pennies for poppies
Title: pennies for poppies
Rating: PG-13 (cursing, mention of homophobia)
Pairing: Hunhan (Sehun/Luhan)
Disclaimer: I don't own EXO (sadly) but I own the story and characters
Summary: Luhan cares for flowers and Sehun cares about hair gel and maybe possibly Jongin.
A/N: Inspired by this. warning: word vomit ahead
It took twenty minutes longer than usual for Sehun to get ready. Then again, it is partly his fault because he forgot to practice his new hairstyle the night before.
The dents and folds in his white button-up are caused by lack of ability to fold, and his dangling buttons are caused by his neighbor’s cat, whom he recently took in for a bit of extra cash. The ginger furball likes small things and bothering Sehun, so what better way to accomplish both than to destroy Sehun’s shirt buttons?
He leaves his apartment with shoes on the wrong feet and the sound of a ticking clock in his ears because he knows this is the latest he’s ever left the house on a school day. His shiny red bike glints teasingly at him, as if to say you’re late and you know it. Sehun grunts and shoves his unbuttered toast into his mouth.
The wind blows past his unharmed gelled hair, grazing his freshly washed face and cutting through the openings in his dress shirt. Sehun’s legs ache with the familiar feeling of pushing himself to bike faster. Luckily, his bike complies easily.
The city itself is a fortress of steel, dressed in geometric glass shapes and sharp corners. The sidewalks are moldy around the edges, and tiny swords of grass poke from the crumbling cracks between squares. Drips of sunlight color the waking stores in buttery yellow.
It’s too bright to be Monday morning.
Sehun turns the corner and his bike glides past a group of elementary kids. He rings his bell and listens to the way it trills in the air. Sometimes he rings it just to listen to the sound.
At the end of the block, Sehun can see the flower shop with its cherry red overhang and white-paint letters. Dots of crimson and magenta poke out from crowds of white and blue, and Sehun can make out the sale sign hanging from the pots. Little white tags flutter as a breeze whistles by.
The bell chimes and Luhan walks out in his prim lavender apron, material punctured by a nametag.
“Luhan!” Sehun waves.
Luhan looks up and smiles. “You’re later than usual, you know that?”
It takes a few moments of breathing for Sehun to fully take in Luhan’s presence. His hair is silky strands of champagne brushing shivering black lashes and round doe eyes. His skin glows in the moonlight and is warm in the daylight. His lips are never chapped and there was a time Sehun daydreamed about kissing him on the mouth.
“Don’t remind me. How’s business?”
“Good. Could be better if we had flower boys. It'd help with sales.” Luhan shrugs.
“You could be one? Why don’t you do it?”
Luhan rolls his eyes. “I’m too old, apparently. Maybe you can.”
“No.” Sehun wrinkles his nose. “I’d probably have to wear makeup.”
“Shut up. It wouldn’t be that bad.”
“That’s because you actually look like a female.”
“Go to school, dumbass.” Luhan hits him.
Sehun gives a parting wave before stealing a poppy from one of the flower pots. He knows Luhan is going to give him a beating for it afterwards, but the wind is curling through his shirt and his hair is detaching from its gelled mold, so he could care less.
As he bikes away, Xiumin comes out of the flower shop and nudges Luhan.
“You’re more fucked than I thought.”
Luhan rolls his eyes and throws a peony at him.
***
Sehun gives himself a fair amount of time to fix his appearance before he goes into the building.
The front gates and beyond are empty since he’s ten minutes late. His bike gears click and the chains make small whirring noises as he pushes it to the steel rack near the front doors. It’s oddly quiet outside, but it makes sense since everyone is in their classrooms by now. Sehun groans.
He locks his bike to the rack before fixing his hair and trying his best to adjust his shirt. The buttons are a goner, but he can at least pull the sides together.
He can hear someone running towards him from behind and he turns around because wow, someone is actually later than I am.
“Oh my god.” The boy hunches over, hands on his knees.
He’s new. He must be, because Sehun would remember if he saw an attractive, caramel-skinned individual with lean muscle and nice shoulders. The guy stands and Sehun almost gasps because good god, his lips are plush. His face isn’t too bad either.
He holds his breath when the guy looks at him. “Hi, who are you?”
“I’m Sehun. I’m late too.” Sehun deadpans.
“Yeah, well I’m Jongin. I’m new here.” He smiles and Sehun nearly faints.
When they get to homeroom, the teacher is red in the face and his mustache quivers as he yells at them. Spit goes flying, but Jongin stays calm and looks apologetic.
“I’m really sorry, sir. I’m new here, and Sehun happens to live nearby, so I asked him to wait for me. I had no idea about the time, so it’s really my fault.”
Sehun looks at Jongin in shock. He lies so easily.
The old guy rubs his fat chin before sighing, “Alright, just take your seats.”
The whole class watches as both of them saunter to the last row in the back of the room. As they drop their bags, Jongin nudges Sehun and winks at him.
Sehun loves it.
***
Luhan works at a flower shop because it goes against his parents’ beliefs, stereotypes, and homophobia issues.
He attends a great university nearby, but not one of the bigshot ones his parents prepared him for since he was young. He likes girls, but only as friends since he is gay, unlike his parents who told him forever ago “being gay is wrong”. He hasn’t dated anybody in a while, but only because he hasn’t found the right person, not because his parents have already arranged a marriage.
Xiumin first met Luhan when Luhan ran away from home at seventeen and showed up at the flower shop. Not only did Xiumin give him a job, he also gave him a bed and a roof over his head. Luhan couldn’t have asked for anything more.
He met Sehun on his second day of work. He vaguely recalls seeing a skinny, pasty white teenage boy with messy hair zipping by on a red bike. He remembers dull brown eyes but a running mouth that moves as fast as he cycles.
Sehun had stopped that day, wheels squealing and rubber burning, right in front of Luhan, who had froze in front of him while holding a pot of chrysanthemums. They had stared at each other for a moment before Sehun stuck out a hand.
“I’m Sehun. Please move.”
From then on, Sehun visited everyday, riding the same old red bike and wearing the same old poker face. He would always have a partly consumed piece of toast dangling from his thin lips and a stupid joke hanging from his tongue.
It became a routine, everyday, sharing the sunlight and smell of fresh flowers, drinking in the corny puns and ridiculous laughter, sound of gears clicking and wind blowing, messy hair and toast bits falling on the ground. Luhan loves it all.
***
“Luhan, Luhan, Luhan!”
Sehun tears through the front door, bell jingling wildly, as he narrowly avoids knocking over a row of potted flowers. His poor red bike is discarded outside, laying on the sidewalk.
Luhan looks up with a frown, hand on a spray bottle. “Calm--”
“There’s a new kid.”
“Does that mean you finally have friends?”
“Fuck you. This is for real. He’s actually cute.”
Luhan pauses for a moment to gauge Sehun’s expression. Sehun looks like a bull in a china shop.
“Okayyy. What does he look like?”
Sehun grabs a wooden stool and sits on the wobbly surface. The base creaks under all the weight and Sehun almost topples over, gangly limbs and all.
“He’s got really sexy tan skin. Like, dark and...smoky?”
Luhan nods as he sprays the flowers. Sehun snaps open his bag and pulls out his homework. A few pencils clatter to the ground and a rolled up ball of failed test flies out as well.
Sehun throws the ball into the trashcan. “God, and his lips are so nice. So nice.”
“Did you kiss him?” Luhan sighs before dropping the spray onto a work cart.
Sehun gives him a look. Luhan shrugs in reply before moving the pots outside. Shaking his head, Sehun gets up and follows, open workbook in hand.
He squints because the sunlight is blinding, even in the later hours of the afternoon. The taxis orchestrate a cacophony of honking and broken air conditioning sounds. Luhan places the pots on an empty spot in the display and whips his head around.
He smacks Sehun on the head. “Do you even know his name?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s Jongin.”
Luhan folds his arms across his chest. “Go ask him out, then, I guess.”
Sehun gapes at him. “Ask him out? This guy is a god, and I’m--”
“A super-skinny, super-awkward teenager?”
Sehun gives Luhan a look. Luhan shrugs again before whistling his way back into the flower shop.
***
Luhan is having trouble sleeping.
Sweat clings to his skin and drips down his neck. The air conditioning failed around dinner time, and Xiumin said the guy wouldn’t come until the morning. A cold shower felt great while he was in the shower, but Luhan could feel the humidity creeping back.
