summary: With a bad start of the season, you and Mingyu try to save your relationship from falling apart.
wc: 6,059
rating: sfw
tags: non-idol au, f1 au, established relationship, tension, on the verge of a break-up, kind of a second chance fic, fluff, pda at the end
a/n: won't confirm nor deny this is inspired by mingyu's costume being that fuck ass main character from that f1 movie. anyway enjoy! and thanks to @livmarauder for helping me out with the fic because tunnel vision is real guys. check out her work, she's AMAZING <3 and another special thanks to mingyu expert @jakedustry for proofreading for me. she's so cool and you should check out her amazing works as well!
currently listening to: don't forget you love me - calum hood
SEVENTEEN M.LIST ✦ SIGN UP FOR MY TAGLIST HERE! ✦ ORBIT MAP
You were a bystander of Mingyu’s bad season.
After ending in third place the previous one, there were high hopes. Mingyu’s name had even come up when talking about possible contenders. You remembered how proud he was of the new car, and how the new regulations would only bend the rules in his favour.
In Australia, his car gave out in the middle of the race and he was forced to retire. In the moment, you’d thought nothing of it, just continuing your role of being his biggest support. ‘Just one bad start. It doesn’t mean that he’s out completely,’ commentators all around the world had declared. You had grounded yourself in that as well, and the next race, he managed to score a point despite the struggles he had with the car.
When he DNF’ed again and his teammate went with him, heads started to turn.
Not only did it put the pressure on the team to explain the possible causes, but Mingyu was reminded of his own words before the start of the season. He danced around it with curated precision, but made sure that the media were satisfied with his answer. Just like he practiced with his press officer.
The answers he would give when he talked about you were no different.
The media wouldn’t notice how his eyes clouded over, how he struggled to keep his shoulders straight and his smile on, as long as he kept saying the right words. Cherry-picking and feeding them to a group of people that had the power to twist them, but they never did.
Mingyu always knew what to say, even in moments where there were no words left.
You put the headphones down softly when the call came. The words hung in the air, suffocating all the people that were watching in the pit box with you. Your heart burned behind your ribcage. From the corner of your eye, people were shooting looks of sympathy, but you couldn’t focus on anything else than the pitlane.
The air punched out of your lungs when Mingyu’s car was pushed inside. His white helmet with blue accents and the number 17 stuck out just above the car. He put the steering wheel on the front of the car alongside with the headrest, pulling himself up on the halo.
The room pulsed as he took off his helmet, as if they were bracing themselves for a storm to come. Mingyu turned to you, his eyes scanning every inch of you. He walked up to you and stopped.
You swallowed and played with your bracelet, but he pulled you into a hug. Your shoulders tensed before you relaxed in his arms, managing a weak smile. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he mumbled in your neck. “It’s whatever.”
You hummed and rubbed his back in small circle motions, but Mingyu broke free. He shot you a last look before walking away. As per usual, you left the pit box to go with him. You trailed next to him, taking two steps for every one he took. You laced your fingers together and he accepted your affection. He broke away when he took interviews, joining forces with his press officer.
You watched from the sidelines as he gave the performance that he was trained for, as if this was just a small setback in his path to becoming world champion.
Mingyu’s energy was contagious, and he never left the room without any. He was charming, accessible and easy to love. Compared to how he behaved when he was in the paddock, there wasn’t a difference between your boyfriend and the man that drove one of the fastest cars in the world.
You still felt your heart skipping a beat, admiring how easily he could pull himself together and find the words without even hinting that he was frustrated with his performance, that he beat himself up for not pulling the weight and showing the results that he promised everyone.
He was a breath of fresh air.
You joined him again and walked to the pit box. His press officer waited outside his motorhome while you followed Mingyu inside. His hand rested on the small of your back when you stepped in. You pushed it away when the door closed behind you and walked to the couch.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Mingyu announced, but you didn’t respond. He scoffed and slammed the door shut.
You wondered if anyone had ever pinched through your act, even though there was nothing to prove that you weren’t on good terms. You always showed up together, holding hands, chatting and there was never a moment where your words – if someone ever approached you – were weighed carefully. Mingyu treated you like the world was your palace. That was the happy couple they’d been seeing for three years, ever since your relationship became public.
You couldn’t remember the last time you were happy with Mingyu.
The running water made you close your eyes, as if it was only you that existed. You liked it like that, when there was nobody around you for a couple of seconds. Since your relationship became public, you’d been in the spotlight. You chose to keep your life private regardless and Mingyu had always respected that.
Out of protection towards you, Mingyu’s current performance and the crumbs of your relationship that were left, all the energy you had went into pretending that everything was fine. Existing out of everyone’s eyes became your safe haven in moments where nothing could come to your aid.
You peeked an eye open when the door opened and lifted your head.
Mingyu hoisted himself into a fresh team shirt, a pair of jeans desperately clinging to his hips. He crinkled his nose and pulled his jeans up, tucking his shirt in. “Are you coming back to the pit box to watch the rest of the race?”
“Do I have a choice?” You bit back.
“I’m not in the race anymore, so yes, actually,” he answered calmly and finally looked up. His eyes were like a silent plea every time he looked at you. “Let me rephrase it. Will you be there for emotional support?”
You got off the couch with a scoff and followed him outside. You latched onto his bicep and leaned into him, your fingertips prickling as your nails dug into the fabric of his shirt.
He pulled you in closer and leaned in. “Don’t forget you love me.”
You smiled at him sweetly. “You’re very sure that I do.”
Mingyu looked ahead of him, his arm tense. When you got back into the pit box, he pressed a kiss to your lips before you parted ways. He walked to the pitwall, where he joined the strategists and team principal, and you stood behind the barrier with your headphones.
The rest of the race was a blur. You stared holes into Mingyu’s back, trying to guess what was going through his head. Secretly, you hoped that he was thinking about you, but those days had long passed. Whenever he thought of you, you knew that it bore resentment. He couldn’t look at you with anything else. Everything in front of the cameras was pretense.
You went back to his motorhome as Mingyu joined his team in celebrating the podium. You didn’t care how long it would take him. Hell, you didn’t care if he wouldn’t return at all. Everywhere Mingyu went, cameras followed and you did enough pretending for one day.
As you curled up on the couch, the door opened. The anger ached in your chest immediately, and you clutched your phone in your hand. You stared out of the window as a weight settled down next to you.
The scent of cedar and citrus coated you in a thick blanket of comfort, no matter how much you didn’t want it to. Fighting only made it easier to lose yourself in it, so you let it. For a while you sat in silence, as if you were both stubbornly waiting for the other to speak. The pressure on your chest made you suffocate.
“I’m going back to the hotel,” Mingyu finally said.
You looked at him blankly.
“You can choose to come with me, or you can stay behind and someone will come pick you up later.”
“But?” You countered.
Mingyu shot you a weak smile. “You know what I’m going to say.”
You looked out of the window again and crossed your arms.
He called your name softly. His hand slid to your thigh, burning up against your skin. When you pushed it away, he swallowed and shot you a small smile. “I get that this is not ideal–”
“Not ideal?” You interrupted, chuckling bitterly. “God, Mingyu, you have a lot of nerve to phrase it like that.”
“Baby–”
“Not ideal is when you accidentally double booked yourself. This,” you pointed your finger between him and you, “all of the pretending and the cameras, this is exhausting and demoralising and I’m losing hope that it will ever be fixed.”
Mingyu’s eyes widened, glimmering. He looked away and lowered his head. “I see,” he croaked. “I’m sorry.”
You got off the couch and grabbed your purse. “We’re going back to the hotel. I can’t do this, not here.”
But back at the hotel, you didn’t circle back to it. You were too tired to argue about it again, knowing that it wouldn’t fix anything. All Mingyu would tell you was that you had to hold out. It was only temporary and would blow over before you knew, but it’d been going on for months. Nothing was addressed and if anything, it was only getting worse.
Although, you doubted that talking about it would fix anything at that point.
You skipped dinner with Mingyu and ordered room service, munching on a fry as you stared into nothingness. The afternoon replayed in your head, nothing special since your little play, but it hadn’t cut a wound like usual, where you were left bleeding for days until you could look Mingyu in the eyes normally.
As your eyes flicked to your plate, your phone rang. Mingyu’s caller ID usually made your heart skip a beat, but all you could do was stare at it blankly. Hearing his voice would flush your chest with warmth, and you would think to yourself how lucky you were with a man like him by your side.
After enduring the past two months, you were hollowed out.
You put the empty plate aside and threw the suitcase on your bed. You snatched the clothes off the chair and folded them. From the bathroom, you grabbed your toiletries and put them back in the bag. Your summer dress was replaced by a shirt and sweatpants and you did your hair the way you usually would.
And before you knew it, you were on the plane back home.
[insert divider here]
You cried yourself to sleep one night, but slept like an angel the next. Some days, Mingyu was on your mind and you couldn’t focus on anything and others he was merely an afterthought. On those weekends, you watched the races from the comfort of your own home.
Sometimes you couldn’t even stomach the thought without bursting into tears.
Mingyu had tried talking to you on multiple occasions, but you told him you needed space. You couldn’t be around him, not like this, and your absence was noticed.
Like always, his words had landed with curated precision. He laughed, telling the camera that you were in a busy period with work. ‘The money doesn’t come from nowhere’, he’d teased.
Your eyes stung with tears as you cursed underneath your breath. You turned the TV off and plopped on the couch, staring into the nothingness.
Every time you saw him, flashing his canines at the camera mischievously, you were reminded of the times you were the one at the receiving end. Mingyu was one of the few people who could genuinely make you laugh. You hated your loud cackles, but Mingyu did everything in his power to pull them out of you.
That was his victory smile, as he came to call it.
You buried your head in your hands and sobbed all of the tears you’d been suppressing until you were a shell. Until there was nothing left for you to give anymore.
When you started dating Mingyu, you knew what you were getting yourself into. You didn’t care because you loved him. He valued your need for privacy and admired your courage to make it public anyway. You never had a knack for hiding; all you wanted was to show the world that you cared about him, that you supported him every step of the way.
Sometimes you wished that someone would actually catch you in the act. At least you could drop it that way.
A knock on the door interrupted the spiral. You dragged yourself towards the door and wiped your cheeks dry before opening the door.
Jeonghan took one look at you before he shot you a small smile. “I had a feeling I would see you like this.”
The tears flowed as if the past twenty minutes hadn’t even happened. You crashed into your best friend’s arms, burying your head in his chest.
He silently embraced you and rested his head on top of yours. “Your mother told me you were hiding out in your apartment,” he muttered. “I had to check on you.”
Deep down, you were glad she did.
Jeonghan sat you back down on the couch and walked to your kitchen. He came back with two cups of tea and took a seat next to you.
“I reached the final straw a couple of weeks ago,” you croaked. “Mingyu had another DNF and for some reason, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I just…” You paused and lowered your head. “I don’t know what happened.”
He observed you in silence, his hands wrapped around the cup. “What’s on your mind?”
Your eyes darted to him.
Jeonghan shot you a small smile in response.
“I guess I feel a little selfish for leaving so suddenly, and maybe I’m also wondering why I didn’t just back off entirely instead.” You rubbed your face with a sigh and threw yourself back in the cushions. Staring at the ceiling, the tears stung behind your eyes. “I could’ve spared myself the trouble, stayed home and taken my time and distance. Instead I was the one suggesting to go down this route.”
You glanced at your best friend. “Please don’t tell me I should stop beating myself up.”
He chuckled. “As if I would.”
You managed a small smile yourself and looked back up at the ceiling.
“I think it’s admirable that you wanted to try.”
Your head shot his way.
Jeonghan shrugged weakly. “You don’t know if it’s going to work, and I can empathise with the fact you held hope that it would, but have you ever talked about it?”
“Plenty of times,” you answered. “It just always ended in a fight and led to nowhere. We would both feel misunderstood by the other. It was the same conversation where we still hoped for a different outcome, but it never came.”
You shrugged. “I think we were way past the point of talking.”
He shuffled closer to you and put his cup down. “Would you like me to give some advice, or would you just like some company? I can tell that this conversation has been replaying in your head since you left.”
You looked at him and reached out, your fingers gently brushing his arm. “Just having you here is enough for now. Maybe when I’m in a better mood, I want some advice.”
Jeonghan slapped his thighs and got up. “Alright, then we’re ordering sushi and I’ll get us my best bottle of wine. It’s been too long since we had a proper night with just the two of us.”
You watched how he marched out of your apartment with a smile on your face, ignoring how your phone lit up. Jeonghan was right; it had been too long since you had a night together.
You grabbed your phone from the coffee table and turned it off. Mingyu would hear from you another time.
Jeonghan had left the subject alone as well, instead updating you on his personal life and the stunts his coworkers were pulling. You tried digging into his romantic endeavours, but he danced around the subject so smoothly, you knew that he was hiding something. Not wanting to pry, you left it alone.
Although, with enough alcohol in his system he would probably confess. You would let the trajectory of the night decide.
You were digesting the sushi, slouched on the couch while Jeonghan was browsing through your watchlist on Netflix. He commented on every sappy movie, pausing when he saw shows you’d watched a thousand times before, until he eventually gave up.
“You watch boring stuff,” he declared and threw the remote on the couch.
“Half of the suggestions aren’t even because of me,” you countered. “Mingyu wants to watch those sappy movies ninety percent of the time. I don’t even know why.”
“Probably because when you cry, he can comfort you.”
You snorted. “It’s rather the other way around. I always end up wiping his tears away.”
Jeonghan frowned. “Is he such a crybaby?”
“When he’s watching the Notebook, yes.”
He bobbed his head and clicked his tongue. “Well, you learn something new every day.”
You hummed and stared at the black screen.
“Do you miss him?”
“Yeah,” you whispered and sniffled. “I miss him so much.”
Jeonghan placed your head on his shoulder and rubbed your shoulder. “Maybe you’re not completely beyond the point of talking,” he said softly. “You just need to be honest with him, and with yourself.”
You closed your eyes and nodded. “Having such a high-demanding job is hard, especially when the public eye is involved and I’m afraid.” Your voice trembled. “I’m so afraid of losing him right now when the whole world is watching…”
“Which is why I admire your choice to keep showing up anyway. I hope Mingyu hasn’t forgotten what that means.”
There was a knock on your door and by the time Jeonghan opened it, you were too exhausted to fight the tears.
[insert divider here]
No race win could make up for what you had left behind the day you flew back home.
The looks Mingyu received every time he walked into the paddock had become more concerning every time, and he wondered if the press started putting two and two together throughout all his chirpy and charming demeanour. It hadn’t reflected in his performance the first two races, but when he crashed the car the next thinking about your fight, heads started to turn.
At night, all he thought about was you. The day you left replayed in his head and he kept searching for every single detail that could’ve helped him prevent you from going. He knew that it wasn’t just that day, or that it was just a small fight.
You had all the reason to leave. In fact, he’d braced himself for the day you would go, but it didn’t lessen the blow. He cried himself to sleep and the moment he landed into the new race week, he locked himself in his hotel. He only came out when he needed to and through all of it, he was expected to smile, to tell everyone how well he was going to do that weekend.
He was going to have to talk about you.
Press had made teasing remarks about your absence, slicing his heart in such an ignorant way that it made his skin prickle. He remembered laughing, telling them that the money didn’t come from nowhere and he moved on from the conversation just like that.
Mingyu met up with his strategists to discuss the race. The expected rain could be his saving grace if he knew how to utilise it, but expected was all it was. If it was just a normal race, he had to revert to medium and hard tyres to hold out. The softs under his car wouldn’t last even a lap, not on this track.
His teammate, Jun, was prioritised when it came to maximising the amount of points they could get that weekend. The prediction – for the first time since the finale of the previous season – was a double podium. For Jun, that meant a race win.
Mingyu’s job was to make sure to stay close behind his favoured teammate, holding up opponents so the gap between them became impossible to close. There hadn’t been a race win in the cards for him, and the championship that he promised to deliver started slipping out of his hands as well.
Jun had sat with him during lunch, but stayed uncharacteristically silent.
In between bites, it got on Mingyu’s nerves. “You can just speak your mind, you know,” he said tightly. “I’m well aware that I haven’t been delivering on my promises so just say what you want to say. No hard feelings from my side.”
“I was going to ask if you were okay.”
The force he felt in his gut was more than deserved.
Mingyu managed a soft ‘Oh’.
“I know this world is hard and we’re being measured by everything we do and say, but I hope you feel comfortable enough around me to share what’s been going on.” Jun offered him a smile. “We may be rivals on track, but I consider you a friend.”
He inhaled softly. “I’ll manage, but thank you anyway.”
Jun nodded and turned back to his food. “You’ll get there, I’m sure of it. One down period shouldn’t define the rest of your trajectory.”
Mingyu still debated whether he meant his career or his personal life, the words echoing in the back of his mind throughout the day.
The weekend flew by and he even managed to cling onto third place, but he didn’t stay to celebrate the double podium. In the hotel room, it all came crashing down on him again and somewhere between hours of crying and trying to call you, he’d fallen asleep.
Jun had texted him, but he ignored it and packed his suitcase.
Mingyu was happy he could go home. He missed the comfort of his own bed, of waking up in a pitch black room instead of flowy curtains dancing in the wind, forcing him awake at the slightest bit of light.
He pushed his suitcase aside and plopped on the couch, staring into the nothingness that was his home. The silence had a way of sending shivers down his spine while comforting him all the same. He wanted to cry, even though there was nothing left to give, and he wanted to throw everything in his sight and scream.
When you were around, at least the place felt a bit like home. Having moved from South Korea to the other side of the world, he’d always been out of place. Nothing seemed to settle him down, until you came along.
You made everything easy, bearable even. You showed him the balance between settling in his new hometown and honoring where he came from. When he talked about his career, you’d asked him questions that no one had ever thought of before, as if you desired to dig a layer deeper.
And you succeeded. Since the day you went out for Korean barbecue together, you’d stayed around.
Mingyu had never loved someone like you, let alone someone in the way he loved you. You were his voice of reason, his moment of chaos when he needed it. You were stability, spontaneity and structure all combined into one, an endless balance that you were keeping like it was breathing. You settled into his hectic and fast-paced lifestyle much easier than he expected you to.
He started loving you even deeper.
Coming home became something he looked forward to. His apartment was bright and lively, no matter if you were there to greet him or not. He could faintly trace your jasmine and coconut perfume, the warmth starting in his stomach before spreading through his whole body.
All he smelled now was lavender. The cleaning service had been in not too long ago, but his apartment was hollow. It rather felt like he was sitting in the home of someone else.
Mingyu’s entire world had fallen apart.
He checked his phone. Maybe you’d called him back, even if it was to tell him off. Your phone went straight to voicemail and where he usually hung up, he stuck around.
He just needed to hear your voice.
“Hi, baby,” he said softly. “I just… I want to talk to you. About all of this. I know that you want space, but it’s killing me to sit here without knowing what’s going to happen.”
The tears stung behind his eyes, the pressure in his chest unbearable. “All I want to know is if this is the end or not, okay? I don’t want to get my hopes up for nothing.”
He sniffled and whispered a soft goodbye before he threw the phone down next to him.
When his coach came over to prepare his meals with him, he just stared into the abyss. Whether he willfully ignored it or he genuinely didn’t notice, Mingyu couldn’t bring himself to care. All he wanted was you to call him back so he could start letting you go.
Because if you wanted it to be over, he had no choice but to accept it.
After one bite, Mingyu curled himself up on the couch. He closed his eyes, but all he saw was you. Screaming at him, embracing him, crying, running your hands through his hair, kissing him, screaming again.
Nothing he did relieved him of his fear becoming reality.
He glanced at his phone, but you hadn’t called him back. Mingyu was going to have to take matters into his own hands and it would either be the best decision he would ever make, or you would hate him forever.
He slid into his shoes, grabbed his phone and keys and got into his car. It was a small drive to the town over, but every second passing felt like you were slipping away from him further. His knuckles were white by the time he reached your block, his heart about to race itself to death.
It was all or nothing.
Mingyu got out of the car and walked up to the stairs. He looked up and started walking, all three sets until he reached your level. Right at the end of the gallery was your apartment, the crate with empty beer bottles stacked next to your front door.
With every step he took, his legs became heavier.
