Kyungsoo had it bad.

Everyone on the block could tell who he was head over heels for his next door neighbor, everyone except his next door neighbor. But Kyungsoo had learned about a year after the friendly giant moved into the house beside his that Chanyeol was a bit oblivious. No matter how many times he’d snipped off one of Junmyeon’s roses and placed it on several different spots on the curly brown haired male’s front step, Chanyeol rushed out of the house every morning and didn’t spot it the first time. Junmyeon didn’t care for the fact that Kyungsoo was practically destroying his beautiful roses for a love unrequited or unacknowledged, but it didn’t stop Kyungsoo from stealing the little red roses. It was just one, after all. One. Every day. For as long as the roses bloomed.

Kyungsoo had given the unacknowledged gifts a rest during winter. He was head over heels for Chanyeol, but he wasn’t about to vacant his warm bed in the cold mornings to find something to use as a possible courting gift for the male.

But he still wished the friendly giant would notice him in a different light other than just the guy that lives next door to him.

“You could just try, I don’t know, talking to him?” Junmyeon suggested, eyes narrowing when he saw Kyungsoo reaching for one of the newly bloomed roses. It was the beginning of spring and he wanted to be able to welcome the blossoms into the new year but he had already learned that Kyungsoo would still steal one of them away, despite him threatening to beat him up.

Kyungsoo broke off the rose blossom from its stem, careful of the thorns, and completely disregarded the glare aimed at him now, “What would I say?” He took a sip of his coffee and glanced over at the house beside his, “It’s not like I can just say, hey, I’ve been stealing my neighbor’s roses every day and giving them to you, even though you haven’t noticed the first one, in hopes of you understanding my heart?”

Junmyeon shrugged, “You could try that. Chanyeol’s an understanding guy, I’m sure he would, at least, give you an answer. Maybe an invitation to dinner or maybe a gentle letdown so you can stop stealing my roses.” He motioned towards the line of rose bushes he’d planted years ago when he first bought the house, and how they were all slowly blooming in the spring warmth, “If he lets you down, at least my babies will be able to see more than one day of the new year.”

Kyungsoo didn’t reply to that, his gaze fell to the rose in his hand, it was a beautiful flower. No bug bites on it, no corrosion, the petals were healthy, the color was vibrant. Junmyeon’s roses were always beautiful every year. Why couldn’t Chanyeol notice the beautiful red flower? He knew that it was probably due to the rush the taller man was in every morning on the way to the school but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take a few minutes to stop… and smell the rose, right? Maybe he should just give up.

“Why do you steal my roses anyway, Kyungsoo? You’ve got a flower garden of your own out back, I’ve seen the pretty pansies and daffodils you planted.”

“I can’t grow roses though,” Kyungsoo nodded towards Junmyeon’s fence where the rose bushes were on Junmyeon’s side, “I planted a few when I first moved in too, but they never would grow for me. And red roses are a symbol of love, right?”

Junmyeon’s eyebrow lifted, “That’s the reason why you’re stealing my roses?” He sighed heavily, but could understand the sentiment, “You’d think romance wouldn’t constitute theft, but yeah, red roses are a romantic gesture. So is asking someone out for a cup of coffee or for dinner.” He waved Kyungsoo off, going back to watering his bushes, “But you’d best go ahead and plant the rose in an obvious place now, it’s getting time for school to start.”

Kyungsoo did not fail at all in scurrying across his lawn and making it to Chanyeol’s doorstep where he left the red rose, in plain view, where he’d always left the rose. Anyone would’ve been able to see it when they came out of the house, but of course, anyone but Chanyeol. For a teacher, Kyungsoo would’ve thought the taller man would’ve been more observant, but Chanyeol did teach elementary kids. How observant did he have to be to keep a kid from eating paste or from burning down the school?

He knew he was setting himself up for failure but he still left the rose and darted back by his car in his driveway, ducked down, and waited. Peeking over the hood of his car, he saw the porch light flip off and could already hear the jingling of the doorknob as it turned. It wasn’t surprising to see the friendly giant scrambling out the door with his bag slung over his shoulder, a piece of buttered toast hanging from his mouth, and his hands fumbling with the doorknob and keys as he secured his front door. Despite his tendency for tardiness and awkwardness, Kyungsoo found the man absolutely charming. Cool. Adorable. 

And the same routine played out like usual for Kyungsoo, his bottom lip poked out when a fumbling Chanyeol stepped right over the red rose that was on his door step and made his way to his car. It was the same every morning of the work week. An arrow right through Kyungsoo’s heart as he watched his crush drive off in the direction of the school. His shoulders slumped as he rose up from where he’d been crouched down by his car, he looked down at his coffee that had grown cold and sighed heavily.

“Hey, there’s always tomorrow,” Junmyeon chimed, shutting off the water hose now that he’d watched the entire scene unfold. “I have plenty more roses for you to steal, even though I’d rather you didn’t.”

Kyungsoo glanced over at Junmyeon as his neighbor rolled up the water hose and placed it neatly on the rack beside the spout, “But what if he never notices them?”

Junmyeon hummed, “I guess I’ll have to start planting more then.” He waved at Kyungsoo, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, it’s time for Sehun to get up for work. Better luck tomorrow, Kyungsoo.”

The black haired male watched as his neighbor retreated back into his house before he took another glance at the rose bushes and then over at the one that he picked earlier that was still in the same spot on Chanyeol’s door step. He wouldn’t have any luck with Chanyeol seeing it that evening either when he came home from work. It was much of the same scenario that played out in the mornings with the friendly giant.

He’d fumble with finding the right key to unlock the front door with and his arms would be full of papers and whatever mail he had for that day.

Maybe he should just give up. Was Chanyeol’s obliviousness actually just a gentle way of letting down Kyungsoo’s pursuit? Or was the taller man just that blind to the beautiful rose that Junmyeon grew?

Kyungsoo was a shy individual, that’s why he thought the best routine with flirting with Chanyeol would be through the small gifts of roses, stolen, but still, it’s the thought that counts. But what if he did just take Junmyeon’s advice and ask the man out? The worst that could happen is Chanyeol decline and Kyungsoo would be left with the eternal embarrassment any time that he saw the taller giant in the yard or greeted him when he got the mail occasionally. Could he deal with that? He cringed at the thought.

Trudging back into his house to get ready for the conference call that he knew would be coming soon, he still thought over what Junmyeon said. Could he just ask Chanyeol out?

The possibility of the friendly giant saying yes hung over Kyungsoo, just out of reach, but it still had him reaching for it. He had eight hours to ponder if he wanted to finally muster up the courage to face a flat-out rejection or acceptance. Chanyeol would be pulling back into his driveway around five that evening.

“Seeing that long face, I’m guessing the neighbor still didn’t notice your rose?” Jongin questioned, eyes looking over Kyungsoo from the other side of the screen. He had pulled up the PowerPoint slideshow for the older male to look over from the company’s sales and while Kyungsoo flipped through it, Jongin took that time to read him like an open book.

Kyungsoo spared him a glance before looking back at one of the slides, “No.” He finished glancing over the slide and before he went to the next one, he looked back at Jongin through the screen, “Should I just give up?”

Jongin hummed, “After a year of this? I think you should just talk to him, Kyungsoo. It’s more than obvious that he’s not going to take a hint.”

There was another individual telling him to talk to Chanyeol, among several others. He’d been hearing this from all his neighbors since they noticed his ‘gifts’ to the taller man. Junmyeon told him to talk to Chanyeol, the couple across from him said to talk to Chanyeol, Sehun said talk to Chanyeol, the elderly man delivering mail even said to talk to Chanyeol, the elderly lady at the marketplace Kyungsoo shopped at, that happened to be the elderly man’s wife, even said to talk to Chanyeol. And now, Jongin was amongst the several others. But should he really talk to Chanyeol?

Could he? And the very important question here is, would he?

“What if he doesn’t like me though?” Kyungsoo questioned, gaze shifting from Jongin back to the slides again, “I’d die of embarrassment.”

Jongin laughed, “You can’t die of embarrassment, if that were position, I would’ve died at the Christmas party last year when I knocked over the Christmas tree and almost set fire to the suite that the company rented.” He hummed, “It’s amazing that they still kept me after that.”

“You’re good at your job, it’d be a major loss to the company if they fired you for simply tripping up on the electric cord for the lights on the Christmas tree,” Kyungsoo shrugged. “It could’ve happened to anyone, Jongin.”

The other male waved him off, “Yeah, yeah, but that’s beside the point. Just ask out Chanyeol, you said he’s always friendly to you every time you see him anyway, I doubt he’d be a jerk about your crush.”

Kyungsoo paused for a moment, “It would be nice if he were a jerk about my crush though, if I ever did ask him out. Then I could hate his guts and not feel embarrassed by it, but if he’s still nice to me after he rejects me, it’d just be awkward. What could I say to him?” He rubbed at his forehead, a headache starting the more he kept thinking this over. “I mean, we go out and get the mail sometimes at the same time. If he rejects me, how do I just say, ‘beautiful morning, isn’t it? You crushed my pathetic heart by rejecting me!’? I can’t do that.” His gaze trailed from Jongin’s lifted eyebrow down to stare at nothing on his desk. “I’d have to avoid him at all costs. Especially if I confess to him and he knows that I’ve been leaving the roses. He’ll think I’m pathetic, oh god, I’ll have to move away. . Or tell Junmyeon to scare Chanyeol into moving away. He would do that, I’ve been Junmyeon’s neighbor longer than Chanyeol has. He likes me, other than stealing his roses, he said he liked having me as a neighbor. I could-“

“Kyungsoo,” Jongin interrupted the rambling, “Just talk to him.” When Kyungsoo looked back up at him, eyes wide as the scenarios still played out in his head. “Seriously, just talk to him, odds are, he might’ve just been waiting for you to make the first move.”

“But I’ve been stealing my neighbor’s roses for him!”

“Which he hasn’t seen, dummy, that’s not really a first move if he doesn’t even notice them.”

Kyungsoo sighed, “But there’s so much at stake if I make the first move.”

Jongin rolled his eyes, “It won’t be the end of the world, I promise.” He closed down the PowerPoint slide now, the end of the conference call was nearing, “If the roses don’t work, try something else. Or just pick a whole bouquet of roses and leave on his doorstep. Junmyeon definitely won’t like you then, but hey, you’ve stolen how many this far? A dozen more won’t hurt.”

“Hell no! Get away from my babies, Kyungsoo!” Junmyeon yelled, holding up his small rake in an attempt to strike his neighbor. He had been getting rid of the pesky weeds when Kyungsoo brought up the suggestion that morning. “You’ve got your singular one, that’s all you’re getting, you’re not stripping my babies of all their hard work and mine as well!”

“But come on, Junmyeon, just enough for a bouquet?” Kyungsoo pleaded, cradling the small rose he’d already snipped off against his chest. “If this works then I won’t have to steal anymore of your roses!”

“Hell no. It’s only the tenth week of spring and they’re so few right now. These are my babies, I can’t ask that of them. I sacrifice one a day, Kyungsoo, no more.”

Poking his bottom lip out, Kyungsoo pouted, “But they’ll grow back…”

Junmyeon groaned, “They will, but no. You can steal two tomorrow.” He motioned towards the rose bush that Kyungsoo had plucked off the current bloom today, “There’s two that should be blooming tomorrow, you can have those then.”

Begrudgingly, Kyungsoo had little choice but to accept the terms. If he did end up stealing a dozen, he knew that Junmyeon would really hit him with the rake and probably even more. He did have a lot of gardening tools, it wouldn’t take much for him to find a plot to bury Kyungsoo in the backyard either. He grumbled out a small ‘thank you’ for the rose he stole today.

“So have you given any thought into actually talking to him?” Junmyeon questioned, seeing the way that Kyungsoo’s bottom lip poked out even further. He already knew the answer to his question.

“I did give it some thought, I even talked to Jongin about it…”

“But you concluded that you would just continue stealing my roses and hope he takes the hint.”

“Well, I mean, it would be the safest way. Jongin said that Chanyeol wouldn’t be a jerk about the situation, if he did let me down with a gentle no, but I really like him, like, really, and it’d just be awkward if he didn’t want to accept my feelings.”

Junmyeon hummed, “It would be, but if you don’t say anything, what if he pursues  someone else and you lose your chance?” He nodded back at his house, “That’s what scared Sehun into confessing to me. He was just as shy and timid as you were when it came to asking me out, but he also worried that someone else would claim this sweet and that had him taking the initiative.”

Kyungsoo glanced back at the front door of Chanyeol’s, Junmyeon was right. It would awkward to see Chanyeol smiling at him so brightly as they went to check the mail if he let him down gently, but it would be even more awkward to see Chanyeol bringing someone home and knowing that that person would be on the receiving end of those bright smiles and those beautiful brown eyes. Kyungsoo wanted to be that person. He wanted to be that person so bad.

But that would only happen if Chanyeol liked him.

“If he does reject me, can you scare him away?” Kyungsoo turned back to Junmyeon, completely serious, despite the rising eyebrow of Junmyeon’s. “You like having me a neighbor more than him, right? If he does reject me, will you just scare him away? I’ll die of embarrassment if he doesn’t like me and ends up knowing that I’ve stolen roses for him for the last year.”

“I don’t know, Kyungsoo, Chanyeol doesn’t steal roses from me to give to his love interests. Who knows if you’ll start back stealing them if someone else moves into his house if I scare him off.” Junmyeon chuckled at the panicked expression on Kyungsoo’s face at that, but waved him off, “I’m kidding, you have been here longer, I wouldn’t mind scaring him off if it comes to that.”

That statement gave Kyungsoo a bit of relief.

The soft pit and patter against his window woke up Kyungsoo that next morning, it was raining. Junmyeon wouldn’t be out in the rain this morning and Kyungsoo was really debating if he wanted to steal the two roses that Junmyeon said he could have. It was a light rain that was coming down when he pulled back the curtain to look out and he saw that Chanyeol’s porch light was still on. It would remain on until the friendly giant left that morning for work. He looked over towards Junmyeon’s house and saw the tiny red roses that were closed this morning due to the rain.

Did he want to risk getting soaking wet to give the two roses to Chanyeol?

He didn’t but then he did. What Junmyeon told him yesterday had been bugging Kyungsoo ever since. If he let up on his game of trying to earn Chanyeol’s attention, someone else might swoop in and steal the friendly giant away from him. And he did not like the thought of that. He didn’t at all. Chanyeol was his.

Well, mentally, anyway.

It was that staggering thought that had him pulling on some clothes and fishing out his umbrella from the hallway closet. He slipped on some shoes and stepped out, opening up the umbrella before he stepped out from under the protection of the small awning on his porch. Quickly, he made his way over to Junmyeon’s fence and spotted the two roses that his neighbor pointed out yesterday to him.

He reached for them, careful of the thorns, and broke them off of the stem. Would Chanyeol notice them today? He really wondered, Chanyeol already fumbled with his belongings on the way as it was, and then add rain to the mixture, he really doubted his chances this morning of his gifts being noticed. But he still had to try.

The idea of a smiling Chanyeol with a faceless individual beside the tall man kept flashing through his mind and he didn’t like the image.

The roses were closed, so they looked like newly budding blossoms, but they were still beautiful, regardless. Junmyeon really outdid himself when caring for his rosebushes. He made his way across his yard and then up to Chanyeol’s steps to place the roses. The rain was still soft as it bounced off the top of his umbrella, and just as he was about to stand back up from crouching down to place the roses, he heard that deep voice through the door.

It was still slightly muffled but it was growing the closer Chanyeol must been to stepping up to the front door. He was about to run off and get back into the safety of his house before being caught but he heard that deep voice say something that sent every thought Kyungsoo had out the window.

“Yeah, I’ll see you this weekend. Mhm, I’ll bring the candies you like too, yeah, love you too.”

Love you too? Love you too?! Love. You. Too. Kyungsoo’s brain just froze. Who the would Chanyeol be saying that to? Did he already have a significant other? But Kyungsoo never saw anyone frequent the friendly giant’s house. He would’ve shut down any thought he had of the giant if he knew that Chanyeol was already taken. He would’ve stopped every fantasy he had, he would’ve dropped the subject, he would’ve left Junmyeon’s rosebushes alone, he would’ve-

The light on the front porch had his thoughts pausing. .

Kyungsoo all but ran back to his house, he didn’t even care if the teacher saw his roses now, he slammed his front door closed and dropped the umbrella, there wasn’t any point in having it when he realized that his hair was soaked. He couldn’t remember in his dash back to his house if he even held the umbrella up to stop the rain, but feeling the cold droplets running down his face, he must’ve forgotten all about the umbrella and the rain.

But he didn’t forget about those words. They still echoed through his head. He leaned back against his door, hearing the soft rain and then hearing Chanyeol’s car crank up. He slid down the door and just sat against it as he stared at nothing. The wet drips from his hair slowly turned warm as tears started mixing into the wetness on his face.

Maybe that was why Chanyeol didn’t notice the roses. Or maybe he paid them no attention as a gentle letdown.

Well, Kyungsoo concluded, Junmyeon would have to do his best at scaring away the friendly giant now.

“You don’t know if he’s actually got someone like that though, Kyungsoo,” Junmyeon’s voice came through the phone.

As soon as Kyungsoo pulled himself together, changed into some dry and warm clothes and made himself some coffee, he was already dialing up Junmyeon. The drowsy-sounding voice of Junmyeon’s greeted him that morning, so he knew his phone call woke up his neighbor but it didn’t stop him from asking if he would scare Chanyeol away.