The bed groans and squeaks as Luhan sits up with a sigh. His blankets are rumpled and discarded on the wooden floor, along with his t-shirt and pajama pants. He kicks them on his way to the kitchen.
The cold glass of water slides down his throat. The broken clock from the thrift shop is still working, awkwardly ticking in a loud fashion. It pauses sometimes like a sputtering car, but it always keep running. Pieces of moonlight drape over various appliances and furniture like glowing puddles.
Luhan stares out the window and finds himself drifting.
He must be attractive. If Sehun likes him.
***
Sehun is ripping his hair out for various reasons.
Upon unlocking the door to his apartment, the neighbor’s ginger tom attacked him with its creepy glowing eyes and sharp claws. Sehun had screamed until it leaped off with a flick of its skinny tail. He really does hate that cat.
The real disaster was made of three parts, both of which were Sehun’s fault. The first mistake he made was throwing his schoolbag onto his bed. The top had popped open and a few loose papers fell out, one of which was his homework. The second mistake was leaving his hair gel out after using it that morning, because when he went into the bathroom, the stupid cat had chewed on it. All of it.
The third involved him walking back into his room, only to find his bag on the ground and the cat chewing happily on his assignments.
It’s almost midnight and Sehun still has unfinished math homework. It is partially his fault, however, because if he had just finished it at the flower shop, he wouldn’t be having this problem. On the other hand, ‘talking about Jongin’ is a very plausible reason. It always is.
Sehun drops his head onto his desk. He spies his ruined uniform laying on the doorknob and thinks back to how Jongin looked in his own. The thought makes him warm inside.
Maybe I can take a break.
***
Jongin.
When he walks into homeroom, Sehun is already there. Sehun’s eyes detach from the pages of a manga so he can look up and gaze at Jongin. It’s almost sickening, how badly he wants him.
The sunlight is kind to Jongin and makes him glow. He’s golden brown and his eyes melt into drips of milk chocolate. Jongin is showstopping, absolutely stunning. His hands are in his pockets, and for the first time, Sehun notices the braided leather bracelet around his wrist. He can see the edges of broad shoulders and thick collarbones, caramel flesh coating them.
“Hey.” Jongin smiles.
“Hey. How was your first day?” Sehun applauds himself for not fucking up.
“It was alright. Could’ve been better.”
Jongin slips into the seat next to Sehun and grins widely. “I think it’ll be fine. As long as I’m not late again.”
Sehun nods, red under Jongin’s amber eyes. “By the way, uh, that was a good save yesterday.”
Jongin shrugs. “I guess. I used it once back in Seoul.”
“You lived in Seoul?”
Jongin starts to go off about Korea and the city life there. His entire face lights up as he laughs about the funny drinking stories he’s had and the night life he’s experienced. Sehun drowns himself in all the details.
“So, what about you?” Jongin asks, lips pulled into a grin.
Sehun scratches his head. “Nothing interesting, really. I’ve lived here forever.”
Jongin scoffs. He lightly punches Sehun in the shoulder and the warmth shocks his system and lights him on fire.
“Bullshit. I’ve got time.”
***
Luhan is about to die when he drops another potted plant.
It’s only his second one, but it’s one too many. The customers in the store, an old lady and a young businessman, glance over at the ruckus before turning around again to continue their shopping. Luhan bows in apology to nobody in particular.
He crouches down and picks up the larger pieces. The flower is a mess, petals crumpled and leaves bent out of place. He winces because he knows Xiumin is going to take it out on his paycheck.
He finishes cleaning up in no time and continues tending to the poppies out front.
A light breeze flits through the air. It streams through Luhan’s champagne locks and makes the flowers wave. A small smile grows on his pink lips as he gingerly organizes the pots.
His phone vibrates in his apron pocket. It’s the tenth time today.
Sehun: joNGIN IS PERFECT GDI oh btw I got his number ^o^
Luhan grips the stem of one of the flowers. What is this kid to Sehun? Didn’t he just meet him? If he was being honest, Luhan doesn’t feel like hearing Sehun talking about some kid he doesn’t want to know about.
“Luhan!”
Xiumin grabs Luhan’s wrist and gently pries his fingers off the poor flower. “Jesus, pay attention!”
Luhan jumps a little and stares at the flower. Its head bobs with the wind, dangling at a weird angle. A dent had formed from the way Luhan was pinching its stem.
“Sorry.”
Xiumin looks at him. “Are you okay?”
Luhan purses his lips. “Tired. Couldn’t sleep.”
“Yeah, me too. But you don’t see me taking it out on the flowers.”
Luhan slaps Xiumin on the arm before walking back into the shop. New customers, a mother with her child, stands by a few bouquets of lilacs and pansies. Luhan smiles as he walks by and assists them with a polite voice. He’s not going to fuck up his job anymore.
After he rings them up, his phone vibrates again.
Sehun: STUDY DATE. WITH JONGIN. HELP ME.
Luhan grits his teeth.
***
The school library in the afternoon is generally quiet, except for today.
Jongin laughs at another one of Sehun’s jokes (a good one that Luhan laughed at) before clamping a hand on his mouth for being too loud. Sehun’s heart swells in his chest.
Their book bags are thrown against the wall and a few empty chip bags lay errant on the ground next to them. An open box of chocolate-covered pretzels is half empty because they’re both sharing it.
Sehun blows at his bangs. “Math is hard.”
“Not as hard as English.” Jongin scoffs, chewing the tip of his pencil.
Sehun pulls out his phone. No new messages. Was Luhan ignoring him?
R u mad at me, Lu?
His finger hovers over the send button. He ends up deleting the message and turning off his phone. Jongin points to the bike charm hanging by a strap. “You like biking for fun?”
“What?” Sehun looks at the charm. “Oh. Eh, it’s okay. I only use it to get to school.”
“Is that a gift?”
“Yeah. From a friend of mine. He doesn’t go here, he’s in college.”
Jongin nods. He gives Sehun one more glance before clearing his throat and going back to his English. Sehun stares at him for a little longer before turning to his math worksheet. He’s not sure why he didn’t mention Luhan’s name. The phone in his pocket burns.
“So, um, can I ask you something?”
Sehun looks up. Jongin seems kind of embarrassed. “Yeah?”
“I realized that walking to school would always make me late.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Yeah. So…”
“Are you asking me to give you rides, Jongin?” Sehun asks, a growing smile on his face.
Jongin lets out a huge breath. “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
Sehun waves it off. “It’s cool. Just text me your address.”
“Okay. Great.” Jongin bites his lip.
Sehun melts a little.
***
This evening’s sunset is peels of rose and orange clouds.
Xiumin waves goodbye to the last customer before running a hand through his bleached hair and taking off his lavender apron. Luhan is sitting by the counter, counting up the money they made today. The entire shop is washed in translucent coral, streaked by pale yellow bars and long shadows.
Luhan’s phone vibrates. He sighs and drops the coins back into the register before pulling out his cell.
Sehun: the date went well~ ^^ r u ignoring me?
Luhan’s fingers twitch. No im not. busy all day.
He lets his phone fall onto the counter with a clatter before recounting the money a second time. The phone trembles loudly.
Sehun: ok well good luck lol
Luhan sighs. He turns off his phone and slips the money into the lockbox.
Xiumin walks over, a brand new pot in hand. “Rough day?”
“No, no. Well, maybe. Yes.” Luhan breathes.
He starts taking off his apron and Xiumin smiles. “Tomorrow might be better.”
The door to the flower shop opens and the two of them look up. A handsome teenager walks in, white dress shirt unbuttoned at the top and slacks wrinkle-free. His dark locks are shiny under the orange glow and his eyes are melted chocolate.
“Hi, I’m looking for a job?” He flashes a smile.
“Oh? Really?” Xiumin’s lips pull into a smile. “We need the help.”
“Yeah, I saw the ad in the paper.” The boy walks over to shake Xiumin’s hand.
Luhan smiles at him. His skin is nice and tan, like caramel syrup on a frappucino.
Xiumin claps a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We can talk about it in my office. I’m Xiumin, the owner--”
“--And I’m Luhan. Hi.” Luhan sticks out a hand and the boy takes it, corners of his lips quirking.
“I’m Jongin.”