What was he doing? You clearly told him you needed space and he breached that trust by barging into your block unannounced. You would never forgive him for it, now that he was willing to cross every boundary you were going to set with him in the future.
But it’d been over a month since you left the hotel without a word. He wanted to know how you felt, and at some point the line between protecting your peace and avoiding the confrontation started to blur. Mingyu was going to have to barge through it himself.
He knocked on the door and stepped back, rubbing his fingers together. When the door opened, he tilted his head.
“Hey,” Jeonghan greeted him and looked back.
Mingyu looked past your best friend at you. He swallowed when your eyes glimmered. “Sorry for coming over so suddenly, but I couldn’t take it anymore.”
You nodded and wiped your cheeks. “Come in.”
He stepped in and nodded at Jeonghan. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Mingyu lingered near the door and cleared his throat. “I–”
You embraced him tightly.
He wrapped his arms around you and nuzzled his face in your hair.
“We can talk in a second,” you sniffled. “I need a hug first.”
Mingyu squeezed his eyes shut, but a tear rolled down his cheek. “Me too, baby,” he whispered. He held you close, taking you in like it was the last time he would ever see you again.
He’d convinced himself it was until you ran into his arms.
Jeonghan smiled at you when you pulled back. “Call me if you need me, yeah?”
You nodded and wiped your tears away.
He looked at Mingyu and nodded, to which he returned the favour.
Mingyu turned to you and wiped your cheek with his thumb. “The situation’s been shitty, for both of us but mostly for you.”
“I wished it would’ve worked out how we hoped it would.” You smiled through your tears. “I didn’t want to stand in the way of your career.”
He grabbed both of your hands and squeezed them. “I know that I’m not always the best at juggling my personal life and my work, but you are never in the way.”
“If this would be the outcome, I never would’ve done it,” you said with a sniffle. “It was the easy way out instead of addressing the elephant in the room.”
Mingyu lowered his eyes and nodded. “Yeah.”
You led him to the couch leaned forward. “How are you truly doing, Mingyu?”
“I was on such a high after last season,” he started and smiled. “I came in third in the championship, and there was such hope that this year could be even better. I won a ton of races after all.”
You listened intently, your eyes scanning every detail of his face and your brows pushed together.
“When I walked into the factory to see the car and to test it, my hopes were completely gone and the season hadn’t even started yet.” Mingyu sighed deeply. “And how could I tell anyway? It was only February, a month and a half before the first face.”
“Were you scared to admit it?”
He nodded. “I started acting out because I was terrified that I would fail, and look where that has brought me. I fulfilled my own destiny.”
You nodded and leaned on your thighs. “And what could I have done differently to give you the space to be open about that?”
Mingyu opened his mouth, but he closed it again. “Baby, this is not your responsibility. I should’ve been honest.”
“But you weren’t, so I’ll ask again.” You looked right at him. “What could I have done differently so you would’ve felt comfortable?”
He lowered his eyes.
“Mingyu,” you grabbed his hand, “you need to be honest with me if we want to work through this.”
“You have a tendency to want to solve everything,” he heard himself say. At your lack of reaction, he looked up.
Your head was tilted, your eyes narrowed. After a silence, you clicked your tongue.
“I mean, you kind of proved me right already.”
Mingyu managed a small smile. “I admire your ability to think about solutions, but what I need sometimes is an ear, not a brain. And maybe, when you suggested that we would pretend nothing was happening, that was not what was best for us even though it was the logical solution so the press wouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
You nodded. “I agree with you.”
He shuffled closer and rubbed your thigh. “You need to allow yourself to take a breather more. What you did, taking your distance – even though it was suddenly – was a good thing.”
“It didn’t feel that way,” you muttered with a sigh. “I hated to leave you hanging like that, and I guess in hindsight that I was also kind of running from it. In case you hated me or something.”
“You and me both.” Mingyu caressed your cheek with a smile. “We should stop pretending, but I hope the act can be dropped completely. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
You wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your head in the crook of his neck. “You’ll talk, and I’ll listen, or am I too early to propose a solution?”
Mingyu laughed and pressed a kiss to your temple. “Sounds like a perfect idea.”
You fell asleep in his arms that night and Mingyu’s world was slowly built back up. His career might’ve not been what it needed to be, but he had you and that was all that mattered.
[insert divider here]
The press described it as the most anticipated return of the season, you would tell them that it had been coming all along.
Mingyu’s first win of the season came right before the summer break, when an unexpected crash between the front row gave way to the lead. Jun was right behind him, grinding the rest of the field to a halt so they could secure their 1-2 podium finish.
An entirely different person came out of the summer break, with you by his side. You fell in love with Mingyu all over again.
You’d joined for the last race of the season, tucked away in the paddock as you watched the screen. Mingyu was in second place and if he stayed there, he could round up the top three for the season. Jun had already been declared world champion, but he was leading the race anyway.
With the cord entangled in your hand, your fingers were crossed as Mingyu was told to come in for a last pitstop. He had a gap big enough to keep the position, but the pitstop had to go right.
As the car pulled up in the lane, the pit box pulsed. Your heart hammered in your chest as you watched the mechanics in their rehearsed rhythm, as if it was their second nature. All four tyres at once, switching from hard to mediums.
Within the blink of an eye, Mingyu took off.
You watched the screen, just when Mingyu entered the race track. His opponent was nowhere in sight.
As the pit box cheered, you released a soft breath of relief. All Mingyu had to do was hold out and he would come in third again.
When the last lap rang in, the team was already guiding you through the crowd. They put you right at the front of the barrier, next to his strategist. You were nearly pushed against the barrier, the team buzzing with excitement as their drivers were nearing the finish line. Some of the mechanics were climbing in the fences to cheer at them, even though that wasn’t allowed anymore.
The team did not seem to care.
The car with number 17 disappeared on the horizon and your heart skipped a beat. It stopped in front of the big banner with second place on it and Mingyu didn’t know how fast he had to get out.
The warmth spread through your chest when he stood on the hood of his car, pumping his fists in the air while the crowd roared. He jumped off and rushed into the arms of his mechanics, who nearly dragged him over the barrier.
“Crazy, those guys,” his strategist said to you, to which you chuckled.
Mingyu took his helmet off and turned your way, his lips twisting into a smile. He pressed your foreheads together, his chest rising and falling heavily.
“I think a night out is in order,” you whispered with a smile.
“We’ll think about that later.” He pressed your lips together in a kiss so eagerly that your knees buckled. You held onto his suit for stability and smiled against his lips.
Mingyu caressed your cheek and smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without you, baby. Thank you for everything.”
“Everything for you.” You turned him around gently. “Now, go celebrate that podium and suck in all the love and praise. I’ll be downstairs waiting for you.”
He walked away and looked over his shoulder.
“Don’t forget you love me, though.”
He smiled and disappeared inside. The rest of the day became a blur as the alcohol passed around the team, but you didn’t care. All that mattered to you was that you and Mingyu were happy again.
summary: After a fight with your boyfriend, you visit the flower shop that he’s a regular at, although you’re not entirely sure what your purpose is. Coincidentally, the flower shop becomes the very reason you can save your relationship from falling apart
wc: 3,937
tags: non-idol au, first blooms collab, tension, first fight, first reconciliation, it’s very tense, angst with a happy ending, fluff at the ending, light pda
a/n: so excited to be sharing my fic for the first blooms collab by @svthub! make sure to check the other fics as well, you're going to have a blast <3
You had no idea what you were going to get yourself into.
Tucked away underneath an umbrella, you stared at the sign on the shop window. Minghao was always the one decorating your place with flowers, always knowing exactly what would fit the season, the scenery, even your mood.
Now you had to do it yourself because your flowers were dying in your windowsill. Minghao wouldn’t be around to save them anytime soon. You never had much with flowers, but he loved it so you let him go crazy.
And honestly? Everything he put in there was gorgeous.
The thought tightened your chest. You nearly turned around and went home crying, but you pushed through the doors anyway.
You closed your umbrella and left it in the holder with the others. The smell of fresh flowers was all around you, and you recognised the daisies that were on your right. Observing them closely, tears welled in your eyes.
A stupid argument had completely escalated. An argument that you had a thousand times before, that led to nowhere, had made everything worse. When you thought about the way you started screaming at each other, the air punched out of your lungs. You’d never seen Minghao angry before – irritated at best – but you had ticked him off so badly that the vein in his neck visibly pulsed. The entire apartment complex could hear him, even though he switched to Chinese every few sentences.
Since that night, you hadn’t seen or spoken to him anymore. That was now two weeks ago and you were in a flower shop, looking as lost as you were. You were still not sure whether you were truly there to replace your dying flowers or if you didn’t know where else to go.
Strolling past the displays, you stopped in front of a bouquet of roses.
Minghao had often talked about them. Especially the pink and white flowers had always appealed to him and you’d never been able to pinpoint why. Just like many of his preferences, the mystery had left you wanting to know more. When you asked, you expected a very specific answer, something direct and tangible.
More often than not, he told you that some things didn’t need an explanation. It was a feeling you had and it left you with more questions than answers. You wanted things figured out, while Minghao was someone who could wait and see how things would go. ‘Go with the flow’, as he would’ve told you.
His flow didn’t exactly bring him back to you yet.
You headed into the back of the shop. Lavender, something you absolutely hated no matter how many times Minghao tried to introduce it to you. The smell was overbearing and overwhelming.
You turned back around, bumping right into a guy, guessing him to be around your age. Muttering a quick apology, you stepped out of the way, but he chuckled.
“I was actually here to help you,” he said and crossed his arms behind his back. “First time here?”
“Do I look that obviously out of place?”
He flashed a smile.
You clicked your tongue. “Alright. Loud and clear.”
The guy chuckled and started walking. “The actual reason is that I haven’t seen you around here. I would recognise you if you were a regular.”
“Ah.” You trailed after him. “My… um, my boyfriend comes here often. If anyone’s the regular, it’s him.”
He looked back at you and narrowed his eyes, scanning you up and down. “Your boyfriend…”
“I think.”
Mentally you were already strangling yourself for letting it slip out, but he ignored it to your surprise. You breathed out softly and stopped when he did.
“Is he broad and muscular?”
You couldn’t help but snort before composing yourself. You shook your head. “Sorry. No, he’s not.”
“Guessing by that reaction, he’s the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t describe him as ‘broad’, no.”
An amused smile decorated the man’s face. “Longer blond hair?”
Your stomach tingled. “As of recently, yes.”
“Oh, Minghao,” he cooed and clasped his hands together. “He would be laughing in my face if I told him that you were here.”
You tilted your head with a frown.
The man took you to the front of the shop, where you were admiring the daisies earlier. He grabbed a couple of white ones out of the bucket and turned around. “Minghao always comes here to pick out flowers for your house then, I assume, and he talks about you on many occasions.”
He walked to a couple of other buckets and picked some pink flowers. “I vividly remember him telling me that you would never be found here. Look at you now!”
You blinked a couple of times. It was the first time you ever saw him, but he was spewing information like he knew you better than you knew yourself, talking like he was catching up with an old friend.
With a weak nod, you looked at the flowers in his hand. “Minghao was completely right in saying that.”
“What brings you here?”
You looked at him, opening your mouth to say something before closing it. Shrugging, you shot him a small smile. “I don’t know, to be honest. It just felt right coming here.”
He returned the smile warmly before handing you the bouquet. “You made the right choice, then.”
The bouquet had been sitting in a vase in your kitchen for days. You’d been pondering over what to say to Minghao and how you were going to approach him in the first place. It was almost three weeks ago since your last contact and you were reaching your final straw.
When you called him, you got voicemail. Expecting him to call back, you left him be until a call would never come. Slowly, the empty feeling in your chest started filling up with a burning sensation, until you had enough.
You stood in front of his door with a hammering heart. The lock clicked and he peeked his head around the corner.
Minghao seemed surprised to see you as he opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you shrugged, pretending to think, “maybe trying to get back in touch with you so we can get this over with.”
He leaned against the door. “Okay, what do you have to say?”
“Why don’t you pick up when I try to call you?”
“Because I have a right to decline.”
Your eyes clouded over, piercing right through him.
Minghao shrugged, your name rolling off his lips so calmly, you got shivers. “You’re not even sure what you’re going to say.”
You crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrow. “I am.”
He repeated your gesture and straightened his posture. You hated that through all the anger, he still managed to make your heart skip a beat. His eyes still held a softness for you, and you know he was more than open to hear you out.
You were the one visiting him, after all.
“Well,” you started and cleared your throat, “I think it’s unfair of you to assume that I don’t know what to say.”
“Can you prove me wrong, though?” Minghao asked. “Whenever we’re arguing, you say the same thing in five different ways. And frankly, we never get it solved.”
Before you had a defence at the ready, he cut you off.
“I’m not going to do it, not like this.” Minghao offered you a small smile. “Figure out what you want first.”
“Minghao–”
He shut the door.
You stared at it, head spinning. You were angry, upset, hurt, disappointed and unable to ride out one. You wanted to pounce at the door and scream at him, but you wanted to cry in his arms all the same.
Instead you ended up back home.
The bouquet had withered by the time you decided to do something else than go to work, the rose petals that were still clinging on a faint brown. The rest of them were on the kitchen table drying up.
You shoved your hands into your pockets and walked the block, taking a left and walking straight into the city. You didn’t have a destination in mind, you just needed to catch some fresh air.
After a good month since your fight with Minghao, the flow hadn’t brought him back to you still. On the contrary, even. You had a feeling he drifted away from you if you didn’t do something soon.
In all your anger and confusion, you’d stood on his doorstep the night before. Once again, Minghao had opened the door and you even made it into his apartment. The conversation seemed to go well and you were making progress.
Until it was your turn to talk. The conversation had escalated once again and you left with the anger burning your chest to ashes. Everything that he’d said had fallen on deaf ears and you started to realise that the problem wasn’t with Minghao.
You pushed through the doors. The daisies on your right side were the first thing you smelled, a warmth wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. Since your last visit, not much had changed in their display. Some colours had been replaced or switched around to make it more appealing, but that was the biggest change you could find.
Bowing over the daisies, you inhaled.
“Look at that.”
You shot up and looked right in those mischievous eyes.
“Are you becoming a regular?” The same guy asked, arms crossed behind his back. His lips twisted into a grin. “Welcome back. I guess that you’re still a little clueless?”
“Yep.” You looked around before your eyes landed on him. “The last bouquet kind of died and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.”
“I expected nothing less.” He beckoned you and started walking. “You’re around more than Minghao and that says a lot. Is something going on?”
You shrugged and crossed your arms over your body. “We’re kind of on a rough patch right now.”
He hummed and stopped by the counter, leaning on it as he watched his coworker helping someone else. “I think it’s very ironic that you find yourself here of all places.”
You looked at him with a tilted head.
“You’re not someone that cares much for flowers,” the guy started. “You’re okay with Minghao decorating your house with it because he loves it, but that’s all. And now you’re in a rough patch and where are you right now? A place that he loves more than you do.”
You hummed and looked away.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not here without a reason, you just need to know how to return the gesture to him.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a public speaker?”
The guy laughed. “Next to being a florist, I also offer free therapy sessions. Part of the job.” His chuckles eased into a smile. “You have no idea the things I’ve seen since working here. Flowers play a bigger role in people’s lives than you might assume.”
“I get why you and Minghao get along so well,” you remarked. “It’s like hearing him speak as we’re talking right now.”
“Like attracts like.” He winked and patted the counter. “I need to look over deliveries. Take a look around and call for me if you need me.”
You nodded and watched how he slid behind the counter and disappeared in the back. Walking back to the daisies, you kneeled down. They had all kinds of colours, blending into each other so seamlessly it made you smile.
The purple ones had been in your house before. You remembered getting a promotion at work, and telling Minghao was the most exciting part of the day. That same night, you had a small bouquet, which included the purple daisies.
You’d always assumed they were purple because it was your favourite colour, but it was the only time you’d seen them. Faded to the back of your mind, passing it off as something insignificant.
As if it had never mattered at all.
With a soft sigh, you came back up. You dusted your pants off and straightened your jacket. As you turned around, you bumped into someone.
“Did I look lost again?” You remarked with a chuckle. When you looked up, Minghao was staring right back at you.
You froze.
His eyes scanned you carefully, and you couldn’t help but drown in them.
“You do look kind of lost,” he finally said. “I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw you here.”
You shrugged weakly and crossed your arms over your body.
Minghao nodded at the buckets. “What were you looking at?”
Your eyes darted to the purple daisies.
“Ah,” he hummed and bowed down, picking one from the bucket. He observed it before giving it to you.
You took it carefully and held it to your chest.
“I know purple is your favourite colour.” He nodded his head at the flower. “That’s not what that daisy is about.”
You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”
Minghao placed a hand on the small of your back and guided you further into the shop. The touch was electric, lighting a flame that you thought had long died out. “Purple daisies resemble success, and admiration. When I put them in your living room, I was celebrating your promotion.”
He picked a pink flower. “Pink lilies bear the same meaning, and they were also in that same bouquet. Admiration and gratitude.”
You took the lily from him. “What flowers say ‘I’m sorry for everything, please forgive me?’”
Minghao stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder.
You took a small step towards him. “I really am sorry, Hao. I don’t want you to feel undervalued, or misunderstood, and I hate myself for not realising earlier that that’s what this is all about.”
He turned around in full.
“You know,” you looked up at him with a small smile, “if I would’ve engaged earlier, be more open-minded like you’d tell me,” you nudged Minghao, making him chuckle. “I would’ve realised much sooner that it’s one of the most touching gestures someone has ever made for me. So that’s what I’ll try to do from now on.”
He smiled at you.
You caressed his cheek. “And hearing you spew these facts out like it’s breathing, it warms my heart, and it actually makes me excited to hear more.”
“I’m sorry too, my love,” Minghao muttered and leaned into your touch. “I’m very quick to jump to conclusions sometimes and it’s unfair to you especially since you need a little longer to gather your thoughts. I should’ve given you proper time and space to do so, instead of pushing the blame all on you.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest. “We’ll work on this just fine, my love. I’m very sure of it.”
Minghao pressed a long kiss into your hair. “I love you so much, darling. So so much.”
You looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
He kissed you so eagerly that the heat pooled in your stomach. His hands gripped your waist, nails dipping into your sides like you would disappear again. When you pulled him in closer, he chuckled against your lips.
You pouted when he pulled back.
“I came here to pick up my order,” he muttered. “I need to get back to work.”
“See you tonight?” You offered, to which he smiled.
“You have a key.”
You pressed one last kiss to his lips and watched him walking to the counter. He was talking to the same guy that had taken you under his wing.
As Minghao slipped past, he squeezed your waist. “Seungkwan wants to talk to you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. He rushed out of the door and disappeared around the corner.
You looked over at Seungkwan, who waved at you. With a chuckle, you walked over to him. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Let’s make you a bouquet for Minghao,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you all I need to know.”
When you walked out of the shop with the bouquet, you were light as a feather. Your stomach tingled whenever you thought of how Minghao’s eyes would light up, how he would kiss you passionately that you melted in his arms. Since your fight, you hadn’t felt so excited to see him again.
You knew that he wouldn’t get off work for another hour and set out to his house. The bouquet rested in your hand as you twisted the lock, slipping in before any of his neighbours would see you.
As you looked around, there wasn’t a flower in sight.
The empty vases were lined up on the counter on a towel. They looked dried up and you had no trouble believing they’d been there for a couple of days. Purposeless.
You grabbed the vase that Minghao painted himself, tracing the dried streaks with a smile. You filled it with water and put it in, setting the vase on the saloon table in the living room. ‘A center piece’, Minghao had often told you. You hoped that this would meet his requirements.
Minghao had texted you about dinner, opting that he would get something on his way home. You agreed with a smile.
When you heard the lock clicking not much later, your heart jumped.
You rubbed your hands together and balanced from the front to the heel of your feet.
Minghao pushed the door back into its lock with his hip, the crackling of a plastic bag following him around. When he walked into the living room, he yelped.
Covering your mouth, you suppressed a giggle. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you already doing here?” His eyes darted to the bouquet on the table and his lips twisted into a smile. “That wasn’t there before.”
“Happened to come with me,” you watched him set the bag down and observe it. “Seungkwan helped me. It’s not how the professionals do it, but–”
“It’s perfect.” Minghao looked back at you and opened his arms. “Come here, you.”
