His chest tightened, his heart started racing. 

It had been nine years since he last saw the other. And for a moment, it felt like he was seeing him for the very first time all over again. 

“Saku…”

“Nope, keep pouring. I said to the top.”

Clearly, he hadn’t heard Suzu, so he went a different route. Suzu cleared his throat, hoping this time he’d catch Saku’s attention.

The wine-haired beauty sighed and turned towards Suzu, a bored expression on his face.

“I don’t care how much you offer. I’m not an escort and I am so not in the mood. Got it?”

Suzu was definitely not expecting that.

“W-What? No um, I… we know each other.”

At that moment, Suzu felt like an idiot. He had no idea what to say, no idea why he was even doing this. He had no right to talk to Saku, not after what happened so long ago. 

“We what?” 

The redhead narrowed his eyes—that same deep blue that Suzu remembered staring into so often—and then there was a flash of realization that hit his face.

“Su—Yuudai-san?”

Suzu couldn’t help but smile as he gazed at Saku. It was like nothing had changed except somehow, he had grown to be more beautiful, more radiant. Suzu felt his heart flip. 

“So you do remember.”

The redhead pursed his lips before offering a half-hearted shrug, “Well of course. We had quite the history, Yuudai-san.” 

A knot formed in his chest at those words. Though Saku spoke so flippantly, that statement carried heavy feelings. They had more than a history, they had had half a lifetime together. Years of being inseparable, of spending so many intimate and precious moments. The memories they had made were not ones so easily forgotten. 

The bartender set a very full glass next to Saku and the redhead took a very generous drink from it. For a moment, Suzu wished he had one as well. 

There was definitely awkwardness in the air. 

He felt Saku’s eyes flick over him, examining him, and most likely judging him. 

Suzu was sure Saku hadn’t changed that drastically, after all. 

Then, the other’s eyes stopped on his hand and Suzu swore he saw a flicker of sadness. But it was quickly replaced by a neutral smile.

“Well, well look at you. Married and I’m sure wildly successful.” 

Unconsciously, Suzu moved his hand off the bar and out of sight. 

“No, um, just engaged.”

Saku shrugged, “Is there really a difference? You’re still committed.”

The redhead took another generous drink of wine while Suzu’s hand felt like it weighed a ton. It was like the ring went from white gold to a solid iron weight. 

“Y-Yeah, that’s true I suppose.” 

The knot in his chest seemed to drop to his stomach. He felt off, completely disjointed. First, the disasters of the wedding, then being sent on this trip and stuck just hours before his wedding, and now Saku was here. It was like the universe was screaming at him to look at the signs. 

Saku being here made every thought about his wedding feel… wrong somehow. And it felt more so the longer he looked at the other. The years had been so kind to Saku, enhancing the beauty he had already been blessed with when they were younger. But now it was like he had grown into his looks even more. 

Suzu shook his head. He should not be looking at another man when he was hours away from his wedding!

But the signs, Saku being there, he should pay attention to all of that, right?