***
A few people stare at Sehun as he paces in front of Jongin’s apartment building.
His trusty red bike is leaning against the marble building, its silver handlebars gleaming from a recent wipedown. A few inaudible words slip from Sehun’s thin lips as he walks back and forth. His mother fixed his white shirt the other night, but the stupid cat left bright orange hairs on his slacks.
Sehun stops suddenly. He looks up in revelation. “Maybe he likes me.”
He pauses before dipping his head again and shaking it.
The building doors open and Sehun catches a glimpse of Jongin. God, he looks amazing in his crisp button-up and perfectly ironed navy pants. His hair is fluffed and soft as he runs his tan fingers through them. Even something as simple as a wave is making Sehun sweat.
“Morning. And thanks again.” Jongin smiles.
It’s blinding. “Oh, no problem.”
It’s hard to get going. Sehun isn’t used to having someone sit behind him. He also isn’t used to Jongin’s breath on his neck nor the way his hands are so close to Sehun’s ass. It’s distracting and Sehun almost steers them right off the sidewalk.
His thighs burn, but Sehun doesn’t give up.
His bell seems louder than usual as he passes a businessman on the phone. A light breeze weaves through his brown sugar locks and he feels a smile spread on his lips. He can smell the warm scent of vanilla radiating off of Jongin’s skin and it’s somewhat comforting.
They turn the corner and Sehun can see familiar cherry red and a scalloped overhang. He can almost smell the poppies from where he is.
As he gets closer, he slows his pace. The bike wobbles and Jongin yells, but Sehun only laughs. He can see Luhan, bent over new pots of fresh flowers. He’s spraying them again and adding some fertilizer. Always the hardworker, he is.
“Hey, asshole!”
Luhan whips his head around and his eyes widen. Sehun blinks confusedly at him. He usually doesn’t give a shit if Sehun calls him that. Then Sehun feels Jongin lift a hand and wave at Luhan, grin on his face.
“Morning, Luhan!” The bike stops and Jongin hops off.
“Good morning...Sehun?”
“I’m confused?” Sehun points at the two of them.
Luhan wipes his hands on his apron. “Well, Jongin here got a job at the flower shop.”
“You did what?”
“Hey, I need the money.” A shrug.
Sehun looks at Luhan with a please-say-nice-things-about-me look. Luhan only glares at him before turning back to his morning duties. For some reason, he’s feeling more irritated than usual.
Jongin scratches his head. “Wait, how do you know Luhan?”
“Oh. Yeah. He’s, um, a friend.”
Jongin blinks. “Wow, what a small world.”
“Yeah, can you excuse me for a sec?”
Sehun grabs Luhan’s arm and drags him into the flower shop. Luhan doesn’t protest, much to Sehun’s surprise, so he continues to pull him until they reach the farthest corner.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“Am I obligated to?”
“It would’ve been a nice gesture.”
“What would you want with the information?”
Sehun gives him a look. “Maybe I could get a job here too? You know, so I can spend more time with him?”
Luhan crosses his arms. “You said you didn’t like being a flower boy.”
“And I still stand by that. I could do other stuff?”
“There’s no better job.”
“Well, I can sweep the floors or something. Plus, I can watch Jongin be a flower boy.”
“So this is all for Jongin? You only want to see Jongin?”
Sehun stops for a moment and looks at Luhan. “Um, yes?”
There’s a pause in their conversation. Luhan is burning holes through Sehun’s head and soul before he turns on his heel and walks away. Sehun stares after him, wondering why he’s so pissy these days.
***
Jongin is amazing for sales.
But he sucks at flower care. Luhan learns this while he trains him on his first day. It brings back nostalgic memories of Luhan’s own first day, but that’s a story for another day.
Another customer asks for a picture with him. He looks handsome in his very own lavender apron, even better than Luhan, and he’s holding a basket of fresh lilacs.
Luhan finishes helping a customer with a sweet smile before walking over to Jongin.
“Hey, man, great job.” He says.
Jongin turns around with a smile. It really is blinding. “I’m trying my best. I think you would be better at this, to be honest.”
Luhan turns pink. He awkwardly laughs before rubbing the back of his neck. “Apparently, I’m too old.”
“No way. How old are you?”
“I’m in college. A sophomore.”
“Wait. Are you Sehun’s college friend? The one with the bike charm gift?”
Luhan blinks at Jongin. “Yeah? Did he say anything about me?”
Jongin shakes his head. “No, I asked him about it.”
“Oh.” Luhan scolds himself for getting his hopes up about the fact that Sehun might actually give a shit about him.
He walks back into the shop with a knot in his chest and a wilting flower in his hands. He passes by Xiumin, who is talking (read: yelling) into an elderly woman’s ear. The poor guy’s voice is cracking.
Luhan drops himself behind the counter. His phone vibrates.
Sehun: coming over. do I look good?
Attached is a picture file, most likely a selca. Luhan doesn’t bother opening it.
u look the same as always.
He jabs his finger on the send button before sighing and smacking his head against the wall. There are moments when Sehun is truly an idiot.
A few moments later, Luhan can hear the sounds of Sehun’s bike rolling in. The faint notes of his ridiculous laugh fly in from outside and Luhan can picture his face all weirdly scrunched and his eyebrows arching downwards.
The bell jingles and Jongin walks in, smile on his face.
“Hey, Sehun is here.” He juts his thumb outside.
“I know.”
“Are you going to say hi?”
Luhan sits in his tall stool for a few thoughts before giving in and sliding off his seat. A breeze ruffles his apron as he steps outside and the door shuts behind him. Sehun’s hair is messy and tousled, but it looks good on him. His shirt is unbuttoned at the top.
“Hey...Luhan.” Sehun starts.
“Hey, dumbass.” Luhan deadpans.
“He’s kind of right.” Jongin looks at Sehun with mischief.
“Not you too!” Sehun laughs before shoving Jongin.
A few schoolgirls pass by and they giggle as they watch the two of them talking and joking around. Luhan stands there, feeling defeated and really tired. He ends up walking back into the shop, drowned in the tight feeling of being forgotten. The laughing doesn’t stop.
***
It’s the same sunset everyday, but Sehun thinks the patterns of purple look different today.
Maybe it’s because of Jongin. Jongin, who laughs at all the jokes, corny or not. Jongin, who makes this strange warming sensation spread from his head to his toes. Jongin, who feels electric when they touch. Jongin. Jongin. Jongin.
Sehun’s hair is dripping wet and his pillow is going to be soaked, but as he lays there in the seedy lighting of his bedside lamp, it doesn’t really matter. Because his head is warm and his heart is bursting and his smile keeps growing.
He has to tell Luhan.
I think Jongin likes me.
He presses send. He lays there in excitement, waiting most of the night for a reply because he knows Luhan always texts him back. But Luhan doesn’t. Not this time.
***
Sehun: he thinks im funny
Sehun: i think he has a six pack
Sehun: do u think hes been with other guys before
Sehun: HELP ME GOD
Sehun: I think Jongin likes me.
Luhan feels his chest throb and he doesn’t know why. But he does know Jongin is all Sehun ever talks about now. It makes Luhan kind of annoyed and all sorts of confused because Jongin is really sweet and Sehun is a little brother to him.
He stuffs his face into his pillow and falls asleep like that.
***
It’s a mess at the flower shop, to say the least.
Luhan’s heart sinks to the ground and goes even deeper than that. Xiumin is busy calling the police while Luhan gulps and cautiously picks up one of the broken flower pots. It hurts to see all the dirt scattered across the floor, the destroyed petals, the gorgeous flower displays, the pretty colors smudged by dark paint.
His vision blurs as he stares at the lockbox. He shakes it. It’s empty. Completely empty.
A lump forms in his throat and he’s scared to cry because people will think he’s stupid for crying over a few flowers. But these flowers built something for him. They created a new start, a patch of soil for Luhan to grow and blossom. This was going to be a part of his everything.
Xiumin lets out a huge sigh. “Well, I guess we’ll have to reorder.”
Luhan nods. He feels kind of numb.
Xiumin looks at him with worry. “Hey, it’s okay. We can fix this.”
Luhan looks at his clammy fingers. “But the money…”
Xiumin purses his lips before whispering, “We’ll make do.”
Luhan nods before walking over to the counter and setting the fallen stool back on its legs. He goes into the office, which has a special lock, and takes out his pretty lavender apron. At least whoever broke in didn’t take that.
