Writing Central @abandoned-anemoia - Tumblr Blog

A Flower a Day Keeps the Sadness Away

☯ Pairing: Joshua x gn!reader, Jeonghan x gn!reader, (ft. Minghao, Seungkwan, Lee Youngji, and Itzy's Ryunjin) ☯ Genre: fluff with a tiny bit of angst, slow burn! ☯ Word count: 16k ☯ Summary: When you start receiving flowers from a secret admirer, your forced to use the hint cards attached to figure out who it may be. Struggling with your own feelings, you overlook an obvious suspect. Will you ever figure out who your secret admirer is? Or will you discover hidden feelings for someone else along the way? ☯ Warnings: Accidentally cutting your hand while cooking, cursing, Ryunjin is very flirty, uses of pet names for everyone (darling, love, sweetheart, beautiful, babe, handsome), Minghao being a menace to society, mentions of sex (jokes), allusions to murder/guns (jokes), drinking, jealousy, mention of "god" ☯ A/N: I hate that Tumblr fucks with my format, so I'm sorry if it's a bit odd looking. Please Let me know if I need to add any warnings! ☯Disclaimer: None of my work represents any of the idols included in any way. This is merely fictional and all based on my opinion as a joke! I have nothing against any of these idols and love them all dearly.

Please do not copy, translate, or post as your own!

Day 1- Monday in front of the mirror, preparing yourself for work. Rushing through your routine, you speed to the kitchen to see Jeonghan is standing by the counter, looking out the window with a mug between his hands, the steam making itself visible. His hair is done, looking well kept, and sunlight peeks through the window and bounces off of his skin, making him look as if he were glowing. He looks at you as you walk further into the room and smiles, "Good morning, Darling."

The pet name never ceases to stop you in your tracks, never being prepared for the sweet pet name to leave his lips. You turn to Jeonghan as he hands you another steaming mug, "Good morning, Love."

"Are you ready to go?" He watches as you wander around the kitchen, grabbing something you can eat quickly before gathering your things for work. You nod before tossing him the car keys and making your way to the front door.

You pull the door open, the sun not quite reaching you as you start to step onto the small porch. A flash of pink catches your eye—it being a stark contrast to the plain brown of the porch. When you look down at your feet to see a single pink flower lying on the ground, confusion hits you. Reaching down to grab the flower, noticing a small beige card with a hole punched into the corner, a piece of twine tying it to the stem. Holding the note card in your hands, it reads:

In 14 days, it will be the one year anniversary of you moving in to this house. Every flower has a meaning and you'll receive a flower a day that acts as a hint to who I am and how I feel about you.

In the language of flowers a pink Carnation represents a secret admirer.

You have to admit, the note seems a little ominous. Someone you know, or who at least knows you, has given you a flower and a hint as to who they are? It is a strange, yet oddly sweet gesture. If the card were threatening in any way you would have gone to the police, but it seems harmless enough, right?

Jeonghan simply places a hand on your back and lightly presses into you to get you to move from your spot. Shooting him a questioning look, he shrugs before walking to the car, you following not far behind.

Climbing into the passenger seat, you pull the seat belt around you as Jeonghan starts the car, pulling out of the driveway and heading down the road. Every morning, Jeonghan drives the both of you to work, dropping you off at the clothing store before driving down the street to the local coffee shop. Often, after particularly long days, you both use the car ride to decompress before getting home, only to complain about the people you both encountered when you arrive.

Holding the flower in your hand as you say goodbye to Jeonghan, you turn to enter the building that provides you with money before making your way inside. Walking your way to the back, you wet a paper towel, wrapping it around the stem of the flower before putting it with your stuff. Clocking in and settling behind the register, you start your morning conversation with your friend, "Good morning, Minghao!"

"You're very cheery today. Anything special happen?" He cocks his head to the side, wiggling his eyebrows in suggestion, a smirk playing on his lips.

Rolling your eyes, you shook your head at the man that is now leaning against the counter that separates the two of you, "If you're insinuating that I slept with Jeonghan, then no, nothing special happened. How many times do I have to tell you that he's my best friend?"

"Babe… he lives with you, makes you coffee every morning, drops you off at work, will occasionally bring you lunch, takes you back home, and he is drop dead gorgeous. He is the whole package and you expect me to think you two are 'just friends'? Yeah, no." He chastises you about your close friendship with Jeonghan, using air quotes when he says the two of you are just friends.

Before you can respond with an equally sassy response, the door opens and a few young girls walk in, beginning to look around. Minghao pouts, raising his eyebrows, silently telling you that he will be coming back to this topic later.

The day is filled with people coming in and out, stocking the shelves and racks, and the usual banter with Minghao. Time flies by, not noticing closing time ticking closer until Minghao snaps his fingers in front of your face and points to the door, "Your boyfriend's here."

Sending him a glare, you gather your things, clock out, and head out the door while waving goodbye to your friend. He waves to you as you get into the car, Jeonghan giving him a small smile as he drives the two of you home.

Jeonghan looks down to the flower resting in your lap, "I see the flower survived the day. Did you?"

"It wasn't a bad day. It moved by quite fast. How was your day?" You glance at him, noting the way his eyes never glance over to you but stay on the road.

He smiles at your question, pulling into the driveway, "It wasn't the best, but it wasn't bad so I don't really have anything to complain about."

As you both get out of the car, making your way up the few stairs to your front door, you notice Jeonghan wave at someone. You look in the direction of Jeonghan's attention, seeing your neighbors, Seungkwan and Joshua, getting home at the same time as the two of you.

This is usually how it happens–everything closes around the same time, so Seungkwan leaves the flower shop around the same time that Jeonghan leaves the cafe and you leave the clothing store. Joshua more or less makes his own schedule and usually takes Seungkwan to work in the morning and picks him up in the afternoon.

"How was your day? I noticed the cafe was pretty crowded today." Seungkwan smiles, teeth on display and eyes bright.

Jeonghan nods, chuckling lightly, "It was very busy but not all that bad."

As the two continue to talk about their day and make casual conversation, you stroll over to Joshua, who is standing with a smile on his face as Seungkwan raves about his day. Once closer to where he is, you joke with him about his job, "How was your day? Any closer to being CEO?"

The once bright and cheery smile on his face turns into a bashful one as a slight puff of air escapes through his nose, "Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen any time soon." He glances down, noting the single flower in your hand, "Do you like flowers?"

"I love them! This one was sort of a secret surprise of sorts, but a nice one nonetheless." You look down at the flower you held, smile now matching his.

The sudden laughter that flows from a few feet away catches your attention. Jeonghan and Seungkwan are folded over, melodic laughter escaping their lips.

Joshua is the first one to let his curiosity get the better of him, "What's so funny?"

Wheezing out the best that he can, Seungkwan responds with a simple, "Nothing."

Jeonghan, finally catching his breath and wiping his eyes, looks to you, "Are you ready to go in? We can order food. I'm too tired to cook."

As you nod, Joshua waves to the two of you and leads a still giggling Seungkwan into their home. Walking inside your shared home, you and Jeonghan discuss your food options as you find a vase to place the flower into.

Day 2- Tuesday

Waking up the next morning and going through your usual routine, you had forgotten about your secret admirer until you stepped outside, finding a long green stem with yellow blooms lining the upper half. The familiar twine loops around the flower, a card dangling from it:

I consider you to be a close friend of mine.

In the language of flowers a yellow Freesia represents friendship and trust.

Jeonghan reads the note from over your shoulder, having stepped out of the house just a moment after you, "Another flower to add to the vase, huh?"

Smiling at the beautiful flora, you rush back inside to add it to the vase before meeting Jeonghan in the car. Your drive to work is quiet, only filled with light music before you say your goodbyes to Jeonghan and he drives off.

"Look who has an extra pep in their step today!" A voice rings out as you walk through the door.

Continuing your walk to the back to place your stuff down and clocking in, "We're still just friends, Hao!"

Minghao rolls his eyes, "Then what has you so happy?"

"Well… I got a flower yesterday and it had this note with it and-" You continued to recount what had happened and explain the situation to the best of your ability.

Minghao has a smirk on his face, "You know, this person has to know your schedule in order to drop the flowers off without you noticing them. Like a certain someone we know."

"Wouldn't I notice Jeonghan putting these things together though?" You hadn't thought about the possibility of the one leaving you flowers being Jeonghan.

"Maybe. But maybe not. Maybe it's Seungkwan? He's your neighbor right? Plus he's on a very similar schedule to ours! He would know when you leave AND he knows flowers from working as a florist!" Minghao, excited by his own discovery, claps his hands together.

You're quick to put a damper on his excitement, "That would be too obvious, wouldn't it?"

"Hiding in plain sight." He shrugs, eyebrows raised as he walks around the empty store, tidying up and organizing things as he goes.

The day is filled with you exchanging theories with Minghao about who your secret admirer could be. Being quite empty, the store was silent except for your excited banter.

You are locking up when Jeonghan pulls up to the front of the store. Minghao smiles at him and turns to you, leaning in and whispering, "Think about it. It's possible."

