Disclaimer : Dota 2 is still owned by Valve. I'm just a player/fan/simp that wrote off base on their assets, wkwkwk
A/N : TI 10 will be held next month! This is the dota-time of the year, so why not celebrate it with some fanfic chapters?
Chapter 6 — Farewell, Again
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On normal days, I would spend my weekend in front of the fireplace, reading some books on old poetry, drinking hot ginger tea, and enjoying warm socks and blankets.
But today is a no-normal day. Not at all.
It's early in the morning, and I'm already sitting in the backseat of an uber car, with the man I'll never see again—Sven. We were quiet. He was quiet—not like he's been the opposite since the day we met, but today he's… extremely silent.
The car moved slowly into an exit, merging into one-way traffic that would bring us straight to the airport. It barely took two minutes away until we got there.
I gaze my sight out of the car window, far away, into the grey sky that mourns my very pathetic fate as of today. A girl who got left by everyone that means a thing to her heart—my heart.
I sighed.
Right then my thoughts gather at one lethal fact, that this may be the very last moment of me seeing Sven. This is my only chance. And yet, I sat here doing nothing like an idiot.
Will I let this little time of ours slip through my finger just like that? Should I do something?
Maybe not. Maybe I need to stay still. Maybe… I don't even need to get out of this car at all. Sven will just walk right through the airport and...
"Hey."
A man's deep voice startled me, then I felt warm skin touch my hand. Barely. Turns out Sven rested one of his fingers on the back of my hand, as if trying to catch my attention, somehow. I immediately look at him, and I can feel my guts get frozen in place.
He shot me with this dark, mellow, and sad look in his eyes. It was guilt.
"Hi." I mutter. My heart shrunk as my voice came out. "We're almost there. Haha." My laugh was dry.
"I'm…" Sven swallows his unspoken words, leaving me wondering, hanging.
"..." My silence didn't help at all.
Finally, the car stops. We have arrived.
Is this it? My mind wanders off.
Do I have to say something? Should I stay in the car? Wave Sven's off with a smile on a rolled down window?
"Aren't you coming?" Sven asks.
"Yes?" Ah, great. Me and my reality-consuming daydream.
"D-do you… want me to get out of the car? To see you off?" I asked.
Sven gave me a wary look.
"Aren't you going to?" He said.
Oh.
"I-I am!" I scrambled my way out of the car, and Sven did not let his sight left my presence.
We walked side by side to the airport, to the drop off of International Departure.
Ah, my second time standing here, and with the feeling of loss that starts climbing on to my back. I can feel it, on my skin. It's chilling.
"Well, I guess this is it…" Sven turns toward me, giving one final glance as I just stood there, frozen. I hate this.
"Yeah…" My voice trails off in a cold tone. Please, Rylai! Say something. Say anything!
"I…" Sven tries to hold himself for not touching me. His hand froze in the middle air. "I hope we… didn't end like this."
I choked up by my own breath. "W-what do you mean?"
Sven shook his head. "No, nevermind."
"No, no!" I held his hand in anguish. "We can… not end like this! I mean, you can stay, right? Why… why'd you really have to go, anyway? And why can't we just… talk?" My voice sounds full of desperation.
"Rylai," he sighs. "I'm sorry, but let's not make this harder than it should've been."
I shook my head, hard. No. This is already too hard. Don't do this to me, Sven.
"Listen." The man held my two hands in his palm. It felt warm. "When this feels hard, just… close your eyes, and count to five."
"What?!"
"Just do it, Ry."
"Are you for real? You… really leaving?"
Sven's face nodded, with an eye that pierced my sight, full of determination.
"It's for the best," he said.
I gulped, swallowing the harsh reality that my words meant nothing to him, and not one thing that I said would change our circumstances.
"Alright," I said, finally. He's right. Let's not make this harder than it should.
Sven smiled in an obviously-fake grin. It's crooked and insincere. I replied with pretty much the same expression—a smile, super fake one. Why are we doing this?
"You should come back to Icewrack and visit me sometimes." I gave him a dry joke (or was it real?) and half-a-laugh. He smiles, a little bit more true this time.
"Why don't you come fly to my country instead?" Sven laughs.
Right then it hits me. I absolutely have no idea where this man goes home to—where he came from.
"Sven, where exactly do you…"
"There," he cuts my word, pointing to some scheduled flight on the LED-lit board. It's the only flight this hour.
"Shadeshore State?" I read the destination.
"Yup." He nodded, and suddenly my heart fell.
"It's so… far away." Shadeshore is, in fact, placed on the other side of the globe.
He chuckles. "I know."
Then, suddenly, the man steps closer to me, and kisses the back of my right cheek, once. His lips felt warm, and right the next second, I heard him whispers.
"I'm glad that I've met you, Rylai. I hope this won't be the last time."
I shivered with a warm gush of feelings. My leg trembled, and my knee felt weak. I held out my arms to hug his neck. I tiptoed my lips to reach the side of his face, only to voice out a whimper.
"You spoke my mind, Sven."
Trying my best to hold back some tears, I tighten my hugs as he did the same. We're locked. Time feels like it stops right then and there.
Our moment ends when a loud announcement filled with Sven's flight info soared through the airport air. We slowly release ourselves.
"Now I really have to go." Sven held my face onto his palm. I smiled. Sincerely, this time.
"I know. And I really hate to see you go…" A breath of relief sighed out of my lungs as I finally had the courage to be honest. Honesty, it kinda felt liberating.
Sven kissed my forehead. "Remember the trick, alright? Close your eyes…"
"... and count to five," I finished the sentence.
We parted, for real this time.
I let him go with a soft smile, weak wave, and a mouthy word of 'take care'. He waved back and smiled.
I couldn't let my sight out of him, and the closer he got to his gate, the harder it felt. Finally, when he's about to pass the gate, I close my eyes.
One… two… three… goddammit, no!
I opened my eyes far too hastily. He's already gone.
I whimper out a soft sound, grunt, or whatever it is, right before hot tears gather at the corner of my eyes. It drops painfully.
Right then, I regret not opening my eyes to see the very last moment of that man. The last memory of Sven in my mind would be his back, turning against me. I can barely breathe to think that it's the fact that I have to carry on, for the rest of my life.
He's gone. He's really gone. The man that makes my heart flutter for the first time. And I;m not sure if I can feel this way to anyone else ever again.
There goes a piece of my heart...
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A/N : Can you tell that the airport scene was inspired by one of the early episodes of How I Met Your Mother? The one where Ted and Victoria need to face their reality-of a goodbye-after a great, romantic-filled-play-pretend night at a wedding. Sheesh. It gives me chills every time.