A few tears brim on Luhan’s eyelids, but he wipes them away before they can glide down his pale cheeks. He wants to go home and cuddle up with his blankets.
He can hear the familiar trill of Sehun’s bike and the faint sounds of his obnoxious voice. A laugh punctuates the talking and Luhan thinks it’s Jongin.
With a sigh, he finishes putting on his apron before walking across the shop and to the door.
He opens it and the familiar tinkle of the bell makes his heart stop, but all he can see is Sehun’s shocked face and Jongin’s look of confusion. Sehun’s white shirt got fixed and his hair is no longer clumped up in gel. Everything is in order and his skin is glowing more than usual. But there’s no time for thinking about Sehun.
“What’s going on?” Jongin asks.
“Someone broke in.” Luhan mutters, looking at the ground.
“What? Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine. Thanks Jongin.” Luhan gives him a forced smile.
Sehun gets off his bike and places his hand on Luhan’s arm. “Luhan…”
He shakes him off. Sehun watches in surprise as Luhan spares him a side glance before pursing his lips in a thin line and walking back into the shop, hand rubbing his face. He can’t deal with this right now. Not right now.
“Wait, Luhan.” Sehun follows him.
Luhan ignores him and keeps walking. He’s scared to turn around.
A hand grips his wrist. Luhan stops walking and Sehun tugs gently. “Hey.” His voice is soft and warm.
“What.” Luhan whips his head around and he begs to someone up there he doesn’t cry.
Sehun searches his face. “It’ll be okay. Trust me.”
“I can’t trust you.”
“What?”
Luhan takes his wrist out of Sehun’s hand. He tries to glare, but it’s too much work and too much effort to waste on someone who doesn’t care.
“You ignored me, Sehun.”
“What are you talking about?” Sehun narrows his eyes.
Luhan’s eyes water. Sehun’s gaze dissolves into something sad. “Luhan…”
“You know, you’re the first.”
“Excuse me?”
“First friend. First friend since I ran away from home.”
Sehun closes his mouth. Luhan lets himself go.
“I thought we were friends, Sehun. Seriously.”
“We are? Luhan--”
“A friend is someone with value. We haven’t had a conversation in weeks.”
“I’ve been busy and you are important! Is this about--”
“No, goddammit! It’s not about Jongin. It’s you. It’s all you.”
They’re silent, standing with their heads spinning and their blood pumping, surrounded by piles of dirt and crushed blossoms, drenched in warm sunlight.
“Go. Please.”
***
Sehun stares at his white ceiling.
He can hear the whole apartment. That old clock in the kitchen keeps ticking with its offbeat tocks, the cat’s purrs are rumbling from his throat and rippling through his body, and Sehun’s head is locked in a mixture of confusion and hurt.
Maybe he was neglecting Luhan. Maybe he talked about Jongin too much.
But really, Luhan was his friend, right? Luhan should have supported him and talked to him instead of ignoring him. Luhan should’ve listened. But then again, did he do those things for Luhan?
Sehun groans into his pillow. His phone died and he doesn’t feel like getting the charger.
***
Luhan feels like shit.
He hates losing money. He hates lowlife burglars. He hates Sehun. He hates, hates, hates.
But he still wants to make up. He still cares about Sehun. He might even like the fucker. But Sehun is basically in love with his new coworker, and the new coworker is unfortunately attractive and ten times nicer than he is.
Luhan is stuck between crying and throwing himself off the balcony.
***
There are two human shells walking around.
Luhan is abnormally quiet as he mindlessly sweeps up the dirt and ripped petals littering the ground. He swamps himself in his jobs for the day, which involved calling a few important people, ordering new flowers, and designating a jar for donations.
Sehun drags his feet the entire school day. His gaze is dull and shadows ghost under his eyes. He didn’t get any sleep while he tossed and turned in his bed last night, trying to figure out how to make it up to Luhan.
He’s not even sure if he likes Jongin anymore because he declined all of the tan male's offers to go out.
It’s around lunchtime when someone pokes Sehun on his side.
“Sehun.”
Sehun’s long body is laid out on the empty row of desks in the back. He has a manga on his face and his gym jacket over his body. He grunts.
Jongin shakes him. “You need to fix this.”
Sehun lifts the manga off of his face. “How?”
“Well,” Jongin gulps. “You could apologize.”
“Luhan is stubborn as shit. It’s not going to work.”
“But he cares about you. He’ll forgive you.”
Sehun laughs emotionlessly. “Okay, Jongin. Whatever you say.”
There's a pause. "Sehun, do something meaningful."
Sehun scoffs before curling away from Jongin’s body and turning to the brick wall. He meant what he said about Luhan's stubbornness, but there’s a small piece of hope in him. He doesn’t want Luhan to hate him. He misses him way more than he thought he would.
Sehun slaps himself with his manga. He’s really fucking stupid.
***
A pot of poppies and an arranged bouquet of peonies is all that’s left.
Xiumin is inside the shop, sweeping up the last of the mess. Luhan, with his puffy eyes and deflated enthusiasm, picks up the bouquet and pot in the small alley on the right side. For the first time today, a smile spreads on his pink lips. At least something can be salvaged from this.
He almost runs into the shop with the newfound treasures.
“Xiumin! I found these.”
Xiumin puts down his broom and turns to inspect the remains of his blossoms. A grin is mirrored on his face as he looks at Luhan. “They’re in good condition, too.”
Luhan looks fondly at the blooms.
Xiumin gestures to the pots lined up on one of the tables. “We have a few pots that are good and I think the shipment of flowers is coming next week.”
He turns to Luhan with hopeful eyes. “We’ll be okay.”
“That’s good.” Luhan sighs.
He gently places the flowers on the table, right next to the pots. His fingers tremble as he runs his fingers over the silken petals. He thinks his pale skin looks dry in comparison to the vibrant red of the poppies. The peonies are tinged with pastel pink, the ruffled edges lined with a darker blush.
Luhan steps outside. The bell jingles as the door closes.
He takes a deep breath before cleaning up the display tables. He picks up a few of the white tags, which have his neat handwriting all over them.
His eyes flit to the donation jar. A rolled up twenty dollar bill and a few coins sit solemnly inside, the light glinting off of them. Luhan bites his lip and empties it.
The faint sound of a bike floats in the city air. Luhan’s expression steels, but he shakes his head and stuffs the money in his apron pocket.
“Luhan!”
The voice is sharp and clear, and the last thing Luhan wants to hear. But he can’t help himself because through all of the drama, Luhan misses his friend. He wants to be able to talk to him and laugh with him. He wants to share puns and the aroma of flowers and the sounds of city life. He wants it all to come back.
Sehun has a box tied to his bike. That poppy red bike, with its reflective silver handlebars and worn leather seat.
Luhan looks into Sehun’s eyes. They’re still the same old dull brown, but there's something different this time around.
Sehun unties the box. It takes him a while because there are multiple strings looping over the top and under the bottom of the back seat.
Luhan watches quietly. He doesn’t know what to say.
When all the strings are loose, Sehun lifts the box and turns back around. He takes a deep breath.
“I’m really sorry.”
Luhan stares at the box thrust in his face and cautiously takes it. Sehun looks at him with expectant eyes, licking his lips anxiously.
Inside the cardboard container are jars. Jars of green, printed, rectangular pieces of paper. Jars speckled by large dots of copper and bronze and silver. Jars of money, cash, dough. On top of each lid are masking tape labels, scrawled on by Sehun’s chicken scratch handwriting.
Luhan doesn’t know what to say, so he looks at Sehun.
And Sehun looks back at him.
"I, uh, went around my building and collected the money."
There's no reply. So Sehun admits defeat and continues.
“Luhan, I’m an awful friend.”
“...yeah.”
“But I genuinely care about you. I do.”
“...sure...”
“And I think...maybe...”
Sehun stops. He fidgets on his bike and almost falls over. His face burns crimson.
At this point, Luhan doesn’t know anything. This could all be a disaster or a mistake waiting to happen. Sehun might regret this entire pseudo-confession he’s performing at the moment.
But Luhan still drops the box and kisses him.
Full on the mouth, with his soft pink lips, just how Sehun daydreamed it that one time.
***
In the end, Luhan gets the guy.
In the end, Sehun gets a guy. But it’s his best friend, so that’s even better.
