Daehyun didn’t come over the next day.

Daehyun didn’t come over for the rest of the week.

Youngjae didn’t realize how worried he was until a week from the last time Daehyun came over rolled around and he still hadn’t heard from him. He’d even stooped to texting the other man to no avail. He’d never once picked up his phone to contact Daehyun first, but now he was worked up and it was showing.

He had only been hanging out with Daehyun. Now that he wasn’t there and considering how oddly he’d been acting, Youngjae felt the need to at least know he was okay.

Youngjae pulled his coat on, stepping outside and into the blustery weather as he headed toward the store he knew Daehyun worked at. Maybe he would catch him at work, or when he was leaving.

Youngjae walked into the store and looked around, not catching sight of Daehyun or anyone else that worked there. He assumed that they were in the back so he busied himself looking at some of the flowers that he hadn’t seen, then moved onto the figurines they had set up. It took a while, but finally he heard a voice pipe up behind him.

It wasn’t Daehyun’s.

“Oh, hello. Are you looking for anything?” she asked, and Youngjae started to shake his head but decided against it. Instead he shrugged.

“I’m looking for someone, actually. Has Daehyun been in this week?” he asked, and she just shook her head.

“I was told he called out for the whole week,” she replied, brows knit together in confusion. “I don’t know why. I just thought he was really sick. Are you Jaehwa?” she asked, though she lowered her voice. Youngjae quirked a brow and shook his head, which the girl sighed at.

“No, I’m just a friend,” he said, and she nodded.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Would you like to purchase anything?” she asked, and Youngjae just shook his head almost dejectedly, offering her a soft bit of thanks in response as he turned and left the store.

He didn’t know what was going on and now he was even more worried. Daehyun hadn’t looked that sick when he’d seen him, not sick enough to call out for the entire week.

Youngjae was worried.

It was keeping him up at night a bit later than he was used to being awake, curled up under a blanket and zoning out in front of the television. His trip to the store had left him even more confused, and he had settled for waiting for a response with his phone next to him on the couch.

What he wasn’t expecting was a knock on the door.

Youngjae got up, only in his sweatpants that he’d been planning on sleeping in, and opened the door to an only barely smiling Daehyun. He looked at him with wide eyes, opening his mouth to speak before Daehyun shook his head and handed him a small pot of flowers.

“They’re Queen Anne’s Lace,” he said softly, Youngjae looking down at them. Daehyun bit his lip. “You look like you’re about to go to sleep. I’ll go,” he added, and all Youngjae could see were the dark circles under his eyes. He frowned.

“You don’t look good. Do you want to come in and sit down for a bit? Maybe… Maybe eat something?” he asked, looking Daehyun over and noticing that he looked a bit thinner as well. If he was sick he should have been eating, and Youngjae could tell he wasn’t doing a good job of that. Daehyun just shook his head.

“No, I’m fine. I need to get back, I’m only running an errand,” he added, giving Youngjae a little smile and turning to leave. Youngjae reached out, grabbing Daehyun’s wrist to keep him there for a moment more, and he watched the other man wince visibly as he pulled his hand away. “That… I hurt my wrist,” he said, and Youngjae pulled up Daehyun’s sleeve to see a few bruises. He looked up to Daehyun and saw his eyes searching before he shrugged and smiled weakly. “I hurt it at work.”

That wasn’t true.

“I lost balance and fell while I was bringing stuff in yesterday.”

Youngjae knew that wasn’t true.

“It’s been bothering me a lot.”

Why was he lying to him? Youngjae knew that Daehyun hadn’t been at work, but Daehyun didn’t know that. Youngjae just looked at Daehyun with an almost helpless expression, opening his mouth to speak before Daehyun pulled his sleeve back down and turned around, walking away.

“I’ll text you,” Youngjae called after him, Daehyun looking at him with a smile and a nod as he kept walking.

Daehyun had long since disappeared before Youngjae went back inside, looking at the flower that he’d been handed and rotating it around a few times. He pursed his lips, watering it and sitting down on the couch. All he did was sit and stare at it, brows knit together in both confusion and a bit of irritation.

