My Heart Beats For You

A Chain Joins Two Emotions

[PAST]

Nathan smiles at Dean's photo, where he was chewing noodles with pouty lips. A sudden selfie caught Dean off-guard.

"I love you, my angel." He whispered ever so dearly while caressing the picture.

"I love you too."

Nathan's lips freeze, and his whole standing posture slumps. He doesn't dare push away from the locker, as he was leaning against it.

Sweat forms on his forehead while his blood runs cold. Isn't that Dean's voice?

"Am I rejected?" Dean asked while stuffing his books in his bag.

Nathan swiftly turns around with a hitched breath. "No, no."

"No? So, I'm not accepted?"

"Yes, I mean. No." Nathan stutters, looking around in sheer panic. How should he react now? He looks back at Dean, who raised his eyebrows.

"This is not the way I wanted to ask you out!" Nathan whined and turned around. He inhaled deeply and turned around to ask Dean properly this time.

He saw Dean standing far away and peeking behind the locker. He peeked his head out and said, "Let's pretend that I didn't say anything and you didn't see me."

Nathan's eyes soften with love. "You are so adorable. How can I pretend I didn't see you?" He saw the shyness adoring the full cheeks.

He loves this boy so much.

Dean chuckled and looked down, biting his lips. "I'm waiting..." He whispered and peeked through his eyelashes at Nathan, whose breath hitched at the boy.

Nathan felt his cheeks heating up. He clears his throat and looks around, hoping this beautiful moment is just between them. The situation was in his favor too, as most of the students are out of the university or in clubs.

"Just wait for a minute." Nathan requested getting a hum and a nod from Dean.

Nathan quickly takes a plain sheet and tears it into multiple long strips. He carefully rolls the paper to make a stem and folds the paper inch by inch while wrapping the single strip around the stem.

Slowly, the long strip became a white rose.

While keeping his bag aside, Nathan stood up from the floor and carefully walked towards the dean, who was patiently waiting for him.

"This may not be a real rose." Nathan forwards the paper craft towards the boy. "But my love for you is real."

Both look at each other with shyness in their eyes. Dean holds his bag strap while biting his lips to stop himself from smiling too wide and to control his heart from fluttering too much.

"This white rose is as beautiful as your heart." Dean whispered, taking the rose with a shy smile. He locks his gaze on Nathan. "So pure and full of love."

Nathan looks down while fidgeting with his fingers; his ears are turning redder with time.

There is pure silence between them. Too shy to say those three magical words again. Softly, they tangled their fingers and pulled each other closer.