Rating: PG-13 (cursing, mention of homophobia)
Pairing: Hunhan (Sehun/Luhan)
Disclaimer: I don't own EXO (sadly) but I own the story and characters
Summary: Luhan cares for flowers and Sehun cares about hair gel and maybe possibly Jongin.
A/N: Inspired by this. warning: word vomit ahead
It took twenty minutes longer than usual for Sehun to get ready. Then again, it is partly his fault because he forgot to practice his new hairstyle the night before.
The dents and folds in his white button-up are caused by lack of ability to fold, and his dangling buttons are caused by his neighbor’s cat, whom he recently took in for a bit of extra cash. The ginger furball likes small things and bothering Sehun, so what better way to accomplish both than to destroy Sehun’s shirt buttons?
He leaves his apartment with shoes on the wrong feet and the sound of a ticking clock in his ears because he knows this is the latest he’s ever left the house on a school day. His shiny red bike glints teasingly at him, as if to say you’re late and you know it. Sehun grunts and shoves his unbuttered toast into his mouth.
The wind blows past his unharmed gelled hair, grazing his freshly washed face and cutting through the openings in his dress shirt. Sehun’s legs ache with the familiar feeling of pushing himself to bike faster. Luckily, his bike complies easily.
The city itself is a fortress of steel, dressed in geometric glass shapes and sharp corners. The sidewalks are moldy around the edges, and tiny swords of grass poke from the crumbling cracks between squares. Drips of sunlight color the waking stores in buttery yellow.
It’s too bright to be Monday morning.
Sehun turns the corner and his bike glides past a group of elementary kids. He rings his bell and listens to the way it trills in the air. Sometimes he rings it just to listen to the sound.
At the end of the block, Sehun can see the flower shop with its cherry red overhang and white-paint letters. Dots of crimson and magenta poke out from crowds of white and blue, and Sehun can make out the sale sign hanging from the pots. Little white tags flutter as a breeze whistles by.
The bell chimes and Luhan walks out in his prim lavender apron, material punctured by a nametag.
“Luhan!” Sehun waves.
Luhan looks up and smiles. “You’re later than usual, you know that?”
It takes a few moments of breathing for Sehun to fully take in Luhan’s presence. His hair is silky strands of champagne brushing shivering black lashes and round doe eyes. His skin glows in the moonlight and is warm in the daylight. His lips are never chapped and there was a time Sehun daydreamed about kissing him on the mouth.
“Don’t remind me. How’s business?”
“Good. Could be better if we had flower boys. It'd help with sales.” Luhan shrugs.
“You could be one? Why don’t you do it?”
Luhan rolls his eyes. “I’m too old, apparently. Maybe you can.”
“No.” Sehun wrinkles his nose. “I’d probably have to wear makeup.”
“Shut up. It wouldn’t be that bad.”
“That’s because you actually look like a female.”
“Go to school, dumbass.” Luhan hits him.
Sehun gives a parting wave before stealing a poppy from one of the flower pots. He knows Luhan is going to give him a beating for it afterwards, but the wind is curling through his shirt and his hair is detaching from its gelled mold, so he could care less.
As he bikes away, Xiumin comes out of the flower shop and nudges Luhan.
“You’re more fucked than I thought.”
Luhan rolls his eyes and throws a peony at him.
***
Sehun gives himself a fair amount of time to fix his appearance before he goes into the building.
The front gates and beyond are empty since he’s ten minutes late. His bike gears click and the chains make small whirring noises as he pushes it to the steel rack near the front doors. It’s oddly quiet outside, but it makes sense since everyone is in their classrooms by now. Sehun groans.
He locks his bike to the rack before fixing his hair and trying his best to adjust his shirt. The buttons are a goner, but he can at least pull the sides together.
He can hear someone running towards him from behind and he turns around because wow, someone is actually later than I am.
“Oh my god.” The boy hunches over, hands on his knees.
He’s new. He must be, because Sehun would remember if he saw an attractive, caramel-skinned individual with lean muscle and nice shoulders. The guy stands and Sehun almost gasps because good god, his lips are plush. His face isn’t too bad either.
He holds his breath when the guy looks at him. “Hi, who are you?”
“I’m Sehun. I’m late too.” Sehun deadpans.
“Yeah, well I’m Jongin. I’m new here.” He smiles and Sehun nearly faints.
When they get to homeroom, the teacher is red in the face and his mustache quivers as he yells at them. Spit goes flying, but Jongin stays calm and looks apologetic.
“I’m really sorry, sir. I’m new here, and Sehun happens to live nearby, so I asked him to wait for me. I had no idea about the time, so it’s really my fault.”
Sehun looks at Jongin in shock. He lies so easily.
The old guy rubs his fat chin before sighing, “Alright, just take your seats.”
The whole class watches as both of them saunter to the last row in the back of the room. As they drop their bags, Jongin nudges Sehun and winks at him.
Sehun loves it.
***
Luhan works at a flower shop because it goes against his parents’ beliefs, stereotypes, and homophobia issues.
He attends a great university nearby, but not one of the bigshot ones his parents prepared him for since he was young. He likes girls, but only as friends since he is gay, unlike his parents who told him forever ago “being gay is wrong”. He hasn’t dated anybody in a while, but only because he hasn’t found the right person, not because his parents have already arranged a marriage.
Xiumin first met Luhan when Luhan ran away from home at seventeen and showed up at the flower shop. Not only did Xiumin give him a job, he also gave him a bed and a roof over his head. Luhan couldn’t have asked for anything more.
He met Sehun on his second day of work. He vaguely recalls seeing a skinny, pasty white teenage boy with messy hair zipping by on a red bike. He remembers dull brown eyes but a running mouth that moves as fast as he cycles.
Sehun had stopped that day, wheels squealing and rubber burning, right in front of Luhan, who had froze in front of him while holding a pot of chrysanthemums. They had stared at each other for a moment before Sehun stuck out a hand.
“I’m Sehun. Please move.”
From then on, Sehun visited everyday, riding the same old red bike and wearing the same old poker face. He would always have a partly consumed piece of toast dangling from his thin lips and a stupid joke hanging from his tongue.
It became a routine, everyday, sharing the sunlight and smell of fresh flowers, drinking in the corny puns and ridiculous laughter, sound of gears clicking and wind blowing, messy hair and toast bits falling on the ground. Luhan loves it all.
***
“Luhan, Luhan, Luhan!”
Sehun tears through the front door, bell jingling wildly, as he narrowly avoids knocking over a row of potted flowers. His poor red bike is discarded outside, laying on the sidewalk.
Luhan looks up with a frown, hand on a spray bottle. “Calm--”
“There’s a new kid.”
“Does that mean you finally have friends?”
“Fuck you. This is for real. He’s actually cute.”
Luhan pauses for a moment to gauge Sehun’s expression. Sehun looks like a bull in a china shop.
“Okayyy. What does he look like?”
Sehun grabs a wooden stool and sits on the wobbly surface. The base creaks under all the weight and Sehun almost topples over, gangly limbs and all.
“He’s got really sexy tan skin. Like, dark and...smoky?”
Luhan nods as he sprays the flowers. Sehun snaps open his bag and pulls out his homework. A few pencils clatter to the ground and a rolled up ball of failed test flies out as well.
Sehun throws the ball into the trashcan. “God, and his lips are so nice. So nice.”
“Did you kiss him?” Luhan sighs before dropping the spray onto a work cart.
Sehun gives him a look. Luhan shrugs in reply before moving the pots outside. Shaking his head, Sehun gets up and follows, open workbook in hand.
He squints because the sunlight is blinding, even in the later hours of the afternoon. The taxis orchestrate a cacophony of honking and broken air conditioning sounds. Luhan places the pots on an empty spot in the display and whips his head around.
He smacks Sehun on the head. “Do you even know his name?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s Jongin.”
Luhan folds his arms across his chest. “Go ask him out, then, I guess.”
Sehun gapes at him. “Ask him out? This guy is a god, and I’m--”
“A super-skinny, super-awkward teenager?”
Sehun gives Luhan a look. Luhan shrugs again before whistling his way back into the flower shop.
***
Luhan is having trouble sleeping.
Sweat clings to his skin and drips down his neck. The air conditioning failed around dinner time, and Xiumin said the guy wouldn’t come until the morning. A cold shower felt great while he was in the shower, but Luhan could feel the humidity creeping back.