Nudging him away, you give him a nod and climb into the passenger's seat of the car. Before Jeonghan pulls away from the curb, he glances over at you, "Seatbelt."

Pulling the seatbelt across your body and hearing the click of the buckle, you look to Jeonghan, who nods and starts down the road, "How was your day?"

"It was very dead today." Was all you respond with, not wanting to tell him about all of the theories you and Minghao had come up with about your mysterious suitor. Jeonghan gives you a nod and hums in agreement before telling you about his day like he always does.

When you get home, Jeonghan offers to cook dinner but you insist on helping. The scene is quite a domestic one—you washing and cutting vegetables while he gathers more ingredients, prepping the centerpiece of the meal. You have time to think over Minghao's words, staring over at Jeonghan as he stands in front of the stove. You're so distracted by the thought that you don't notice how close the knife is to your hand before the blade slips across your finger, leaving a sting in its wake. Wincing at the pain and quickly turning back to your hand, you set the knife down in the sink, turning the water on and pushing your hand under it.

Jeonghan was quick to notice the pained noise that slips out, turning off the stove so it is not forgotten and rushing over to where you stand, "What happened?"

"I wasn't paying attention…" Your voice was quiet, ashamed at your lack of caution.

"Let me see." Jeonghan gently pulls your hand out from under the water and cradles it in his own, inspecting the wound before grabbing a small rag and placing it in your hands, "It's not bad. I'll go get a bandaid."

He walks away, leaving you standing in the kitchen, shocked by his actions almost as if he has never done such a thing before and your clumsiness isn't a common occurrence. Coming back around the corner with a band-aid and ointment in hand, he pulls your hand toward him as he works on wrapping the band-aid around your finger. Maybe it was what Minghao had suggested or maybe it was hidden feelings seemingly coming to light, but the way he holds your hand so delicately makes your heart race.

"Be more careful." He fusses, moving you to the stove and pointing at the still uncooked food, "I'll finish the vegetables. You work on that and try not to burn yourself."

Letting out a small laugh at his jab, you turn to finish the food he was cooking while he finishes washing and cutting the vegetables. You'll have to think about the possibility of having feelings for Jeonghan later.

Day 3- Wednesday

The single pink flower sitting on your doorstep catches you off guard once again. Its seemingly flawless petals are neatly lying across one another, a small beige card strapped to its stem:

I always wish you the best.

In the language of flowers a pink Tulip represents good wishes and love for friends.

Taking the flower inside, placing the card in the growing stack, before slipping the Tulip inside of the vase. Jeonghan waves you on, catching you in the kitchen as he makes his way out the door.

Following behind him and climbing into the car, you ask if he thinks today will be a busy day for either of you. It being Wednesday, he tells you he thinks it will be another slow day for the both of you.

"Do you want to stop by the cafe for lunch today?" The smile on his face rivals that of a kid on Christmas morning when you nod, agreeing to have lunch with him. It is always like this, the happy and calm mixing to make the perfect atmosphere between the two of you.

The day was pretty much just a repeat of the day before. Nothing too exciting or ground breaking happened before lunch rolled around. You had spent the majority of the time gossiping and theorizing with Minghao again.

Walking down the street to the cafe, you spot Seungkwan through the window as you make your way inside. He excitedly waves you over to his table, offering you the seat next to him. Joshua sits across from Seungkwan, clad in a white dress shirt and black slacks, the matching black tie dangling down the center of his chest, a bright smile on his face as he greets you.

Before you can say anything Seungkwan is waving someone else over. As you look to where his attention is placed, you see Jeonghan, happily making his way over. Seungkwan motions to the seat next to Joshua and Jeonghan sits down.

"What a small world!" Seungkwan places his chin in his hands as his elbows rest on the table, successfully making everyone at the table laugh.

He offers to go and order for everyone if they knew what they wanted. Being given the order and ready to walk to the counter, Joshua pulls out his wallet and hands his card to Seungkwan telling everyone he will pay. Seungkwan happily takes the card and continues to the counter, having somehow memorized what everyone wanted.

"You didn't have to do that, you know." Worried eyes meeting his as you speak.

Joshua shrugs, waving you off, "It's no big deal. We all do things for each other all the time, this is no different."

"It was still really nice of you. How about we treat you to dinner at our place next week?" Jeonghan speaks softly as he smiles at the man sitting next to him.

"That's genius! Then we get to spend more time together and catch up since we have all been run ragged recently." You add to Jeonghan's invitation, earning a bright smile from Joshua, his cheeks tinting pink as he accepts the invitation.

Seungkwan skips over to the table with drinks, sandwiches, and pastries lining his arms, "What did I miss?"

Helping him disperse the food, Jeonghan extends the invitation to Seungkwan, who happily agrees as he returns Joshua's card, "I'm always down for free food."

"Who isn't?" You laugh as you all converse and joke about anything and everything while eating.

Realizing you lost track of time, you quickly gather your things, "Oh, shit! I need to get back to work. I'll see you guys later."

"I can drive you so you aren't late." Joshua's suggestion catches you by surprise.

"It's just down the street, I can walk it." Sending him a smile as you make your way to the door.

"You'll be tired from the walk and then you won't have the energy to work well." Joshua had followed you to the door, grabbing the handle and pushing in open for you.

Though his comment seemed like an excuse, you let out a laugh and agree to allow him to drive you down the street. His smile widens as he opens the car door for you, just as he had the cafe door, before running around the other side and starting the car.

Pulling up to the door, you hop out of the car, turning to him before you shut the door, "Thanks, Shua."

He nods, waving goodbye as you close the car door and watch him drive off. Walking into the empty store, you're thankful to not be late coming back from your lunch break.

"Who was that?" Minghao's voice comes from behind a clothing rack, eyes peeking over to look at you.

"Oh! That's my friend Joshua." Your answer sparks a light in Minghao's eyes, as if he had connected something in his head.

"He's your neighbor right?" Minghao steps out from behind the clothes where you can see a smirk on his face.

Nodding, you roll your eyes at your nosey friend. Minhao is quick to notice, "He could be a suspect!"

"A suspect?" You question, confused by the ominous wording.

Minghao nods slowly, making his way over to where you stand behind the counter, "Yeah, you know, your secret admirer."

Cocking your head to the side, you lean on the counter, "What makes you think that?"

"You walked down the street to have lunch with Jeonghan and ended up getting dropped back off by a very pretty friend of yours who happens to also be your neighbor. See where I'm going with this?" He knew what he was saying was obvious to him, but you had only taken it as a kind gesture, not noticing how strange it could look from an outside perspective like his.

"I guess it is possible." Minghao lets out a dramatic puff of air at your response.

You and Minghao finish the day off by discussing new possibilities in Joshua being your secret admirer while wandering around the store. When Jeonghan stops to pick you up, it's the same old routine—waving goodbye, getting in the car, and talking about your day while driving home only for nothing eventful to happen once comfortable inside said home.

Day 4- Thursday

Running slightly behind, you found yourself dashing to the door to find your next flower before caring about getting yourself ready. Bright orange petals splay in a circle as you stare at the flower in your hands, then look to the card wrapped around it:

The energy you radiate never fails to bring a smile to my face.

In the language of flowers an orange Aster represents energy and enthusiasm.

The small notes always manage to bring a smile to your face, not always because of the note itself, but the meaning behind it all. Taking the beautiful flower into your home, you rush to the kitchen, placing it in the vase with the others and admiring your growing collection for a moment.

"Why aren't you ready yet?" A voice comes from behind you.

Turning to look at Jeonghan, you note the extra mug in his hand and the look on his face that tells you you're running later than you expected. His presence had gone completely unnoticed when you entered the room, too focused on getting the flower to the vase to realize Jeonghan was patiently waiting on you with your morning coffee and conversation.

You hurry to apologize, hoping Jeonghan wouldn't be upset that you completely dismissed his presence a moment ago, "I'm so sorry, Hannie! I was a bit distracted. I promise I'll be quick."

Scurrying to your room to get ready and gather anything you may need for the day, you seem to manage the time quite well. You quickly make your way back to the kitchen where Jeonghan has moved the coffee that was in the mug to a to-go cup and is now staring at the flowers on the table.

"Admiring the flowers?" You joke as you pick up the cup of coffee, the liquid warming your hands through the material of the cup.

"Mm, yeah," he pauses for a moment, looking as if he is dissociating before snapping back to reality, "Are you ready to go?"

Nodding your head, you both exit the house. You want to question his strange mood but decide not to prod too much and instead thank him for thinking of you, "Thanks for the coffee, Han. There honestly isn't a better way to start my morning than drink your master concoctions."

Your joking praise is enough to bring a bright smile to Jeonghan's face. Lightly chuckling at your blatant attempt to knock him out of whatever funk he seemed to be in a few moments earlier, "It's a different necromancy potion every morning because you look dead."

Gasping dramatically, placing a hand over your heart in fake disbelief, "I compliment you and you turn around and insult me? What a great friend you are."

You didn't miss the slight fall in his features after mentioning your friendship. The same thought in the back of your mind keeps pestering you: Is Jeonghan the one leaving the flowers?

Pushing the thought back to the back of your mind, you glance over at Jeonghan, noticing one of his hands is resting on the center console of the car. Giving in to your impulses, you link your hand with his, squeezing it lightly before letting your hand rest in his.

He sends you a small smile, his thumb softly drawing shapes on your hand as he turns his gaze back to the road ahead. Your own gaze is intently watching your hand, how well it fits in his and how gently he runs his thumb along the back of yours.

Looking through the windshield to see you have almost made it to the store you work in, you lean further against the seat, not wanting to leave the comfort of the car. When Jeonghan parks in front of the store, you both sit in silence for a moment, hands still linked together, unwilling to let go.

You let out a sigh, slowly dragging your hand from his grip and unbuckling your seatbelt. Jeonghan looks at you, eyes wide and hopeful, "Have a good day at work, Darling."

Smiling brightly, you nod in agreement while slipping out of the car, "Don't work yourself to death, Love."

…

Your phone screen lights up next to you, a simple text from Jeonghan reads: "Have you had lunch yet?"

Picking up your phone, you text him a quick response: "Probably won't be able to. Too busy."

You place your phone under the counter you're standing behind just before a customer comes to check out. The day has been the busiest day in weeks, people filing through the doors of the store, one right after another. The groups of people leaving the store are replaced by other groups coming in.

The store is already low on staff, with today only being managed by you, Minghao, and one other co-worker. You are all being run ragged by the amount of people that swarm the store. You had covered for Minghao earlier so he could eat, but it was far less busy at that time so you doubt that you will be able to take time for lunch.

Only half an hour passes before you see Jeonghan walk through the door, a small brown paper bag in one hand and a white to-go cup in the other. He weaves his way through the sea of people, walking up to the counter as he smiles at you before handing the items to you, "I brought you some small things to snack on so you won't have to wait until it's less busy to eat."

You let out a relieved sigh, "You're an angel, Hannie."

The girl standing at the counter eyes Jeonghan and smiles softly as you ring up her items. Her eyes are soft and swirling with emotion as she turns to look back at you when you start speaking again. As if you snapped her out of her daze, her eyes seem to lose the emotion they showed prior as she pays and quickly scurries away.

You wonder if the slight spike of jealousy that ran through you was that of friendly nature or that spurred on by the growing adoration you have for Jeonghan. The jealousy doesn't last as you glance back to Jeonghan, his eyes already on you, seeming as if they never left.

"I won't bother you while you work, but make sure you eat. I'll cook something filling for us tonight." The smile on his face is bright and holds more love than it seemed to ever have.

Nodding your head in silent agreement, you watch as he leaves the store, walking down the street to get back to work himself. You peek into the paper bag, spotting a few of your favorite foods from the cafe, and let a smile spread across your face.

You snack on the foods he brought you throughout the rest of your shift, barely getting more than a bite in before yet another customer was asking for assistance with something. The store settles down just as closing time rolls around, as if everyone simultaneously decided to give you a break.

After turning off all of the lights, Minghao closes the door, "So are we going to talk about how Jeonghan was looking at you today, or not?"

Crossing your arms over your chest, you quirk your eyebrow at him, "What are you on about?"

Minghao looks at you as if you had just told him the grass is blue, "Are you really that dense?" He pauses as you continue to stare at him, "Oh, come on! He brought you food when we were busy and totally ignored the girl that was swooning over him, just to continue looking at you like you drew the whole universe for him."

As Minghao's ranting comes to a close, Jeonghan pulls up to the curb. Smiling at your friend, you turn to Minghao, "I wasn't really paying attention."

"I know. You were too busy murdering that girl with your mind." Minghao laughs at the memory.

You are mortified, you had not thought you had reacted, at least not noticeably. Minghao seems to notice your embarrassment, clapping a hand on your shoulder and smiling, "You are hopeless."

Day 5- Friday

You stare at the new flower sitting in the vase alongside the others, the dark orange petals staring back at you. The small card that was once attached to the stem now sits on the counter:

I appreciate even the smallest details about you and I hope to learn to understand these things about you even more one day.

In the language of flowers an orange tulip represents understanding and appreciation.

You can’t help but to smile at the note, now even more encouraged to find out who has been leaving them on your doorstep. Jeonghan walks into the kitchen, snapping you out of your thoughts, “You ready, Darling?”

When you turn to look at him, he is smiling brightly, eyes sparkling with what one could only assume is glee as he bounces on the balls of his feet, “What’s got you so giddy?”

Jeonghan only responds with a shrug, the happy smile never leaving his face, “It’s always a good day when I wake up in the same house as you.”

“Hannie, that’s every day. And I know for fact that you do not always have good days.” You poke at Jeonghan’s side as you both head out the door.

He lets out a laugh, climbing into the drivers side of the car, “I was trying to be sweet," he pauses before continuing, “Are you stopping by the cafe after lunch today?”

Climbing into the car, you nod along, “Yeah, I get off early today. After I get lunch with Youngji and Ryujin, I’ll meet you at the cafe and wait for you to get off. Is that okay?”

Jeonghan nods, his smile never leaving his face. It is hard to truly tell what’s got him so happy, but something inside you says it isn’t you. There is another part of you that believes and wants the reason for that beautiful smile on his face to be you.

…

Getting off early will always be a godsend, especially when you see your friends waiting for you at a table settled in a corner of the small restaurant. Rushing over to your friends, Youngji happily stands to greet you, wrapping her arms around your shoulders and laughing loudly at what seemed like nothing. Ryujin smiles brightly, remaining seated so you could slide into the seat next to her, "Glad you could make it. It's time to catch up on these past few weeks."

Once Ryujin and Youngji had caught everyone up on their lives, they both looked at you expectantly. Excited to have two more people who could help you sleuth out who was giving you flowers, you spoke, "I don't have much to tell, but I do need to tell you guys about my secret admirer."

"Your WHAT?! That's so cool!" Youngji's loud voice travels farther than you would have liked, causing you to wince and hide your face from onlookers.

Ryujin was quick to both settle and berate her for her word choice, "Cool? That's it? Ji, come on, it's more than cool!"

Youngji scoffs, turning to give you her full attention, "So? Any idea who they are?"

Before you can speak, Ryujin smirks and moves a piece of your hair behind your ear, "They have taste."

Chuckling and swatting Ryujin's hand away, you shake your head, "That's what I was hoping to ask you guys about. I have a few people in mind but I honestly have no idea who it could be."

Ryunjin lets out a short laugh, giving you her full attention, "Alright. Who are you suspecting?"

"Well, Minghao and I have come up with three: Jeonghan, Joshua, or Seungkwan." Counting off the names on your fingers as you spoke.

You notice that you now have both girls' attention, as they look deep in thought. Youngji is the first to speak, leaning herself against the table, "The real question is who do you want it to be?"

"What?" The question catches you off guard.

Sighing, Youngji begins to explain, "If it ends up being someone you don't want, then does it really matter if you figure out who is doing it?"

"That's the smartest thing I've ever heard her say. She's lucky she's pretty." Ryujin's comment earns a loud complaint from Youngji.

Youngji is quick to zone back in on you, "Answer the question."

"I don't know. I'm not sure I understand my feelings for Jeonghan. I'm just his best friend. I love Seungkwan, sure, but not as anything more than a friend. I think he sees me the same way I see him. And Joshua… he's perfect, isn't he? But I think he just sees me as a friend."

"So you're telling me that you don't think any of these men like you? They would have to be stupid. I mean, look at you! Stunning. You are the perfect one, Beautiful."

Before you can respond, a waiter comes to take your order. As he walks away to give your order to the kitchen, Youngji's eyes widen and move to settle on you and Ryunjin, "He was pretty."

Ryunjin crosses her arms over her chest, pouting her lips, "So am I, but you never look at me like that."

Youngji is quick to point out Ryujin's flirty behavior, "For all we know, it could be Ryu!"

Ryunjin sends a flirty wink your way before a more serious look crosses her face, "As much as I would love to take credit, it isn't me."

When the food arrives, the conversation pauses, but only for a moment. As soon as everything is settled on the table and the waiter is out of ear shot, Ryujin continues, "Youngji, aren't you friends with Seungkwan?"

Youngji nods excitedly, "Yeah! I'll be sure to find out if it's him. But for now, we are going to explore the possibility of it being your best friend and roommate."

Ryujin nods her head animatedly, agreeing with Youngji, "That is the elephant in the room that we completely skipped over."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just don’t know what to even think about it.” You let out a sigh, shrugging at their questioning glances.

The conversation was pushed to its limits with both of your friends not willing to give up on the idea that you may harbor feelings for any of the men that were suspected to be your secret admirer. The three of you went over every possibility, including the notes that were left with each flower, trying to sleuth out who it could be. With Youngji agreeing to pester Seungkwan, you feel a little better about figuring out who your secret admirer is, despite refusing to talk to Jeonghan about him being a possible suspect.

Day 6- Saturday

A sliver of light forces itself through your curtains, piercing your eyes and pulling you from your peaceful sleep. Luckily, you and Jeonghan had convinced your manager’s to let you keep Saturdays to yourselves. For you, Saturdays are for sleeping in. For Jeonghan, Saturdays are for spending the day doing anything but going to work. He never lets you sleep in for too long because Saturdays are for spending time together.

