↱FLORAL FOR YOU↲ ⇾verkwan⇽

Garden

After his discussion with Seungkwan, Vernon hadn't expected that his entire world would be thrown off of its own orbit (not that it wasn't already falling to pieces).

They have had worse fights in the past, complete with screaming matches and flying insults.

But here was the thing about their friendship: they never stayed mad at each other for more than a few hours, always talking it all out before going to bed.

It was simple, uncomplicated, forgive, and forget.

Whatever was going on between them didn't come even close to a real fight yet, the unsettling cold feeling resting on Vernon's stomach left him uneasy.

So, that night he waited in his room for Seungkwan to show up. He sat on the freezing floor in front of his window with thin pajamas and unblinking city lights being his only companions in his solitude.

Vernon looked up at the sky and admired the blackness threatening to swallow the world, acknowledging that not even the stars existed to shine for a soul that was living on borrowed time.

A rueful grin pulled at his lips, a treacherous mask created in an attempt to convince himself that... that what?

There were still so many goals he wanted to achieve, dreams he wanted to live, promises he wanted to keep...people he wanted to love.

And it all came back to that, it all came back to love.

Vernon wished he could tell Seungkwan how much it hurt; how difficult it was to wake up in the morning knowing that it could be the last day he got to appreciate Seungkwan's existence.

He yearned for him to understand that love and despair came in the same package and once the seed had been planted there was no going back. His body would become the personification of spring, where havoc was reaped and every blooming flower dripped for him.

Sadly, he had accepted his fate, accepted that Seungkwan was all he ever wanted and would never have.

Seungkwan deserved to be free, to have the chance to spread his wings and fly without the fear of what his absence would cause.

Vernon, with his broken and tattered feathers, was only chaining him down. He had to let it go. Or rather, never let Seungkwan know about Hanahaki.

When the clock struck midnight, Vernon debated on being the one to search for Seungkwan but, quickly discarded the option. He didn't want to be a bother.

Maybe he was reading too much into the situation and tomorrow everything would be fine. All that was left for him to do was to lay down on his bed and sleep, however, he made no move to do just that. Instead, he stayed put on the wooden floor, allowing the weight of the garden in his heart and lungs to suffocate him.

--

Seungkwan didn't come home.

The sun had risen, high in the horizon, bathing the room in light and encouraging the roots to overtake Vernon's ribs.

The city came alive, cars passing by and people wandering the streets on their way to work, which prompted Vernon to begin getting ready for the day ahead. He hadn't slept but at least he wasn't feeling tired or cold or sad anymore.

There was a strange nothingness permeating his mood, like the blanket he used to hide the petals he often coughed.

Dance practice had never sounded less appealing and he would be lying if the thought of skipping it didn't cross his mind. Nevertheless, that was something he had done the day before, and he couldn't really afford another scold from the manager.