One petal fell on the floor. And the bee that thought it could reach it had hit the glass window and fell as well. The cold ground embraced its frozen wings. Why had one insect ventured when the weather outside warned not to?

Henry couldn’t stop thinking about that. Why had they left the warmth of their home, the heat of Daniel’s lips, and went there? It stings to see the one you’d normally cover in brutal adjectives together with the one you’d raise on a pedestal. There was too much grime on Henry’s tongue to speak. He watched as the blond rushed to Donghae’s bed and took a seat on its edge. He watched as he smiled and exchanged looks Henry had never seen between anybody else. His nails sank deep inside his palm, almost drawing blood. And just when Donghae was about to stretch both his arms and give the other a numb hug, Henry came to their side and tightly grabbed Daniel’s hand.

Donghae lowered his arms and understood the message in a second.

With a bright older brother, Donghae was forced from birth to keep up with everybody. If his mother had to take care of three men, Donghae would have to make sure he wasn’t the one to cause problems. If their father was angry, Donghae had to make sure it wasn’t because of him. If his brother had a big examination the following day, Donghae had to make sure he’d stay silent. The boy learnt to read the atmosphere in order to survive and as much as he, at first, hated it, after a while it became his strongest weapon. When it came to small details, Donghae saw everything – from the withering freesias blocked in a vase to the way Daniel’s eyes shifted in Henry’s direction. The blond pressed his thumb over Henry’s hand and demanded he be released.

Donghae laughed.

It was a scene he had never expected.

“That’s it?” he mocked with his back hitting the pillow “you’re no longer playing with him?”

Henry’s grip became stronger. Daniel winced and urged the other to let go. Henry did so in the end, his arm falling behind Daniel’s back. He wrapped it around his shoulders and glared at Donghae.

“You guys know each other?”

The blond had a knot in his stomach. He felt exposed in public when Henry did that. Sure, one could continue with the masquerade of a close friendship, but he knew the truth and it churned him from the inside-out. Donghae’s smile never once faded his amused expression. Just when he was about to open his mouth and explain the situation, Daniel stepped forward between the two and tried to brush off any suspicion.

“We’re friends,” he softly stated and slightly turned to face Donghae “he kind of saved me from some thugs one evening and we’ve been close since then.”

Henry didn’t seem to buy it. He hated the way Daniel’s eyes were locked on Donghae’s smile. Jealousy poured through his veins like the most dangerous poison humans have ever created. He huffed and approached the bed with small steps.

“You knew he was in here?” Daniel nodded and felt the air getting thicker and thicker.

“Yeah, his brother,” his voice almost cracked from the pressure “often took care of my wounds.” He didn’t enjoy explaining himself. They were just that, close people that found something in common from a not so happy incident. Some things shouldn’t be told, especially not to Henry’s broken pride.

“Ah, he’s my sister’s fiancée.”

They all fell silent. Except for Donghae who stared at Henry with the longest gaze he had ever received.

“, he didn’t lie,” he uttered and grabbed his head. “Hah, so glad!” he exhaled and laughed before erupting into coughs. Daniel aided him to move in a better position. “Man, I was worried I’ll miss the wedding.” He laughed again and didn’t stop until another cough scratched his throat.

“Ya, don’t force yourself!” Daniel scolded and covered the man with the blue blanket.

“Alright, chipmunk.” Donghae teased. He earned a chuckle from the blond and a scorn from Henry.

“Great,” Henry muttered under his breath “just great.”

It was a miracle the other was able to speak due to his prolonged coma. Maybe because of that Daniel couldn’t stop talking with Donghae and without noticing, two hours passed. Henry felt time stretch from the first minute to the last second. He also counted every petal that touched the ground and wondered for how long those flowers have been there and from whom.

The visiting program was almost over and with that in mind, he stopped their chit-chat and insisted it was better to let the newly awoken man rest some more. After a few silent protests in the form of a doe-eyed Daniel, Henry didn’t give up and successfully shared their goodbyes on their way out.

---

Dressed up and with his face barely visible, Henry plopped on the bus’ chair and wondered how many more heart attacks he’d have to avoid before one shall grab him out of the blue. Daniel took the seat near and pinned his head against Henry’s as the vehicle gently swayed them back home. Henry closed his eyes and let the evening’s exhaustion carry him to dreamland. His attempt had been cut short when Daniel’s voice hovered around his ear.

“Want to hear a story?” Henry forced his heavy eyelids to reveal those tired orbs. He didn’t answer because Daniel would do as he wished anyway. After another piece added to the puzzle that was Daniel, he’d be more than happy to let the blond speak of whatever he wished in order to feel happy. But for the sake of making sure he was in real life, Henry decided it was best to answer.

“What story?”

“I read it when I was in high-school,” Daniel started with the same perfect pitch – not too low and not too high. It showed the confidence he possessed in retelling something that could arouse Henry’s senses. The violinist closed his eyes again and let Daniel keep him in a state between being awake and asleep.  “They say there’s a world filled with smoke that chokes anyone who dared pass its rose borders.”

Henry snorted.

“Was it written by a gardener?” Daniel lightly tapped his head. “Fine, fine,” he cuddled over the other “Continue.”

“Anyway,” Daniel sighed “One did that. He went against the warning and crossed the border.”

“Did he die?”

“No,” Daniel chuckled “it wasn’t a horror story, you know.”

“Anything that chokes people,” he his lips and muffled a yawn “sounds like a horror story to me.”

“But that’s just it.” Daniel’s voice bloomed in joy “the smoke was the scars he carried. And you know roses have thorns. So, if you cross a border made of roses, you’ll get hurt. And behind that barrier is more pain.”

Henry suddenly fluttered his eyes open and gave Daniel a weird look.

“So he was a masochist?”

Daniel pulled on Henry’s ear.

“No, he faced his fears. He was courageous enough to battle them and become victorious.” Daniel nodded to nobody in particular. “He could breathe again.”

For an unknown reason, Henry only gave a weary grin and pretended to take a nap for the rest of the ride. He couldn’t tell Daniel that his rose border collapsed from the violent smoke which slipped through every pore and had been suffocating him from the day they met.

I wanted to write more, but I was between updating and waiting one more day, so... yeah, first choice .-. 4AM right now /so tired. Yes, I invented that story D: