Something told him he had to face it. Something told him to go. Chanyeol rolled out of bed and showered, dressed in a nice pair of expensive jeans, put on his expensive watch. He felt better when he had expensive luxuries to hide behind.

"I'm going out." He called as he remembered this time to take a heavy coat and shoved his cigarettes into the pocket. He pulled a dark beanie over his flame coloured locks. They stood it too much against the murky grey sky.

"Where are you going?" His Mum called. "I'm going to Baek's." And he was gone before he could change his mind.

Chanyeol pulled his big SUV into the parking lot of the nursery. And sat there, eyes closed as he thought back, not willing to leave the safety of his car. He couldn't go through this again. He thought he was over it but as he sat faced with the place that held so many memories he knew they were only buried just beneath the surface. And they were ready to bubble over.

——-

Their close friendship had become a bit of a running joke amongst their friends group. They weren't the cool kids or the nerds, they were somewhere in between, and they were happy with that. Minseok, Jongdae and the recently added Yixing along with the inseparable best friends Baekhyun and Chanyeol. 

Inseparable best friends. Or something more?

For years Chanyeol had been hiding his true feelings. He had become an expert at hiding his love and burying his feelings deep inside. But the more time they spent together the more he began to believe that it wasn't so one sided. That maybe there could be something more. It wasn't even the physical contact. Baekhyun had always been touchy and his constant hugs made Chanyeol feel warm inside but in the last few months they had grown closer than ever. Chanyeol even suspected that their closeness was the reason things hadn't worked out between Baekhyun and Taeyeon. 

Baekhyun and Taeyeon dated on and off but she had ended it again recently and Baekhyun was sure this time it was for good. Baekhyun had been quietly devastated and Chanyeol had been quietly triumphant. But he comforted his best friend as well as he could and he always managed to turn Baekhyun's dark moods into sunshine with his wide smile and his goofy actions. He would come to the nursery with his guitar on his back and play for Baekhyun, he would tell stupid puns and crack the most pathetic jokes, and Baekhyun's frown would fade fast.

"You don't need her." Chanyeol smiled as he wound the strand of leafy green creeper into a circle. Baekhyun's cloudy mood was threatening to take over their weekend and he had to do something. He wandered the verdant aisles of the nursery and plucked a few daisies and roses to add. "I'll be your flower princess. You can be the handsome prince." Chanyeol wore his crown of scented beauty and strummed his guitar and Baekhyun laughed and laughed. Chanyeol was pleased. He'd cleared another one of Baekhyun's dour moods and the other boy smiling in the sunshine made his heart leap with joy.

"Dance with me my handsome prince." Chanyeol did his best to mimic a high pitch but his voice just cracked and broke instead. This just made Baekhyun laugh even more and Chanyeol grabbed him by the waist and whirled him around easily. Time and puberty had worked their unknown wonder on both boys and somehow Chanyeol had become almost a head taller than his short friend. 

The sun beat down and Chanyeol couldn't help but smile as Baekhyun buried his face into the warm lemon scented cotton of Chanyeol's tshirt. "Thanks." Baekhyun mumbled as Chanyeol held him tight. "For what?" Chanyeol said as they broke their embrace and began to walk through the tall conifers and baby eucalyptus that were generous with the heady aroma coaxed out of their leaves by the sun. "I don't know. Everything." Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Chanyeol and held onto him like a life raft as they walked through the nursery shop. The scent of pine gave way to the much less pleasant smell of fertiliser and potting soil and unsealed terracotta pots. But they were both used to it and neither wrinkled their nose as they passed. 

"Seriously. Taeyeon just keeps ing with my head, one minute she's all over me, the next she doesn't want me. She doesn't love me like I love her." Baekhyun's smile faded back into the frown that Chanyeol had so dilligently chased away just minutes ago. "Come on. Lets go to the bakery. I'll buy you a beesting!" Chanyeol resumed his job keeping Baekhyun's mood out of misery. "Then we can go walk down by the creek and see if there's enough water to swim later." It was Baekhyun's turn to laugh. "You just want to smoke!" He accused his friend who had become recently accustomed to sneaking a cigarette here and there. "They'll kill you, you know." Chanyeol shrugged. "You're still coming with me though!" and latched his arms around the smaller boy who squealed as Chaneyol dragged him out of the front door of the nursery and onto the street.

As he lifted Baekhyun by the waist and they both laughed in the sun everything seemed perfect. And for the next few months it was. With Taeyeon out of the picture Chanyeol and Baekhyun grew even closer if that was at all possible. And every quiet look, every gentle touch, every shared secret and smile gave Chanyeol hope. Every minute they were together the fire of hope inside Chanyeol's chest was fanned into flame by Baekhyun's warm affection.

They walked by the creek, potted seedlings in the nursery, watched movies and hung out with their friends. They studied and worked hard, Chanyeol played his guitar and Baekhyun made faces at his singing, they took their exams and soon graduation loomed over them. Things were about to change forever. 

And Chanyeol knew he had to tell him.

——-

Chanyeol hadn't even realised tears were streaming down  his cheeks. He wiped his face with his sleeve, grabbed the sticky paper bag containing his peace offering, and finally climbed out of his car. As soon as he walked in his senses overwhelmed him. Sight, sound, scent. It all flooded his mind and his emotions swirled inside him like a gathering cloud. The other day when he had tea with Mrs Byun he had only made it to the front counter. 

Walking through the aisles of potting mix and pots, the cheap plastic lawn furniture and the bags of fertilizer, out into the fresh humidity of the indoor plants section was like travelling back in time. The canaries had been replaced by a pair of beautiful parrots but the old aviary still stood strong. Chanyeol chuckled to himself as he imagined trying to climb into it now and eas he walked past rows of Elephant Ears and Bromeliads the familiarity began to soothe his soul. This was like coming home, only there was more here for him than in his family house, this was the place where he felt like he belonged.

He made his way out into the rows of fruit trees, past the roses, and found Baekhyun where he knew he would be. He stood in silence and just watched him at first as his eyes drank in the sight of Baekhyun absentmindedly tracing his fingers along a stem of lavender. If it wasn't for 100 tiny seedlings of lavender potted with love and turned into the most precious gift Chanyeol probably wouldn't have ever made it. Baekhyun had turned 100 baby plants into Chaneyol's future and he never really thanked him.

His legs began to move towards him as Baekhyun turned and smiled. And when Chaneyol held his arms out to offer the sticky paper bag full of sweets Baekhyun turned and pressed his body in between them instead.  

"Thanks." Chanyeol mumbled as he held Baekhyun tight. "For what?" Baekhyun said as they broke their embrace and sat down on the edge of the garden bed. Pine and lavender and lilac filled the air around them, coaxed out of their leaves by the stormy atmosphere, and  Chanyeol opened the bag and handed Baekhyun a beesting. "I don't know. Everything." Chanyeol said as he took a big bite of the cake. "For giving me a chance to fix this."