“But who else would he be saying that he’d see this weekend and that he loves?” Kyungsoo mumbled, scrolling through his emails on his desktop.

“You do know he has parents, right? And he’s got a sister too, and a niece, it could’ve been any of them. You can’t be drawing conclusions like that when it could’ve been any of them that he said that too. Maybe one of his family members are having a birthday this weekend or whatever.”

Well, that was true. And Kyungsoo had many conversations with his parents and his brother to say practically the same script as Chanyeol had earlier. But it was the way that Chanyeol sounded, he was so happy when he was talking. But it was another thing that Kyungsoo could understand too. He was a gentle, happy, and fun-loving giant. There was practically a smile permanently on Chanyeol’s lips all the times that Kyungsoo saw him.

Another thing that made Kyungsoo fall head over heels for him. Chanyeol was just a beautiful individual to him.

“But if you’re like this with him when he was possibly just talking to his parents or sister, then you should really snatch him up before he does end up talking to another person like that or bringing them home with him. Just talk to him, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo hummed and agreed, knowing full well that he was not going to talk to Chanyeol. He just couldn’t get the nerve to do it, despite how much he kept pondering over it.

“Talk to him, Kyungsoo, seriously. Or I’ll call the cops on you the next time you steal my roses.” That statement had Kyungsoo pulling his phone away from his ear to gawk at it. His eyes widened when Junmyeon continued. “I’m not kidding, Kyungsoo, I figured I’d be nice about it instead of threatening to off you and bury you in the backyard, because trust me, I can do that too. But if this is what gets you to say something to him, then so be it.”

“You’re really not going to give me an option with that, are you?”

Junmyeon laughed over the phone, “I am giving you the option. You’ve been at this for a year now, Kyungsoo, and I know how much you like him. If me threatening to call the police on you gets you to actually confess to him, then so be it. You can thank me later when you’re wrapped around his arm, okay?”

Kyungsoo did like the image of that, but that would only happen if Chanyeol returned his feelings. “But what if he rejects me?”

“Then like we planned, I’ll scare him off,” Junmyeon sounded completely dismissal on that notice, almost like he knew that Chanyeol wouldn’t reject him. But Kyungsoo had to wonder, how did his neighbor that the friendly giant wouldn’t reject him? “I can hear the wheels turning in your mind over the phone, Kyungsoo, you’ve got six hours to make your mind up before he comes home. Confess to him.” His neighbor hung up the phone with that, giving Kyungsoo no room to retort.

He set down his phone and stared at the emails on his desktop for the longest before turning his gaze to the window where the rain was still gently coming down. It was such a dreary day, was that an omen of sorts? Did rain mean good or bad things? He could’ve looked it up but didn’t ponder it too much. All that kept running through his head was this morning and then the conversation with Junmyeon and now his choice.

The possibility that Chanyeol could find someone else that wasn’t him left a bad taste in his mouth and he didn’t like it at all. No matter how perfect his coffee was, it didn’t wash away the bad taste. He tried to focus on his assignment for the day for work and compile the data that he’d been emailed from Jongin, but it didn’t stop his mind from going over the options.

Junmyeon’s statement had brought a standstill for Kyungsoo, he didn’t want to risk jail time with his crush by stealing his neighbor’s roses. He couldn’t even be inconvenienced to get up and get any kind of flower or gift for Chanyeol when it was winter time, he definitely didn’t want to face the police.

If anything, he could just wait and see if Chanyeol actually noticed the roses today. There were two in plain sight, and when he peeked out his window towards Chanyeol’s doorsteps and saw the flowers were still where he’d left them, surely the giant would notice them today. Even if he hadn’t noticed them all the other times that Kyungsoo had left the roses.

Like Junmyeon said, he had six hours to come up with his decision.

Kyungsoo couldn’t believe his eyes at the event that happened when he watched Chanyeol pull up today after work. He watched the taller man exit his car with his umbrella open as he stepped out to check the mail with his arms full of papers and his bag slung over his shoulder. The rain was still softly coming down, still just a dreary shower, but Chanyeol didn’t seem to mind the rain as he grabbed the letters from the mailbox and made his way back to his house.

The breath caught in Kyungsoo’s throat and his eyes widened when he saw the friendly giant stop at the steps, he thought he’d choke on his spit when Chanyeol crouched down and actually picked up the rose. He picked up the rose. One of them, but Kyungsoo saw the reason why, the other must’ve washed away in the rain, it wasn’t on the step. But Chanyeol picked up the rose. 

