. Her excuses were really like her; never made sense at all. He rubbed her head and said, "Goodnight, Sweets! Go inside now."

Xiu puffed up her cheeks and turned to enter her passcode. As she opened her door, she looked back at him and he said, "Don't you have to sleep now?"

Xiu reluctantly waved him goodbye and closed the door.