**cross-posted to Ao3
**M-warning**
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-Colors in Autumn-
-Chapter One-
[to old times]
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Sora couldn't stand autumn.
The sun brightened the days less, and the luscious green from the trees changed into a murky brown, littering the walkways and roads she never liked to walk over. She avoided whatever seasonal flavors that every shop attempted to throw at her, and she never liked the taste of maple or pumpkin.
What she disliked most was how the evenings grew colder. In the chill of the night, she couldn't dress as lightly as she enjoyed doing in the summer. The coolness forced her to cover herself all over, and it forced her to layer the blankets she had to bury herself under so she could fall asleep. No matter how many of those covered her, or how many pillows encased her, Sora couldn't find the solace she craved, not even in her own bed.
Sora, however, found this one, chilly evening to be an exception, as she rested in a bed other than her own, unclothed at that. Only one pillow placed underneath her head, though she curled up beside the warm body of whom she laid next to, the arms of another encasing her. The fireplace softly crackled a few feet from the end of the bed, and a duvet covered the two of them, but Sora felt her need fulfilled as she revelled in the heat from his tanned skin against hers.
"You haven't changed at all, Sora," came his voice slightly above her head, soft and sweet on her ears.
She remained quiet as she moved her palm along the toned muscles on his chest. Tilting her head back, her eyes rose to meet his, two pools of chocolate brown boring into hers, and his lips curled on one side in a smirk.
"Neither have you, Tai," she replied with a smile slowly forming on her own lips.
Tai looked on. "You always make it so hard not to kiss you."
"I don't mean to make it easy."
He craned his neck to meet her face with a kiss. Sora drew an inhale, slowly taking him in. His eyes closed, though she kept hers open as she watched him thoughtfully with her lips connecting with his, reminiscing its taste. She knew where his hands would trail off to next, and she felt tingles behind her neck when his fingers massaged the back of her scalp. His other arm laced around her waist to her bottom, where he gave her a gentle squeeze. She exhaled between a kiss, and she knew, as he rolled her back against the bed, his soft whispers into her ears and his hand running along her chest, that he had a mind more than just to keep her warm.
Sora wondered if she had such a mind for him when she ran into him earlier that day. She hadn't seen him in almost a year before that, and it surprised her to run in to him in the middle of the busy streets of Tokyo, walking her usual path to work.
"Well, look who's back," she said, surveying the briefcase he held on one side and his businessman attire, a dark blue suit and black shoes, topped off with his wild, brown hair. "I didn't think you'd be back here so soon."
Tai chuckled. "It just happened to work out this way," he said. "I see you're keeping warm already, Sora?"
Sora took a pause to look down at her outfit-a nice top to go with her denim skirt over the leggings that covered her legs. She noticed Tai watching her with amusement as she tugged at her jacket draped over her shoulders, and adjusted the scarf around her neck.
"It is that time of the year, Tai," she replied coolly. "You know how I can get."
"Do I ever?" he said, leaning back in laughter, a laughter she found realized she missed hearing.
A beep sounded out, and Tai pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket and eyed it for a few moments.
"Gah, I should get going," he told her. "Are you doing anything tonight? We should grab a bite to eat and catch up."
"Let's do that," was her reactive response.
Tai looked at her, as though making sure that was her answer, but when she formed a smile on her lips, he smiled back with acceptance.
"Awesome! I'll call you before I head out."
He turned to walk away, but stopped himself to add, "You look great, Sora."
And so did he, Sora thought to herself as she watched him move down the street. His figure shrunk in the distance, though she could still point out his big mess of hair no matter how far he got. A mess… just like where they left each other over a year ago.
They had broken up in the middle of spring last year. Their relationship ran through the course of university, in which they attended the same one. He studied financial management, and she took the first two years switching majors, eventually settling on fashion design. University was hard, but Sora found it easy to be with him as they supported each other through all their intense projects and novel-sized essays, all while finding time to hang out at the bar with their circle of friends, playing soccer at the gym, or just cozying up to one another at home, which, of course, Sora loved, especially in the colder months.
It was harder for them the year after they both graduated. He easily snagged a job with a company downtown, while she tried to stick it out at a clothing store at the mall. But when she finally secured an assistant position for an up-and-coming fashion brand, they started seeing each other less. Their schedules never synced, and the arguments between them somehow grew more than Sora could take.
They broke it off during the spring, but decided to stay friends, and in the summer, Tai got a job offer in China that he couldn't refuse. He turned to Sora for advice, and, even as she bit back the urge to make him stay, she encouraged him to go. Jumping on her words, Tai left for China at the change of the season.
The fall was colder that year.
But just like that, fall was happening once again, and Tai's unexpected return brought Sora at a loss. She shook her head, realizing she had been staring in his direction for too long. A whole year and some change-that was enough to get over someone, right?
That was what her heart asked as she adjusted the purse strap on her shoulder and turned her heel toward the steps toward her work building. Walking upwards, the echoes from her mind gave her a nagging feeling that she should have known better than to accept his invitation.
When Tai called her, they agreed to meet at the bar a few blocks from the downtown business sector. Tai ordered a pint of beer on tap, while Sora settled on a bottle of hard cider. Tai eyed it curiously.
"Since when did you start drinking cider?" he asked.
"A few months ago, I think," she replied, pouring the bottle into a glass. He couldn't look away from it. "What?"
"I just never thought I'd see the day. You've always hated apples."
"Consider me a changed woman." Sora picks up the glass of cider and takes a swig, then sets it back down, her eyes never leaving Tai's skeptical gaze. "Let's just say that I've grown accustomed to the flavor."