You walked right into his arms, inhaling his citrus, amber scent. You closed your eyes with a hum. “I missed you a lot, Hao.”
“I you too, my love.” He ran a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss to it. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
You peeked inside the bag curiously and smiled brightly. You grabbed the servings and sat down on the ground. “You know, why Seungkwan works in a flower shop is beyond me,” you said and opened the container.
Minghao chuckled. “He’s a talker, hm?”
“He is.” You put the other one in front of your boyfriend and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. “A good one at that, though. Very convincing.”
“He’s helped me since the first time I set foot in that place,” he started and stirred his soup. “I just moved to the city and I wanted a good bouquet for my living room.”
“The center piece,” you said in unison.
Minghao looked at you with a smile before he continued. “He knows everything there is to know and I really formed some kind of friendship with him.”
“He’s a nice guy.” The broth you sipped from was an explosion of flavours, making you groan. “God, I missed this.”
“I thought I’d treat you.”
With a smile, you spent the rest of the dinner catching up with Minghao; work, your parents, your friends. For the first time it wasn’t silent, as if your relationship had completely reinvented itself.
As Minghao was at the counter cutting the branches of the flowers, you stood behind him, your arms wrapped around him. Your head rested against his back, your eyes closed. “If you cut them at an angle, they’re able to absorb more water,” he told you. “Your beautiful bouquet will stay alive for a very long time.”
You smiled. “I worked very hard on it.” You peeked up at him. “Can I tell you about the flowers?”
His smile grew. “I would love to hear it.”
“I picked the blue orchids first,” you said and looked out of the window. “I had never seen it before, but it’s a way to express that you think of someone as beautiful in a unique way. And Seungkwan told me it’s spiritual so naturally, I had to pick it.”
“Flattered.”
You grinned at him. “You should be.”
“And then you chose red lilies,” Minghao continued, followed by a sheer cut.
“I know it looks a little odd next to the orchid, but they’re a symbol of love. I thought a red rose was too standard, so Seungkwan showed me these.”
Minghao looked back at you. “You really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
“And I’m not even finished,” you said with a small smile, the heat flushing your cheeks. “I did pick white and pink roses because they made me think of you.”
He smiled and put the bouquet back into the vase as you let go of him. “Pink is joy and appreciation.”
“And white symbolises a fresh start,” you added. You pointed at the daffodils on the side. “Just like those, moving away and transforming.”
“And pink camellias because you missed me.” Minghao bumped your hip. “Sappy.”
You chuckled and bumped him back.
He draped an arm around your shoulder and locked you into his side. “Thank you. Truly.”
You stood on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”
You finally regretted speaking that into existence when you found yourself in the flower shop again a couple of weeks later. Your eyes darted around before you looked back at Minghao. “Seriously?”
“You claim to know so much about this now,” he answered with a shrug. “I would love to see you make a bouquet for your own apartment.”
Shooting him a sweet smile, you traced his arm. “But aren’t you sad that you can’t do it for me anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Was worth a try.” You looked around again and your eyes landed on Seungkwan. When he looked back at you, his eyes lit up.
He came over hurriedly. “You finally got her here!”
You arched an eyebrow and turned to Minghao.
“We’re here for some pieces for her apartment,” he said and placed a hand on the small of your back. “She’s going to pick them out herself, as she’s claiming to have the hang of it.”
Seungkwan bobbed his head, his upper lip curved upwards like he was impressed. He remained where we stood and smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“Something for my kitchen,” you answered and frowned. “Why does this feel like a test?”
Behind you, Minghao chuckled. He pushed you forward gently and followed you to the daisies. “I told you she would go there first.”
Seungkwan chuckled and joined you at the front of the shop. Instead of walking after him, you navigated the shop like it was your second home. With a bright smile, you walked out of the shop with the bouquet and your boyfriend back by your side.
A place that you never thought you would ever step foot in had become like a second home in an oddly beautiful way. After your fight with Minghao, that very shop had brought you back to each other like no flow could. And this time, you wouldn’t drift away from each other anymore.
summary: With a bad start of the season, you and Mingyu try to save your relationship from falling apart.
wc: 6,059
tags: non-idol au, f1 au, established relationship, tension, on the verge of a break-up, kind of a second chance fic, fluff, pda at the end
a/n: won't confirm nor deny this is inspired by mingyu's costume being that fuck ass main character from that f1 movie. anyway enjoy! and thanks to @livmarauder for helping me out with the fic because tunnel vision is real guys. check out her work, she's AMAZING <3 and another special thanks to mingyu expert @jakedustry for proofreading for me. she's so cool and you should check out her amazing works as well!
currently listening to: don't forget you love me - calum hood
You were a bystander of Mingyu’s bad season.
After ending in third place the previous one, there were high hopes. Mingyu’s name had even come up when talking about possible contenders. You remembered how proud he was of the new car, and how the new regulations would only bend the rules in his favour.
In Australia, his car gave out in the middle of the race and he was forced to retire. In the moment, you’d thought nothing of it, just continuing your role of being his biggest support. ‘Just one bad start. It doesn’t mean that he’s out completely,’ commentators all around the world had declared. You had grounded yourself in that as well, and the next race, he managed to score a point despite the struggles he had with the car.
When he DNF’ed again and his teammate went with him, heads started to turn.
Not only did it put the pressure on the team to explain the possible causes, but Mingyu was reminded of his own words before the start of the season. He danced around it with curated precision, but made sure that the media were satisfied with his answer. Just like he practiced with his press officer.
The answers he would give when he talked about you were no different.
The media wouldn’t notice how his eyes clouded over, how he struggled to keep his shoulders straight and his smile on, as long as he kept saying the right words. Cherry-picking and feeding them to a group of people that had the power to twist them, but they never did.
Mingyu always knew what to say, even in moments where there were no words left.
You put the headphones down softly when the call came. The words hung in the air, suffocating all the people that were watching in the pit box with you. Your heart burned behind your ribcage. From the corner of your eye, people were shooting looks of sympathy, but you couldn’t focus on anything else than the pitlane.
The air punched out of your lungs when Mingyu’s car was pushed inside. His white helmet with blue accents and the number 17 stuck out just above the car. He put the steering wheel on the front of the car alongside with the headrest, pulling himself up on the halo.
The room pulsed as he took off his helmet, as if they were bracing themselves for a storm to come. Mingyu turned to you, his eyes scanning every inch of you. He walked up to you and stopped.
You swallowed and played with your bracelet, but he pulled you into a hug. Your shoulders tensed before you relaxed in his arms, managing a weak smile. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he mumbled in your neck. “It’s whatever.”
You hummed and rubbed his back in small circle motions, but Mingyu broke free. He shot you a last look before walking away. As per usual, you left the pit box to go with him. You trailed next to him, taking two steps for every one he took. You laced your fingers together and he accepted your affection. He broke away when he took interviews, joining forces with his press officer.
You watched from the sidelines as he gave the performance that he was trained for, as if this was just a small setback in his path to becoming world champion.
Mingyu’s energy was contagious, and he never left the room without any. He was charming, accessible and easy to love. Compared to how he behaved when he was in the paddock, there wasn’t a difference between your boyfriend and the man that drove one of the fastest cars in the world.
You still felt your heart skipping a beat, admiring how easily he could pull himself together and find the words without even hinting that he was frustrated with his performance, that he beat himself up for not pulling the weight and showing the results that he promised everyone.
He was a breath of fresh air.
You joined him again and walked to the pit box. His press officer waited outside his motorhome while you followed Mingyu inside. His hand rested on the small of your back when you stepped in. You pushed it away when the door closed behind you and walked to the couch.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Mingyu announced, but you didn’t respond. He scoffed and slammed the door shut.
You wondered if anyone had ever pinched through your act, even though there was nothing to prove that you weren’t on good terms. You always showed up together, holding hands, chatting and there was never a moment where your words – if someone ever approached you – were weighed carefully. Mingyu treated you like the world was your palace. That was the happy couple they’d been seeing for three years, ever since your relationship became public.
You couldn’t remember the last time you were happy with Mingyu.
The running water made you close your eyes, as if it was only you that existed. You liked it like that, when there was nobody around you for a couple of seconds. Since your relationship became public, you’d been in the spotlight. You chose to keep your life private regardless and Mingyu had always respected that.
Out of protection towards you, Mingyu’s current performance and the crumbs of your relationship that were left, all the energy you had went into pretending that everything was fine. Existing out of everyone’s eyes became your safe haven in moments where nothing could come to your aid.
You peeked an eye open when the door opened and lifted your head.
Mingyu hoisted himself into a fresh team shirt, a pair of jeans desperately clinging to his hips. He crinkled his nose and pulled his jeans up, tucking his shirt in. “Are you coming back to the pit box to watch the rest of the race?”
“Do I have a choice?” You bit back.
“I’m not in the race anymore, so yes, actually,” he answered calmly and finally looked up. His eyes were like a silent plea every time he looked at you. “Let me rephrase it. Will you be there for emotional support?”
You got off the couch with a scoff and followed him outside. You latched onto his bicep and leaned into him, your fingertips prickling as your nails dug into the fabric of his shirt.
He pulled you in closer and leaned in. “Don’t forget you love me.”
You smiled at him sweetly. “You’re very sure that I do.”
Mingyu looked ahead of him, his arm tense. When you got back into the pit box, he pressed a kiss to your lips before you parted ways. He walked to the pitwall, where he joined the strategists and team principal, and you stood behind the barrier with your headphones.
The rest of the race was a blur. You stared holes into Mingyu’s back, trying to guess what was going through his head. Secretly, you hoped that he was thinking about you, but those days had long passed. Whenever he thought of you, you knew that it bore resentment. He couldn’t look at you with anything else. Everything in front of the cameras was pretense.
You went back to his motorhome as Mingyu joined his team in celebrating the podium. You didn’t care how long it would take him. Hell, you didn’t care if he wouldn’t return at all. Everywhere Mingyu went, cameras followed and you did enough pretending for one day.
As you curled up on the couch, the door opened. The anger ached in your chest immediately, and you clutched your phone in your hand. You stared out of the window as a weight settled down next to you.
The scent of cedar and citrus coated you in a thick blanket of comfort, no matter how much you didn’t want it to. Fighting only made it easier to lose yourself in it, so you let it. For a while you sat in silence, as if you were both stubbornly waiting for the other to speak. The pressure on your chest made you suffocate.
“I’m going back to the hotel,” Mingyu finally said.
You looked at him blankly.
“You can choose to come with me, or you can stay behind and someone will come pick you up later.”
“But?” You countered.
Mingyu shot you a weak smile. “You know what I’m going to say.”
You looked out of the window again and crossed your arms.
He called your name softly. His hand slid to your thigh, burning up against your skin. When you pushed it away, he swallowed and shot you a small smile. “I get that this is not ideal–”
“Not ideal?” You interrupted, chuckling bitterly. “God, Mingyu, you have a lot of nerve to phrase it like that.”
“Baby–”
“Not ideal is when you accidentally double booked yourself. This,” you pointed your finger between him and you, “all of the pretending and the cameras, this is exhausting and demoralising and I’m losing hope that it will ever be fixed.”
Mingyu’s eyes widened, glimmering. He looked away and lowered his head. “I see,” he croaked. “I’m sorry.”
You got off the couch and grabbed your purse. “We’re going back to the hotel. I can’t do this, not here.”
But back at the hotel, you didn’t circle back to it. You were too tired to argue about it again, knowing that it wouldn’t fix anything. All Mingyu would tell you was that you had to hold out. It was only temporary and would blow over before you knew, but it’d been going on for months. Nothing was addressed and if anything, it was only getting worse.
Although, you doubted that talking about it would fix anything at that point.
You skipped dinner with Mingyu and ordered room service, munching on a fry as you stared into nothingness. The afternoon replayed in your head, nothing special since your little play, but it hadn’t cut a wound like usual, where you were left bleeding for days until you could look Mingyu in the eyes normally.
As your eyes flicked to your plate, your phone rang. Mingyu’s caller ID usually made your heart skip a beat, but all you could do was stare at it blankly. Hearing his voice would flush your chest with warmth, and you would think to yourself how lucky you were with a man like him by your side.
After enduring the past two months, you were hollowed out.
You put the empty plate aside and threw the suitcase on your bed. You snatched the clothes off the chair and folded them. From the bathroom, you grabbed your toiletries and put them back in the bag. Your summer dress was replaced by a shirt and sweatpants and you did your hair the way you usually would.
And before you knew it, you were on the plane back home.
[insert divider here]
You cried yourself to sleep one night, but slept like an angel the next. Some days, Mingyu was on your mind and you couldn’t focus on anything and others he was merely an afterthought. On those weekends, you watched the races from the comfort of your own home.
Sometimes you couldn’t even stomach the thought without bursting into tears.
Mingyu had tried talking to you on multiple occasions, but you told him you needed space. You couldn’t be around him, not like this, and your absence was noticed.
Like always, his words had landed with curated precision. He laughed, telling the camera that you were in a busy period with work. ‘The money doesn’t come from nowhere’, he’d teased.
Your eyes stung with tears as you cursed underneath your breath. You turned the TV off and plopped on the couch, staring into the nothingness.
Every time you saw him, flashing his canines at the camera mischievously, you were reminded of the times you were the one at the receiving end. Mingyu was one of the few people who could genuinely make you laugh. You hated your loud cackles, but Mingyu did everything in his power to pull them out of you.
That was his victory smile, as he came to call it.
You buried your head in your hands and sobbed all of the tears you’d been suppressing until you were a shell. Until there was nothing left for you to give anymore.
When you started dating Mingyu, you knew what you were getting yourself into. You didn’t care because you loved him. He valued your need for privacy and admired your courage to make it public anyway. You never had a knack for hiding; all you wanted was to show the world that you cared about him, that you supported him every step of the way.
Sometimes you wished that someone would actually catch you in the act. At least you could drop it that way.
A knock on the door interrupted the spiral. You dragged yourself towards the door and wiped your cheeks dry before opening the door.
Jeonghan took one look at you before he shot you a small smile. “I had a feeling I would see you like this.”
The tears flowed as if the past twenty minutes hadn’t even happened. You crashed into your best friend’s arms, burying your head in his chest.
He silently embraced you and rested his head on top of yours. “Your mother told me you were hiding out in your apartment,” he muttered. “I had to check on you.”
Deep down, you were glad she did.
Jeonghan sat you back down on the couch and walked to your kitchen. He came back with two cups of tea and took a seat next to you.
“I reached the final straw a couple of weeks ago,” you croaked. “Mingyu had another DNF and for some reason, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I just…” You paused and lowered your head. “I don’t know what happened.”
He observed you in silence, his hands wrapped around the cup. “What’s on your mind?”
Your eyes darted to him.
Jeonghan shot you a small smile in response.
“I guess I feel a little selfish for leaving so suddenly, and maybe I’m also wondering why I didn’t just back off entirely instead.” You rubbed your face with a sigh and threw yourself back in the cushions. Staring at the ceiling, the tears stung behind your eyes. “I could’ve spared myself the trouble, stayed home and taken my time and distance. Instead I was the one suggesting to go down this route.”
You glanced at your best friend. “Please don’t tell me I should stop beating myself up.”
He chuckled. “As if I would.”
You managed a small smile yourself and looked back up at the ceiling.
“I think it’s admirable that you wanted to try.”
Your head shot his way.
Jeonghan shrugged weakly. “You don’t know if it’s going to work, and I can empathise with the fact you held hope that it would, but have you ever talked about it?”
“Plenty of times,” you answered. “It just always ended in a fight and led to nowhere. We would both feel misunderstood by the other. It was the same conversation where we still hoped for a different outcome, but it never came.”
You shrugged. “I think we were way past the point of talking.”
He shuffled closer to you and put his cup down. “Would you like me to give some advice, or would you just like some company? I can tell that this conversation has been replaying in your head since you left.”
You looked at him and reached out, your fingers gently brushing his arm. “Just having you here is enough for now. Maybe when I’m in a better mood, I want some advice.”
Jeonghan slapped his thighs and got up. “Alright, then we’re ordering sushi and I’ll get us my best bottle of wine. It’s been too long since we had a proper night with just the two of us.”
You watched how he marched out of your apartment with a smile on your face, ignoring how your phone lit up. Jeonghan was right; it had been too long since you had a night together.
You grabbed your phone from the coffee table and turned it off. Mingyu would hear from you another time.
Jeonghan had left the subject alone as well, instead updating you on his personal life and the stunts his coworkers were pulling. You tried digging into his romantic endeavours, but he danced around the subject so smoothly, you knew that he was hiding something. Not wanting to pry, you left it alone.
Although, with enough alcohol in his system he would probably confess. You would let the trajectory of the night decide.
You were digesting the sushi, slouched on the couch while Jeonghan was browsing through your watchlist on Netflix. He commented on every sappy movie, pausing when he saw shows you’d watched a thousand times before, until he eventually gave up.
“You watch boring stuff,” he declared and threw the remote on the couch.
“Half of the suggestions aren’t even because of me,” you countered. “Mingyu wants to watch those sappy movies ninety percent of the time. I don’t even know why.”
“Probably because when you cry, he can comfort you.”
You snorted. “It’s rather the other way around. I always end up wiping his tears away.”
Jeonghan frowned. “Is he such a crybaby?”
“When he’s watching the Notebook, yes.”
He bobbed his head and clicked his tongue. “Well, you learn something new every day.”
You hummed and stared at the black screen.
“Do you miss him?”
“Yeah,” you whispered and sniffled. “I miss him so much.”
Jeonghan placed your head on his shoulder and rubbed your shoulder. “Maybe you’re not completely beyond the point of talking,” he said softly. “You just need to be honest with him, and with yourself.”
You closed your eyes and nodded. “Having such a high-demanding job is hard, especially when the public eye is involved and I’m afraid.” Your voice trembled. “I’m so afraid of losing him right now when the whole world is watching…”
“Which is why I admire your choice to keep showing up anyway. I hope Mingyu hasn’t forgotten what that means.”
There was a knock on your door and by the time Jeonghan opened it, you were too exhausted to fight the tears.
[insert divider here]
No race win could make up for what you had left behind the day you flew back home.
The looks Mingyu received every time he walked into the paddock had become more concerning every time, and he wondered if the press started putting two and two together throughout all his chirpy and charming demeanour. It hadn’t reflected in his performance the first two races, but when he crashed the car the next thinking about your fight, heads started to turn.
At night, all he thought about was you. The day you left replayed in his head and he kept searching for every single detail that could’ve helped him prevent you from going. He knew that it wasn’t just that day, or that it was just a small fight.
You had all the reason to leave. In fact, he’d braced himself for the day you would go, but it didn’t lessen the blow. He cried himself to sleep and the moment he landed into the new race week, he locked himself in his hotel. He only came out when he needed to and through all of it, he was expected to smile, to tell everyone how well he was going to do that weekend.
He was going to have to talk about you.
Press had made teasing remarks about your absence, slicing his heart in such an ignorant way that it made his skin prickle. He remembered laughing, telling them that the money didn’t come from nowhere and he moved on from the conversation just like that.
Mingyu met up with his strategists to discuss the race. The expected rain could be his saving grace if he knew how to utilise it, but expected was all it was. If it was just a normal race, he had to revert to medium and hard tyres to hold out. The softs under his car wouldn’t last even a lap, not on this track.
His teammate, Jun, was prioritised when it came to maximising the amount of points they could get that weekend. The prediction – for the first time since the finale of the previous season – was a double podium. For Jun, that meant a race win.
Mingyu’s job was to make sure to stay close behind his favoured teammate, holding up opponents so the gap between them became impossible to close. There hadn’t been a race win in the cards for him, and the championship that he promised to deliver started slipping out of his hands as well.
Jun had sat with him during lunch, but stayed uncharacteristically silent.
In between bites, it got on Mingyu’s nerves. “You can just speak your mind, you know,” he said tightly. “I’m well aware that I haven’t been delivering on my promises so just say what you want to say. No hard feelings from my side.”
“I was going to ask if you were okay.”
The force he felt in his gut was more than deserved.
Mingyu managed a soft ‘Oh’.
“I know this world is hard and we’re being measured by everything we do and say, but I hope you feel comfortable enough around me to share what’s been going on.” Jun offered him a smile. “We may be rivals on track, but I consider you a friend.”
