now I'm thinking...foreign exchange student yibo? https://twitter.com/suzvoy/status/1287358545122525184

sooo...exchange student yibo in italy ( @drama_IIama decided), xz is working there designing something...they meet somehow, a bit of a connection at first because they're both from china (plus they're both smoking hot and into each other)

and they're in this beautiful, classically romantic city together. xz maybe hesitant because of the age difference at first (yibo definitely legal tho) but caaaan't stay away from this astonishing young man

as always, yibo himself kept to himself at first, but they kept running into each other/frequent the same cafe or something? And the first time he smiled the way he does in the picture, directly at xz...xz was a gonner

more thoughts!
xz came to italy to be inspired, to gain new ideas for his design work (or maybe work took him there but he thinks italy will be inspiring anyway) and he's taking photographs EVERYWHERE

the first time he sees yibo he's trying to take a picture of architecture but then yibo steps into shot and he's beautiful enough to be distracting, but then someone he's with says something to make him smile and HOLY MOLEY, xz's taking the picture before he knows what he's doing

he's not a creep, tho, so he does nothing untoward with the picture, feels a little vaguely creepy about it tbh because he can't bring himself to delete it, either and this guy doesn't even know.
And then he sees yibo in the cafe closest to his hotel!

again, he's not a creep so doesn't immediately approach, but he KEEPS seeing him there every day. They've nodded at each other a few times, been in line next to each other. Yibo had been...not rude exactly, but not exactly friendly.
At first.

they keep ending up in line together and over the days yibo loosens up that they chat a bit as they wait - nothing too personal, but they've exchanged names, talked a little about why they're both in italy

and of course they bump into each other at some famous landmark while xz is sightseeing and it'd be RUDE not to invite yibo along with him...and yibo feels comfortable enough now to go with him
(also: xz is hot as hell and yibo is not an idiot)

they spend the entire rest of the day together, and xz discovers yibo is funny and also kind of an asshole?? but in a way xz really likes?? he's fundamentally a good person, breathtakingly honest and tho shy at first, once he feels comfortable with you he'll make fun every time

xz likes that. A lot!!
That day with yibo is honestly one of the best days he's had in a long time - he can't remember the last time he smiled so much - and it's after dark as they approach xz's hotel. xz tells himself very firmly NOT to invite yibo up

turns out it's not something he needs to stress about - someone's waiting outside the hotel for yibo (that explains why yibo asked the name of his hotel earlier, evidently he texted her). She looks about yibo's age but - far from being a romantic interest - she moans at him

they were meant to meet 'the others' four hours ago and now they're going to be behind and will have to make-up that time somehow.
yibo just smiles at xz instead. "It was worth it," he says.

As he walks away with his friend, yibo glances back over his shoulder at xz. As xz watches him go, for all that neither one of them mentioned whether they liked guys or not, he thinks he probably doesn't need to ask, now.
And smiles.

The next day, yibo is standing outside the cafe, waiting for him.