He had no idea why Daehyun was lying to him, and he didn’t appreciate it. More than that, he felt a bit betrayed.

Youngjae remained worried that whole week, making trips to the small corner store to see if Daehyun had shown up. Every time he walked it he wasn’t there. Usually he was told that Daehyun hadn’t been in that day and he left a dejected mess, always looking over the flowers before he left. It was no different today, though this time as he left he picked up a small arrangement of carnations, paying for it with a little smile and slipping out. He walked in silence, holding the vase with a gentle touch and nearly dropping it when he felt someone grab his shoulder.

Youngjae turned around, about to yell at the man that had grabbed him before he realized that it was Daehyun. His expression immediately fell when he looked him over.

Daehyun looked even worse than he had the week before, and Youngjae couldn’t even bring himself to say anything to him. He was smiling, hand linked with a man that Youngjae could only assume was Jaehwa. Offering him as much of a smile as he could, Youngjae watched him for a moment before turning back to Daehyun.

“Why haven’t you been going to work?” he asked immediately, and Daehyun pulled back.

“I… Haven’t been feeling well,” he said softly, hesitation in his voice as Jaehwa shot him a glare. Daehyun just sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

Youngjae was about to open his mouth to ask another question when Jaehwa pulled Daehyun the opposite direction, Daehyun looking up at him as he nearly fell forward. He caught his balance, looking back to Youngjae with a soft smile.

“Wait, I forgot to ask about the flowers you gave me last week,” Youngjae said, and both Daehyun and Jaehwa immediately stopped, Daehyun’s eyes wide as he looked back to Youngjae. Youngjae saw the hesitant shake of Daehyun’s head but he said nothing, Jaehwa’s eyes narrowed.

“What flowers last week?” Jaehwa asked, and Daehyun bit his lip.

“Don’t worry about it. It was just a delivery I forgot to write down. It was really fast, I only took a couple of minutes.” It was like Youngjae was watching the gears turn in Daehyun’s mind as he spoke and he frowned, Daehyun looking back at him and then glancing down to the carnations he was holding. There was a long pause.

“… I like your roses,” he said, and Youngjae quirked a brow.

If anyone would know that what he was holding wasn’t a rose it would have been Daehyun, and Youngjae cocked his head in confusion. It was like Daehyun was trying to get a point across but Youngjae couldn’t figure it out. He just watched helplessly as Daehyun was led away, leaving Youngjae standing by himself on the street. He headed home as quickly as he could, coat pulled tightly around him.

When he finally got to his apartment he tossed his coat haphazardly onto the couch, setting the vase he was holding down and leaning over the counter. In all honesty Youngjae felt helpless. The one person that he’d actually managed to find as a friend was slipping away and he couldn’t do anything about it. It was like his health was just dwindling, and he was speaking in odd riddles, lying to him, and avoiding him.

Youngjae glanced at his phone, picking it up and sighing as he texted Daehyun again. He wasn’t expecting a response, but he was hoping for it. After he tossed his phone beside him on the couch he went to grab his laptop, legs pulled up comfortably onto the cushion as he glanced at the flower that Daehyun had given him the week before.

“Queen Anne’s Lace…” Youngjae mumbled to himself, typing it in and searching. He narrowed his eyes when he clicked the first link, lips pursed in thought before his eyes widened. “Queen Anne’s Lace symbolizes a safe-haven or sanctuary.”

Youngjae stared at the screen for a while before he grabbed his phone again, dialing Daehyun’s number. It immediately went to voicemail and he frowned, brows furrowed as he set his computer down so he could stand up to pace.

“Daehyun? Hey, can you call me when you get this? I need to talk to you, please come over.” He hung up after that, throwing himself almost pathetically down on the couch. A few minutes later he called again, eyes focused up on the ceiling. “Daehyun, please don’t ignore me. Call me, text me, come over…” With a sigh he ended the call, setting his phone on the table. He just stared at it almost the whole night and he fell asleep on the couch, computer still on a page explaining the meaning of flowers.