He inhaled softly. “I’ll manage, but thank you anyway.”
Jun nodded and turned back to his food. “You’ll get there, I’m sure of it. One down period shouldn’t define the rest of your trajectory.”
Mingyu still debated whether he meant his career or his personal life, the words echoing in the back of his mind throughout the day.
The weekend flew by and he even managed to cling onto third place, but he didn’t stay to celebrate the double podium. In the hotel room, it all came crashing down on him again and somewhere between hours of crying and trying to call you, he’d fallen asleep.
Jun had texted him, but he ignored it and packed his suitcase.
Mingyu was happy he could go home. He missed the comfort of his own bed, of waking up in a pitch black room instead of flowy curtains dancing in the wind, forcing him awake at the slightest bit of light.
He pushed his suitcase aside and plopped on the couch, staring into the nothingness that was his home. The silence had a way of sending shivers down his spine while comforting him all the same. He wanted to cry, even though there was nothing left to give, and he wanted to throw everything in his sight and scream.
When you were around, at least the place felt a bit like home. Having moved from South Korea to the other side of the world, he’d always been out of place. Nothing seemed to settle him down, until you came along.
You made everything easy, bearable even. You showed him the balance between settling in his new hometown and honoring where he came from. When he talked about his career, you’d asked him questions that no one had ever thought of before, as if you desired to dig a layer deeper.
And you succeeded. Since the day you went out for Korean barbecue together, you’d stayed around.
Mingyu had never loved someone like you, let alone someone in the way he loved you. You were his voice of reason, his moment of chaos when he needed it. You were stability, spontaneity and structure all combined into one, an endless balance that you were keeping like it was breathing. You settled into his hectic and fast-paced lifestyle much easier than he expected you to.
He started loving you even deeper.
Coming home became something he looked forward to. His apartment was bright and lively, no matter if you were there to greet him or not. He could faintly trace your jasmine and coconut perfume, the warmth starting in his stomach before spreading through his whole body.
All he smelled now was lavender. The cleaning service had been in not too long ago, but his apartment was hollow. It rather felt like he was sitting in the home of someone else.
Mingyu’s entire world had fallen apart.
He checked his phone. Maybe you’d called him back, even if it was to tell him off. Your phone went straight to voicemail and where he usually hung up, he stuck around.
He just needed to hear your voice.
“Hi, baby,” he said softly. “I just… I want to talk to you. About all of this. I know that you want space, but it’s killing me to sit here without knowing what’s going to happen.”
The tears stung behind his eyes, the pressure in his chest unbearable. “All I want to know is if this is the end or not, okay? I don’t want to get my hopes up for nothing.”
He sniffled and whispered a soft goodbye before he threw the phone down next to him.
When his coach came over to prepare his meals with him, he just stared into the abyss. Whether he willfully ignored it or he genuinely didn’t notice, Mingyu couldn’t bring himself to care. All he wanted was you to call him back so he could start letting you go.
Because if you wanted it to be over, he had no choice but to accept it.
After one bite, Mingyu curled himself up on the couch. He closed his eyes, but all he saw was you. Screaming at him, embracing him, crying, running your hands through his hair, kissing him, screaming again.
Nothing he did relieved him of his fear becoming reality.
He glanced at his phone, but you hadn’t called him back. Mingyu was going to have to take matters into his own hands and it would either be the best decision he would ever make, or you would hate him forever.
He slid into his shoes, grabbed his phone and keys and got into his car. It was a small drive to the town over, but every second passing felt like you were slipping away from him further. His knuckles were white by the time he reached your block, his heart about to race itself to death.
It was all or nothing.
Mingyu got out of the car and walked up to the stairs. He looked up and started walking, all three sets until he reached your level. Right at the end of the gallery was your apartment, the crate with empty beer bottles stacked next to your front door.
With every step he took, his legs became heavier.
What was he doing? You clearly told him you needed space and he breached that trust by barging into your block unannounced. You would never forgive him for it, now that he was willing to cross every boundary you were going to set with him in the future.
But it’d been over a month since you left the hotel without a word. He wanted to know how you felt, and at some point the line between protecting your peace and avoiding the confrontation started to blur. Mingyu was going to have to barge through it himself.
He knocked on the door and stepped back, rubbing his fingers together. When the door opened, he tilted his head.
“Hey,” Jeonghan greeted him and looked back.
Mingyu looked past your best friend at you. He swallowed when your eyes glimmered. “Sorry for coming over so suddenly, but I couldn’t take it anymore.”
You nodded and wiped your cheeks. “Come in.”
He stepped in and nodded at Jeonghan. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Mingyu lingered near the door and cleared his throat. “I–”
You embraced him tightly.
He wrapped his arms around you and nuzzled his face in your hair.
“We can talk in a second,” you sniffled. “I need a hug first.”
Mingyu squeezed his eyes shut, but a tear rolled down his cheek. “Me too, baby,” he whispered. He held you close, taking you in like it was the last time he would ever see you again.
He’d convinced himself it was until you ran into his arms.
Jeonghan smiled at you when you pulled back. “Call me if you need me, yeah?”
You nodded and wiped your tears away.
He looked at Mingyu and nodded, to which he returned the favour.
Mingyu turned to you and wiped your cheek with his thumb. “The situation’s been shitty, for both of us but mostly for you.”
“I wished it would’ve worked out how we hoped it would.” You smiled through your tears. “I didn’t want to stand in the way of your career.”
He grabbed both of your hands and squeezed them. “I know that I’m not always the best at juggling my personal life and my work, but you are never in the way.”
“If this would be the outcome, I never would’ve done it,” you said with a sniffle. “It was the easy way out instead of addressing the elephant in the room.”
Mingyu lowered his eyes and nodded. “Yeah.”
You led him to the couch leaned forward. “How are you truly doing, Mingyu?”
“I was on such a high after last season,” he started and smiled. “I came in third in the championship, and there was such hope that this year could be even better. I won a ton of races after all.”
You listened intently, your eyes scanning every detail of his face and your brows pushed together.
“When I walked into the factory to see the car and to test it, my hopes were completely gone and the season hadn’t even started yet.” Mingyu sighed deeply. “And how could I tell anyway? It was only February, a month and a half before the first face.”
“Were you scared to admit it?”
He nodded. “I started acting out because I was terrified that I would fail, and look where that has brought me. I fulfilled my own destiny.”
You nodded and leaned on your thighs. “And what could I have done differently to give you the space to be open about that?”
Mingyu opened his mouth, but he closed it again. “Baby, this is not your responsibility. I should’ve been honest.”
“But you weren’t, so I’ll ask again.” You looked right at him. “What could I have done differently so you would’ve felt comfortable?”
He lowered his eyes.
“Mingyu,” you grabbed his hand, “you need to be honest with me if we want to work through this.”
“You have a tendency to want to solve everything,” he heard himself say. At your lack of reaction, he looked up.
Your head was tilted, your eyes narrowed. After a silence, you clicked your tongue.
“I mean, you kind of proved me right already.”
Mingyu managed a small smile. “I admire your ability to think about solutions, but what I need sometimes is an ear, not a brain. And maybe, when you suggested that we would pretend nothing was happening, that was not what was best for us even though it was the logical solution so the press wouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
You nodded. “I agree with you.”
He shuffled closer and rubbed your thigh. “You need to allow yourself to take a breather more. What you did, taking your distance – even though it was suddenly – was a good thing.”
“It didn’t feel that way,” you muttered with a sigh. “I hated to leave you hanging like that, and I guess in hindsight that I was also kind of running from it. In case you hated me or something.”
“You and me both.” Mingyu caressed your cheek with a smile. “We should stop pretending, but I hope the act can be dropped completely. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
You wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your head in the crook of his neck. “You’ll talk, and I’ll listen, or am I too early to propose a solution?”
Mingyu laughed and pressed a kiss to your temple. “Sounds like a perfect idea.”
You fell asleep in his arms that night and Mingyu’s world was slowly built back up. His career might’ve not been what it needed to be, but he had you and that was all that mattered.
[insert divider here]
The press described it as the most anticipated return of the season, you would tell them that it had been coming all along.
Mingyu’s first win of the season came right before the summer break, when an unexpected crash between the front row gave way to the lead. Jun was right behind him, grinding the rest of the field to a halt so they could secure their 1-2 podium finish.
An entirely different person came out of the summer break, with you by his side. You fell in love with Mingyu all over again.
You’d joined for the last race of the season, tucked away in the paddock as you watched the screen. Mingyu was in second place and if he stayed there, he could round up the top three for the season. Jun had already been declared world champion, but he was leading the race anyway.
With the cord entangled in your hand, your fingers were crossed as Mingyu was told to come in for a last pitstop. He had a gap big enough to keep the position, but the pitstop had to go right.
As the car pulled up in the lane, the pit box pulsed. Your heart hammered in your chest as you watched the mechanics in their rehearsed rhythm, as if it was their second nature. All four tyres at once, switching from hard to mediums.
Within the blink of an eye, Mingyu took off.
You watched the screen, just when Mingyu entered the race track. His opponent was nowhere in sight.
As the pit box cheered, you released a soft breath of relief. All Mingyu had to do was hold out and he would come in third again.
When the last lap rang in, the team was already guiding you through the crowd. They put you right at the front of the barrier, next to his strategist. You were nearly pushed against the barrier, the team buzzing with excitement as their drivers were nearing the finish line. Some of the mechanics were climbing in the fences to cheer at them, even though that wasn’t allowed anymore.
The team did not seem to care.
The car with number 17 disappeared on the horizon and your heart skipped a beat. It stopped in front of the big banner with second place on it and Mingyu didn’t know how fast he had to get out.
The warmth spread through your chest when he stood on the hood of his car, pumping his fists in the air while the crowd roared. He jumped off and rushed into the arms of his mechanics, who nearly dragged him over the barrier.
“Crazy, those guys,” his strategist said to you, to which you chuckled.
Mingyu took his helmet off and turned your way, his lips twisting into a smile. He pressed your foreheads together, his chest rising and falling heavily.
“I think a night out is in order,” you whispered with a smile.
“We’ll think about that later.” He pressed your lips together in a kiss so eagerly that your knees buckled. You held onto his suit for stability and smiled against his lips.
Mingyu caressed your cheek and smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without you, baby. Thank you for everything.”
“Everything for you.” You turned him around gently. “Now, go celebrate that podium and suck in all the love and praise. I’ll be downstairs waiting for you.”
He walked away and looked over his shoulder.
“Don’t forget you love me, though.”
He smiled and disappeared inside. The rest of the day became a blur as the alcohol passed around the team, but you didn’t care. All that mattered to you was that you and Mingyu were happy again.
summary: With a bad start of the season, you and Mingyu try to save your relationship from falling apart.
wc: 6,059
rating: sfw
tags: non-idol au, f1 au, established relationship, tension, on the verge of a break-up, kind of a second chance fic, fluff, pda at the end
a/n: won't confirm nor deny this is inspired by mingyu's costume being that fuck ass main character from that f1 movie. anyway enjoy! and thanks to @livmarauder for helping me out with the fic because tunnel vision is real guys. check out her work, she's AMAZING <3 and another special thanks to mingyu expert @jakedustry for proofreading for me. she's so cool and you should check out her amazing works as well!
currently listening to: don't forget you love me - calum hood
SEVENTEEN M.LIST ✦ SIGN UP FOR MY TAGLIST HERE! ✦ ORBIT MAP
You were a bystander of Mingyu’s bad season.
After ending in third place the previous one, there were high hopes. Mingyu’s name had even come up when talking about possible contenders. You remembered how proud he was of the new car, and how the new regulations would only bend the rules in his favour.
In Australia, his car gave out in the middle of the race and he was forced to retire. In the moment, you’d thought nothing of it, just continuing your role of being his biggest support. ‘Just one bad start. It doesn’t mean that he’s out completely,’ commentators all around the world had declared. You had grounded yourself in that as well, and the next race, he managed to score a point despite the struggles he had with the car.
When he DNF’ed again and his teammate went with him, heads started to turn.
Not only did it put the pressure on the team to explain the possible causes, but Mingyu was reminded of his own words before the start of the season. He danced around it with curated precision, but made sure that the media were satisfied with his answer. Just like he practiced with his press officer.
The answers he would give when he talked about you were no different.
The media wouldn’t notice how his eyes clouded over, how he struggled to keep his shoulders straight and his smile on, as long as he kept saying the right words. Cherry-picking and feeding them to a group of people that had the power to twist them, but they never did.
Mingyu always knew what to say, even in moments where there were no words left.
You put the headphones down softly when the call came. The words hung in the air, suffocating all the people that were watching in the pit box with you. Your heart burned behind your ribcage. From the corner of your eye, people were shooting looks of sympathy, but you couldn’t focus on anything else than the pitlane.
The air punched out of your lungs when Mingyu’s car was pushed inside. His white helmet with blue accents and the number 17 stuck out just above the car. He put the steering wheel on the front of the car alongside with the headrest, pulling himself up on the halo.
The room pulsed as he took off his helmet, as if they were bracing themselves for a storm to come. Mingyu turned to you, his eyes scanning every inch of you. He walked up to you and stopped.
You swallowed and played with your bracelet, but he pulled you into a hug. Your shoulders tensed before you relaxed in his arms, managing a weak smile. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he mumbled in your neck. “It’s whatever.”
You hummed and rubbed his back in small circle motions, but Mingyu broke free. He shot you a last look before walking away. As per usual, you left the pit box to go with him. You trailed next to him, taking two steps for every one he took. You laced your fingers together and he accepted your affection. He broke away when he took interviews, joining forces with his press officer.
You watched from the sidelines as he gave the performance that he was trained for, as if this was just a small setback in his path to becoming world champion.
Mingyu’s energy was contagious, and he never left the room without any. He was charming, accessible and easy to love. Compared to how he behaved when he was in the paddock, there wasn’t a difference between your boyfriend and the man that drove one of the fastest cars in the world.
You still felt your heart skipping a beat, admiring how easily he could pull himself together and find the words without even hinting that he was frustrated with his performance, that he beat himself up for not pulling the weight and showing the results that he promised everyone.
He was a breath of fresh air.
You joined him again and walked to the pit box. His press officer waited outside his motorhome while you followed Mingyu inside. His hand rested on the small of your back when you stepped in. You pushed it away when the door closed behind you and walked to the couch.
“I’m going to take a shower,” Mingyu announced, but you didn’t respond. He scoffed and slammed the door shut.
You wondered if anyone had ever pinched through your act, even though there was nothing to prove that you weren’t on good terms. You always showed up together, holding hands, chatting and there was never a moment where your words – if someone ever approached you – were weighed carefully. Mingyu treated you like the world was your palace. That was the happy couple they’d been seeing for three years, ever since your relationship became public.
You couldn’t remember the last time you were happy with Mingyu.
The running water made you close your eyes, as if it was only you that existed. You liked it like that, when there was nobody around you for a couple of seconds. Since your relationship became public, you’d been in the spotlight. You chose to keep your life private regardless and Mingyu had always respected that.
Out of protection towards you, Mingyu’s current performance and the crumbs of your relationship that were left, all the energy you had went into pretending that everything was fine. Existing out of everyone’s eyes became your safe haven in moments where nothing could come to your aid.
You peeked an eye open when the door opened and lifted your head.
Mingyu hoisted himself into a fresh team shirt, a pair of jeans desperately clinging to his hips. He crinkled his nose and pulled his jeans up, tucking his shirt in. “Are you coming back to the pit box to watch the rest of the race?”
“Do I have a choice?” You bit back.
“I’m not in the race anymore, so yes, actually,” he answered calmly and finally looked up. His eyes were like a silent plea every time he looked at you. “Let me rephrase it. Will you be there for emotional support?”
You got off the couch with a scoff and followed him outside. You latched onto his bicep and leaned into him, your fingertips prickling as your nails dug into the fabric of his shirt.
He pulled you in closer and leaned in. “Don’t forget you love me.”
You smiled at him sweetly. “You’re very sure that I do.”
Mingyu looked ahead of him, his arm tense. When you got back into the pit box, he pressed a kiss to your lips before you parted ways. He walked to the pitwall, where he joined the strategists and team principal, and you stood behind the barrier with your headphones.
The rest of the race was a blur. You stared holes into Mingyu’s back, trying to guess what was going through his head. Secretly, you hoped that he was thinking about you, but those days had long passed. Whenever he thought of you, you knew that it bore resentment. He couldn’t look at you with anything else. Everything in front of the cameras was pretense.
You went back to his motorhome as Mingyu joined his team in celebrating the podium. You didn’t care how long it would take him. Hell, you didn’t care if he wouldn’t return at all. Everywhere Mingyu went, cameras followed and you did enough pretending for one day.
As you curled up on the couch, the door opened. The anger ached in your chest immediately, and you clutched your phone in your hand. You stared out of the window as a weight settled down next to you.
The scent of cedar and citrus coated you in a thick blanket of comfort, no matter how much you didn’t want it to. Fighting only made it easier to lose yourself in it, so you let it. For a while you sat in silence, as if you were both stubbornly waiting for the other to speak. The pressure on your chest made you suffocate.
“I’m going back to the hotel,” Mingyu finally said.
You looked at him blankly.
“You can choose to come with me, or you can stay behind and someone will come pick you up later.”
“But?” You countered.
Mingyu shot you a weak smile. “You know what I’m going to say.”
You looked out of the window again and crossed your arms.
He called your name softly. His hand slid to your thigh, burning up against your skin. When you pushed it away, he swallowed and shot you a small smile. “I get that this is not ideal–”
“Not ideal?” You interrupted, chuckling bitterly. “God, Mingyu, you have a lot of nerve to phrase it like that.”
“Baby–”
“Not ideal is when you accidentally double booked yourself. This,” you pointed your finger between him and you, “all of the pretending and the cameras, this is exhausting and demoralising and I’m losing hope that it will ever be fixed.”
Mingyu’s eyes widened, glimmering. He looked away and lowered his head. “I see,” he croaked. “I’m sorry.”
You got off the couch and grabbed your purse. “We’re going back to the hotel. I can’t do this, not here.”
But back at the hotel, you didn’t circle back to it. You were too tired to argue about it again, knowing that it wouldn’t fix anything. All Mingyu would tell you was that you had to hold out. It was only temporary and would blow over before you knew, but it’d been going on for months. Nothing was addressed and if anything, it was only getting worse.
Although, you doubted that talking about it would fix anything at that point.
You skipped dinner with Mingyu and ordered room service, munching on a fry as you stared into nothingness. The afternoon replayed in your head, nothing special since your little play, but it hadn’t cut a wound like usual, where you were left bleeding for days until you could look Mingyu in the eyes normally.
As your eyes flicked to your plate, your phone rang. Mingyu’s caller ID usually made your heart skip a beat, but all you could do was stare at it blankly. Hearing his voice would flush your chest with warmth, and you would think to yourself how lucky you were with a man like him by your side.
After enduring the past two months, you were hollowed out.
You put the empty plate aside and threw the suitcase on your bed. You snatched the clothes off the chair and folded them. From the bathroom, you grabbed your toiletries and put them back in the bag. Your summer dress was replaced by a shirt and sweatpants and you did your hair the way you usually would.
And before you knew it, you were on the plane back home.
[insert divider here]
You cried yourself to sleep one night, but slept like an angel the next. Some days, Mingyu was on your mind and you couldn’t focus on anything and others he was merely an afterthought. On those weekends, you watched the races from the comfort of your own home.
Sometimes you couldn’t even stomach the thought without bursting into tears.
Mingyu had tried talking to you on multiple occasions, but you told him you needed space. You couldn’t be around him, not like this, and your absence was noticed.
Like always, his words had landed with curated precision. He laughed, telling the camera that you were in a busy period with work. ‘The money doesn’t come from nowhere’, he’d teased.
Your eyes stung with tears as you cursed underneath your breath. You turned the TV off and plopped on the couch, staring into the nothingness.
Every time you saw him, flashing his canines at the camera mischievously, you were reminded of the times you were the one at the receiving end. Mingyu was one of the few people who could genuinely make you laugh. You hated your loud cackles, but Mingyu did everything in his power to pull them out of you.
That was his victory smile, as he came to call it.
You buried your head in your hands and sobbed all of the tears you’d been suppressing until you were a shell. Until there was nothing left for you to give anymore.
