Rating:  Slightly PG 13, implication of . No proper ty bits though.

✮✮✮

"I love you, Cha Hakyeon,"

Ah, there it goes, Hakyeon thought impassively as he saw a petal fall off. He quickly reminded himself about the predicament at hand. He wasn't sure whether the redness rushing to his cheeks and ears were a result of the confession, or because he was embarrassed for acting this way. He quickly placed a smile on his face, slightly reluctantly, "I love you too, Ravi…" His smile turned genuine as he saw the pensive face in font of him beaming quickly into a grin. The man before him squealed in joy and embraced Hakyeon and Hakyeon welcomed the warmth. It was a cold winter evening and even under the number of coats he was covered in, and the confine of a man so full of warmth, inside, Hakyeon could feel the small cold lump of dread.

✮✮✮

Hakyeon didn't know when it started, but he just knew. He knew when relationships were not going to work out. He couldn't say a timeframe per se but he finally concluded that it was like looking at a flower losing its petals - and when you give a non material object a being, it will become it. He doesn't exactly know it for everyone, but rather, for people he properly give a thought about. His earliest memory of actually giving thought about it was when he visited a friends house as a child and saw their parents, the flower of their romance frail and the petals brittle. One day, he saw the flower no more. His friend had been problematic but had always been a quiet one so when Hakyeon came over to pass the handout, noticing the face of the mother when she opened the door to welcome him, Hakyeon just went to his friends room, closed the door behind him and hugged his friend who was suddenly alarmed. His friend asked what was the problem and Hakyeon could only mutter a weak 'I'm sorry,' before the mask the boy had put on crumbled. The boy moved after that and Hakyeon paid attention to more of the flowers, his heart wrenching silently at every pitiful flower he passed.

✮✮✮

"Hakyeon…" a kiss "I love you…" Hakyeon felt finger crawling up his stomach.

"Ra-" Hakyeon moaned, feeling the tender touches circling a spot sensitive to his body.

Hakyeon had abhorred relationships for a long while after that, put off quickly by the flower he saw as they confessed. The worse was when he saw a jasmine, 5 petals, it wouldn't last long. The jasmine however, was his undoing. He thought, why bother and wait for the one? He'll never know when it'll come. And that was the first time he submitted, ironically deflowering himself.

When Ravi had confessed, he saw a blue rose. It wasn't too bad, it promised a rather stable relationship, so Hakyeon conceded. They started out as a senior and junior in the music and dance club, or rather members of their respective clubs, having to work together for a competition. He couldn't blame Ravi, he had seen the glances the boy had given as Hakyeon practiced his moves in front of the mirror. "My muse" Ravi would say and Hakyeon would chuckle back. Which brought Hakyeon back to reality.

"Ra-Ravi stop…" Hakyeon tried to push the hands off his body.

"No," Ravi on Hakyeon's neck, earning an illicit moan.

"W-we're in your studio…." Hakyeons limbs felt weak, "you… you need to work…" Hakyeon felt his body pushed deeper into the old couch.

"I am…" Ravi nipped at Hakyeon's collarbone, "I'm getting inspiration," Ravi brought his face up to Hakyeon's face, looking straight into the otehrs eyes. Hakyeon was weak under Ravi's gaze, "My muse…" Ravi growled.

Hakyeon gulped, "As you wish…" Hakyeon closed the distance, tugging at Ravis shoulder, feeling Ravi''s mouth curve into a smile in the folds of his lips.

✮✮✮

The problem was, Hakyeon never knew whose  fault it was. His low expectations, or the other party (reasons may vary). While he looked at Ravi's back, slouched over the computer, he playfully counted the remaining petals. He closed his eyes, it's going to end soon. Again.

And when it did, he wasn't taken aback. I'm sorry, somehow it wasn't as I imagined it to be, well, at least Hakyeon didn't see another flower blooming next to his flower, Hakyeon noted bitterly. They broke up the next winter, fairly short for a rose but Hakyeon couldn't care less by then. He was 26 and he had dream that someday, he'd meet the person who would have flowers with petals that bloomed each and every way, a love like his parents that seemed as if everyday, rather than dwindling, the petals seemed to grow in number. He was 26 now. When was the love of his life going to appear?!