"Uh-huh."
She knew he waited for her to confess the true reason, and she couldn't help but giggle.
"Fine… Mimi's apple pie is amazing."
"Now, that sounds more convincing."
Sora laughed along with him as he shook his head. It amazed her how comfortable she still was with him, even after being away from him for so long.
"She made a few the other day, and I was over at her place in a heartbeat."
"Can't say that I blame you. But, knowing her, if she made a lot, then something must be up."
Sora nodded. "You're right about that. She's been under so much stress, what with her and Izzy's wedding being just around the corner. It's been pretty crazy, to say the least."
"Oh, right. The wedding."
Sora noticed his eyes wander elsewhere as he took a sip of his beer, and she had a feeling she knew why. She and went to their friends' weddings as each others' dates as a couple, the last one being Joe's. Now that Mimi and Izzy were to wed, it was a given that Sora was going to be her Maid of Honor, but when it came to topic of her 'plus one' now...
"It's not too late to be my 'plus one,' Tai," she blurted out. His eyes fell on her again, and suddenly she was at a loss of what to say next. Holding her glass to her lips, she silently cursed at herself for saying things she shouldn't be. Perhaps she should have slowed down on the cider. When she and Tai ended things, to her, that meant no more doing things as a couple.
"Maybe, for old times' sake." His lips formed a smile, but it told her that he might have dwelled on something else. Before she started to dwell along with him, he lifted his glass of beer to her.
"Cheers," he said.
"To what?" she asked.
"...To old times."
"Alright…" As she lifted her glass, she noticed him staring at her again, and she knew he waited for her say a toast. "To Mimi's amazing pie!"
"Yes! Cheers to that!" he agreed, and they clinked their together before taking their gulps.
"I still hate the fall, though." Sora set her glass down, hearing Tai let out another laugh.
"That's one thing that I know you'll never grow accustomed to, Sora."
He smiled at her warmly, and she smiled back, hoping the redness on her cheeks was from the effects of the cider.
They left the bar after dinner and a few more drinks, and Tai insisted on getting Sora a cab ride home. She argued that the train was much faster and cheaper, and that he shouldn't be spending his money on her.
"At least me walk you to the station," he said. "My hotel room is only ten minutes drive from there, so it won't be too bad of a cab ride over."
His stubborn attitude drove her up the wall at times, mostly because she could be just as much, if not worse.
"Fine," she sighed, seeing her exhaling breath wisp into a small icy fog in front of her. She felt the chill of the night air creeping on her cheeks and hands. But even as she took a step forward, she felt something heavy being set over her shoulders, cloaking her upper body.
"Shall we?" Tai said, his face appearing just above her shoulder, his hands placed on either of her side atop the jacket he put around her.
I should have turned him down earlier, she thought as they started towards the station. As much as she was glad to see him again, the more she let him on, the more he might think...
"So, are you seeing anyone?" she asked in attempt to detract her thoughts about them together.
She wished she didn't ask. It was the cider again, wasn't it…?
The silence was more deafening than before she asked.
"There was someone," he said.
"Was?" she asked further, wishing her hopes went away.
"Yeah…'Was'. Nice girl. Worked at a law firm. She was stunning."
"Geez, Tai." Sora shifted uncomfortably as they strolled, battling the envy that teased her.
"It didn't work out." Tai scratched the back of his head, looking uncomfortable himself. "And you, Sora?"
"No. No, not since…"
It was her turn to fall silent, and when they stopped at the red light, she wished that time sped up for the light to turn green.
Luckily, the bright green began to flash, and for the remainder of the walk, neither of them said a word.
Sora turned to face Tai when they finally reached the front of the train station, and it was time for them to say goodbye. Just like that summer when he left.
"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Tai asked.
"It was great to see you, Tai," she said, going in for a hug. His arms held her tightly, and even with his jacket over her, she almost didn't want to let his warmth escape from her.
The same scene played between them from when he headed to his flight to China. They pulled apart, and his hand brushed her cheek as he swept a strand of her strawberry brown hair to the side. He didn't kiss her cheek then, but her breath caught in her throat when she felt his lips now, warm against her cold cheek.
"I've missed you, Sora," were his next words with his eyes staring into hers.
She wished he didn't kiss her. She wished he didn't say those words. She wished he didn't stare at her that way.
She wished she didn't kiss him back, this time, on his lips.
Sora missed her train. The cab ride back to Tai's hotel was silent, though their hands joined between them, their feet playful from where they sat. She wanted to be over him. She thought the last year and a half was enough time for her feelings to die down, like a flame on a candle that couldn't compete with the dropping temperatures brought by the calm ire of autumn.
When they entered his darkened hotel room, lit only by a fireplace, they stood at the foot of his bed. Her lips collided into his, and the jacket she meant to return to him fell onto the floor, followed by her scarf, his tie, their shirts… one after another, until they fell into bed together with nothing but his fiery kisses, and the heat between them as she rocked with him filled her with enough ecstasy to care less about the seasons changing.
Maybe her feelings for Tai was its own dying flame that just needed to be ignited once more, for the candle to fulfill itself down to its last spark.
For old times' sake.
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A/N: I've got an addiction, and the only cure is moar Taiora x(
I'm terrible, I know.
For this story, you can blame The Neighborhood song, "Sweater Weather" (and Pentatonix's awesome rendition, too).
Thanks for checking this out. The updates may be a bit slow on this one, but whenever you read this and further chapters, I do hope you're cozy with a sweater or a blanket, or something. :)