When you started dating Mingyu, you knew what you were getting yourself into. You didn’t care because you loved him. He valued your need for privacy and admired your courage to make it public anyway. You never had a knack for hiding; all you wanted was to show the world that you cared about him, that you supported him every step of the way.
Sometimes you wished that someone would actually catch you in the act. At least you could drop it that way.
A knock on the door interrupted the spiral. You dragged yourself towards the door and wiped your cheeks dry before opening the door.
Jeonghan took one look at you before he shot you a small smile. “I had a feeling I would see you like this.”
The tears flowed as if the past twenty minutes hadn’t even happened. You crashed into your best friend’s arms, burying your head in his chest.
He silently embraced you and rested his head on top of yours. “Your mother told me you were hiding out in your apartment,” he muttered. “I had to check on you.”
Deep down, you were glad she did.
Jeonghan sat you back down on the couch and walked to your kitchen. He came back with two cups of tea and took a seat next to you.
“I reached the final straw a couple of weeks ago,” you croaked. “Mingyu had another DNF and for some reason, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I just…” You paused and lowered your head. “I don’t know what happened.”
He observed you in silence, his hands wrapped around the cup. “What’s on your mind?”
Your eyes darted to him.
Jeonghan shot you a small smile in response.
“I guess I feel a little selfish for leaving so suddenly, and maybe I’m also wondering why I didn’t just back off entirely instead.” You rubbed your face with a sigh and threw yourself back in the cushions. Staring at the ceiling, the tears stung behind your eyes. “I could’ve spared myself the trouble, stayed home and taken my time and distance. Instead I was the one suggesting to go down this route.”
You glanced at your best friend. “Please don’t tell me I should stop beating myself up.”
He chuckled. “As if I would.”
You managed a small smile yourself and looked back up at the ceiling.
“I think it’s admirable that you wanted to try.”
Your head shot his way.
Jeonghan shrugged weakly. “You don’t know if it’s going to work, and I can empathise with the fact you held hope that it would, but have you ever talked about it?”
“Plenty of times,” you answered. “It just always ended in a fight and led to nowhere. We would both feel misunderstood by the other. It was the same conversation where we still hoped for a different outcome, but it never came.”
You shrugged. “I think we were way past the point of talking.”
He shuffled closer to you and put his cup down. “Would you like me to give some advice, or would you just like some company? I can tell that this conversation has been replaying in your head since you left.”
You looked at him and reached out, your fingers gently brushing his arm. “Just having you here is enough for now. Maybe when I’m in a better mood, I want some advice.”
Jeonghan slapped his thighs and got up. “Alright, then we’re ordering sushi and I’ll get us my best bottle of wine. It’s been too long since we had a proper night with just the two of us.”
You watched how he marched out of your apartment with a smile on your face, ignoring how your phone lit up. Jeonghan was right; it had been too long since you had a night together.
You grabbed your phone from the coffee table and turned it off. Mingyu would hear from you another time.
Jeonghan had left the subject alone as well, instead updating you on his personal life and the stunts his coworkers were pulling. You tried digging into his romantic endeavours, but he danced around the subject so smoothly, you knew that he was hiding something. Not wanting to pry, you left it alone.
Although, with enough alcohol in his system he would probably confess. You would let the trajectory of the night decide.
You were digesting the sushi, slouched on the couch while Jeonghan was browsing through your watchlist on Netflix. He commented on every sappy movie, pausing when he saw shows you’d watched a thousand times before, until he eventually gave up.
“You watch boring stuff,” he declared and threw the remote on the couch.
“Half of the suggestions aren’t even because of me,” you countered. “Mingyu wants to watch those sappy movies ninety percent of the time. I don’t even know why.”
“Probably because when you cry, he can comfort you.”
You snorted. “It’s rather the other way around. I always end up wiping his tears away.”
Jeonghan frowned. “Is he such a crybaby?”
“When he’s watching the Notebook, yes.”
He bobbed his head and clicked his tongue. “Well, you learn something new every day.”
You hummed and stared at the black screen.
“Do you miss him?”
“Yeah,” you whispered and sniffled. “I miss him so much.”
Jeonghan placed your head on his shoulder and rubbed your shoulder. “Maybe you’re not completely beyond the point of talking,” he said softly. “You just need to be honest with him, and with yourself.”
You closed your eyes and nodded. “Having such a high-demanding job is hard, especially when the public eye is involved and I’m afraid.” Your voice trembled. “I’m so afraid of losing him right now when the whole world is watching…”
“Which is why I admire your choice to keep showing up anyway. I hope Mingyu hasn’t forgotten what that means.”
There was a knock on your door and by the time Jeonghan opened it, you were too exhausted to fight the tears.
[insert divider here]
No race win could make up for what you had left behind the day you flew back home.
The looks Mingyu received every time he walked into the paddock had become more concerning every time, and he wondered if the press started putting two and two together throughout all his chirpy and charming demeanour. It hadn’t reflected in his performance the first two races, but when he crashed the car the next thinking about your fight, heads started to turn.
At night, all he thought about was you. The day you left replayed in his head and he kept searching for every single detail that could’ve helped him prevent you from going. He knew that it wasn’t just that day, or that it was just a small fight.
You had all the reason to leave. In fact, he’d braced himself for the day you would go, but it didn’t lessen the blow. He cried himself to sleep and the moment he landed into the new race week, he locked himself in his hotel. He only came out when he needed to and through all of it, he was expected to smile, to tell everyone how well he was going to do that weekend.
He was going to have to talk about you.
Press had made teasing remarks about your absence, slicing his heart in such an ignorant way that it made his skin prickle. He remembered laughing, telling them that the money didn’t come from nowhere and he moved on from the conversation just like that.
Mingyu met up with his strategists to discuss the race. The expected rain could be his saving grace if he knew how to utilise it, but expected was all it was. If it was just a normal race, he had to revert to medium and hard tyres to hold out. The softs under his car wouldn’t last even a lap, not on this track.
His teammate, Jun, was prioritised when it came to maximising the amount of points they could get that weekend. The prediction – for the first time since the finale of the previous season – was a double podium. For Jun, that meant a race win.
Mingyu’s job was to make sure to stay close behind his favoured teammate, holding up opponents so the gap between them became impossible to close. There hadn’t been a race win in the cards for him, and the championship that he promised to deliver started slipping out of his hands as well.
Jun had sat with him during lunch, but stayed uncharacteristically silent.
In between bites, it got on Mingyu’s nerves. “You can just speak your mind, you know,” he said tightly. “I’m well aware that I haven’t been delivering on my promises so just say what you want to say. No hard feelings from my side.”
“I was going to ask if you were okay.”
The force he felt in his gut was more than deserved.
Mingyu managed a soft ‘Oh’.
“I know this world is hard and we’re being measured by everything we do and say, but I hope you feel comfortable enough around me to share what’s been going on.” Jun offered him a smile. “We may be rivals on track, but I consider you a friend.”
He inhaled softly. “I’ll manage, but thank you anyway.”
Jun nodded and turned back to his food. “You’ll get there, I’m sure of it. One down period shouldn’t define the rest of your trajectory.”
Mingyu still debated whether he meant his career or his personal life, the words echoing in the back of his mind throughout the day.
The weekend flew by and he even managed to cling onto third place, but he didn’t stay to celebrate the double podium. In the hotel room, it all came crashing down on him again and somewhere between hours of crying and trying to call you, he’d fallen asleep.
Jun had texted him, but he ignored it and packed his suitcase.
Mingyu was happy he could go home. He missed the comfort of his own bed, of waking up in a pitch black room instead of flowy curtains dancing in the wind, forcing him awake at the slightest bit of light.
He pushed his suitcase aside and plopped on the couch, staring into the nothingness that was his home. The silence had a way of sending shivers down his spine while comforting him all the same. He wanted to cry, even though there was nothing left to give, and he wanted to throw everything in his sight and scream.
When you were around, at least the place felt a bit like home. Having moved from South Korea to the other side of the world, he’d always been out of place. Nothing seemed to settle him down, until you came along.
You made everything easy, bearable even. You showed him the balance between settling in his new hometown and honoring where he came from. When he talked about his career, you’d asked him questions that no one had ever thought of before, as if you desired to dig a layer deeper.
And you succeeded. Since the day you went out for Korean barbecue together, you’d stayed around.
Mingyu had never loved someone like you, let alone someone in the way he loved you. You were his voice of reason, his moment of chaos when he needed it. You were stability, spontaneity and structure all combined into one, an endless balance that you were keeping like it was breathing. You settled into his hectic and fast-paced lifestyle much easier than he expected you to.
He started loving you even deeper.
Coming home became something he looked forward to. His apartment was bright and lively, no matter if you were there to greet him or not. He could faintly trace your jasmine and coconut perfume, the warmth starting in his stomach before spreading through his whole body.
All he smelled now was lavender. The cleaning service had been in not too long ago, but his apartment was hollow. It rather felt like he was sitting in the home of someone else.
Mingyu’s entire world had fallen apart.
He checked his phone. Maybe you’d called him back, even if it was to tell him off. Your phone went straight to voicemail and where he usually hung up, he stuck around.
He just needed to hear your voice.
“Hi, baby,” he said softly. “I just… I want to talk to you. About all of this. I know that you want space, but it’s killing me to sit here without knowing what’s going to happen.”
The tears stung behind his eyes, the pressure in his chest unbearable. “All I want to know is if this is the end or not, okay? I don’t want to get my hopes up for nothing.”
He sniffled and whispered a soft goodbye before he threw the phone down next to him.
When his coach came over to prepare his meals with him, he just stared into the abyss. Whether he willfully ignored it or he genuinely didn’t notice, Mingyu couldn’t bring himself to care. All he wanted was you to call him back so he could start letting you go.
Because if you wanted it to be over, he had no choice but to accept it.
After one bite, Mingyu curled himself up on the couch. He closed his eyes, but all he saw was you. Screaming at him, embracing him, crying, running your hands through his hair, kissing him, screaming again.
Nothing he did relieved him of his fear becoming reality.
He glanced at his phone, but you hadn’t called him back. Mingyu was going to have to take matters into his own hands and it would either be the best decision he would ever make, or you would hate him forever.
He slid into his shoes, grabbed his phone and keys and got into his car. It was a small drive to the town over, but every second passing felt like you were slipping away from him further. His knuckles were white by the time he reached your block, his heart about to race itself to death.
It was all or nothing.
Mingyu got out of the car and walked up to the stairs. He looked up and started walking, all three sets until he reached your level. Right at the end of the gallery was your apartment, the crate with empty beer bottles stacked next to your front door.
With every step he took, his legs became heavier.
What was he doing? You clearly told him you needed space and he breached that trust by barging into your block unannounced. You would never forgive him for it, now that he was willing to cross every boundary you were going to set with him in the future.
But it’d been over a month since you left the hotel without a word. He wanted to know how you felt, and at some point the line between protecting your peace and avoiding the confrontation started to blur. Mingyu was going to have to barge through it himself.
He knocked on the door and stepped back, rubbing his fingers together. When the door opened, he tilted his head.
“Hey,” Jeonghan greeted him and looked back.
Mingyu looked past your best friend at you. He swallowed when your eyes glimmered. “Sorry for coming over so suddenly, but I couldn’t take it anymore.”
You nodded and wiped your cheeks. “Come in.”
He stepped in and nodded at Jeonghan. “Thank you.”
“Yeah, no problem.”
Mingyu lingered near the door and cleared his throat. “I–”
You embraced him tightly.
He wrapped his arms around you and nuzzled his face in your hair.
“We can talk in a second,” you sniffled. “I need a hug first.”
Mingyu squeezed his eyes shut, but a tear rolled down his cheek. “Me too, baby,” he whispered. He held you close, taking you in like it was the last time he would ever see you again.
He’d convinced himself it was until you ran into his arms.
Jeonghan smiled at you when you pulled back. “Call me if you need me, yeah?”
You nodded and wiped your tears away.
He looked at Mingyu and nodded, to which he returned the favour.
Mingyu turned to you and wiped your cheek with his thumb. “The situation’s been shitty, for both of us but mostly for you.”
“I wished it would’ve worked out how we hoped it would.” You smiled through your tears. “I didn’t want to stand in the way of your career.”
He grabbed both of your hands and squeezed them. “I know that I’m not always the best at juggling my personal life and my work, but you are never in the way.”
“If this would be the outcome, I never would’ve done it,” you said with a sniffle. “It was the easy way out instead of addressing the elephant in the room.”
Mingyu lowered his eyes and nodded. “Yeah.”
You led him to the couch leaned forward. “How are you truly doing, Mingyu?”
“I was on such a high after last season,” he started and smiled. “I came in third in the championship, and there was such hope that this year could be even better. I won a ton of races after all.”
You listened intently, your eyes scanning every detail of his face and your brows pushed together.
“When I walked into the factory to see the car and to test it, my hopes were completely gone and the season hadn’t even started yet.” Mingyu sighed deeply. “And how could I tell anyway? It was only February, a month and a half before the first face.”
“Were you scared to admit it?”
He nodded. “I started acting out because I was terrified that I would fail, and look where that has brought me. I fulfilled my own destiny.”
You nodded and leaned on your thighs. “And what could I have done differently to give you the space to be open about that?”
Mingyu opened his mouth, but he closed it again. “Baby, this is not your responsibility. I should’ve been honest.”
“But you weren’t, so I’ll ask again.” You looked right at him. “What could I have done differently so you would’ve felt comfortable?”
He lowered his eyes.
“Mingyu,” you grabbed his hand, “you need to be honest with me if we want to work through this.”
“You have a tendency to want to solve everything,” he heard himself say. At your lack of reaction, he looked up.
Your head was tilted, your eyes narrowed. After a silence, you clicked your tongue.
“I mean, you kind of proved me right already.”
Mingyu managed a small smile. “I admire your ability to think about solutions, but what I need sometimes is an ear, not a brain. And maybe, when you suggested that we would pretend nothing was happening, that was not what was best for us even though it was the logical solution so the press wouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
You nodded. “I agree with you.”
He shuffled closer and rubbed your thigh. “You need to allow yourself to take a breather more. What you did, taking your distance – even though it was suddenly – was a good thing.”
“It didn’t feel that way,” you muttered with a sigh. “I hated to leave you hanging like that, and I guess in hindsight that I was also kind of running from it. In case you hated me or something.”
“You and me both.” Mingyu caressed your cheek with a smile. “We should stop pretending, but I hope the act can be dropped completely. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
You wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your head in the crook of his neck. “You’ll talk, and I’ll listen, or am I too early to propose a solution?”
Mingyu laughed and pressed a kiss to your temple. “Sounds like a perfect idea.”
You fell asleep in his arms that night and Mingyu’s world was slowly built back up. His career might’ve not been what it needed to be, but he had you and that was all that mattered.
[insert divider here]
The press described it as the most anticipated return of the season, you would tell them that it had been coming all along.
Mingyu’s first win of the season came right before the summer break, when an unexpected crash between the front row gave way to the lead. Jun was right behind him, grinding the rest of the field to a halt so they could secure their 1-2 podium finish.
An entirely different person came out of the summer break, with you by his side. You fell in love with Mingyu all over again.
You’d joined for the last race of the season, tucked away in the paddock as you watched the screen. Mingyu was in second place and if he stayed there, he could round up the top three for the season. Jun had already been declared world champion, but he was leading the race anyway.
With the cord entangled in your hand, your fingers were crossed as Mingyu was told to come in for a last pitstop. He had a gap big enough to keep the position, but the pitstop had to go right.
As the car pulled up in the lane, the pit box pulsed. Your heart hammered in your chest as you watched the mechanics in their rehearsed rhythm, as if it was their second nature. All four tyres at once, switching from hard to mediums.
Within the blink of an eye, Mingyu took off.
You watched the screen, just when Mingyu entered the race track. His opponent was nowhere in sight.
As the pit box cheered, you released a soft breath of relief. All Mingyu had to do was hold out and he would come in third again.
When the last lap rang in, the team was already guiding you through the crowd. They put you right at the front of the barrier, next to his strategist. You were nearly pushed against the barrier, the team buzzing with excitement as their drivers were nearing the finish line. Some of the mechanics were climbing in the fences to cheer at them, even though that wasn’t allowed anymore.
The team did not seem to care.
The car with number 17 disappeared on the horizon and your heart skipped a beat. It stopped in front of the big banner with second place on it and Mingyu didn’t know how fast he had to get out.
The warmth spread through your chest when he stood on the hood of his car, pumping his fists in the air while the crowd roared. He jumped off and rushed into the arms of his mechanics, who nearly dragged him over the barrier.
“Crazy, those guys,” his strategist said to you, to which you chuckled.
Mingyu took his helmet off and turned your way, his lips twisting into a smile. He pressed your foreheads together, his chest rising and falling heavily.
“I think a night out is in order,” you whispered with a smile.
“We’ll think about that later.” He pressed your lips together in a kiss so eagerly that your knees buckled. You held onto his suit for stability and smiled against his lips.
Mingyu caressed your cheek and smiled. “I couldn’t have done it without you, baby. Thank you for everything.”
“Everything for you.” You turned him around gently. “Now, go celebrate that podium and suck in all the love and praise. I’ll be downstairs waiting for you.”
He walked away and looked over his shoulder.
“Don’t forget you love me, though.”
He smiled and disappeared inside. The rest of the day became a blur as the alcohol passed around the team, but you didn’t care. All that mattered to you was that you and Mingyu were happy again.
Welcome to K-Vanity: @gam3bo17 @seungkw1 @orbitondgtl
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summary: After a fight with your boyfriend, you visit the flower shop that he’s a regular at, although you’re not entirely sure what your purpose is. Coincidentally, the flower shop becomes the very reason you can save your relationship from falling apart
wc: 3,937
tags: non-idol au, first blooms collab, tension, first fight, first reconciliation, it’s very tense, angst with a happy ending, fluff at the ending, light pda
a/n: so excited to be sharing my fic for the first blooms collab by @svthub! make sure to check the other fics as well, you're going to have a blast <3
You had no idea what you were going to get yourself into.
Tucked away underneath an umbrella, you stared at the sign on the shop window. Minghao was always the one decorating your place with flowers, always knowing exactly what would fit the season, the scenery, even your mood.
Now you had to do it yourself because your flowers were dying in your windowsill. Minghao wouldn’t be around to save them anytime soon. You never had much with flowers, but he loved it so you let him go crazy.
And honestly? Everything he put in there was gorgeous.
The thought tightened your chest. You nearly turned around and went home crying, but you pushed through the doors anyway.
You closed your umbrella and left it in the holder with the others. The smell of fresh flowers was all around you, and you recognised the daisies that were on your right. Observing them closely, tears welled in your eyes.
A stupid argument had completely escalated. An argument that you had a thousand times before, that led to nowhere, had made everything worse. When you thought about the way you started screaming at each other, the air punched out of your lungs. You’d never seen Minghao angry before – irritated at best – but you had ticked him off so badly that the vein in his neck visibly pulsed. The entire apartment complex could hear him, even though he switched to Chinese every few sentences.
Since that night, you hadn’t seen or spoken to him anymore. That was now two weeks ago and you were in a flower shop, looking as lost as you were. You were still not sure whether you were truly there to replace your dying flowers or if you didn’t know where else to go.
Strolling past the displays, you stopped in front of a bouquet of roses.
Minghao had often talked about them. Especially the pink and white flowers had always appealed to him and you’d never been able to pinpoint why. Just like many of his preferences, the mystery had left you wanting to know more. When you asked, you expected a very specific answer, something direct and tangible.
More often than not, he told you that some things didn’t need an explanation. It was a feeling you had and it left you with more questions than answers. You wanted things figured out, while Minghao was someone who could wait and see how things would go. ‘Go with the flow’, as he would’ve told you.
His flow didn’t exactly bring him back to you yet.
You headed into the back of the shop. Lavender, something you absolutely hated no matter how many times Minghao tried to introduce it to you. The smell was overbearing and overwhelming.
You turned back around, bumping right into a guy, guessing him to be around your age. Muttering a quick apology, you stepped out of the way, but he chuckled.
“I was actually here to help you,” he said and crossed his arms behind his back. “First time here?”
“Do I look that obviously out of place?”
He flashed a smile.
You clicked your tongue. “Alright. Loud and clear.”