Alarms went off in Kyungsoo’s mind, all repeating that Chanyeol had picked up the rose. He even saw the smile that crossed the friendly giant’s lips and when he stood back up, Kyungsoo quickly closed the curtains but kept a small opening to peek out of as the taller man turned towards his house and then glanced over at Junmyeon and Sehun’s home. Odds are the giant was putting two and two together with the sight of the rosebushes at Junmyeon’s fence.

Kyungsoo watched as Chanyeol stared over at Junmyeon’s house for a moment before finally opening up his door and stepping in out of the rain. But Kyungsoo couldn’t get over the smile that was on the friendly giant’s face. It was so beautiful. God, he’d love to see that smile every waking moment of the day.

The way that Chanyeol stared over at Junmyeon’s house, he really hoped the friendly giant wasn’t thinking that Junmyeon or Sehun was the one that left the rose. Surely he wouldn’t think that the couple would be leaving him roses?

He knew right then that if he wanted to clear up any confusion on the situation, he’d have to go and talk to the giant now. He’d gotten what he’d been waiting for all this past year, he’d finally noticed the rose. And he didn’t look like he was upset by it or hated the gift, so… was it safe for Kyungsoo to go over and confess now?

The sound of his phone vibrating drew him from his thoughts, he reached for it from his office desk and answered when he saw Junmyeon’s name lighting up the screen. As soon as he started to answer, his neighbor’s voice was coming from the speaker.

“This is your shot now, this was what you were waiting for. I saw him pick up the rose, get your over there and ask him out for coffee. Tomorrow is Saturday, perfect day for you to ask him out for coffee.”

Kyungsoo didn’t even get a chance to reply to that before he heard the beep and the call was disconnected. He stared down at his phone for a moment, and then took a deep breath. This was his chance, this was the moment he was dreading and anticipating.

While the last year, he’d hated that the friendly giant hadn’t noticed his gifts, at the same time, it was a safe gesture. He could remain in a sense of limbo on where the giant might stand. But now, the turning point had arrived. He grabbed his umbrella and slipped on his shoes and slid out the front door. Rain pattered against his umbrella, a bit heavier now, but nothing too hard.

He moved across his yard and around Chanyeol’s car in the driveway and stepped up to the doorstep of his neighbor. Since Chanyeol only found one rose, would it be a sweet gesture if Kyungsoo looked for the second one to give to the giant as well? So that Chanyeol knows that he was the one that gave him and not Junmyeon or Sehun.

Crouching down on the step, he looked around the area and around the shrubs that Chanyeol had for the sight of the red blossom. He looked high and low for the red flower but hadn’t seen anything yet. The steps were wet from the rain and a bit slippery and when he bent to the side of the steps, thinking he spotted some color, his foot slipped. Luckily, his knee caught his weight to keep from taking him completely down, but the slight stumble had his umbrella falling out of his grasp.

When he reached down to get the umbrella, he spotted the lost red rose. It was soaking wet but was still altogether in one piece, just off the side where the concrete was for the walkway. He reached for it instead of the umbrella, his hair was already getting wet and his clothes becoming soak, and just as he picked up the rose, he heard the front door open.

“Kyungsoo?” Chanyeol’s heavenly deep voice called, and Kyungsoo’s heart skipped a beat again when he looked up where he was to see the surprised smile on the taller man’s lips. “What are you doing out here in the rain?”

Kyungsoo looked down at himself, he was on one knee, kneeling down, in his hand was the rose, he was soaking wet by now, shivering slightly, and there was the love of his life standing over him. He finally decided to gulp down his fear and take the initiative that Junmyeon told him to take, that Jongin told him to take, that everyone on the block told him to take.

He lifted up the rose to Chanyeol, seeing the giant’s eyes widen and his smile faltered slightly, curiosity taking over his features. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say, because did he want to just confess that he was the one that was behind the countless roses that his neighbor didn’t notice? Did he just want to ask if Chanyeol would like to get a cup of coffee? Would a request like that really constitute him kneeling down in the rain, holding out a rose to him like a proposal for marriage? No, it wouldn’t, so when the phrase fell from his lips, it surprised him.

“Do you need a lover?”

Not as romantic as he thought his mind would come up with and his mouth would blurt out, but it seemed to do the trick when a shy blush crossed Chanyeol’s cheeks and his smile grew wider. Cuter. Kyungsoo didn’t know if he could handle how cute the man could get.

“I’d rather get coffee or something first and see where the date would take us, but by your question, I’m assuming you’re the one that left this?” Chanyeol held up the rose that he had picked up earlier. He’d had it in his shirt pocket. Right over his heart. Okay, Kyungsoo wondered if that was intentional or not.