So Hakyeon did what any 26 year old forlorn man would do. He drank.

And he made a friend. A poor unsuspecting man sitting next to him in the bar who had to listen to Hakyeon whining about his problems. He was 26, he had trust issues, he was gay on top of that, woe is life. The man smiled curtly, somehow making Hakyeon snap even more and somehow Hakyeon found himself arms tangled around the mans shoulder, bumping on his back with every step.

"Ra… ravi…?" Hakyeon croaked, voice hoarse from screaming. He didn't get an answer but he didn't need much to realise it was not Ravi, but the man he met at the bar. "Ah… you're not him… you're that nice man… are you bringing me to somewhere nice?" Hakyeon tightened grip on the man.

"I'm bringing you to your house. You need rest," the man finally replied after a moment of silence.

Hakyeon smiled, "I'm sorry…" and that was a nice sentiment, if minutes later Hakyeon didn't vomit onto the mans back.

✮✮✮

The pain came first. Hakyeon had to decide whether his heart or his head hurt more. He decided on the latter and groaned as he opened his eyes, shielding it from the brightness of the sun streaming in through his windows.

"…" he didn't swear much but on this occasion, "my head hurts," he deemed it worthy. He propped himself up, swung his legs of the bed and slowly got up, tripping on an object on the floor. He heard a groan. A groan? Hakyeon's eyes was wide open now.

"Good morning to you," the groan had continued to words now. It was the nice man! And the nice man was in his room. On his floor.

"I…" Hakyeon felt the colour on his face fall, "I am SO, so, SO sorry," the events of last night rushing through his mind. He got to his knees next to the man and started saying things in a rush of panic. Hakyeon was in clean clothes, meaning the man had changed him, and probably wiped him clean. Hakyeon spotted the medicine on his side table and a glass of water. The man was so nice and what has Hakyeon done.

The man gave a soft chuckle before placing a finger to Hakyeon's lips, "It's okay. You had a bad day." the man shrugged before getting up to his feet. Hakyeon was dumbfounded. The man moved away from Hakyeon, heading towards the kitchen area, as if it was the most natural thing to do. "Cha Hakyeon?" Hakyeon heard his name being called. Hakyeon turned to attention.

"Yes?"

The guy smirked, "The name is Jung Taekwoon, remember me?" Hakyeon looked at the man questioningly then it hit him. The boy who acted strong in those moments when his family was falling apart, the boy who cried his heart out in Hakyeon's embrace when they were children, the boy who turned out to be the man who had taken care of possibly a stranger over night.

"H-how did you know?"  was the first thing that rang through his mind.

"I looked through your wallet while I was cleaning you up yesterday," the man opened a cabinet.

"Oh my god! What happened to you!" Hakyeon was excited now, practically skipping to Taekwoon's side, "You never said goodbye and just left!" Taekwoon smiled warmly for once before his fingers went to Hakyeon's hair to pat down some bed hair.

"You haven't changed have you," Taekwoon muttered softly and Hakyeon felt the blood rush to his cheeks.

Ah, there it is Hakyeon noted, the small bud of a flower appearing before him. It was too soon his small heart cried.

"Well… ," Hakyeon pouted trying to hide his red cheeks by looking away, "you've changed a fair bit. You actually speak and express yourself now,"

Taekwoon gave a soft snort,  and a softer answer "I wonder why," before his attention went back to the omelette he was going to make.

Hakyeon peered again at Taekwoon and this time, he didn't know why his heart hurt. Was it his recent break up, or was it the seemingly new relationship territory that he was about to step in, or was it the sight of a flower so dense, and so alive, that made Hakyeon stare in awe.

"Hakyeon?" Taekwoon looked at Hakyeon, "I was asking if you wanted cheese in…" Taekwoon didn't finish his sentence, because he saw a tear escaping Hakyeon's eyes.