Crawling out of bed and checking the time, you decide noon is definitely too long to sleep any more than you already have. Feet padding to the door of your room before exiting and slowly walking to the kitchen.

A voice comes from the living area, “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. I was starting to worry you needed true loves kiss.”

Scoffing at his comment, you turn to see him wandering into the kitchen behind you, “How long have you been up?”

“Since about eight.” He pauses, pointing to the vase of flowers, “By the way, I got your funny looking flower from the doorstep. I put the note on the counter next to the vase.”

Looking to where he is pointing, there is a new flower added to the vase. It looks far more different than any of the other flowers. The bright red flower looks like a firework of some sort, petals spiked up like a 90s hairstyle. You grab the note from where it sits on the counter, reading the words carefully.

I hope to be the one to make you feel safe when I am around.

In the language of flowers a Scarlet Bee Balm represents protection and prosperity.

The first person you think of when you think of feeling safe is Jeonghan. He is always around and is only ever a phone call away if you need him. He has always been your shelter from every raging storm of swirling thoughts or any scary situation you have ever been in. He isn’t the only one though. You feel safe around Seungkwan, Joshua, Minghao, Ryujin, and Youngji.

Even after your conversation with Ryujin and Youngji yesterday, you could still be very wrong about who this secret admirer may be. Ignoring Youngji’s advice, you decide not to ask Jeonghan if it is him gifting you flowers. Hinting wouldn’t be so bad though, right?

“You know, I still have no idea who these could be from.” You turn to look at Jeonghan, who only shrugs and turns away from you.

Just as you are about to speak up again, he asks, “Do you want coffee? Or something to eat?”

While you declined Jeonghan’s offer to make you coffee, the two of you decide to discuss food options for lunch. With neither of you wanting to go out, you settled on ordering takeout and binging the rest of the show the two of you had recently started.

You gather utensils and anything you could possibly need from the kitchen while Jeonghan sets up the living room. Carrying what you need into the living area, you spot Jeonghan, who is spreading your favorite blanket across the couch. He would have had to go and get said blanket from the closet for this occasion because the blanket that is bound to the living room is draped across the back of the couch, where it usually sits.

The wait for the food was not as long as either of you had expected. Or maybe it was and neither of you had noticed exactly how long it had taken—too caught up in random conversation to even notice the time roll by until the doorbell rang, alerting you of the food's presence.

Jeonghan gets up from his spot on the couch, lightly tapping your leg to let you know that he could get it himself before leaving the room. Only a moment later, he reappears in the doorway with two bags in hand and a smile on his face.

Pressing play on the TV, you dig through the bags he sat on the coffee table, placing the food in front of the two of you. While eating, you and Jeonghan discuss the events of the drama playing on the TV. Too caught up in your own theories and the plot of the show, you hadn’t noticed the sun lowering itself to the horizon.

“The sun is already setting?!” you feel as if you had wasted the day.

Jeonghan is quick to settle you worries, smiling brightly at you, “That’s okay! Now we can call it a movie night!”

The sun beams peek through the window, showering Jeonghan in a golden light. His skin shines and his eyes sparkle. His smile is still present on his face, not a hair on his head is out of place. If someone had told you to reminisce on your favorite picture it would be him in this moment.

“You okay, Darling?” his voice breaks you out of your daze.

Nodding your head, you move to close the curtains a bit more in hopes that you would not get caught staring at Jeonghan again. When you take your spot next to him again, he pulls you into his side as the credits to the last episode of the show drift across the screen.

Jeonghan scrolls through the movie choices, his arm draped across your shoulders and his thumb gently drawing shapes on your arm. This was anything but out of the ordinary, but part of you couldn’t help but feel that this time was different.

Pulling your legs up to your chest, you lean further into Jeonghan’s side, resting your head on his shoulder. He decides on a movie and tosses the blanket over your laps, laying his head on top of yours.

By the fourth movie of the night you have managed to find yourself lying down, Jeonghan pressed between you and the back of the couch, a blanket draped over the two of you. One of his arms is draped across your middle while the other rests under your head. Your eyelids feel heavy, sleep trying to overcome you. Jeonghan’s breathing is evening out behind you, his body warm against yours, lulling you to sleep.

Day 7- Sunday

When your eyes open, you notice that the warmth of the body behind you was no longer there. Sizzling sounds and a delicious smell make their way to you, making your stomach growl. You slowly sit up, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and making your way into the kitchen. No matter how many times you see it, the sight of Jeonghan standing in front of the stove, strands of hair falling over his face as he moves food around a hot pan, will never fail to take your breath away.

His voice travels through the air, soft and still sounding tired, "Good morning, Darling."

"Good morning, Love." Sending him a smile, you walk over to where he stands, looping your arms around his waist and pressing your body to his back.

With your cheek resting against him, you can feel the laugh that reverberates through his body, only serving to make your smile widen. He covers your arms with one of his own, silently warning you about the hot stove only inches away. He draws shapes on your arm with his thumb, the room silent except for the sizzling of breakfast.

After a few moments of silence, you pry yourself away from Jeonghan, slowly moving to sit on a stool next to the bar. You have the perfect view of Jeonghan as he plates the food, turning slightly to slide a plate towards you.

When he moves to sit next to you, he plants a short kiss to the crown of your head, softly brushing the hair down with his hand, "I got the flower off of the doorstep by the way."

You hum in response, letting him know you heard him, more focused on the food than the new flower. There was never really a time when you thought Jeonghan could be more than a friend, but everything about this morning has seemed so natural. Neither of you have to try to feel comfortable with each other. Comfortable with affection. Now that you're on a mission to discover who your secret admirer could be, the possibility of Jeonghan being the one leaving the flowers is exciting.

The two of you ate in a comfortable silence. Once you are both finished, you reach to grab Jeonghan's plate from him, willing to wash the dishes since he cooked the food. He gently swats your hand away, grabbing your plate and moving toward the sink, "I dirtied them, I'll wash them."

Rolling your eyes at the man in front of you, you make your way over to the vase, spotting the new flower added to the vase, the deep red petals that fade into yellow spread evenly around the center. The small card sitting in front of the vase reads:

You bring joy to my life.

In the language of flowers a red and yellow Gaillardia represents joy.

Placing the card on top of the growing stack, you turn to see if Jeonghan is done with the dishes. You move to the other side of the sink where he is rinsing the dish he just washed, starting to dry the dishes and put them away. The two of you work as a seemingly effortless machine, the dishes being done and put away in a short amount of time before the both of you move back to the living room, ready for the lazy day to begin.

…

You spent most of the day rambling on about some of the funny meanings behind flowers, Jeonghan joking about getting you flowers that mean he hates you. While you felt bad for burying him in your research, he had soon joined you in your research, telling you about the random flower meanings he had found.

So here you are, lying across the couch, legs draped across Jeonghan's lap as the two of you go over the different meanings of flowers. A knock on the door catches your attention, groaning as you lift yourself off of the couch and make your way to the door.

As you open the door, Seungkwan comes barrelling in, flowers in hand, "I brought flowers! The store was going to throw them out because they weren't selling! Can you believe that!? They would throw away perfectly good flowers! Shame on them."

"Please, do come in." The sarcasm rolling off your tongue as you close the door completely flying over Seunkwan's head.

His ramblings continue as he makes his way into your kitchen, setting the bunches of Tansies on the counter. You get a good look at the flowers, recognizing them from your research, "Kwannie! Aren't these flowers meant to symbolize war?"

Seungkwan's eyes widen, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise, "Yes, because I'm declaring war on you," he rolls his eyes, "You're really reading into this whole secret admirer thing aren't you?"

Jeonghan snorts, a smirk making its way onto his lips, "We have been researching flower meanings all day."

You're too focused on Seungkwan's comment to pay any mind to Jeonghan's sassy response, "How do you know about that?"

Seungkwan let out a loud laugh, "Youngji was being weird and eventually just asked me if I was leaving you flowers with cute notes. While I do love you very much and I truly cherish our friendship, I'm not your secret admirer."

A puff of air comes out of your nose, a small laugh following. The newfound relief of only having two possible options for your secret admirer taking over you as you launch yourself at Seungkwan. Your arms wrap around his shoulders as he laughs, wrapping his own arms around your middle, "I'm not sure if I should be offended that you're so happy that it isn't me or if I should be happy?"

"Kwan, I love you, but not like that. I was so worried I would end up hurting your feelings." You sigh, pulling away from his embrace and chuckling along with him.

Seungkwan happily lets you know that he never told Youngji that he wasn't your secret admirer just to keep her on edge as the three of you carry the flowers out to the backyard. Jeonghan said he would order dinner for everyone if Seungkwan was staying for a while, in which Seungkwan nodded and smiled happily. The two of you stayed outside, placing the Tansies around the edge of the back door while Jeonghan went inside to order food.

"Oh! Is Shua home? We could invite him over?" Your sudden excited voice shocks Seungkwan, his head snapping to look at you.

He shakes his head, "He won't be home for a while. He's working late today. But don't worry, I'll make sure he eats."

Seungkwan seems to notice the way your face falls slightly at the knowledge of Joshua not being able to join you, "He's off tomorrow! I can let him know to visit you at the store?"

Smiling brightly, you turn to look at Seungkwan, "I'm off tomorrow too! Do you think he would want to hang out tomorrow?"

A bright smile appears on his face, his cheeks bunching up under his eyes, "I'm sure he would! Send him a text later and ask."

You nod, making a mental note to text Joshua later on, before getting back to making the flowers look pretty. You joke with Seungkwan as you both discuss flowers and all of the new meanings you have learned. The two of you now had another thing in common that you could talk about and that made Seungkwan more excited as the conversation went on.

Day 8- Monday

A hand on your shoulder shakes you awake, a soft voice calling out for you to wake up. Groaning, you role yourself over, facing away from the assailant.

"Don't make me play What Does The Fox Say on repeat until you get up." Your body shoots up upon hearing the threat, your head knocking into Jeonghan's.

The two of you simultaneously place your hands on your heads and let out a pained moan. Jeonghan is the first to start laughing, the ridiculousness of it all getting to him. Your laughter soon follows, the pain in your head becoming less and less.

After settling down, Jeonghan lets you know that he is leaving for work and that he left you some coffee on the kitchen bar. He makes his way to the door, you quickly following behind him at the thought of the coffee waiting for you.

Shortly after Jeonghan leaves, there is a knock at the door. You half expect it to be Jeonghan coming back because he forgot something, so when you open the door to Joshua, you are a little surprised. He stands on your doorstep, his dark hair swept away from his face, some strands making their way onto his forehead. He looks casual—comfortable even—with an oversized flannel falling over his shoulders, a soft smile on his face as his eyes sparkle even though the sun is nowhere to be seen. The cloudy sky doesn't need the burning star for light, you have it standing in front of you. He lifts his hand toward you, a light pink bloom settled in it, "This was in front of the door."

You thank him, moving to the side to let him in. He heads to the kitchen as you follow behind him, too busy staring at the odd looking plant to notice the bag of food in his hands. You grip the card attached to the flower, reading over it as you walk to the vase on the other side of the kitchen:

I am ready to start showing you my true feelings.

In the language of flowers Valerian represents readiness.

You place the card with the others, a soft smile on your face as you turn to talk to Joshua but he beats you to it, "I brought breakfast in case you hadn't eaten yet."

The nervous smile on his face warms your heart, "You're the best, Shua."

"Anything for you, Sweetheart." He chuckles, pulling food from the bag and setting it on the counter.

The pet name wasn't a new addition to your conversations, but it causes a blush to spread across your cheeks, your heart rate speeding up and the smile on your face uncontrollable. You make your way over to stand next to him. He hands you some food and motions for you to sit down, soon taking a seat next to you with food in front of him.

…

Joshua smirks, eyes lighting up with glee as he places a yellow draw four card down on the table in front of you, "Uno."

"Oh, come on! That's so unfair!" You throw your hands into the air in exasperation.

He tilts his head to the side, looking like an innocent puppy, "How so?"

"You saved that till the very end to fuck me over." Your whining did nothing to startle him.

"That's just strategy, Sweetheart." His voice is calm, never wavering despite you trying to rile him up.

Practically growling at him, you slam your hand down on the deck, pulling four cards from the top. You stare at the four new cards added to your hand, mumbling under your breath, "You're lucky that you're pretty."

You hadn't expected him to hear you, but you must have spoken louder than you thought because he is quick to turn the compliment on you, "I'm not the pretty one here."

Laughing at the absolute absurdity of his comment, you shake your head, "Liar! Have you seen yourself?"

He is quick to join your laughter, refusing and throwing compliments back your way. All of the anger you had regarding the intense game of Uno the two of you were playing quickly dissipates. It isn't anxiety inducing to compliment him or to receive compliments back. Though the tone of your voices is light and joking, the both of you know that every flattering remark made is nothing of the sort.

This is the most competitive you have seen Joshua, completely ready to throw more praise your way if you don't back down. Though determined to win, you know this war would never end if you didn't accept his flattery soon, "Fine! You win," pulling out the draw two card you had pulled from the stack earlier and placing it down on the table, the smirk never leaving your lips, "Now, draw two."

Joshua's jaw drops, a bright smile soon taking over, "Buttering me up just to shoot me down, huh?"

Forming a finger gun with your hand, you pretended to shoot him. He brings a hand up to cover his heart, falling back onto the couch. Laughing at his antics, you fake a very posh English accent, "Even if you die, you cannot escape the infamous draw two."

Joshua sits up, pretending to cry as he sniffles and picks up two cards from the deck while copying the accent you used, "I shall avenge my own death."

The two of you had managed to finish the game despite the laughter that often overcame the both of you. You had made a victorious comeback and though you rubbed it in Joshua's face, he was a gracious loser. The conversation between you had somehow turned to discussing how to spend more time together. With both of you being busy, it felt like your friendship had grown apart. Spending the day with Joshua had proven that feeling completely wrong.

The front door opens, Jeonghan walking in and pausing your conversation with Joshua, "Oh. Hi, Joshua."

Joshua smiles at Jeonghan, greeting him back before Jeonghan disappears from the room. Quick to excuse himself, Joshua stands, "I didn't even realize I had been here this long. I better get going."

You walk to the door with Joshua by your side, "Thank you for hanging out with me today, Shua."

"The pleasure is mine, Sweetheart," He steps through the threshold of the door before continuing, "Let me know anytime you want to do this again."

You're quick to extend an invitation to spend more time with him, "You and Kwan could come over tomorrow evening for dinner if you want."

"That sounds great! I'll let him know." Joshua smiles and gives you a nod before turning to walk home. You close the door behind him and let out a sigh.

Day 9- Tuesday

You spend most of the day talking to Minghao about your possible feelings for your friend, "Listen to me, Hao. He is too perfect."

"I have two words for you: down bad." He holds up a finger after each word, emphasizing his point.

Throwing a soft punch into his arm, you let out an annoyed groan, "I'm serious. I don't think I want whoever this secret admirer is to be anyone else."

Minghao sighs, placing his hand over yours, "That still leaves you to figure out who you have feelings for."

You gave him a confused look, unsure as to what he meant after all you had just told him. He looks at you as if disappointed, "You always talk about Jeonghan like he hung the moon. Then you start gushing about Joshua. You tell me that you can't see yourself wanting it to be anyone but either of them, so you need to figure out who you really want it to be if it is one of them."

Unsure about confirming your own feelings, you stayed silent allowing Minghao time to talk. He goes through every moment you have mentioned either of the men you felt for, letting you interrupt whenever you wanted to confirm or deny a deeper meaning behind them.

When it seemed that you no longer wanted to discuss your feelings, Minghao changed the subject, "You were given a white rose this morning, right? What did you say the card said again?"

Nodding your head, you pulled out your phone—having taken a picture of the card that was attached to the flower—showing it to Minghao.

I have always felt a spark with you, but maybe now you feel it too.

In the language of flowers a white rose represents new beginnings.

Minghao raises an eyebrow, "Do you think it's just a coincidence that this sounds like Joshua?"

"What makes you say that?"

"The note insinuates that you may not have had feelings before, meaning they feel like they could have made that change recently." His words stuck in your head, forcing you to think over the possibility.

…

When Joshua and Seungkwan show up at your door, you are quick to let them in, leading them into the kitchen and conjoined dining room. Seungkwan swiftly makes conversation with Jeonghan who is standing in front of the stove, finishing up the meal. Noticing how easily the two fell into conversation, you turn to Joshua, “Those two will ignore us if left to their own devices.”

Joshua laughs at your accusatory tone, “Honestly, I don’t doubt that, but what are we to do?”

“Let them know we are not to be left out.” You place your hands on your hips, dramatically tapping your foot like a disappointed parent. Joshua breaks into a fit of giggles as you make your point so loudly that the two men standing on the other side of the kitchen turn to look at you.

Seungkwan rolls his eyes, copying your stance, “Damn, we can’t leave you alone for five minutes, huh?”

Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, the frown on his face apparent, “You have Joshua to talk to.”

“The point of us having dinner together was to all spend time together.” you pout at the two men.

A slight glare comes from him, “Oh, really? I thought it was so you could spend more time with Joshua?”

Jeonghan’s comment sounds less like a joke and more like his feelings are hurt but before you could address it, Seungkwan cries out, “Yeah, you don’t love us anymore.”

“My poor babies. I love you both very much.” You cradle Seungkwan as he holds you close, continuing to fake cry.

The odd tension was successfully broken by Seungkwan’s antics. Jeonghan turns to pull the food off of the stove eye, portioning it out onto the plates next to it.

As everyone sits around the table, eating and making conversation, the topic of all of the different flowers adorning the vase that sits on the counter in the kitchen comes up. Jeonghan only shrugs after the vase of flowers is mentioned, "It's a bit creepy, don't you think?"

Quickly snuffing out the negative light brought to the flowers, you smile, "No, I think it's sweet."