The guy chuckled and started walking. “The actual reason is that I haven’t seen you around here. I would recognise you if you were a regular.”
“Ah.” You trailed after him. “My… um, my boyfriend comes here often. If anyone’s the regular, it’s him.”
He looked back at you and narrowed his eyes, scanning you up and down. “Your boyfriend…”
“I think.”
Mentally you were already strangling yourself for letting it slip out, but he ignored it to your surprise. You breathed out softly and stopped when he did.
“Is he broad and muscular?”
You couldn’t help but snort before composing yourself. You shook your head. “Sorry. No, he’s not.”
“Guessing by that reaction, he’s the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t describe him as ‘broad’, no.”
An amused smile decorated the man’s face. “Longer blond hair?”
Your stomach tingled. “As of recently, yes.”
“Oh, Minghao,” he cooed and clasped his hands together. “He would be laughing in my face if I told him that you were here.”
You tilted your head with a frown.
The man took you to the front of the shop, where you were admiring the daisies earlier. He grabbed a couple of white ones out of the bucket and turned around. “Minghao always comes here to pick out flowers for your house then, I assume, and he talks about you on many occasions.”
He walked to a couple of other buckets and picked some pink flowers. “I vividly remember him telling me that you would never be found here. Look at you now!”
You blinked a couple of times. It was the first time you ever saw him, but he was spewing information like he knew you better than you knew yourself, talking like he was catching up with an old friend.
With a weak nod, you looked at the flowers in his hand. “Minghao was completely right in saying that.”
“What brings you here?”
You looked at him, opening your mouth to say something before closing it. Shrugging, you shot him a small smile. “I don’t know, to be honest. It just felt right coming here.”
He returned the smile warmly before handing you the bouquet. “You made the right choice, then.”
The bouquet had been sitting in a vase in your kitchen for days. You’d been pondering over what to say to Minghao and how you were going to approach him in the first place. It was almost three weeks ago since your last contact and you were reaching your final straw.
When you called him, you got voicemail. Expecting him to call back, you left him be until a call would never come. Slowly, the empty feeling in your chest started filling up with a burning sensation, until you had enough.
You stood in front of his door with a hammering heart. The lock clicked and he peeked his head around the corner.
Minghao seemed surprised to see you as he opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you shrugged, pretending to think, “maybe trying to get back in touch with you so we can get this over with.”
He leaned against the door. “Okay, what do you have to say?”
“Why don’t you pick up when I try to call you?”
“Because I have a right to decline.”
Your eyes clouded over, piercing right through him.
Minghao shrugged, your name rolling off his lips so calmly, you got shivers. “You’re not even sure what you’re going to say.”
You crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrow. “I am.”
He repeated your gesture and straightened his posture. You hated that through all the anger, he still managed to make your heart skip a beat. His eyes still held a softness for you, and you know he was more than open to hear you out.
You were the one visiting him, after all.
“Well,” you started and cleared your throat, “I think it’s unfair of you to assume that I don’t know what to say.”
“Can you prove me wrong, though?” Minghao asked. “Whenever we’re arguing, you say the same thing in five different ways. And frankly, we never get it solved.”
Before you had a defence at the ready, he cut you off.
“I’m not going to do it, not like this.” Minghao offered you a small smile. “Figure out what you want first.”
“Minghao–”
He shut the door.
You stared at it, head spinning. You were angry, upset, hurt, disappointed and unable to ride out one. You wanted to pounce at the door and scream at him, but you wanted to cry in his arms all the same.
Instead you ended up back home.
The bouquet had withered by the time you decided to do something else than go to work, the rose petals that were still clinging on a faint brown. The rest of them were on the kitchen table drying up.
You shoved your hands into your pockets and walked the block, taking a left and walking straight into the city. You didn’t have a destination in mind, you just needed to catch some fresh air.
After a good month since your fight with Minghao, the flow hadn’t brought him back to you still. On the contrary, even. You had a feeling he drifted away from you if you didn’t do something soon.
In all your anger and confusion, you’d stood on his doorstep the night before. Once again, Minghao had opened the door and you even made it into his apartment. The conversation seemed to go well and you were making progress.
Until it was your turn to talk. The conversation had escalated once again and you left with the anger burning your chest to ashes. Everything that he’d said had fallen on deaf ears and you started to realise that the problem wasn’t with Minghao.
You pushed through the doors. The daisies on your right side were the first thing you smelled, a warmth wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. Since your last visit, not much had changed in their display. Some colours had been replaced or switched around to make it more appealing, but that was the biggest change you could find.
Bowing over the daisies, you inhaled.
“Look at that.”
You shot up and looked right in those mischievous eyes.
“Are you becoming a regular?” The same guy asked, arms crossed behind his back. His lips twisted into a grin. “Welcome back. I guess that you’re still a little clueless?”
“Yep.” You looked around before your eyes landed on him. “The last bouquet kind of died and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.”
“I expected nothing less.” He beckoned you and started walking. “You’re around more than Minghao and that says a lot. Is something going on?”
You shrugged and crossed your arms over your body. “We’re kind of on a rough patch right now.”
He hummed and stopped by the counter, leaning on it as he watched his coworker helping someone else. “I think it’s very ironic that you find yourself here of all places.”
You looked at him with a tilted head.
“You’re not someone that cares much for flowers,” the guy started. “You’re okay with Minghao decorating your house with it because he loves it, but that’s all. And now you’re in a rough patch and where are you right now? A place that he loves more than you do.”
You hummed and looked away.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not here without a reason, you just need to know how to return the gesture to him.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a public speaker?”
The guy laughed. “Next to being a florist, I also offer free therapy sessions. Part of the job.” His chuckles eased into a smile. “You have no idea the things I’ve seen since working here. Flowers play a bigger role in people’s lives than you might assume.”
“I get why you and Minghao get along so well,” you remarked. “It’s like hearing him speak as we’re talking right now.”
“Like attracts like.” He winked and patted the counter. “I need to look over deliveries. Take a look around and call for me if you need me.”
You nodded and watched how he slid behind the counter and disappeared in the back. Walking back to the daisies, you kneeled down. They had all kinds of colours, blending into each other so seamlessly it made you smile.
The purple ones had been in your house before. You remembered getting a promotion at work, and telling Minghao was the most exciting part of the day. That same night, you had a small bouquet, which included the purple daisies.
You’d always assumed they were purple because it was your favourite colour, but it was the only time you’d seen them. Faded to the back of your mind, passing it off as something insignificant.
As if it had never mattered at all.
With a soft sigh, you came back up. You dusted your pants off and straightened your jacket. As you turned around, you bumped into someone.
“Did I look lost again?” You remarked with a chuckle. When you looked up, Minghao was staring right back at you.
You froze.
His eyes scanned you carefully, and you couldn’t help but drown in them.
“You do look kind of lost,” he finally said. “I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw you here.”
You shrugged weakly and crossed your arms over your body.
Minghao nodded at the buckets. “What were you looking at?”
Your eyes darted to the purple daisies.
“Ah,” he hummed and bowed down, picking one from the bucket. He observed it before giving it to you.
You took it carefully and held it to your chest.
“I know purple is your favourite colour.” He nodded his head at the flower. “That’s not what that daisy is about.”
You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”
Minghao placed a hand on the small of your back and guided you further into the shop. The touch was electric, lighting a flame that you thought had long died out. “Purple daisies resemble success, and admiration. When I put them in your living room, I was celebrating your promotion.”
He picked a pink flower. “Pink lilies bear the same meaning, and they were also in that same bouquet. Admiration and gratitude.”
You took the lily from him. “What flowers say ‘I’m sorry for everything, please forgive me?’”
Minghao stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder.
You took a small step towards him. “I really am sorry, Hao. I don’t want you to feel undervalued, or misunderstood, and I hate myself for not realising earlier that that’s what this is all about.”
He turned around in full.
“You know,” you looked up at him with a small smile, “if I would’ve engaged earlier, be more open-minded like you’d tell me,” you nudged Minghao, making him chuckle. “I would’ve realised much sooner that it’s one of the most touching gestures someone has ever made for me. So that’s what I’ll try to do from now on.”
He smiled at you.
You caressed his cheek. “And hearing you spew these facts out like it’s breathing, it warms my heart, and it actually makes me excited to hear more.”
“I’m sorry too, my love,” Minghao muttered and leaned into your touch. “I’m very quick to jump to conclusions sometimes and it’s unfair to you especially since you need a little longer to gather your thoughts. I should’ve given you proper time and space to do so, instead of pushing the blame all on you.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest. “We’ll work on this just fine, my love. I’m very sure of it.”
Minghao pressed a long kiss into your hair. “I love you so much, darling. So so much.”
You looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
He kissed you so eagerly that the heat pooled in your stomach. His hands gripped your waist, nails dipping into your sides like you would disappear again. When you pulled him in closer, he chuckled against your lips.
You pouted when he pulled back.
“I came here to pick up my order,” he muttered. “I need to get back to work.”
“See you tonight?” You offered, to which he smiled.
“You have a key.”
You pressed one last kiss to his lips and watched him walking to the counter. He was talking to the same guy that had taken you under his wing.
As Minghao slipped past, he squeezed your waist. “Seungkwan wants to talk to you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. He rushed out of the door and disappeared around the corner.
You looked over at Seungkwan, who waved at you. With a chuckle, you walked over to him. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Let’s make you a bouquet for Minghao,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you all I need to know.”
When you walked out of the shop with the bouquet, you were light as a feather. Your stomach tingled whenever you thought of how Minghao’s eyes would light up, how he would kiss you passionately that you melted in his arms. Since your fight, you hadn’t felt so excited to see him again.
You knew that he wouldn’t get off work for another hour and set out to his house. The bouquet rested in your hand as you twisted the lock, slipping in before any of his neighbours would see you.
As you looked around, there wasn’t a flower in sight.
The empty vases were lined up on the counter on a towel. They looked dried up and you had no trouble believing they’d been there for a couple of days. Purposeless.
You grabbed the vase that Minghao painted himself, tracing the dried streaks with a smile. You filled it with water and put it in, setting the vase on the saloon table in the living room. ‘A center piece’, Minghao had often told you. You hoped that this would meet his requirements.
Minghao had texted you about dinner, opting that he would get something on his way home. You agreed with a smile.
When you heard the lock clicking not much later, your heart jumped.
You rubbed your hands together and balanced from the front to the heel of your feet.
Minghao pushed the door back into its lock with his hip, the crackling of a plastic bag following him around. When he walked into the living room, he yelped.
Covering your mouth, you suppressed a giggle. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you already doing here?” His eyes darted to the bouquet on the table and his lips twisted into a smile. “That wasn’t there before.”
“Happened to come with me,” you watched him set the bag down and observe it. “Seungkwan helped me. It’s not how the professionals do it, but–”
“It’s perfect.” Minghao looked back at you and opened his arms. “Come here, you.”
You walked right into his arms, inhaling his citrus, amber scent. You closed your eyes with a hum. “I missed you a lot, Hao.”
“I you too, my love.” He ran a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss to it. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
You peeked inside the bag curiously and smiled brightly. You grabbed the servings and sat down on the ground. “You know, why Seungkwan works in a flower shop is beyond me,” you said and opened the container.
Minghao chuckled. “He’s a talker, hm?”
“He is.” You put the other one in front of your boyfriend and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. “A good one at that, though. Very convincing.”
“He’s helped me since the first time I set foot in that place,” he started and stirred his soup. “I just moved to the city and I wanted a good bouquet for my living room.”
“The center piece,” you said in unison.
Minghao looked at you with a smile before he continued. “He knows everything there is to know and I really formed some kind of friendship with him.”
“He’s a nice guy.” The broth you sipped from was an explosion of flavours, making you groan. “God, I missed this.”
“I thought I’d treat you.”
With a smile, you spent the rest of the dinner catching up with Minghao; work, your parents, your friends. For the first time it wasn’t silent, as if your relationship had completely reinvented itself.
As Minghao was at the counter cutting the branches of the flowers, you stood behind him, your arms wrapped around him. Your head rested against his back, your eyes closed. “If you cut them at an angle, they’re able to absorb more water,” he told you. “Your beautiful bouquet will stay alive for a very long time.”
You smiled. “I worked very hard on it.” You peeked up at him. “Can I tell you about the flowers?”
His smile grew. “I would love to hear it.”
“I picked the blue orchids first,” you said and looked out of the window. “I had never seen it before, but it’s a way to express that you think of someone as beautiful in a unique way. And Seungkwan told me it’s spiritual so naturally, I had to pick it.”
“Flattered.”
You grinned at him. “You should be.”
“And then you chose red lilies,” Minghao continued, followed by a sheer cut.
“I know it looks a little odd next to the orchid, but they’re a symbol of love. I thought a red rose was too standard, so Seungkwan showed me these.”
Minghao looked back at you. “You really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
“And I’m not even finished,” you said with a small smile, the heat flushing your cheeks. “I did pick white and pink roses because they made me think of you.”
He smiled and put the bouquet back into the vase as you let go of him. “Pink is joy and appreciation.”
“And white symbolises a fresh start,” you added. You pointed at the daffodils on the side. “Just like those, moving away and transforming.”
“And pink camellias because you missed me.” Minghao bumped your hip. “Sappy.”
You chuckled and bumped him back.
He draped an arm around your shoulder and locked you into his side. “Thank you. Truly.”
You stood on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”
You finally regretted speaking that into existence when you found yourself in the flower shop again a couple of weeks later. Your eyes darted around before you looked back at Minghao. “Seriously?”
“You claim to know so much about this now,” he answered with a shrug. “I would love to see you make a bouquet for your own apartment.”
Shooting him a sweet smile, you traced his arm. “But aren’t you sad that you can’t do it for me anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Was worth a try.” You looked around again and your eyes landed on Seungkwan. When he looked back at you, his eyes lit up.
He came over hurriedly. “You finally got her here!”
You arched an eyebrow and turned to Minghao.
“We’re here for some pieces for her apartment,” he said and placed a hand on the small of your back. “She’s going to pick them out herself, as she’s claiming to have the hang of it.”
Seungkwan bobbed his head, his upper lip curved upwards like he was impressed. He remained where we stood and smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“Something for my kitchen,” you answered and frowned. “Why does this feel like a test?”
Behind you, Minghao chuckled. He pushed you forward gently and followed you to the daisies. “I told you she would go there first.”
Seungkwan chuckled and joined you at the front of the shop. Instead of walking after him, you navigated the shop like it was your second home. With a bright smile, you walked out of the shop with the bouquet and your boyfriend back by your side.
A place that you never thought you would ever step foot in had become like a second home in an oddly beautiful way. After your fight with Minghao, that very shop had brought you back to each other like no flow could. And this time, you wouldn’t drift away from each other anymore.
summary: After a fight with your boyfriend, you visit the flower shop that he’s a regular at, although you’re not entirely sure what your purpose is. Coincidentally, the flower shop becomes the very reason you can save your relationship from falling apart
wc: 3,937
tags: non-idol au, first blooms collab, tension, first fight, first reconciliation, it’s very tense, angst with a happy ending, fluff at the ending, light pda
a/n: so excited to be sharing my fic for the first blooms collab by @svthub! make sure to check the other fics as well, you're going to have a blast <3
You had no idea what you were going to get yourself into.
Tucked away underneath an umbrella, you stared at the sign on the shop window. Minghao was always the one decorating your place with flowers, always knowing exactly what would fit the season, the scenery, even your mood.
Now you had to do it yourself because your flowers were dying in your windowsill. Minghao wouldn’t be around to save them anytime soon. You never had much with flowers, but he loved it so you let him go crazy.
And honestly? Everything he put in there was gorgeous.
The thought tightened your chest. You nearly turned around and went home crying, but you pushed through the doors anyway.
You closed your umbrella and left it in the holder with the others. The smell of fresh flowers was all around you, and you recognised the daisies that were on your right. Observing them closely, tears welled in your eyes.
A stupid argument had completely escalated. An argument that you had a thousand times before, that led to nowhere, had made everything worse. When you thought about the way you started screaming at each other, the air punched out of your lungs. You’d never seen Minghao angry before – irritated at best – but you had ticked him off so badly that the vein in his neck visibly pulsed. The entire apartment complex could hear him, even though he switched to Chinese every few sentences.
Since that night, you hadn’t seen or spoken to him anymore. That was now two weeks ago and you were in a flower shop, looking as lost as you were. You were still not sure whether you were truly there to replace your dying flowers or if you didn’t know where else to go.
Strolling past the displays, you stopped in front of a bouquet of roses.
Minghao had often talked about them. Especially the pink and white flowers had always appealed to him and you’d never been able to pinpoint why. Just like many of his preferences, the mystery had left you wanting to know more. When you asked, you expected a very specific answer, something direct and tangible.
More often than not, he told you that some things didn’t need an explanation. It was a feeling you had and it left you with more questions than answers. You wanted things figured out, while Minghao was someone who could wait and see how things would go. ‘Go with the flow’, as he would’ve told you.
His flow didn’t exactly bring him back to you yet.
You headed into the back of the shop. Lavender, something you absolutely hated no matter how many times Minghao tried to introduce it to you. The smell was overbearing and overwhelming.
You turned back around, bumping right into a guy, guessing him to be around your age. Muttering a quick apology, you stepped out of the way, but he chuckled.
“I was actually here to help you,” he said and crossed his arms behind his back. “First time here?”
“Do I look that obviously out of place?”
He flashed a smile.
You clicked your tongue. “Alright. Loud and clear.”
The guy chuckled and started walking. “The actual reason is that I haven’t seen you around here. I would recognise you if you were a regular.”
“Ah.” You trailed after him. “My… um, my boyfriend comes here often. If anyone’s the regular, it’s him.”
He looked back at you and narrowed his eyes, scanning you up and down. “Your boyfriend…”
“I think.”
Mentally you were already strangling yourself for letting it slip out, but he ignored it to your surprise. You breathed out softly and stopped when he did.
“Is he broad and muscular?”
You couldn’t help but snort before composing yourself. You shook your head. “Sorry. No, he’s not.”
“Guessing by that reaction, he’s the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t describe him as ‘broad’, no.”
An amused smile decorated the man’s face. “Longer blond hair?”
Your stomach tingled. “As of recently, yes.”
“Oh, Minghao,” he cooed and clasped his hands together. “He would be laughing in my face if I told him that you were here.”
You tilted your head with a frown.
The man took you to the front of the shop, where you were admiring the daisies earlier. He grabbed a couple of white ones out of the bucket and turned around. “Minghao always comes here to pick out flowers for your house then, I assume, and he talks about you on many occasions.”
He walked to a couple of other buckets and picked some pink flowers. “I vividly remember him telling me that you would never be found here. Look at you now!”
You blinked a couple of times. It was the first time you ever saw him, but he was spewing information like he knew you better than you knew yourself, talking like he was catching up with an old friend.
With a weak nod, you looked at the flowers in his hand. “Minghao was completely right in saying that.”
“What brings you here?”
You looked at him, opening your mouth to say something before closing it. Shrugging, you shot him a small smile. “I don’t know, to be honest. It just felt right coming here.”
He returned the smile warmly before handing you the bouquet. “You made the right choice, then.”
The bouquet had been sitting in a vase in your kitchen for days. You’d been pondering over what to say to Minghao and how you were going to approach him in the first place. It was almost three weeks ago since your last contact and you were reaching your final straw.
When you called him, you got voicemail. Expecting him to call back, you left him be until a call would never come. Slowly, the empty feeling in your chest started filling up with a burning sensation, until you had enough.
You stood in front of his door with a hammering heart. The lock clicked and he peeked his head around the corner.
Minghao seemed surprised to see you as he opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you shrugged, pretending to think, “maybe trying to get back in touch with you so we can get this over with.”
He leaned against the door. “Okay, what do you have to say?”
“Why don’t you pick up when I try to call you?”
“Because I have a right to decline.”
Your eyes clouded over, piercing right through him.
Minghao shrugged, your name rolling off his lips so calmly, you got shivers. “You’re not even sure what you’re going to say.”
You crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrow. “I am.”
He repeated your gesture and straightened his posture. You hated that through all the anger, he still managed to make your heart skip a beat. His eyes still held a softness for you, and you know he was more than open to hear you out.
You were the one visiting him, after all.
