It all happened in a second.
A quick passing glance, a moment of eye contact, a meeting of deep brown eyes, swallowing whole the world around them, darting back and forth, and aggressive, icy, blue eyes, waiting for excitement to pass into their lives.
Contentedness would be their downfall. It would most certainly be his. In that split moment, the joining of gazes, he would imagine a world that might exist. A world of loving touches, happy, sweet words, hot days, and cold nights. He imagined his hands running through that dark hair, and his fingers entwined between those slender fingers, as they walked through gardens and beaches.
In that moment he felt an energy run through him, like he had never felt, and in that moment, he realized just how lonely he was, and just how big and cold his downtown apartment was, and how meaningless all of his possessions were.
In that moment, he wanted to share his world with the man who met his gaze. He saw in those brown eyes what he thought was a shared longing. He could have been right, but he'd never know.
From his spot in the cafe, he thought of what he might lose if he called out to that man, asking for a name, asking for a beginning. He thought he'd lose his seat, his dignity, maybe.
But for a chance at the life he imagined, he thought maybe that'd be enough.
A moment of shared wishes was all it was. He shifted in his chair, and simply watched the man move on, grocery bags in hand, watching his hair in the wind, his skin flush in the sun, and his form grow smaller with every step he took away from him and his imagined life.