Joshua's face contorts into that of visible relief, though his words seem to relay the opposite, "It is a bit random, is it not?"

"Yeah, and only one of each flower?" Jeonghan adds.

"Oh, yeah, and the notes about how meaningful each of those flowers are, so stupid," Seungkwan's voice is nasally and his head tilts sassily as he speaks, "Let them fucking live, guys. It's a cute gesture."

You send Seungkwan a thankful smile, him returning one much brighter than yours. Joshua and Jeonghan are practically silent despite the sound of utensils hitting the plates as Seungkwan jokes about the two men just being prudes. He once again cuts the tension in the room, not allowing it to bring down the night and allowing everyone to finish up their food.

After stacking the plates and moving them to the kitchen sink, you say goodbye to Joshua and Seungkwan before Jeonghan moves to walk them out. As you begin to wash the dishes, Jeonghan joins you to dry and put them away. It's calming, being close to one another and not having to speak, yet seamlessly working together even after the awkward tension felt earlier in the night.

Day 10- Wednesday

You gently place the new flower into the vase, pleasantly surprised by how perfectly it fits in with the other flora. The white petal curls at the end, looking like snow on a mountain peak. The card dangles from the stem:

Your beauty is unspeakable, yet it is only one of many things that made me fall for you.

In the language of flowers a white Calla Lily represents attraction and beauty.

A voice sounds close to your ear, successfully making you jump, "Well at least the card isn't wrong."

You look at Jeonghan, who must have read the card from over your shoulder since he's so close to you, confusion drawing your features together. He stares at you expectantly, "You are beautiful."

Your cheeks burn, the compliment seemingly heating your entire body as Jeonghan's face lights up with a smile that could cure the world. He lets out a small laugh, so soft and airy that it sounds like it comes from an angel. Something about Jeonghan in the mornings is so peaceful, so domestic, so perfect that you couldn't seem to see yourself without him.

…

The day has been a long one with customers complaining left and right about things that were completely out of your control like prices and sizing. You are just ready to go home. You glance at the clock to check the time. Three more hours, you tell yourself, just three more hours until you're free. Your phone buzzes in your pocket.

"Would you want to come over after work? I could pick you up, if you want?"

The text from Joshua was completely out of left field, not introduced by even a simple hi. That didn't make it any less enticing, so you give him the time he can pick you up and text Jeonghan to tell him you wouldn't need a ride home.

"Why are you smiling at your phone?" Minghao's voice rings out in the momentarily empty store.

When you turn to look at Minghao he has a shit eating grin on his face as he stalks toward you. You hadn't even noticed you were smiling until he said something about it, "Joshua asked if I wanted to come over. He's gonna pick me up from work."

The excited smile that made its way onto Minghao's face rivaled that of a kid on Christmas, "You're gonna make a move right?"

"No. No way. I don't even know if he likes me like that." Your voice was stern, letting him know just how much you like Joshua without even realizing it.

Minghao looks nothing short of annoyed as he runs his hand down his face with an exasperated sigh, "You're an idiot."

Those are the only words he says before walking away from you to finish sorting through the racks of clothing. This only leaves you to mull over your feelings and as tempting as they are, they are also terrifying to come to terms with.

The last three hours of your shift seemed to go by faster than the beginning of the day had. You weren't sure if that was caused by your excitement to spend more time with Joshua or if it was a simple coincidence. But now that you're sitting next to him on his couch, watching a movie and sharing the popcorn that sits between you, it seems a bit more clear as to what made your day go by a bit easier.

…

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" His question comes out of the blue.

You glance at the window before turning to face Joshua, "In the dark?"

He shrugs, "Why not? It's pretty peaceful at night. If you don't want to, we don't have to."

Quickly shaking your head, you assure him that it wasn't really a concern, "No, that sounds nice actually."

Standing from your spot next to him, you wait for him to join you. A smile makes its way onto his face, surprised by your sudden enthusiasm. Both of you make your way out the door, the cool air hitting your skin.

You're not sure how far from home you are or how long the two of you have been walking. All you know is that you never want this moment to end. The conversation was effortless and when there was nothing to be added, the silence was peaceful. Joshua turns in the opposite direction of where you two are walking and pauses, "We should probably head back."

Turning in the same direction, ready to head back with him, you give him a nod. He slips his hand in yours, intertwining your fingers, gently swinging them between the two of you.

When you're just a few minutes from your houses, small raindrops begin to fall from the sky, bouncing when they meet the sidewalk. You hold out your free hand, letting the rain hit your palm.

The rain comes down harder with every passing moment. Just as the heavens seem to open, Joshua pulls on your hand and begins to speed up. Taking his hint, you pick up the pace until the two of you are running down the street, hand in hand and giggling at the absurdity of it all.

When the two of you make it back to your houses, Joshua pulls you onto his porch. The two of you attempt to catch your breath, your laughter making it more difficult than it should be. His hand is still laced with your own as you both calm yourselves. You weren't aware of how close you were until your laughter calmed down and you could still feel his breath on your face.

When your eyes meet his, your breathing stops. It's almost as if the world stops turning, everything around you ceasing to exist. You're unsure of how long you've been standing there, but you're snapped out of your trance when he moves some of the wet strands of hair behind your ear. You're closer now. So close, you're sharing breath.

Joshua blinks as the clap of thunder that sounds through the air seems to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. His voice is low when he speaks, "It's late. You should head home and get some rest for work tomorrow."

Nodding your head, though disappointed, you agree with his statement. You turn to walk off of the porch, Joshua stopping you with a hand on your elbow, "I can grab an umbrella for you."

You let out a laugh, shaking your head, "I'm already soaked. Two more feet to my house won't do anything."

He chuckles at his own proposition, noticing how silly it sounded, "You're right. Have a good night, Sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Handsome." Smiling brightly at him, you jog down the stairs and over to your own door, waving at him when you see him still standing on his porch, watching to make sure you get in.

Day 11- Thursday (different pov? Main focus is Jeonghan)

He stares down at the flower in his hand, debating on leaving it in front of the door to be found. He holds the bloom of small white flowers on a single stem in his hands, the words on the small card hanging off of the stem stare back at him:

You are the sweetest soul I have had the pleasure of knowing.

In the language of flowers white Alyssum represents worth beyond beauty and the sweetness of the soul.

They are words that Jeonghan wishes he could say. Words that he feels could never come out of his mouth. He decides to take the flower inside, placing the card on the top of the stack of others, and setting it in the vase.

Preparing for the day ahead, he waits for his favorite person to join him in the kitchen. He hands you the coffee he brewed only moments earlier as he watches happiness bloom on your face when he points to the new addition to the vase. He can't help but feel his heart swell at the sight of how excited you are about the simplicity of a flower. Jeonghan lets you have a moment to read the card that was once attached to the stem before motioning for you to head to the door.

The ride to work was filled with a comfortable silence between the two of you, soft tunes flowing from the radio. Jeonghan drops you off at the shop door, watching you smile and wave him goodbye as he pulls away.

Work was slow for Jeonghan, but he knew that at the end of the day he would get to go back home with you. The plan was for the both of you to go out to the bar with Joshua and Seungkwan tonight. Jeonghan just had to get to the end of his shift.

…

Music blasts from the bar and into the streets. Jeonghan's arm is linked with yours as he leads you into the bar, Seungkwan and Joshua rushing to sit at a table in the corner.

Joshua had greeted you with a compliment, successfully making you smile brightly. That's when time seemed to stop. The jealousy that swarms Jeonghan's brain gets the best of him, a seemingly permanent frown settling on his face.

The night was lively and fun with people dancing around and laughter filling the air. Jeonghan had tried his best to keep his cool while listening to Joshua's hopeless flirting. A few drinks in and Seungkwan is dragging you away from the table and to the middle of the dance floor.

Jeonghan is sweltering in his calm rage, "I know what you're doing."

Joshua's eyes light up in surprise, "What do you mean?"

"You're trying to win them over. You suddenly have time to spend with them and they always want you around." Jeonghan's voice is just loud enough to be heard over the music, but stays stern as he stares directly into Joshua's eyes.

Wanting to salvage his friendship with Jeonghan and his chances with you, Joshua struggles with how to respond, "Look. I don't mean to cause any sort of strain between you and me or in your friendship with them."

Jeonghan sighs, knowing that this shouldn't be changing how he feels about Joshua, "I don't want this to turn into a competition. That won't do anyone any good. You're both my friends, but they are my best friend, and I don't want them hurt."

"I understand that you're just looking out for them and being cautious, but I know you love them too." Joshua's statement makes Jeonghan's next words catch in his throat. He suddenly wasn't so sure of his own motives for talking to Joshua. He knows he loves you, but he assumed the jealousy he felt was caused by his fear of his best friend no longer feeling the same for him. In reality that jealousy was caused by his fear of his best friend not feeling for him the way he does.

Joshua slides out of his seat, nodding his head toward the dance floor. Jeonghan takes the hint, standing from his chair and following Joshua, easily slipping next to you and Seungkwan.

You grab Jeonghan's hand as he easily falls into pace with you, hips swaying with yours and bodies pressed closely together. Anyone could see that you were comfortable with Jeonghan and that makes him swell with pride, knowing that you chose to stay close to him even when Joshua is an arms length away from the two of you.