“Well,” you started and cleared your throat, “I think it’s unfair of you to assume that I don’t know what to say.”
“Can you prove me wrong, though?” Minghao asked. “Whenever we’re arguing, you say the same thing in five different ways. And frankly, we never get it solved.”
Before you had a defence at the ready, he cut you off.
“I’m not going to do it, not like this.” Minghao offered you a small smile. “Figure out what you want first.”
“Minghao–”
He shut the door.
You stared at it, head spinning. You were angry, upset, hurt, disappointed and unable to ride out one. You wanted to pounce at the door and scream at him, but you wanted to cry in his arms all the same.
Instead you ended up back home.
The bouquet had withered by the time you decided to do something else than go to work, the rose petals that were still clinging on a faint brown. The rest of them were on the kitchen table drying up.
You shoved your hands into your pockets and walked the block, taking a left and walking straight into the city. You didn’t have a destination in mind, you just needed to catch some fresh air.
After a good month since your fight with Minghao, the flow hadn’t brought him back to you still. On the contrary, even. You had a feeling he drifted away from you if you didn’t do something soon.
In all your anger and confusion, you’d stood on his doorstep the night before. Once again, Minghao had opened the door and you even made it into his apartment. The conversation seemed to go well and you were making progress.
Until it was your turn to talk. The conversation had escalated once again and you left with the anger burning your chest to ashes. Everything that he’d said had fallen on deaf ears and you started to realise that the problem wasn’t with Minghao.
You pushed through the doors. The daisies on your right side were the first thing you smelled, a warmth wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. Since your last visit, not much had changed in their display. Some colours had been replaced or switched around to make it more appealing, but that was the biggest change you could find.
Bowing over the daisies, you inhaled.
“Look at that.”
You shot up and looked right in those mischievous eyes.
“Are you becoming a regular?” The same guy asked, arms crossed behind his back. His lips twisted into a grin. “Welcome back. I guess that you’re still a little clueless?”
“Yep.” You looked around before your eyes landed on him. “The last bouquet kind of died and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.”
“I expected nothing less.” He beckoned you and started walking. “You’re around more than Minghao and that says a lot. Is something going on?”
You shrugged and crossed your arms over your body. “We’re kind of on a rough patch right now.”
He hummed and stopped by the counter, leaning on it as he watched his coworker helping someone else. “I think it’s very ironic that you find yourself here of all places.”
You looked at him with a tilted head.
“You’re not someone that cares much for flowers,” the guy started. “You’re okay with Minghao decorating your house with it because he loves it, but that’s all. And now you’re in a rough patch and where are you right now? A place that he loves more than you do.”
You hummed and looked away.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not here without a reason, you just need to know how to return the gesture to him.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a public speaker?”
The guy laughed. “Next to being a florist, I also offer free therapy sessions. Part of the job.” His chuckles eased into a smile. “You have no idea the things I’ve seen since working here. Flowers play a bigger role in people’s lives than you might assume.”
“I get why you and Minghao get along so well,” you remarked. “It’s like hearing him speak as we’re talking right now.”
“Like attracts like.” He winked and patted the counter. “I need to look over deliveries. Take a look around and call for me if you need me.”
You nodded and watched how he slid behind the counter and disappeared in the back. Walking back to the daisies, you kneeled down. They had all kinds of colours, blending into each other so seamlessly it made you smile.
The purple ones had been in your house before. You remembered getting a promotion at work, and telling Minghao was the most exciting part of the day. That same night, you had a small bouquet, which included the purple daisies.
You’d always assumed they were purple because it was your favourite colour, but it was the only time you’d seen them. Faded to the back of your mind, passing it off as something insignificant.
As if it had never mattered at all.
With a soft sigh, you came back up. You dusted your pants off and straightened your jacket. As you turned around, you bumped into someone.
“Did I look lost again?” You remarked with a chuckle. When you looked up, Minghao was staring right back at you.
You froze.
His eyes scanned you carefully, and you couldn’t help but drown in them.
“You do look kind of lost,” he finally said. “I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw you here.”
You shrugged weakly and crossed your arms over your body.
Minghao nodded at the buckets. “What were you looking at?”
Your eyes darted to the purple daisies.
“Ah,” he hummed and bowed down, picking one from the bucket. He observed it before giving it to you.
You took it carefully and held it to your chest.
“I know purple is your favourite colour.” He nodded his head at the flower. “That’s not what that daisy is about.”
You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”
Minghao placed a hand on the small of your back and guided you further into the shop. The touch was electric, lighting a flame that you thought had long died out. “Purple daisies resemble success, and admiration. When I put them in your living room, I was celebrating your promotion.”
He picked a pink flower. “Pink lilies bear the same meaning, and they were also in that same bouquet. Admiration and gratitude.”
You took the lily from him. “What flowers say ‘I’m sorry for everything, please forgive me?’”
Minghao stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder.
You took a small step towards him. “I really am sorry, Hao. I don’t want you to feel undervalued, or misunderstood, and I hate myself for not realising earlier that that’s what this is all about.”
He turned around in full.
“You know,” you looked up at him with a small smile, “if I would’ve engaged earlier, be more open-minded like you’d tell me,” you nudged Minghao, making him chuckle. “I would’ve realised much sooner that it’s one of the most touching gestures someone has ever made for me. So that’s what I’ll try to do from now on.”
He smiled at you.
You caressed his cheek. “And hearing you spew these facts out like it’s breathing, it warms my heart, and it actually makes me excited to hear more.”
“I’m sorry too, my love,” Minghao muttered and leaned into your touch. “I’m very quick to jump to conclusions sometimes and it’s unfair to you especially since you need a little longer to gather your thoughts. I should’ve given you proper time and space to do so, instead of pushing the blame all on you.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest. “We’ll work on this just fine, my love. I’m very sure of it.”
Minghao pressed a long kiss into your hair. “I love you so much, darling. So so much.”
You looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
He kissed you so eagerly that the heat pooled in your stomach. His hands gripped your waist, nails dipping into your sides like you would disappear again. When you pulled him in closer, he chuckled against your lips.
You pouted when he pulled back.
“I came here to pick up my order,” he muttered. “I need to get back to work.”
“See you tonight?” You offered, to which he smiled.
“You have a key.”
You pressed one last kiss to his lips and watched him walking to the counter. He was talking to the same guy that had taken you under his wing.
As Minghao slipped past, he squeezed your waist. “Seungkwan wants to talk to you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. He rushed out of the door and disappeared around the corner.
You looked over at Seungkwan, who waved at you. With a chuckle, you walked over to him. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Let’s make you a bouquet for Minghao,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you all I need to know.”
When you walked out of the shop with the bouquet, you were light as a feather. Your stomach tingled whenever you thought of how Minghao’s eyes would light up, how he would kiss you passionately that you melted in his arms. Since your fight, you hadn’t felt so excited to see him again.
You knew that he wouldn’t get off work for another hour and set out to his house. The bouquet rested in your hand as you twisted the lock, slipping in before any of his neighbours would see you.
As you looked around, there wasn’t a flower in sight.
The empty vases were lined up on the counter on a towel. They looked dried up and you had no trouble believing they’d been there for a couple of days. Purposeless.
You grabbed the vase that Minghao painted himself, tracing the dried streaks with a smile. You filled it with water and put it in, setting the vase on the saloon table in the living room. ‘A center piece’, Minghao had often told you. You hoped that this would meet his requirements.
Minghao had texted you about dinner, opting that he would get something on his way home. You agreed with a smile.
When you heard the lock clicking not much later, your heart jumped.
You rubbed your hands together and balanced from the front to the heel of your feet.
Minghao pushed the door back into its lock with his hip, the crackling of a plastic bag following him around. When he walked into the living room, he yelped.
Covering your mouth, you suppressed a giggle. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you already doing here?” His eyes darted to the bouquet on the table and his lips twisted into a smile. “That wasn’t there before.”
“Happened to come with me,” you watched him set the bag down and observe it. “Seungkwan helped me. It’s not how the professionals do it, but–”
“It’s perfect.” Minghao looked back at you and opened his arms. “Come here, you.”
You walked right into his arms, inhaling his citrus, amber scent. You closed your eyes with a hum. “I missed you a lot, Hao.”
“I you too, my love.” He ran a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss to it. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
You peeked inside the bag curiously and smiled brightly. You grabbed the servings and sat down on the ground. “You know, why Seungkwan works in a flower shop is beyond me,” you said and opened the container.
Minghao chuckled. “He’s a talker, hm?”
“He is.” You put the other one in front of your boyfriend and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. “A good one at that, though. Very convincing.”
“He’s helped me since the first time I set foot in that place,” he started and stirred his soup. “I just moved to the city and I wanted a good bouquet for my living room.”
“The center piece,” you said in unison.
Minghao looked at you with a smile before he continued. “He knows everything there is to know and I really formed some kind of friendship with him.”
“He’s a nice guy.” The broth you sipped from was an explosion of flavours, making you groan. “God, I missed this.”
“I thought I’d treat you.”
With a smile, you spent the rest of the dinner catching up with Minghao; work, your parents, your friends. For the first time it wasn’t silent, as if your relationship had completely reinvented itself.
As Minghao was at the counter cutting the branches of the flowers, you stood behind him, your arms wrapped around him. Your head rested against his back, your eyes closed. “If you cut them at an angle, they’re able to absorb more water,” he told you. “Your beautiful bouquet will stay alive for a very long time.”
You smiled. “I worked very hard on it.” You peeked up at him. “Can I tell you about the flowers?”
His smile grew. “I would love to hear it.”
“I picked the blue orchids first,” you said and looked out of the window. “I had never seen it before, but it’s a way to express that you think of someone as beautiful in a unique way. And Seungkwan told me it’s spiritual so naturally, I had to pick it.”
“Flattered.”
You grinned at him. “You should be.”
“And then you chose red lilies,” Minghao continued, followed by a sheer cut.
“I know it looks a little odd next to the orchid, but they’re a symbol of love. I thought a red rose was too standard, so Seungkwan showed me these.”
Minghao looked back at you. “You really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
“And I’m not even finished,” you said with a small smile, the heat flushing your cheeks. “I did pick white and pink roses because they made me think of you.”
He smiled and put the bouquet back into the vase as you let go of him. “Pink is joy and appreciation.”
“And white symbolises a fresh start,” you added. You pointed at the daffodils on the side. “Just like those, moving away and transforming.”
“And pink camellias because you missed me.” Minghao bumped your hip. “Sappy.”
You chuckled and bumped him back.
He draped an arm around your shoulder and locked you into his side. “Thank you. Truly.”
You stood on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”
You finally regretted speaking that into existence when you found yourself in the flower shop again a couple of weeks later. Your eyes darted around before you looked back at Minghao. “Seriously?”
“You claim to know so much about this now,” he answered with a shrug. “I would love to see you make a bouquet for your own apartment.”
Shooting him a sweet smile, you traced his arm. “But aren’t you sad that you can’t do it for me anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Was worth a try.” You looked around again and your eyes landed on Seungkwan. When he looked back at you, his eyes lit up.
He came over hurriedly. “You finally got her here!”
You arched an eyebrow and turned to Minghao.
“We’re here for some pieces for her apartment,” he said and placed a hand on the small of your back. “She’s going to pick them out herself, as she’s claiming to have the hang of it.”
Seungkwan bobbed his head, his upper lip curved upwards like he was impressed. He remained where we stood and smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“Something for my kitchen,” you answered and frowned. “Why does this feel like a test?”
Behind you, Minghao chuckled. He pushed you forward gently and followed you to the daisies. “I told you she would go there first.”
Seungkwan chuckled and joined you at the front of the shop. Instead of walking after him, you navigated the shop like it was your second home. With a bright smile, you walked out of the shop with the bouquet and your boyfriend back by your side.
A place that you never thought you would ever step foot in had become like a second home in an oddly beautiful way. After your fight with Minghao, that very shop had brought you back to each other like no flow could. And this time, you wouldn’t drift away from each other anymore.
when i saw the synopsis when you told me about it for the first time, i was literally buzzing with joy and the fact that you cooked this beautiful fic up whilst you were writing the joshua fic with me is INSANEE!
i loved reading this sooooo much like its so good!
the details with the flowers and everything brings me to another level... and like boo owning a flower shop is soooo cute! i love that they vibe so well together because you write their friendship so beautifully!
also communicating through flowers is super duper cute... like i can't explain how cute it is...
kay im so proud of u and this fic is so u as well <3 i love it!!
everyone go check out kay's fic rn!! they did so well <3
summary: After a fight with your boyfriend, you visit the flower shop that he’s a regular at, although you’re not entirely sure what your purpose is. Coincidentally, the flower shop becomes the very reason you can save your relationship from falling apart
wc: 3,937
tags: non-idol au, first blooms collab, tension, first fight, first reconciliation, it’s very tense, angst with a happy ending, fluff at the ending, light pda
a/n: so excited to be sharing my fic for the first blooms collab by @svthub! make sure to check the other fics as well, you're going to have a blast <3
You had no idea what you were going to get yourself into.
Tucked away underneath an umbrella, you stared at the sign on the shop window. Minghao was always the one decorating your place with flowers, always knowing exactly what would fit the season, the scenery, even your mood.
Now you had to do it yourself because your flowers were dying in your windowsill. Minghao wouldn’t be around to save them anytime soon. You never had much with flowers, but he loved it so you let him go crazy.
And honestly? Everything he put in there was gorgeous.
The thought tightened your chest. You nearly turned around and went home crying, but you pushed through the doors anyway.
You closed your umbrella and left it in the holder with the others. The smell of fresh flowers was all around you, and you recognised the daisies that were on your right. Observing them closely, tears welled in your eyes.
A stupid argument had completely escalated. An argument that you had a thousand times before, that led to nowhere, had made everything worse. When you thought about the way you started screaming at each other, the air punched out of your lungs. You’d never seen Minghao angry before – irritated at best – but you had ticked him off so badly that the vein in his neck visibly pulsed. The entire apartment complex could hear him, even though he switched to Chinese every few sentences.
Since that night, you hadn’t seen or spoken to him anymore. That was now two weeks ago and you were in a flower shop, looking as lost as you were. You were still not sure whether you were truly there to replace your dying flowers or if you didn’t know where else to go.
Strolling past the displays, you stopped in front of a bouquet of roses.
Minghao had often talked about them. Especially the pink and white flowers had always appealed to him and you’d never been able to pinpoint why. Just like many of his preferences, the mystery had left you wanting to know more. When you asked, you expected a very specific answer, something direct and tangible.
More often than not, he told you that some things didn’t need an explanation. It was a feeling you had and it left you with more questions than answers. You wanted things figured out, while Minghao was someone who could wait and see how things would go. ‘Go with the flow’, as he would’ve told you.
His flow didn’t exactly bring him back to you yet.
You headed into the back of the shop. Lavender, something you absolutely hated no matter how many times Minghao tried to introduce it to you. The smell was overbearing and overwhelming.
You turned back around, bumping right into a guy, guessing him to be around your age. Muttering a quick apology, you stepped out of the way, but he chuckled.
“I was actually here to help you,” he said and crossed his arms behind his back. “First time here?”
“Do I look that obviously out of place?”
He flashed a smile.
You clicked your tongue. “Alright. Loud and clear.”
The guy chuckled and started walking. “The actual reason is that I haven’t seen you around here. I would recognise you if you were a regular.”
“Ah.” You trailed after him. “My… um, my boyfriend comes here often. If anyone’s the regular, it’s him.”
He looked back at you and narrowed his eyes, scanning you up and down. “Your boyfriend…”
“I think.”
Mentally you were already strangling yourself for letting it slip out, but he ignored it to your surprise. You breathed out softly and stopped when he did.
“Is he broad and muscular?”
You couldn’t help but snort before composing yourself. You shook your head. “Sorry. No, he’s not.”
“Guessing by that reaction, he’s the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t describe him as ‘broad’, no.”
An amused smile decorated the man’s face. “Longer blond hair?”
Your stomach tingled. “As of recently, yes.”
“Oh, Minghao,” he cooed and clasped his hands together. “He would be laughing in my face if I told him that you were here.”
You tilted your head with a frown.
The man took you to the front of the shop, where you were admiring the daisies earlier. He grabbed a couple of white ones out of the bucket and turned around. “Minghao always comes here to pick out flowers for your house then, I assume, and he talks about you on many occasions.”
He walked to a couple of other buckets and picked some pink flowers. “I vividly remember him telling me that you would never be found here. Look at you now!”
You blinked a couple of times. It was the first time you ever saw him, but he was spewing information like he knew you better than you knew yourself, talking like he was catching up with an old friend.
With a weak nod, you looked at the flowers in his hand. “Minghao was completely right in saying that.”
“What brings you here?”
You looked at him, opening your mouth to say something before closing it. Shrugging, you shot him a small smile. “I don’t know, to be honest. It just felt right coming here.”
He returned the smile warmly before handing you the bouquet. “You made the right choice, then.”
The bouquet had been sitting in a vase in your kitchen for days. You’d been pondering over what to say to Minghao and how you were going to approach him in the first place. It was almost three weeks ago since your last contact and you were reaching your final straw.
When you called him, you got voicemail. Expecting him to call back, you left him be until a call would never come. Slowly, the empty feeling in your chest started filling up with a burning sensation, until you had enough.
You stood in front of his door with a hammering heart. The lock clicked and he peeked his head around the corner.
Minghao seemed surprised to see you as he opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you shrugged, pretending to think, “maybe trying to get back in touch with you so we can get this over with.”
He leaned against the door. “Okay, what do you have to say?”
“Why don’t you pick up when I try to call you?”
“Because I have a right to decline.”
Your eyes clouded over, piercing right through him.
Minghao shrugged, your name rolling off his lips so calmly, you got shivers. “You’re not even sure what you’re going to say.”
You crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrow. “I am.”
He repeated your gesture and straightened his posture. You hated that through all the anger, he still managed to make your heart skip a beat. His eyes still held a softness for you, and you know he was more than open to hear you out.
You were the one visiting him, after all.
“Well,” you started and cleared your throat, “I think it’s unfair of you to assume that I don’t know what to say.”
“Can you prove me wrong, though?” Minghao asked. “Whenever we’re arguing, you say the same thing in five different ways. And frankly, we never get it solved.”
Before you had a defence at the ready, he cut you off.
“I’m not going to do it, not like this.” Minghao offered you a small smile. “Figure out what you want first.”
“Minghao–”
He shut the door.
You stared at it, head spinning. You were angry, upset, hurt, disappointed and unable to ride out one. You wanted to pounce at the door and scream at him, but you wanted to cry in his arms all the same.
Instead you ended up back home.
The bouquet had withered by the time you decided to do something else than go to work, the rose petals that were still clinging on a faint brown. The rest of them were on the kitchen table drying up.
You shoved your hands into your pockets and walked the block, taking a left and walking straight into the city. You didn’t have a destination in mind, you just needed to catch some fresh air.
After a good month since your fight with Minghao, the flow hadn’t brought him back to you still. On the contrary, even. You had a feeling he drifted away from you if you didn’t do something soon.
In all your anger and confusion, you’d stood on his doorstep the night before. Once again, Minghao had opened the door and you even made it into his apartment. The conversation seemed to go well and you were making progress.
Until it was your turn to talk. The conversation had escalated once again and you left with the anger burning your chest to ashes. Everything that he’d said had fallen on deaf ears and you started to realise that the problem wasn’t with Minghao.
You pushed through the doors. The daisies on your right side were the first thing you smelled, a warmth wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. Since your last visit, not much had changed in their display. Some colours had been replaced or switched around to make it more appealing, but that was the biggest change you could find.
Bowing over the daisies, you inhaled.
“Look at that.”
You shot up and looked right in those mischievous eyes.
“Are you becoming a regular?” The same guy asked, arms crossed behind his back. His lips twisted into a grin. “Welcome back. I guess that you’re still a little clueless?”
“Yep.” You looked around before your eyes landed on him. “The last bouquet kind of died and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.”
“I expected nothing less.” He beckoned you and started walking. “You’re around more than Minghao and that says a lot. Is something going on?”
You shrugged and crossed your arms over your body. “We’re kind of on a rough patch right now.”
He hummed and stopped by the counter, leaning on it as he watched his coworker helping someone else. “I think it’s very ironic that you find yourself here of all places.”
You looked at him with a tilted head.