“Actually I’ve been stealing Junmyeon’s roses and leaving them on your front porch for awhile now, but thanks for noticing today,” Kyungsoo blurted out as well. May as well get every embarrassing detail out now, he supposed.

Chanyeol seemed surprised by that statement, he looked down at the rose in his hand and then the one in Kyungsoo’s, “Sorry… I only noticed this one. But that does give me a bit of relief, for a second there, I thought maybe Junmyeon or Sehun left the rose for me… which was weird since they’re married… happily, from what I’ve seen, and I didn’t know what to think about that, honestly.”

Kyungsoo was about to retort to that but Chanyeol’s outstretched hand to him had all thoughts and words disappearing. “Come on, let’s get you out of the rain.”

That hand was so big that it swallowed Kyungsoo’s up in it, but it was so warm. Kyungsoo could just imagine intertwining his fingers with the male’s on every occasion he could get with Chanyeol. Just basking into the warmth that seemed to radiate from this man’s hand and then the brightness of that smile that warmed Kyungsoo’s soul.

He hadn’t realized how chilly the rain was until Chanyeol closed the door behind him and the warmth inside the home had him thawing out.

“I’ll be right back, let me get you a towel,” Chanyeol stepped away from Kyungsoo to walk down one of the hallways to fetch the towel.

It gave Kyungsoo an opportunity to look around the place, he was standing in the doorway of the living room, staying in the shoe area so he didn’t drip water all over the carpeted floor. The layout of the home was similar to Kyungsoo’s but the inside of the living room felt cozier than his did. Kyungsoo rarely entertained guests, so he figured that’s why his house wasn’t as cozy.

There were pictures of two elderly couples here and there on the wall, then there was a couple at a wedding, Kyungsoo tried to see who the individuals were but he could already tell that the groom in the picture wasn’t Chanyeol. This individual wasn’t nearly as tall and he had solid black hair whereas Chanyeol’s was brown curls. To Kyungsoo, the brown curls seemed to add to Chanyeol’s cuteness. And then the other pictures were of Chanyeol with a baby and then a toddler and the last one he saw, Chanyeol was holding the hand of a little girl that looked around six or seven years old.

The two were smiling brightly for the camera in the picture and Kyungsoo knew that the little girl had to be the niece that Junmyeon mentioned. The smile on Chanyeol’s face looked like the proud one of a doting uncle, but Kyungsoo could already imagine the man wearing the same smile with his own child.

“Here you go,” Chanyeol’s voice drew his gaze back to the taller man, in his hands was two mint green towels. “You can come on into the living room and have a seat. We can talk more while you get dried off.”

Kyungsoo hesitated about that, he didn’t want to soak Chanyeol’s couch or chair, but the friendly giant didn’t seem to mind that at all. He slipped off his shoes and was lead into the living room where Chanyeol sat down in, what Kyungsoo could only assume, was his chair since it had the old crease in the seat of it from too much wear and the scattered papers, books, and pencils that rested on the small table beside the chair. Kyungsoo took a seat on the couch after setting down one of the towels for under himself. He used the other towel to wipe off his face and then start drying his hair.

“Are you cold or anything? I can make you a cup of coffee or tea. I’ve even got hot cocoa, if you’d rather have that than the coffee or tea,” Chanyeol stated after he sat down.

Kyungsoo cleared his throat, “Um, no, I’m good.” After that, the silence felt awkward. He wasn’t sure what to say, what could he talk about? What did Chanyeol like talking about?

Chanyeol nodded, “Okay. So… are you the neighbor that the mailman told me about too? He said that I should give my neighbor a chance cause he’s a really good guy. Just shy.” He hummed, “I thought maybe he was implying you as the neighbor since my other neighbor is a lady, but honestly when I saw that rose, I still thought it could’ve been Junmyeon or Sehun.” A chuckle fell from Chanyeol’s lips at that, he shook his head, “I still don’t know why I thought them, but still.”

Kyungsoo shrugged, “I guess that was mostly my fault. Junmyeon does grow roses whereas I can’t. I’ve tried growing them too, shortly after I moved in, but they never really did much and then that first winter we had, it just wiped them out. I haven’t tried since.”

Chanyeol hummed again, gaze falling on where he’d set down the roses, “Why’d you steal roses to give to me? I’ve seen the pansies and daffodils you grow in your backyard. They’re just as beautiful, if not more,” he grinned and that smile sent Kyungsoo’s heart rate soaring as well as the next words he said, “but I’m a er for daffodils.”

