Where flowers bloom so does hope - Heartstopper Flowershop AU

The park

Charlie walks out of the shop, his yellow bouquet in hand ready to offer it to his boyfriend. He is excited to join Ben and finally gift him this surprise gift. Charlie and his boyfriend could not meet in their home because Ben was too afraid to be seen with him. Charlie knew it and it pained him a lot. But Ben was the only person who wanted to go out with him, and he had a huge crush on him before they started dating.

So he walked to the park near his apartment. Ben would always wait for him in a really remote part of the park. Charlie walked past the children playing with their parents, and lovers hanging out on the bench openly loving each-others. In some way, he felt jealous of them being able to express their feelings out in the open, without worrying about being seen in public as Ben does. Once Charlie entered the more hidden part of this park, he sees Ben on his phone. Charlie's face lit up once again, he went forward and greeted him with the bouquet and a kiss. When Ben leaned back he understood the bouquet was for him.

"Why did you bring that? You know I can't come home with it, or I'll be questioned by everyone." Ben had that condescending tone that Charlie never liked.

"You could say it was from your mom or that it is for your mom. Just so you could keep it."

"No. It doesn't work like that and you know it. Were you trying to embarrass me with your gift?" Ben gave Charlie his bouquet back, but he still went on for a kiss right after.

Charlie was convinced Ben just didn't like material affection and would rather have a hug than flowers. But he rarely hugged him. It seemed he was only here to kiss him. He rarely texted him other than "When are we meeting next time."

"So you're not going to ask about my day?"

"Wasn't it like any other day, the kids at school are either so cuter or unbearable. Nothing new." Ben's answer was cold as ice. He tried leaning for a kiss but Charlie refused.

"What is wrong with you? Can we, for once, act as a couple? I want to tell you about my day, how I loved one of my student's essays and cheered them up for it. How I went for the first time to this nice flower shop down the street."

As Charlie was talking, Ben slowly started phasing. He didn't listen, as he does most of the time. Charlie kissed him goodbye and left. Leaving the bouquet on the ground. The card that went along the bouquet was still closed. And it'd remain that way.

Charlie headed out to his apartment, a few blocks away. Tears filling up his eyes, once again. He arrived in front of his door, opened it, and ran straight to his bed where he broke down in tears. It was not the first time he felt that bad after meeting with Ben. Their relationship was a mess, but Charlie couldn't decide what to do. He liked him very much, and he felt that without him his life would be even worse.

He got off his bed and searched for a tissue to dry off his tears. While he was up, he took a look at the photo on his nightstand. The only photo of Ben and him they've ever taken. He smiled. A smile filled with sadness and nostalgia. The nostalgia of a time when he didn't notice everything that was wrong with their relationship. Now he's standing there, all alone when he could be hanging out with his boyfriend if he was not scared of being out.

Charlie went to the bathroom to take a shower, trying to exfoliate all the negative energies he was given tonight. After that he went back to his bedroom, lifting up the sheets to lie down. He turned himself to face the window. Looking through it, he saw the moon, a beautiful crescent moon bathed in blueish tones. Charlie closed his eyes and fell asleep.

His dream this night was messed-up. A single rose on a green apron followed by a smashed yellow bouquet in front of a slide in a park. All those elements spiralled in an endless loop, like Charlie lived his day over and over again. A tornado of paper followed, it was his student's papers that needed to be graded. Ben's face appeared sometimes and even in his dream he would not ask how his day was and would just kiss him.

But the last thing Charlie remembered was the single red rose and the green apron.