The bed groans and squeaks as Luhan sits up with a sigh. His blankets are rumpled and discarded on the wooden floor, along with his t-shirt and pajama pants. He kicks them on his way to the kitchen.
The cold glass of water slides down his throat. The broken clock from the thrift shop is still working, awkwardly ticking in a loud fashion. It pauses sometimes like a sputtering car, but it always keep running. Pieces of moonlight drape over various appliances and furniture like glowing puddles.
Luhan stares out the window and finds himself drifting.
He must be attractive. If Sehun likes him.
***
Sehun is ripping his hair out for various reasons.
Upon unlocking the door to his apartment, the neighbor’s ginger tom attacked him with its creepy glowing eyes and sharp claws. Sehun had screamed until it leaped off with a flick of its skinny tail. He really does hate that cat.
The real disaster was made of three parts, both of which were Sehun’s fault. The first mistake he made was throwing his schoolbag onto his bed. The top had popped open and a few loose papers fell out, one of which was his homework. The second mistake was leaving his hair gel out after using it that morning, because when he went into the bathroom, the stupid cat had chewed on it. All of it.
The third involved him walking back into his room, only to find his bag on the ground and the cat chewing happily on his assignments.
It’s almost midnight and Sehun still has unfinished math homework. It is partially his fault, however, because if he had just finished it at the flower shop, he wouldn’t be having this problem. On the other hand, ‘talking about Jongin’ is a very plausible reason. It always is.
Sehun drops his head onto his desk. He spies his ruined uniform laying on the doorknob and thinks back to how Jongin looked in his own. The thought makes him warm inside.
Maybe I can take a break.
***
Jongin.
When he walks into homeroom, Sehun is already there. Sehun’s eyes detach from the pages of a manga so he can look up and gaze at Jongin. It’s almost sickening, how badly he wants him.
The sunlight is kind to Jongin and makes him glow. He’s golden brown and his eyes melt into drips of milk chocolate. Jongin is showstopping, absolutely stunning. His hands are in his pockets, and for the first time, Sehun notices the braided leather bracelet around his wrist. He can see the edges of broad shoulders and thick collarbones, caramel flesh coating them.
“Hey.” Jongin smiles.
“Hey. How was your first day?” Sehun applauds himself for not fucking up.
“It was alright. Could’ve been better.”
Jongin slips into the seat next to Sehun and grins widely. “I think it’ll be fine. As long as I’m not late again.”
Sehun nods, red under Jongin’s amber eyes. “By the way, uh, that was a good save yesterday.”
Jongin shrugs. “I guess. I used it once back in Seoul.”
“You lived in Seoul?”
Jongin starts to go off about Korea and the city life there. His entire face lights up as he laughs about the funny drinking stories he’s had and the night life he’s experienced. Sehun drowns himself in all the details.
“So, what about you?” Jongin asks, lips pulled into a grin.
Sehun scratches his head. “Nothing interesting, really. I’ve lived here forever.”
Jongin scoffs. He lightly punches Sehun in the shoulder and the warmth shocks his system and lights him on fire.
“Bullshit. I’ve got time.”
***
Luhan is about to die when he drops another potted plant.
It’s only his second one, but it’s one too many. The customers in the store, an old lady and a young businessman, glance over at the ruckus before turning around again to continue their shopping. Luhan bows in apology to nobody in particular.
He crouches down and picks up the larger pieces. The flower is a mess, petals crumpled and leaves bent out of place. He winces because he knows Xiumin is going to take it out on his paycheck.
He finishes cleaning up in no time and continues tending to the poppies out front.
A light breeze flits through the air. It streams through Luhan’s champagne locks and makes the flowers wave. A small smile grows on his pink lips as he gingerly organizes the pots.
His phone vibrates in his apron pocket. It’s the tenth time today.
Sehun: joNGIN IS PERFECT GDI oh btw I got his number ^o^
Luhan grips the stem of one of the flowers. What is this kid to Sehun? Didn’t he just meet him? If he was being honest, Luhan doesn’t feel like hearing Sehun talking about some kid he doesn’t want to know about.
“Luhan!”
Xiumin grabs Luhan’s wrist and gently pries his fingers off the poor flower. “Jesus, pay attention!”
Luhan jumps a little and stares at the flower. Its head bobs with the wind, dangling at a weird angle. A dent had formed from the way Luhan was pinching its stem.
“Sorry.”
Xiumin looks at him. “Are you okay?”
Luhan purses his lips. “Tired. Couldn’t sleep.”
“Yeah, me too. But you don’t see me taking it out on the flowers.”
Luhan slaps Xiumin on the arm before walking back into the shop. New customers, a mother with her child, stands by a few bouquets of lilacs and pansies. Luhan smiles as he walks by and assists them with a polite voice. He’s not going to fuck up his job anymore.
After he rings them up, his phone vibrates again.
Sehun: STUDY DATE. WITH JONGIN. HELP ME.
Luhan grits his teeth.
***
The school library in the afternoon is generally quiet, except for today.
Jongin laughs at another one of Sehun’s jokes (a good one that Luhan laughed at) before clamping a hand on his mouth for being too loud. Sehun’s heart swells in his chest.
Their book bags are thrown against the wall and a few empty chip bags lay errant on the ground next to them. An open box of chocolate-covered pretzels is half empty because they’re both sharing it.
Sehun blows at his bangs. “Math is hard.”
“Not as hard as English.” Jongin scoffs, chewing the tip of his pencil.
Sehun pulls out his phone. No new messages. Was Luhan ignoring him?
R u mad at me, Lu?
His finger hovers over the send button. He ends up deleting the message and turning off his phone. Jongin points to the bike charm hanging by a strap. “You like biking for fun?”
“What?” Sehun looks at the charm. “Oh. Eh, it’s okay. I only use it to get to school.”
“Is that a gift?”
“Yeah. From a friend of mine. He doesn’t go here, he’s in college.”
Jongin nods. He gives Sehun one more glance before clearing his throat and going back to his English. Sehun stares at him for a little longer before turning to his math worksheet. He’s not sure why he didn’t mention Luhan’s name. The phone in his pocket burns.
“So, um, can I ask you something?”
Sehun looks up. Jongin seems kind of embarrassed. “Yeah?”
“I realized that walking to school would always make me late.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Yeah. So…”
“Are you asking me to give you rides, Jongin?” Sehun asks, a growing smile on his face.
Jongin lets out a huge breath. “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
Sehun waves it off. “It’s cool. Just text me your address.”
“Okay. Great.” Jongin bites his lip.
Sehun melts a little.
***
This evening’s sunset is peels of rose and orange clouds.
Xiumin waves goodbye to the last customer before running a hand through his bleached hair and taking off his lavender apron. Luhan is sitting by the counter, counting up the money they made today. The entire shop is washed in translucent coral, streaked by pale yellow bars and long shadows.
Luhan’s phone vibrates. He sighs and drops the coins back into the register before pulling out his cell.
Sehun: the date went well~ ^^ r u ignoring me?
Luhan’s fingers twitch. No im not. busy all day.
He lets his phone fall onto the counter with a clatter before recounting the money a second time. The phone trembles loudly.
Sehun: ok well good luck lol
Luhan sighs. He turns off his phone and slips the money into the lockbox.
Xiumin walks over, a brand new pot in hand. “Rough day?”
“No, no. Well, maybe. Yes.” Luhan breathes.
He starts taking off his apron and Xiumin smiles. “Tomorrow might be better.”
The door to the flower shop opens and the two of them look up. A handsome teenager walks in, white dress shirt unbuttoned at the top and slacks wrinkle-free. His dark locks are shiny under the orange glow and his eyes are melted chocolate.
“Hi, I’m looking for a job?” He flashes a smile.
“Oh? Really?” Xiumin’s lips pull into a smile. “We need the help.”
“Yeah, I saw the ad in the paper.” The boy walks over to shake Xiumin’s hand.
Luhan smiles at him. His skin is nice and tan, like caramel syrup on a frappucino.
Xiumin claps a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We can talk about it in my office. I’m Xiumin, the owner--”
“--And I’m Luhan. Hi.” Luhan sticks out a hand and the boy takes it, corners of his lips quirking.
“I’m Jongin.”
***
A few people stare at Sehun as he paces in front of Jongin’s apartment building.
