Precious (HwiTae)

precious

"You know, talking to the plants won't actually help them grow."

Taeyang looked up from his seat by the window, lowering the small pot in his hands. He saw Hwiyoung, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed and eyebrow raised. He didn't realize he'd left the door open.

"Beats not having anyone to talk to at all," Taeyang shrugged, turning back to the succulent. Living by himself seemed like a good idea at first, and Taeyang had enjoyed the privacy and peaceful atmosphere for a while. But a part of him missed the chaos and noise that came with having roommates.

There was a moment of silence, in which Hwiyoung walked over and dropped himself on the bed across from Taeyang. He leaned back on his hands and watched his ex-roommate put the plant down on the table just to pick another one up. Hwiyoung hadn't the slightest idea why Taeyang owned so many plants, but he didn't miss the fond way Taeyang ran his fingers along the striped leaves of the one he was holding.

"What's that?" Hwiyoung tilted his head to the side, nodding to the small plant when Taeyang looked up.

"Haworthia attenuata," Taeyang answered immediately, holding the pot toward Hwiyoung so he could get a better look. "Zebra cactus."

Hwiyoung nodded, looking intently at the raised white lines that ran across the plant. The name slipped his mind almost immediately, he didn't feel any different when he looked at it, and it didn't give him a spark of joy or anything when he touched the tip of his finger to a stripe. It was just a small plant.

"What about the one you were holding before?" Hwiyoung asked, tilting his head lazily to the side as Taeyang's brows furrowed for a quick moment, slender fingers reaching for the first pot.

"Pinwheel aeonium," Taeyang lifted the plant, showing Hwiyoung how the leaves were arranged in such a way that the plant itself slightly resembled a flower.

Hwiyoung raised an eyebrow, eyes drifting from the pot to the hands that held it, delicately balancing it on two palms. "The way the leaves are shaped like a flower. That's cool."

He looked up from studying the ring on Taeyang's pinky just in time to see the beginnings of a small smile, one that only graced his friend's face when he was fully enjoying himself.

"It's called a rosette," Taeyang straightened, leaning forward to better show the pattern. Hwiyoung thought he didn't care, but he found himself following along as the older boy trailed a finger in a spiral around the plant. "It helps the plant get as much sun as it can, while directing any water that lands on top straight to its roots."

Hwiyoung nodded like he understood even though he knew he'd forget in a few minutes. He wasn't in the mood to actually learn about plants, but kept asking questions anyway.

"Which one's your favorite?" He pushed himself off his palms and looked around the boy's room, noticing several other plants, both small flowers and succulents, delicately placed in any empty space.

There was no answer for a moment, so Hwiyoung turned his head back to Taeyang, feet tapping quietly against the bed frame. The older boy had fixed him with a look that was somewhere between confusion and embarrassment. Hwiyoung knew the expression because Taeyang's sharp eyebrows and full lips were drawn into lines as if he was trying to figure something out, and the tips of his ears were turning pink.

"What?" Hwiyoung crossed his arms, leaning his head against the headboard. A few strands of hair fell across his eyes but he wasn't bothered enough to push them back.

"What are you doing?" Taeyang set the little pot back on his table, pushing it away from the edge.

Hwiyoung raised his eyebrows even though Taeyang probably couldn't see them because of his fringe. "I'm talking to you. Isn't that what you want?"