Jeonghan's focus is on you. The way your hand holds his. The way your body moves with the beat of the music. The way your smile reaches your eyes. The way you're so close to him that he can hear your joyful laughter, something he deems far better than the music playing.

Seungkwan and Joshua join the two of you. Your four bodies are moving so closely together that it causes all of you to laugh at the ridiculousness of how you may look to outsiders looking in. Jeonghan notices that your hand never leaves him, whether it be grabbing his arm, resting on his chest, or holding his own hand.

The night was still young, but the alarm set for work the next morning limited what your group of friends could do so Jeonghan gathers your things and ushers you out the door, making sure Joshua had a hold of Seungkwan before exiting the bar. After getting you into the backseat of Joshua's car, he rushes to the other side and climbs in. Joshua pushes a whining Seungkwan into the passenger's seat and then moves to get in the driver's seat.

The drive back to the house was filled with Seungkwan arguing about needing the music on the radio so loud that it bursts eardrums. While Joshua tried to convince Seungkwan to leave the radio alone, you sat in the backseat, head on Jeonghan's shoulder, giggling like a maniac. Jeonghan knows you're not half as drunk as Seungkwan is, so he isn't worried about how you'll feel in the morning. Jeonghan makes a mental note that Seungkwan would most likely not make it to work tomorrow.

When Joshua pulls into his driveway, Jeonghan thanks him for driving as he helps you out of the backseat. Joshua nods to Jeonghan, trusting that there was no animosity between the two of them as he is left to struggle with getting Seungkwan inside and in bed.

Day 12- Friday

"Does your head hurt?" Jeonghan's voice comes from down the hall, he must have heard you open the door to your room.

You laugh, making your way to the kitchen, "Not as bad as it could be."

Jeonghan stands next to the counter, flower in hand, "This one looks like it came from a bush instead of a root."

His comment is nonchalant as he gently hands you the flower. He's right, the stem is thicker and has more branch off points than the others had, but there was still a note attached:

Soon enough you’ll know who I am, when I hope my secret love will no longer need to be hidden.

In the language of flowers a white Gardenia represents secret love.

Jeonghan must have come back into the kitchen as he now leans against the doorway, "Are you ready, Darling?"

Nodding your head, you slide the card off of the stem and place the flower into the vase with the others. You follow Jeonghan out to the car, slipping into the passenger seat.

Jeonghan drives down the road in silence, his right hand resting on the console in between the two of you. You place your hand on top of his, slowly lacing your fingers together. Jeonghan squeezes your hand, the smile on his face becoming a permanent stain for the rest of the ride.

…

"You're telling me that you went out last night and didn't dance with Joshua?" Minghao's statement sounds more like he is shocked than annoyed.

"I mean, technically, we all danced together." You defend yourself while working through the racks of clothes.

Ryujin's voice rings out from where she leans against the counter, "Babe, are you serious right now?"

Youngji speaks before you have the chance to respond to Ryujin's rhetorical question, "So who did you dance with first?"

Your voice is quiet when you answer, "Jeonghan."

Minghao's groan is the first response you hear, followed by Youngji's facepalm and Ryujin's head hitting the counter. This has been what the day has consisted of so far. Youngji and Ryunjin had come to bother you at work and Minghao decided that would be the perfect time to corner you into realizing your feelings for someone.

"When are you going to realize that you two would be perfect for one another?" Minghao's exasperated tone proves his belief that you should be with Jeonghan.

Youngji hums in thought, "I don't know. The way they talk about Joshua seems like they would be perfect together."

"I see Jeonghan drop them off every day," Minghao turns to direct his next words at you, "The way he looks at you is something that would make fairytales envious. When he drops you off. When he picks you up. When he brings you coffee in the middle of the day or brings you food when you forget your lunch. He's in love with you and I think you're in love with him too."

Ryujin smiles at your shock, "That sounds like something, huh?"

"I hate to be that person but… Seungkwan is a close friend of mine. Therefore, I am always around Joshua because they're roommates. Joshua never shuts up about them," Youngji moves her attention to you, "He talks about you like you hung the moon and the stars. Like you make the world turn. Like you are the soul reason for his existence. And every time you talk about him, there is this light in your eyes that is just a little too bright to be friendly."

You had never noticed or paid much attention to the things that Minghao and Youngji just told you. The idea of Joshua or Jeonghan liking you as more than a friend had only crossed your mind a few times.

Groaning in frustration, you rest your forehead on the clothing rack, "That doesn't help, guys."

"Even I am conflicted at this point. Maybe just let things happen? Don't try to figure it out but don't suppress your feelings either?" Ryujin's comment is the most helpful one of the whole conversation.

You send her a smile, "Thanks, Ryu."

She nods, returning the smile. Youngji sighs in defeat and understanding while Minghao looks deep in thought. His features are sharp, eyes focused in a glare and lips pursed. It's silent for a moment, everyone letting Minghao compile his thoughts before he speaks, "That's better than falling for the wrong person under a false pretense of feelings influenced by us."

It takes a lot for Minghao to admit that his idea isn't the best or most important so you take his words to heart. Deciding for yourself to just let whatever happens happen. As they say: Que sera, sera. Whatever will be, will be.

…

When you get into the passenger seat of Jeonghan's car, he has the brightest smile plastered on his face. Curious, you nudge his arm, "What's got you so happy?"

Jeonghan only shrugs in response, the smile never leaving his face as he pulls onto the road. Though you're still somewhat confused, you just assume he will tell you when he wants to.

As he continues to drive down the road, you notice he doesn't pull off on the road that leads you both home, "Uh, Hannie? Where are we going?"

A giggle escapes him as before he responds, "It's a surprise."

It isn't long until he pulls into a small parking lot that leads into the park. You look at Jeonghan, furrowing your eyebrows in confusion and waiting for him to answer your silent question of what you are doing here. He gives you no answer, only gets out of the car and opens the back seat, pulling out a blanket and a brown paper bag. He points to the two cups of coffee in the front cupholders, "Will you grab those, Darling? There is a cardboard holder in the console."

"Sure thing, Love." You don't ask questions and grab the two cups, finding the cardboard holder and placing both cups inside before getting out of the car.

He drapes the blanket over the arm that's holding the bag and holds out his other hand for you to take. With the convenience of the cupholder, you grab his hand, intertwining your fingers. He lightly swings your hands back and forth as he leads you to a spot close to the river. Releasing your hand, he spreads the blanket out over the ground before sitting down on it and patting the space next to him.

You take your seat next to him as he begins pulling out some of your favorite pastries and snacks from the paper bag. Smiling happily at the display of food, he looks up at you and gestures to it, "Surprise picnic!"

The way the light shines down on him makes him look like an angel, the only thing missing is his halo. His eyes sparkle with so much love and happiness. His hair falls over his eyes as he looks at you, his toothy grin never leaving his face.

You just have to see those beautiful eyes of his. Before you can stop yourself, you gently move the hair away from his face, tucking it behind his ear. It isn't a gesture that is uncommon between the two of you so he doesn't mind, nor does he say anything about it. He just continues to look at you like you are God's greatest creation.

You both spent some time eating and talking before Jeonghan suggested going for a walk along the river. After helping you fold the blanket up, he drapes it back across his arm, quickly moving to the nearest trash bin to throw away the trash you have.

When you are coming to the end of your walk, you spot an older lady sitting on the bench near the river. She is about to get up when her cane falls from where it was leaning up against the bench. Both you and Jeonghan rush over. Jeonghan grabs the cane and hands it to the old woman, smiling politely and offering her his arm to also help her stand.

She takes his arm, patting his hand as she stands, "Such a nice young man."

When she looks in your direction, she turns back to Jeonghan and then back to you. A bright smile spreads across her lips, "And such a lovely couple."

Neither of you correct the old woman as she nods to herself and shuffles away from the two of you. Jeonghan chuckles lightly, grabbing your hand and pulling you back to the car to head home.

Day 13- Saturday

The bright yellow bundles form a solid sheet of flowers on top of a singular stem. You gently run your hand across the top of the plant before looking at the card attached:

As the day where you find out who I am comes closer, it is time for me to become braver. I have loved you despite everything and will always continue to do so.

In the language of flowers a yellow yarrow represents being brave and courageous as well as saying I love you in spite of everything.

You place the plant in the vase, noticing that some of the other flowers are losing a bit of their color. Jeonghan clears his throat from behind you. When you turn to face him, he nods his head toward the door, "You ready to go?"

The day had been spent sleeping until noon and then lounging around the house for a few hours until you both had to get ready to go to the cookout Seungkwan had planned. That is when you finally went outside to see the plant on your doorstep. Nodding, you follow him out the door, walking over to the fence separating your yard from Joshua and Seungkwan's.

The gate separating the two yards is cracked open, allowing you to enter their yard. Seungkwan is yelling at Joshua about how he's grilling the meat as Joshua looks shocked at Seungkwan's accusations of him being a bad cook.

Walking closer to the grill and looking over Joshua's shoulder, you shrug, "It looks like he's doing fine?"