He didn’t hear from Daehyun for what seemed like ages, though it must have only been a couple of weeks. Youngjae himself was a wreck, and he could only imagine what Daehyun felt like. Glancing out the window, he groaned and pushed his hair back.

Not only had Daehyun not been over, he hadn’t been at work, nor had he called or texted. Youngjae sighed and leaned his head against the window, frowning.

When he heard a soft knock he shot up though, almost falling in his efforts to get there. Pulling open the door, he was about to smile but he ended up frowning again.

What he was met with was Daehyun, but he was barely recognizable.

“I got a chance to come over,” he said, offering a smile thought Youngjae didn’t believe it. Daehyun walked passed him, sitting down on the couch and looking back at him.

He looked horrible. The happy bright Daehyun wasn’t there, and Youngjae bit his lip as he watched him. It was so clear that he hadn’t been sleeping or eating right, and Youngjae couldn’t keep in the little worried exhalation that slipped out as he sat down.

“Daehyun, are you okay? Do you want food? Can I get you any food?” Youngjae asked, one hand on the other man’s shoulder. Daehyun just shook his head, glancing at Youngjae’s hand before looking back up. “Why won’t you answer my texts?” he asked, brows knit in concern as Daehyun shrugged. “Daehyun, please talk to me,” he added, almost shaking Daehyun but stopping when he winced.

“I don’t have a phone anymore,” he said, and Youngjae looked at him with wide eyes. “Jaehwa told me to get it turned off. He said it was so I didn’t have to waste any more money,” he continued, and Youngjae narrowed his eyes.

“He made you get your phone turned off? What the hell kind of person makes you lose contact with everyone?” His question might have been rhetorical but Daehyun answered anyway.

“Jaehwa’s just really protective. He doesn’t want to see me get hurt,” he replied, and Youngjae blinked at him.

He couldn’t honestly believe that Daehyun was defending him. But there he was, sitting on his couch and saying that nothing Jaehwa had done was wrong. Youngjae just listened as Daehyun continued on, hand still resting on Daehyun’s shoulder.

“Daehyun, please… Take off your jacket,” he cut in quietly, Daehyun looking at him with wide eyes. Youngjae just squeezed his shoulder, Daehyun wincing once again as he looked down. “He’s hurting you, isn’t he?”

There was a silence that hung over both of them, Daehyun staring at Youngjae and Youngjae near tears. Eventually Daehyun shook his head, slipping out of his jacket.

That was when Youngjae saw just how thin he was, just how many bruises he was covered in. Taking in a shaky breath, Youngjae looked him over and pulled him into a tight hug, which only made Daehyun cry out a bit.

“It’s… He barely ever does it. He’s really nice most of the time. You would like him, Youngjae, he’s really sweet to me.” Youngjae pulled away and looked into Daehyun’s eyes.

“I can’t like him if he does this to you,” he said, standing and gesturing to all of the bruises. “I bet it’s worse. I bet it was worse than this and now it’s healed. Daehyun, get out of there,” he pleaded quietly, and Daehyun just shook his head.

This was why he had messed up the names of flowers on purpose.

“I don’t want to."

He was trying to tell him that something was wrong, and he was trying to quietly ask for help.

"He’s so nice when he’s in a good mood and h-”

“When he’s in a good mood doesn’t mean that he is a nice person, Daehyun!” he screamed, a bit rougher than he had been intending and he watched as Daehyun flinched away from him. That single flinch made him stop what he was doing and he sat down on the coffee table, face resting in his hands as he took in a shaky breath. “Please don’t let him hurt you any more. If you’re going to stay with him, please just… don’t let him hurt you again.” He spoke through muffled hands, looking up at Daehyun afterward and watching the other man nod. Daehyun looked at him for a moment, about to say something before he looked at his watch and went pale.

“I have to be going,” he said quietly, putting on his jacket and leaving Youngjae sitting on the coffee table. “I promise I’ll be fine.” He didn’t see Daehyun look at the flowers, and he didn’t see him smile at them. All he heard was the door closing before he let his head drop into his hands again.

He wanted to help.

Daehyun had wanted him to help, but now he was refusing it.