“Oh.” If Chanyeol liked daffodils, then hell, Kyungsoo would grow as many as he could and give to the taller male. “I’m sure I still have a few growing and some putting out if you’d like to get any. I can plant more too, if you want me to.”

The friendly giant laughed softly, “Sure. Or if it’s not too late into the season, you could help me plant some in my backyard, I’m afraid I don’t frequent it as much, but I’d be willing to learn to care for a few flowers.”

Kyungsoo was already nodding to that, of course, any chance to spend more time with this adorable man was all that he wanted. “S-Sure, it is a bit late in the season for them to do anything, daffodils usually only bloom around the beginning of spring, but you can go ahead and plant some for next year to bloom. And if you just like yellow flowers, I’m sure we can get some and I can help you plant… and help you take care of them.”

“Okay, sounds like a plan for a drier day than today.” It fell silent between the two again, the only sound was the rain coming down outside the window. Chanyeol started again, rubbing the back of his neck, a slight tint of a blush tinting his cheeks now, “So… about your question from earlier… I would like to get coffee first before any kind of love confessions, or maybe dinner this weekend… I’m going to be out of town Sunday for my niece’s birthday party, but I wouldn’t mind getting breakfast in the morning or maybe dinner tomorrow night.”

Kyungsoo didn’t miss the part of Chanyeol going to his niece’s birthday part this weekend. He must’ve been talking to his sister or maybe even his niece on the phone this morning. That must’ve been who he said ‘love you’ to. If it wouldn’t have appeared awkward to Chanyeol, Kyungsoo would’ve wiped the sweat from his forehead at the relief that statement brought to him.

But back to more important things. The friendly giant was suggesting they go out for dinner or breakfast, he wasn’t rejecting Kyungsoo’s heart at all. He didn’t trash the rose when he found it earlier, he even kept it, in his pocket. Kyungsoo felt like he was safe right now.

All that had to happen tomorrow was a nice date and then many more dates and then kisses and hugs and eventually he would be claimed by this tall and handsome man. And it only took a year of stealing his neighbor’s roses for this moment to finally happen.

“Yes!” Kyungsoos’s exclaim startled Chanyeol a bit but then he cleared his throat, “Sorry, I mean, yes, I’d love to go out to breakfast or dinner with you.” And yes, many more dates, and many more moments to spend together, but he couldn’t say that. Not yet. “I’m sorry I’m so awkward right now,” he lowered his gaze from Chanyeol’s, “I just really thought you’d say no to me if I even tried to ask you out.”

“Why would I say no? You’re a really good-looking guy,” Chanyeol stated. “Honestly, it was me that thought I didn’t have a chance with you. You always seemed so neat and collected that I thought you wouldn’t even look at me twice.”

“Oh…” Kyungsoo was curious now about how long the friendly giant liked him, but he supposed that could come later. “Well… now you know my feelings… um… would breakfast tomorrow morning be okay for you? If not, we can do dinner, especially since it’s Saturday and you might want to sleep in.”

Chanyeol smiled that beautiful smile that Kyungsoo loved, “Breakfast would be good. Ten o’clock?” Kyungsoo nodded to that time, that was doable. It wasn’t too early nor too late. “There’s a cafe near the city that’s got really good muffins and coffee. I could drive you there or vice versa?”

“Sure, you can drive, if you want,” he glanced back at the window, it was starting to get dark, “I guess I’ll go on home then, but I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Okay, I’ll walk you to the door,” Chanyeol stood up the same time that Kyungsoo did. He fetched his umbrella from beside the door and handed it to Kyungsoo, “See you in the morning.”

Kyungsoo bowed before he stepped out the door and opened the umbrella, he practically sprinted across his yard as soon as he heard Chanyeol close the door. It took little time to get up to his front door and get inside. Once he was inside and safely hidden behind his closed door, a giddy squeal fell from his lips.

“Did that just happen? Oh my god, did that just happen? I have a date with Chanyeol, I have a date with Chanyeol!” He punched the air. “I have a date with Chanyeol!”

His phone buzzed with a text message, drawing his attention. It was a simple text from Junmyeon, one that had a grin widening across his face as he practically danced through his house and sang as he made himself a small dinner that night. His mind was reeling with excitement for his date in the morning.

‘I take it from your skipping across the yard and the giant grin on your face that Chanyeol said yes to whatever date you brought up. Good. Now my babies can have  a rest from your stealing. Fighting, Kyungsoo!’ - Junmyeon