"You're here! I didn't notice you guys come in!" Seungkwan's attention is now on you as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you close to him in a very warm welcome. Soon after, he pulls Jeonghan in for the same hug he gave you.

Everyone sits in chairs that are placed in a circle, eating the meat that Joshua grilled. The conversation moves along without effort, ending with Seungkwan suggesting you all play badminton together.

Joshua's confusion was apparent on his face as he spoke, "We don't have a net though?"

"We can use the chairs!" Seungkwan's excitement was not to be squandered as he had already planned an answer.

After setting up the chairs as a boundary, Seungkwan splits everyone up into teams. Team one consists of you and Seungkwan while the second team is Joshua and Jeonghan.

You made a deal to end the game whenever a team made it to seven points. With every missed birdie, Seungkwan would scream. No words, just a pterodactyl screech of disappointment. It didn't matter if you missed it or if he did, his frustration knew no bounds. Needless to say, your team lost.

When Joshua scores the seventh point for his team, Seungkwan dramatically falls to the ground as Joshua and Jeonghan celebrate their win with a high five. Seungkwan demands he switch teams with Jeonghan, who happily agrees. Jeonghan makes his way to your side, Seungkwan getting up and going to stand next to Joshua.

The start of the next game seems to be a loss from the start for you and Jeonghan. The birdie seems to fall perfectly in bounds every time you seem to think it is out. It takes one close call for you to lunge for the next one, successfully falling to the ground after hitting it. Seungkwan's gasp was all you heard and though you knew he was dramatic, you feared you may have hurt yourself worse than you thought.

You didn't feel any serious pain so when Joshua asks if you are okay, you fall into a fit of laughter, "This was actually a genius attempt at a distraction so we could get a point."

You pull yourself up from the ground with Jeonghan's help. He dusts some of the grass off of your shirt as he looks you up and down, checking for injury. When he finds none, he lets out a small chuckle which leads Seungkwan and Joshua to do the same knowing you really are okay.

Joshua speaks up, pointing to the birdie that fell perfectly within the border on their side, "We'll give you that point."

"We will?" Seungkwan seems scandalized by the thought of letting us have the point.

Only slightly offended by his lack of etiquette, you glare at him playfully, "I earned it, Kwannie!"

Seungkwan groans in fake annoyance, "Fine! I guess I cared about you too much and lost sight of the game."

Somehow, your fall was like the last bad omen of your game had been broken. There wasn't a single birdie missed by your team, but it seemed like Joshua and Seungkwan couldn't get their game together.

When the seventh point was given to you and Jeonghan, Seungkwan was back to screaming, demanding another team change. You trade places with Seungkwan, now teamed up with Joshua while Seungkwan tries to make a game plan with Jeonghan.

This game runs longer than the others with the four of you finally getting into a good rhythm. You and Joshua work well as a team, successfully keeping the birdie in the air when it comes to your side. Seungkwan is running circles around Jeonghan, determined to win.

Finally, the winning point is scored in your favor. Joshua runs to you and lifts you into the air, spinning you around in a show of victory and excitement. You lock eyes with him as he sets you back on your feet, both of your breathing quite labored from the badminton game and the laughter that spilled out after your win. It is as if the world stops moving, neither of you focusing on anything but one another and how close you are.

Seungkwan's screaming as he runs to the two of you, grabbing your arm and shaking it as he whines, is what breaks you out of the sort of trance you are in. Smoothing down your shirt, you pretend that your heart isn't beating out of your chest as you focus on Seungkwan being a sore loser.

After pouting about how he lost every game, a light bulb seems to appear above his head as a bright smile spreads across his face, "Do you wanna see my flower bed?!"

His question is directed at you so you nod your head, returning a smile. Seungkwan bounces excitedly and grabs your hand, dragging you to the side of the house. As soon as you walk around the corner you are bombarded with a plethora of exuberant colors. The flowers almost cover the entirety of the ground.

"This side of the house gets the best sunlight." Seungkwan's enthusiasm seeps out through his voice.

Smiling happily at how proudly he shows off his flowers, you pay them a compliment, "They're beautiful, Kwannie."

That's when you notice it. Some of the flowers look oddly familiar. The pink Valerian that was on your porch earlier that morning are spaced out around the other flowers. The tall yellow Yarrow, Roses, Tulips, Asters, and bushes full of Gardenia's work so effortlessly together that it is unmistakable that those flowers are in a vase on your counter at this very moment.

You and Seungkwan discuss the different flowers and how he takes care of them. You keep your sudden realization to yourself, not wanting to jump to conclusions or even ruin anything that may be planned.

Day 14- Sunday

A single red rose stares at you from its place on the ground. You pick the flower up, flipping the card on the stem in your hand:

I love you.

In the language of flowers a red rose represents love and desire.

The morning sun hits your skin, warming your body on the outside. You read the note over and over again, the voice in the back of your head knowing who left it and causing a different kind of warmth to spread in your chest.

Walking back inside the house, you take the rose to the vase and place it inside with the other flowers. You know that this is the last day you will receive a flower as it is the one year anniversary of you moving into this house with Jeonghan, but you aren't sure of what exactly that means. Will you never know who your secret admirer is? Will they finally reveal themselves to you? Will you have to confront whoever you think it is?

Choosing not to think too much about it, you start making breakfast for Jeonghan and yourself. As you're shuffling around the kitchen, gathering ingredients and moving food around in pans on the stove, Jeonghan shows up in the doorway, "This is a pleasant surprise."

The look on his face is not one of surprise, but one that tells you he is teasing you. Before you can complain about his teasing, he comes over to you and helps you finish the food.

After breakfast, you lounge around the house, not wanting to do much of anything. Jeonghan sits on the couch, scrolling through his phone as the TV plays in the background. Occasionally Jeonghan will show you what he has scrolled upon and you do the same.

…

A knock at the door forces you to stand from your spot on the couch and make your way to the door. You pull the door open, the sight in front of you bringing a rosy tint to your cheeks.

Joshua stands on your porch, a bouquet of flowers in his hand and a nervous smile on his face as he rubs the back of his neck. He doesn't say a word, he doesn't have to. He simply gestures for you to take the flowers. That's when you notice that every flower you have received in the previous two weeks is in the bouquet.

The voice in the back of your mind is screaming at you, telling you that it was right. You aren't sure what to say, but that doesn't matter as Joshua finally speaks, "You don't have to say anything. I know this is kinda strange. I just needed you to know that I'm so very thankful that you moved in next door. That you became my friend–one of my best friends even. I don't want you to feel like you have to tell me anything. It has been killing me not to tell you."

His nervous laughter is enough to tell you that he's worried about your response. You aren't even sure what you want to say and nothing that pops into your brain properly conveys your feelings, so you quickly pull Joshua into a tight hug. He wraps his arms around you, one hand softly running up and down your back as you both stand there in silence.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind you causes the two of you to pull away from one another. You turn to see Jeonghan standing in the doorway, arms crossed like a disappointed parent, "So it was you."

It isn't a question, but a confirmation of a suspicion. Joshua's nervous laughter is back, eyes frantically looking around for a way out of the situation causing Jeonghan to respond with a sigh, "I know we are friends, but if they ever have a complaint about you, your ass is grass."

You can see Joshua's shoulders slouch, visibly more relaxed by Jeonghan's words, "You don't hate me?"

His eyes were hopeful as Jeonghan let's a puff of air out through his nose, "Not unless you fuck up."

The two men smile at each other—one of understanding. Jeonghan rolls his eyes, taking the bouquet from your hands, "Come in when you're done. I guess I'll start making lunch."

He closes the door, allowing you and Joshua time to yourselves. Joshua still seems nervous when you turn to look at him, smile still showing as he plays with his own fingers. Your words escape you before you have time to get nervous, "Are you gonna kiss me or what?"

Joshua lets out a laugh, the nerves seemingly dissipating as he grabs your hands to pull you closer to him. His hands lead yours to his sides, your bodies now pressed against each other. Both of his hands cup your face, thumb softly gliding across your bottom lip before reaching your cheek. His forehead presses against yours, noses bumping into each other and breath fanning your lips before he finally leans in and presses his lips to your own.

His lips are soft against yours. Your hands grip the front of his shirt as your lips move together. The way he holds your face in his hands as if you painted the sky just for him makes you melt in his palms.

Slowly pulling away from one another, you both begin giggling like school children on a playground. His fingers trace the side of your face, seemingly committing it to memory, "So does this mean we're together now?"

You playfully scoff at his question, grabbing his hand and leading him inside, "I sure hope so."

Jeonghan's voice sounds from the kitchen, calling for the two of you. When you follow his voice, you see him stirring a pot on the stove before he turns to face both of you, "We are setting ground rules. Rule number one: no fucking when I'm home."

Joshua's face reddens as you burst out laughing. Jeonghan's face is stern, slightly offended by your laughter, "I mean it, you guys!"

Both your lunch and the rest of the day were filled with Jeonghan giving rules and lecturing Joshua on how to treat you. Knowing your best friend will always have your back, you feel the world around you come together as you glance to see Joshua sitting by your side.

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