His trusty red bike is leaning against the marble building, its silver handlebars gleaming from a recent wipedown. A few inaudible words slip from Sehun’s thin lips as he walks back and forth. His mother fixed his white shirt the other night, but the stupid cat left bright orange hairs on his slacks.
Sehun stops suddenly. He looks up in revelation. “Maybe he likes me.”
He pauses before dipping his head again and shaking it.
The building doors open and Sehun catches a glimpse of Jongin. God, he looks amazing in his crisp button-up and perfectly ironed navy pants. His hair is fluffed and soft as he runs his tan fingers through them. Even something as simple as a wave is making Sehun sweat.
“Morning. And thanks again.” Jongin smiles.
It’s blinding. “Oh, no problem.”
It’s hard to get going. Sehun isn’t used to having someone sit behind him. He also isn’t used to Jongin’s breath on his neck nor the way his hands are so close to Sehun’s ass. It’s distracting and Sehun almost steers them right off the sidewalk.
His thighs burn, but Sehun doesn’t give up.
His bell seems louder than usual as he passes a businessman on the phone. A light breeze weaves through his brown sugar locks and he feels a smile spread on his lips. He can smell the warm scent of vanilla radiating off of Jongin’s skin and it’s somewhat comforting.
They turn the corner and Sehun can see familiar cherry red and a scalloped overhang. He can almost smell the poppies from where he is.
As he gets closer, he slows his pace. The bike wobbles and Jongin yells, but Sehun only laughs. He can see Luhan, bent over new pots of fresh flowers. He’s spraying them again and adding some fertilizer. Always the hardworker, he is.
“Hey, asshole!”
Luhan whips his head around and his eyes widen. Sehun blinks confusedly at him. He usually doesn’t give a shit if Sehun calls him that. Then Sehun feels Jongin lift a hand and wave at Luhan, grin on his face.
“Morning, Luhan!” The bike stops and Jongin hops off.
“Good morning...Sehun?”
“I’m confused?” Sehun points at the two of them.
Luhan wipes his hands on his apron. “Well, Jongin here got a job at the flower shop.”
“You did what?”
“Hey, I need the money.” A shrug.
Sehun looks at Luhan with a please-say-nice-things-about-me look. Luhan only glares at him before turning back to his morning duties. For some reason, he’s feeling more irritated than usual.
Jongin scratches his head. “Wait, how do you know Luhan?”
“Oh. Yeah. He’s, um, a friend.”
Jongin blinks. “Wow, what a small world.”
“Yeah, can you excuse me for a sec?”
Sehun grabs Luhan’s arm and drags him into the flower shop. Luhan doesn’t protest, much to Sehun’s surprise, so he continues to pull him until they reach the farthest corner.
“Why didn’t you tell me this?”
“Am I obligated to?”
“It would’ve been a nice gesture.”
“What would you want with the information?”
Sehun gives him a look. “Maybe I could get a job here too? You know, so I can spend more time with him?”
Luhan crosses his arms. “You said you didn’t like being a flower boy.”
“And I still stand by that. I could do other stuff?”
“There’s no better job.”
“Well, I can sweep the floors or something. Plus, I can watch Jongin be a flower boy.”
“So this is all for Jongin? You only want to see Jongin?”
Sehun stops for a moment and looks at Luhan. “Um, yes?”
There’s a pause in their conversation. Luhan is burning holes through Sehun’s head and soul before he turns on his heel and walks away. Sehun stares after him, wondering why he’s so pissy these days.
***
Jongin is amazing for sales.
But he sucks at flower care. Luhan learns this while he trains him on his first day. It brings back nostalgic memories of Luhan’s own first day, but that’s a story for another day.
Another customer asks for a picture with him. He looks handsome in his very own lavender apron, even better than Luhan, and he’s holding a basket of fresh lilacs.
Luhan finishes helping a customer with a sweet smile before walking over to Jongin.
“Hey, man, great job.” He says.
Jongin turns around with a smile. It really is blinding. “I’m trying my best. I think you would be better at this, to be honest.”
Luhan turns pink. He awkwardly laughs before rubbing the back of his neck. “Apparently, I’m too old.”
“No way. How old are you?”
“I’m in college. A sophomore.”
“Wait. Are you Sehun’s college friend? The one with the bike charm gift?”
Luhan blinks at Jongin. “Yeah? Did he say anything about me?”
Jongin shakes his head. “No, I asked him about it.”
“Oh.” Luhan scolds himself for getting his hopes up about the fact that Sehun might actually give a shit about him.
He walks back into the shop with a knot in his chest and a wilting flower in his hands. He passes by Xiumin, who is talking (read: yelling) into an elderly woman’s ear. The poor guy’s voice is cracking.
Luhan drops himself behind the counter. His phone vibrates.
Sehun: coming over. do I look good?
Attached is a picture file, most likely a selca. Luhan doesn’t bother opening it.
u look the same as always.
He jabs his finger on the send button before sighing and smacking his head against the wall. There are moments when Sehun is truly an idiot.
A few moments later, Luhan can hear the sounds of Sehun’s bike rolling in. The faint notes of his ridiculous laugh fly in from outside and Luhan can picture his face all weirdly scrunched and his eyebrows arching downwards.
The bell jingles and Jongin walks in, smile on his face.
“Hey, Sehun is here.” He juts his thumb outside.
“I know.”
“Are you going to say hi?”
Luhan sits in his tall stool for a few thoughts before giving in and sliding off his seat. A breeze ruffles his apron as he steps outside and the door shuts behind him. Sehun’s hair is messy and tousled, but it looks good on him. His shirt is unbuttoned at the top.
“Hey...Luhan.” Sehun starts.
“Hey, dumbass.” Luhan deadpans.
“He’s kind of right.” Jongin looks at Sehun with mischief.
“Not you too!” Sehun laughs before shoving Jongin.
A few schoolgirls pass by and they giggle as they watch the two of them talking and joking around. Luhan stands there, feeling defeated and really tired. He ends up walking back into the shop, drowned in the tight feeling of being forgotten. The laughing doesn’t stop.
***
It’s the same sunset everyday, but Sehun thinks the patterns of purple look different today.
Maybe it’s because of Jongin. Jongin, who laughs at all the jokes, corny or not. Jongin, who makes this strange warming sensation spread from his head to his toes. Jongin, who feels electric when they touch. Jongin. Jongin. Jongin.
Sehun’s hair is dripping wet and his pillow is going to be soaked, but as he lays there in the seedy lighting of his bedside lamp, it doesn’t really matter. Because his head is warm and his heart is bursting and his smile keeps growing.
He has to tell Luhan.
I think Jongin likes me.
He presses send. He lays there in excitement, waiting most of the night for a reply because he knows Luhan always texts him back. But Luhan doesn’t. Not this time.
***
Sehun: he thinks im funny
Sehun: i think he has a six pack
Sehun: do u think hes been with other guys before
Sehun: HELP ME GOD
Sehun: I think Jongin likes me.
Luhan feels his chest throb and he doesn’t know why. But he does know Jongin is all Sehun ever talks about now. It makes Luhan kind of annoyed and all sorts of confused because Jongin is really sweet and Sehun is a little brother to him.
He stuffs his face into his pillow and falls asleep like that.
***
It’s a mess at the flower shop, to say the least.
Luhan’s heart sinks to the ground and goes even deeper than that. Xiumin is busy calling the police while Luhan gulps and cautiously picks up one of the broken flower pots. It hurts to see all the dirt scattered across the floor, the destroyed petals, the gorgeous flower displays, the pretty colors smudged by dark paint.
His vision blurs as he stares at the lockbox. He shakes it. It’s empty. Completely empty.
A lump forms in his throat and he’s scared to cry because people will think he’s stupid for crying over a few flowers. But these flowers built something for him. They created a new start, a patch of soil for Luhan to grow and blossom. This was going to be a part of his everything.
Xiumin lets out a huge sigh. “Well, I guess we’ll have to reorder.”
Luhan nods. He feels kind of numb.
Xiumin looks at him with worry. “Hey, it’s okay. We can fix this.”
Luhan looks at his clammy fingers. “But the money…”
Xiumin purses his lips before whispering, “We’ll make do.”
Luhan nods before walking over to the counter and setting the fallen stool back on its legs. He goes into the office, which has a special lock, and takes out his pretty lavender apron. At least whoever broke in didn’t take that.
A few tears brim on Luhan’s eyelids, but he wipes them away before they can glide down his pale cheeks. He wants to go home and cuddle up with his blankets.
He can hear the familiar trill of Sehun’s bike and the faint sounds of his obnoxious voice. A laugh punctuates the talking and Luhan thinks it’s Jongin.
With a sigh, he finishes putting on his apron before walking across the shop and to the door.
He opens it and the familiar tinkle of the bell makes his heart stop, but all he can see is Sehun’s shocked face and Jongin’s look of confusion. Sehun’s white shirt got fixed and his hair is no longer clumped up in gel. Everything is in order and his skin is glowing more than usual. But there’s no time for thinking about Sehun.
“What’s going on?” Jongin asks.
“Someone broke in.” Luhan mutters, looking at the ground.
“What? Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine. Thanks Jongin.” Luhan gives him a forced smile.
Sehun gets off his bike and places his hand on Luhan’s arm. “Luhan…”
He shakes him off. Sehun watches in surprise as Luhan spares him a side glance before pursing his lips in a thin line and walking back into the shop, hand rubbing his face. He can’t deal with this right now. Not right now.
“Wait, Luhan.” Sehun follows him.
Luhan ignores him and keeps walking. He’s scared to turn around.
A hand grips his wrist. Luhan stops walking and Sehun tugs gently. “Hey.” His voice is soft and warm.
“What.” Luhan whips his head around and he begs to someone up there he doesn’t cry.
Sehun searches his face. “It’ll be okay. Trust me.”
“I can’t trust you.”
“What?”
Luhan takes his wrist out of Sehun’s hand. He tries to glare, but it’s too much work and too much effort to waste on someone who doesn’t care.
“You ignored me, Sehun.”
“What are you talking about?” Sehun narrows his eyes.
Luhan’s eyes water. Sehun’s gaze dissolves into something sad. “Luhan…”
“You know, you’re the first.”
“Excuse me?”
“First friend. First friend since I ran away from home.”
Sehun closes his mouth. Luhan lets himself go.
“I thought we were friends, Sehun. Seriously.”
“We are? Luhan--”
“A friend is someone with value. We haven’t had a conversation in weeks.”
“I’ve been busy and you are important! Is this about--”
“No, goddammit! It’s not about Jongin. It’s you. It’s all you.”
They’re silent, standing with their heads spinning and their blood pumping, surrounded by piles of dirt and crushed blossoms, drenched in warm sunlight.
“Go. Please.”
***
Sehun stares at his white ceiling.
He can hear the whole apartment. That old clock in the kitchen keeps ticking with its offbeat tocks, the cat’s purrs are rumbling from his throat and rippling through his body, and Sehun’s head is locked in a mixture of confusion and hurt.
Maybe he was neglecting Luhan. Maybe he talked about Jongin too much.
But really, Luhan was his friend, right? Luhan should have supported him and talked to him instead of ignoring him. Luhan should’ve listened. But then again, did he do those things for Luhan?
Sehun groans into his pillow. His phone died and he doesn’t feel like getting the charger.
***
Luhan feels like shit.
He hates losing money. He hates lowlife burglars. He hates Sehun. He hates, hates, hates.
But he still wants to make up. He still cares about Sehun. He might even like the fucker. But Sehun is basically in love with his new coworker, and the new coworker is unfortunately attractive and ten times nicer than he is.
Luhan is stuck between crying and throwing himself off the balcony.
***
There are two human shells walking around.
Luhan is abnormally quiet as he mindlessly sweeps up the dirt and ripped petals littering the ground. He swamps himself in his jobs for the day, which involved calling a few important people, ordering new flowers, and designating a jar for donations.
Sehun drags his feet the entire school day. His gaze is dull and shadows ghost under his eyes. He didn’t get any sleep while he tossed and turned in his bed last night, trying to figure out how to make it up to Luhan.
He’s not even sure if he likes Jongin anymore because he declined all of the tan male's offers to go out.
It’s around lunchtime when someone pokes Sehun on his side.
“Sehun.”
Sehun’s long body is laid out on the empty row of desks in the back. He has a manga on his face and his gym jacket over his body. He grunts.
Jongin shakes him. “You need to fix this.”
Sehun lifts the manga off of his face. “How?”
“Well,” Jongin gulps. “You could apologize.”
“Luhan is stubborn as shit. It’s not going to work.”
“But he cares about you. He’ll forgive you.”
Sehun laughs emotionlessly. “Okay, Jongin. Whatever you say.”
There's a pause. "Sehun, do something meaningful."
Sehun scoffs before curling away from Jongin’s body and turning to the brick wall. He meant what he said about Luhan's stubbornness, but there’s a small piece of hope in him. He doesn’t want Luhan to hate him. He misses him way more than he thought he would.
Sehun slaps himself with his manga. He’s really fucking stupid.
***
A pot of poppies and an arranged bouquet of peonies is all that’s left.
Xiumin is inside the shop, sweeping up the last of the mess. Luhan, with his puffy eyes and deflated enthusiasm, picks up the bouquet and pot in the small alley on the right side. For the first time today, a smile spreads on his pink lips. At least something can be salvaged from this.
He almost runs into the shop with the newfound treasures.
“Xiumin! I found these.”
Xiumin puts down his broom and turns to inspect the remains of his blossoms. A grin is mirrored on his face as he looks at Luhan. “They’re in good condition, too.”
Luhan looks fondly at the blooms.
Xiumin gestures to the pots lined up on one of the tables. “We have a few pots that are good and I think the shipment of flowers is coming next week.”
He turns to Luhan with hopeful eyes. “We’ll be okay.”
“That’s good.” Luhan sighs.
He gently places the flowers on the table, right next to the pots. His fingers tremble as he runs his fingers over the silken petals. He thinks his pale skin looks dry in comparison to the vibrant red of the poppies. The peonies are tinged with pastel pink, the ruffled edges lined with a darker blush.
Luhan steps outside. The bell jingles as the door closes.
He takes a deep breath before cleaning up the display tables. He picks up a few of the white tags, which have his neat handwriting all over them.
His eyes flit to the donation jar. A rolled up twenty dollar bill and a few coins sit solemnly inside, the light glinting off of them. Luhan bites his lip and empties it.
The faint sound of a bike floats in the city air. Luhan’s expression steels, but he shakes his head and stuffs the money in his apron pocket.
“Luhan!”
The voice is sharp and clear, and the last thing Luhan wants to hear. But he can’t help himself because through all of the drama, Luhan misses his friend. He wants to be able to talk to him and laugh with him. He wants to share puns and the aroma of flowers and the sounds of city life. He wants it all to come back.
Sehun has a box tied to his bike. That poppy red bike, with its reflective silver handlebars and worn leather seat.
Luhan looks into Sehun’s eyes. They’re still the same old dull brown, but there's something different this time around.
Sehun unties the box. It takes him a while because there are multiple strings looping over the top and under the bottom of the back seat.
Luhan watches quietly. He doesn’t know what to say.
When all the strings are loose, Sehun lifts the box and turns back around. He takes a deep breath.
“I’m really sorry.”
Luhan stares at the box thrust in his face and cautiously takes it. Sehun looks at him with expectant eyes, licking his lips anxiously.
Inside the cardboard container are jars. Jars of green, printed, rectangular pieces of paper. Jars speckled by large dots of copper and bronze and silver. Jars of money, cash, dough. On top of each lid are masking tape labels, scrawled on by Sehun’s chicken scratch handwriting.
Luhan doesn’t know what to say, so he looks at Sehun.
And Sehun looks back at him.
"I, uh, went around my building and collected the money."
There's no reply. So Sehun admits defeat and continues.
“Luhan, I’m an awful friend.”
“...yeah.”
“But I genuinely care about you. I do.”
“...sure...”
“And I think...maybe...”
Sehun stops. He fidgets on his bike and almost falls over. His face burns crimson.
At this point, Luhan doesn’t know anything. This could all be a disaster or a mistake waiting to happen. Sehun might regret this entire pseudo-confession he’s performing at the moment.
But Luhan still drops the box and kisses him.
Full on the mouth, with his soft pink lips, just how Sehun daydreamed it that one time.
***
In the end, Luhan gets the guy.
In the end, Sehun gets a guy. But it’s his best friend, so that’s even better.