“You’re not someone that cares much for flowers,” the guy started. “You’re okay with Minghao decorating your house with it because he loves it, but that’s all. And now you’re in a rough patch and where are you right now? A place that he loves more than you do.”
You hummed and looked away.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not here without a reason, you just need to know how to return the gesture to him.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a public speaker?”
The guy laughed. “Next to being a florist, I also offer free therapy sessions. Part of the job.” His chuckles eased into a smile. “You have no idea the things I’ve seen since working here. Flowers play a bigger role in people’s lives than you might assume.”
“I get why you and Minghao get along so well,” you remarked. “It’s like hearing him speak as we’re talking right now.”
“Like attracts like.” He winked and patted the counter. “I need to look over deliveries. Take a look around and call for me if you need me.”
You nodded and watched how he slid behind the counter and disappeared in the back. Walking back to the daisies, you kneeled down. They had all kinds of colours, blending into each other so seamlessly it made you smile.
The purple ones had been in your house before. You remembered getting a promotion at work, and telling Minghao was the most exciting part of the day. That same night, you had a small bouquet, which included the purple daisies.
You’d always assumed they were purple because it was your favourite colour, but it was the only time you’d seen them. Faded to the back of your mind, passing it off as something insignificant.
As if it had never mattered at all.
With a soft sigh, you came back up. You dusted your pants off and straightened your jacket. As you turned around, you bumped into someone.
“Did I look lost again?” You remarked with a chuckle. When you looked up, Minghao was staring right back at you.
You froze.
His eyes scanned you carefully, and you couldn’t help but drown in them.
“You do look kind of lost,” he finally said. “I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw you here.”
You shrugged weakly and crossed your arms over your body.
Minghao nodded at the buckets. “What were you looking at?”
Your eyes darted to the purple daisies.
“Ah,” he hummed and bowed down, picking one from the bucket. He observed it before giving it to you.
You took it carefully and held it to your chest.
“I know purple is your favourite colour.” He nodded his head at the flower. “That’s not what that daisy is about.”
You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”
Minghao placed a hand on the small of your back and guided you further into the shop. The touch was electric, lighting a flame that you thought had long died out. “Purple daisies resemble success, and admiration. When I put them in your living room, I was celebrating your promotion.”
He picked a pink flower. “Pink lilies bear the same meaning, and they were also in that same bouquet. Admiration and gratitude.”
You took the lily from him. “What flowers say ‘I’m sorry for everything, please forgive me?’”
Minghao stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder.
You took a small step towards him. “I really am sorry, Hao. I don’t want you to feel undervalued, or misunderstood, and I hate myself for not realising earlier that that’s what this is all about.”
He turned around in full.
“You know,” you looked up at him with a small smile, “if I would’ve engaged earlier, be more open-minded like you’d tell me,” you nudged Minghao, making him chuckle. “I would’ve realised much sooner that it’s one of the most touching gestures someone has ever made for me. So that’s what I’ll try to do from now on.”
He smiled at you.
You caressed his cheek. “And hearing you spew these facts out like it’s breathing, it warms my heart, and it actually makes me excited to hear more.”
“I’m sorry too, my love,” Minghao muttered and leaned into your touch. “I’m very quick to jump to conclusions sometimes and it’s unfair to you especially since you need a little longer to gather your thoughts. I should’ve given you proper time and space to do so, instead of pushing the blame all on you.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest. “We’ll work on this just fine, my love. I’m very sure of it.”
Minghao pressed a long kiss into your hair. “I love you so much, darling. So so much.”
You looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
He kissed you so eagerly that the heat pooled in your stomach. His hands gripped your waist, nails dipping into your sides like you would disappear again. When you pulled him in closer, he chuckled against your lips.
You pouted when he pulled back.
“I came here to pick up my order,” he muttered. “I need to get back to work.”
“See you tonight?” You offered, to which he smiled.
“You have a key.”
You pressed one last kiss to his lips and watched him walking to the counter. He was talking to the same guy that had taken you under his wing.
As Minghao slipped past, he squeezed your waist. “Seungkwan wants to talk to you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. He rushed out of the door and disappeared around the corner.
You looked over at Seungkwan, who waved at you. With a chuckle, you walked over to him. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Let’s make you a bouquet for Minghao,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you all I need to know.”
When you walked out of the shop with the bouquet, you were light as a feather. Your stomach tingled whenever you thought of how Minghao’s eyes would light up, how he would kiss you passionately that you melted in his arms. Since your fight, you hadn’t felt so excited to see him again.
You knew that he wouldn’t get off work for another hour and set out to his house. The bouquet rested in your hand as you twisted the lock, slipping in before any of his neighbours would see you.
As you looked around, there wasn’t a flower in sight.
The empty vases were lined up on the counter on a towel. They looked dried up and you had no trouble believing they’d been there for a couple of days. Purposeless.
You grabbed the vase that Minghao painted himself, tracing the dried streaks with a smile. You filled it with water and put it in, setting the vase on the saloon table in the living room. ‘A center piece’, Minghao had often told you. You hoped that this would meet his requirements.
Minghao had texted you about dinner, opting that he would get something on his way home. You agreed with a smile.
When you heard the lock clicking not much later, your heart jumped.
You rubbed your hands together and balanced from the front to the heel of your feet.
Minghao pushed the door back into its lock with his hip, the crackling of a plastic bag following him around. When he walked into the living room, he yelped.
Covering your mouth, you suppressed a giggle. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you already doing here?” His eyes darted to the bouquet on the table and his lips twisted into a smile. “That wasn’t there before.”
“Happened to come with me,” you watched him set the bag down and observe it. “Seungkwan helped me. It’s not how the professionals do it, but–”
“It’s perfect.” Minghao looked back at you and opened his arms. “Come here, you.”
You walked right into his arms, inhaling his citrus, amber scent. You closed your eyes with a hum. “I missed you a lot, Hao.”
“I you too, my love.” He ran a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss to it. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
You peeked inside the bag curiously and smiled brightly. You grabbed the servings and sat down on the ground. “You know, why Seungkwan works in a flower shop is beyond me,” you said and opened the container.
Minghao chuckled. “He’s a talker, hm?”
“He is.” You put the other one in front of your boyfriend and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. “A good one at that, though. Very convincing.”
“He’s helped me since the first time I set foot in that place,” he started and stirred his soup. “I just moved to the city and I wanted a good bouquet for my living room.”
“The center piece,” you said in unison.
Minghao looked at you with a smile before he continued. “He knows everything there is to know and I really formed some kind of friendship with him.”
“He’s a nice guy.” The broth you sipped from was an explosion of flavours, making you groan. “God, I missed this.”
“I thought I’d treat you.”
With a smile, you spent the rest of the dinner catching up with Minghao; work, your parents, your friends. For the first time it wasn’t silent, as if your relationship had completely reinvented itself.
As Minghao was at the counter cutting the branches of the flowers, you stood behind him, your arms wrapped around him. Your head rested against his back, your eyes closed. “If you cut them at an angle, they’re able to absorb more water,” he told you. “Your beautiful bouquet will stay alive for a very long time.”
You smiled. “I worked very hard on it.” You peeked up at him. “Can I tell you about the flowers?”
His smile grew. “I would love to hear it.”
“I picked the blue orchids first,” you said and looked out of the window. “I had never seen it before, but it’s a way to express that you think of someone as beautiful in a unique way. And Seungkwan told me it’s spiritual so naturally, I had to pick it.”
“Flattered.”
You grinned at him. “You should be.”
“And then you chose red lilies,” Minghao continued, followed by a sheer cut.
“I know it looks a little odd next to the orchid, but they’re a symbol of love. I thought a red rose was too standard, so Seungkwan showed me these.”
Minghao looked back at you. “You really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
“And I’m not even finished,” you said with a small smile, the heat flushing your cheeks. “I did pick white and pink roses because they made me think of you.”
He smiled and put the bouquet back into the vase as you let go of him. “Pink is joy and appreciation.”
“And white symbolises a fresh start,” you added. You pointed at the daffodils on the side. “Just like those, moving away and transforming.”
“And pink camellias because you missed me.” Minghao bumped your hip. “Sappy.”
You chuckled and bumped him back.
He draped an arm around your shoulder and locked you into his side. “Thank you. Truly.”
You stood on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”
You finally regretted speaking that into existence when you found yourself in the flower shop again a couple of weeks later. Your eyes darted around before you looked back at Minghao. “Seriously?”
“You claim to know so much about this now,” he answered with a shrug. “I would love to see you make a bouquet for your own apartment.”
Shooting him a sweet smile, you traced his arm. “But aren’t you sad that you can’t do it for me anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Was worth a try.” You looked around again and your eyes landed on Seungkwan. When he looked back at you, his eyes lit up.
He came over hurriedly. “You finally got her here!”
You arched an eyebrow and turned to Minghao.
“We’re here for some pieces for her apartment,” he said and placed a hand on the small of your back. “She’s going to pick them out herself, as she’s claiming to have the hang of it.”
Seungkwan bobbed his head, his upper lip curved upwards like he was impressed. He remained where we stood and smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“Something for my kitchen,” you answered and frowned. “Why does this feel like a test?”
Behind you, Minghao chuckled. He pushed you forward gently and followed you to the daisies. “I told you she would go there first.”
Seungkwan chuckled and joined you at the front of the shop. Instead of walking after him, you navigated the shop like it was your second home. With a bright smile, you walked out of the shop with the bouquet and your boyfriend back by your side.
A place that you never thought you would ever step foot in had become like a second home in an oddly beautiful way. After your fight with Minghao, that very shop had brought you back to each other like no flow could. And this time, you wouldn’t drift away from each other anymore.
summary: After a fight with your boyfriend, you visit the flower shop that he’s a regular at, although you’re not entirely sure what your purpose is. Coincidentally, the flower shop becomes the very reason you can save your relationship from falling apart
wc: 3,937
tags: non-idol au, first blooms collab, tension, first fight, first reconciliation, it’s very tense, angst with a happy ending, fluff at the ending, light pda
a/n: so excited to be sharing my fic for the first blooms collab by @svthub! make sure to check the other fics as well, you're going to have a blast <3
You had no idea what you were going to get yourself into.
Tucked away underneath an umbrella, you stared at the sign on the shop window. Minghao was always the one decorating your place with flowers, always knowing exactly what would fit the season, the scenery, even your mood.
Now you had to do it yourself because your flowers were dying in your windowsill. Minghao wouldn’t be around to save them anytime soon. You never had much with flowers, but he loved it so you let him go crazy.
And honestly? Everything he put in there was gorgeous.
The thought tightened your chest. You nearly turned around and went home crying, but you pushed through the doors anyway.
You closed your umbrella and left it in the holder with the others. The smell of fresh flowers was all around you, and you recognised the daisies that were on your right. Observing them closely, tears welled in your eyes.
A stupid argument had completely escalated. An argument that you had a thousand times before, that led to nowhere, had made everything worse. When you thought about the way you started screaming at each other, the air punched out of your lungs. You’d never seen Minghao angry before – irritated at best – but you had ticked him off so badly that the vein in his neck visibly pulsed. The entire apartment complex could hear him, even though he switched to Chinese every few sentences.
Since that night, you hadn’t seen or spoken to him anymore. That was now two weeks ago and you were in a flower shop, looking as lost as you were. You were still not sure whether you were truly there to replace your dying flowers or if you didn’t know where else to go.
Strolling past the displays, you stopped in front of a bouquet of roses.
Minghao had often talked about them. Especially the pink and white flowers had always appealed to him and you’d never been able to pinpoint why. Just like many of his preferences, the mystery had left you wanting to know more. When you asked, you expected a very specific answer, something direct and tangible.
More often than not, he told you that some things didn’t need an explanation. It was a feeling you had and it left you with more questions than answers. You wanted things figured out, while Minghao was someone who could wait and see how things would go. ‘Go with the flow’, as he would’ve told you.
His flow didn’t exactly bring him back to you yet.
You headed into the back of the shop. Lavender, something you absolutely hated no matter how many times Minghao tried to introduce it to you. The smell was overbearing and overwhelming.
You turned back around, bumping right into a guy, guessing him to be around your age. Muttering a quick apology, you stepped out of the way, but he chuckled.
“I was actually here to help you,” he said and crossed his arms behind his back. “First time here?”
“Do I look that obviously out of place?”
He flashed a smile.
You clicked your tongue. “Alright. Loud and clear.”
The guy chuckled and started walking. “The actual reason is that I haven’t seen you around here. I would recognise you if you were a regular.”
“Ah.” You trailed after him. “My… um, my boyfriend comes here often. If anyone’s the regular, it’s him.”
He looked back at you and narrowed his eyes, scanning you up and down. “Your boyfriend…”
“I think.”
Mentally you were already strangling yourself for letting it slip out, but he ignored it to your surprise. You breathed out softly and stopped when he did.
“Is he broad and muscular?”
You couldn’t help but snort before composing yourself. You shook your head. “Sorry. No, he’s not.”
“Guessing by that reaction, he’s the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t describe him as ‘broad’, no.”
An amused smile decorated the man’s face. “Longer blond hair?”
Your stomach tingled. “As of recently, yes.”
“Oh, Minghao,” he cooed and clasped his hands together. “He would be laughing in my face if I told him that you were here.”
You tilted your head with a frown.
The man took you to the front of the shop, where you were admiring the daisies earlier. He grabbed a couple of white ones out of the bucket and turned around. “Minghao always comes here to pick out flowers for your house then, I assume, and he talks about you on many occasions.”
He walked to a couple of other buckets and picked some pink flowers. “I vividly remember him telling me that you would never be found here. Look at you now!”
You blinked a couple of times. It was the first time you ever saw him, but he was spewing information like he knew you better than you knew yourself, talking like he was catching up with an old friend.
With a weak nod, you looked at the flowers in his hand. “Minghao was completely right in saying that.”
“What brings you here?”
You looked at him, opening your mouth to say something before closing it. Shrugging, you shot him a small smile. “I don’t know, to be honest. It just felt right coming here.”
He returned the smile warmly before handing you the bouquet. “You made the right choice, then.”
The bouquet had been sitting in a vase in your kitchen for days. You’d been pondering over what to say to Minghao and how you were going to approach him in the first place. It was almost three weeks ago since your last contact and you were reaching your final straw.
When you called him, you got voicemail. Expecting him to call back, you left him be until a call would never come. Slowly, the empty feeling in your chest started filling up with a burning sensation, until you had enough.
You stood in front of his door with a hammering heart. The lock clicked and he peeked his head around the corner.
Minghao seemed surprised to see you as he opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you shrugged, pretending to think, “maybe trying to get back in touch with you so we can get this over with.”
He leaned against the door. “Okay, what do you have to say?”
“Why don’t you pick up when I try to call you?”
“Because I have a right to decline.”
Your eyes clouded over, piercing right through him.
Minghao shrugged, your name rolling off his lips so calmly, you got shivers. “You’re not even sure what you’re going to say.”
You crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrow. “I am.”
He repeated your gesture and straightened his posture. You hated that through all the anger, he still managed to make your heart skip a beat. His eyes still held a softness for you, and you know he was more than open to hear you out.
You were the one visiting him, after all.
“Well,” you started and cleared your throat, “I think it’s unfair of you to assume that I don’t know what to say.”
“Can you prove me wrong, though?” Minghao asked. “Whenever we’re arguing, you say the same thing in five different ways. And frankly, we never get it solved.”
Before you had a defence at the ready, he cut you off.
“I’m not going to do it, not like this.” Minghao offered you a small smile. “Figure out what you want first.”
“Minghao–”
He shut the door.
You stared at it, head spinning. You were angry, upset, hurt, disappointed and unable to ride out one. You wanted to pounce at the door and scream at him, but you wanted to cry in his arms all the same.
Instead you ended up back home.
The bouquet had withered by the time you decided to do something else than go to work, the rose petals that were still clinging on a faint brown. The rest of them were on the kitchen table drying up.
You shoved your hands into your pockets and walked the block, taking a left and walking straight into the city. You didn’t have a destination in mind, you just needed to catch some fresh air.
After a good month since your fight with Minghao, the flow hadn’t brought him back to you still. On the contrary, even. You had a feeling he drifted away from you if you didn’t do something soon.
In all your anger and confusion, you’d stood on his doorstep the night before. Once again, Minghao had opened the door and you even made it into his apartment. The conversation seemed to go well and you were making progress.
Until it was your turn to talk. The conversation had escalated once again and you left with the anger burning your chest to ashes. Everything that he’d said had fallen on deaf ears and you started to realise that the problem wasn’t with Minghao.
You pushed through the doors. The daisies on your right side were the first thing you smelled, a warmth wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. Since your last visit, not much had changed in their display. Some colours had been replaced or switched around to make it more appealing, but that was the biggest change you could find.
Bowing over the daisies, you inhaled.
“Look at that.”
You shot up and looked right in those mischievous eyes.
“Are you becoming a regular?” The same guy asked, arms crossed behind his back. His lips twisted into a grin. “Welcome back. I guess that you’re still a little clueless?”
“Yep.” You looked around before your eyes landed on him. “The last bouquet kind of died and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.”
“I expected nothing less.” He beckoned you and started walking. “You’re around more than Minghao and that says a lot. Is something going on?”
You shrugged and crossed your arms over your body. “We’re kind of on a rough patch right now.”
He hummed and stopped by the counter, leaning on it as he watched his coworker helping someone else. “I think it’s very ironic that you find yourself here of all places.”
You looked at him with a tilted head.
“You’re not someone that cares much for flowers,” the guy started. “You’re okay with Minghao decorating your house with it because he loves it, but that’s all. And now you’re in a rough patch and where are you right now? A place that he loves more than you do.”
You hummed and looked away.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not here without a reason, you just need to know how to return the gesture to him.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a public speaker?”
The guy laughed. “Next to being a florist, I also offer free therapy sessions. Part of the job.” His chuckles eased into a smile. “You have no idea the things I’ve seen since working here. Flowers play a bigger role in people’s lives than you might assume.”
“I get why you and Minghao get along so well,” you remarked. “It’s like hearing him speak as we’re talking right now.”
“Like attracts like.” He winked and patted the counter. “I need to look over deliveries. Take a look around and call for me if you need me.”
You nodded and watched how he slid behind the counter and disappeared in the back. Walking back to the daisies, you kneeled down. They had all kinds of colours, blending into each other so seamlessly it made you smile.
The purple ones had been in your house before. You remembered getting a promotion at work, and telling Minghao was the most exciting part of the day. That same night, you had a small bouquet, which included the purple daisies.
You’d always assumed they were purple because it was your favourite colour, but it was the only time you’d seen them. Faded to the back of your mind, passing it off as something insignificant.
As if it had never mattered at all.
With a soft sigh, you came back up. You dusted your pants off and straightened your jacket. As you turned around, you bumped into someone.
“Did I look lost again?” You remarked with a chuckle. When you looked up, Minghao was staring right back at you.
You froze.
His eyes scanned you carefully, and you couldn’t help but drown in them.
“You do look kind of lost,” he finally said. “I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw you here.”
You shrugged weakly and crossed your arms over your body.
Minghao nodded at the buckets. “What were you looking at?”
Your eyes darted to the purple daisies.
“Ah,” he hummed and bowed down, picking one from the bucket. He observed it before giving it to you.
You took it carefully and held it to your chest.
“I know purple is your favourite colour.” He nodded his head at the flower. “That’s not what that daisy is about.”
You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”
Minghao placed a hand on the small of your back and guided you further into the shop. The touch was electric, lighting a flame that you thought had long died out. “Purple daisies resemble success, and admiration. When I put them in your living room, I was celebrating your promotion.”
He picked a pink flower. “Pink lilies bear the same meaning, and they were also in that same bouquet. Admiration and gratitude.”
You took the lily from him. “What flowers say ‘I’m sorry for everything, please forgive me?’”
Minghao stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder.
You took a small step towards him. “I really am sorry, Hao. I don’t want you to feel undervalued, or misunderstood, and I hate myself for not realising earlier that that’s what this is all about.”
He turned around in full.
“You know,” you looked up at him with a small smile, “if I would’ve engaged earlier, be more open-minded like you’d tell me,” you nudged Minghao, making him chuckle. “I would’ve realised much sooner that it’s one of the most touching gestures someone has ever made for me. So that’s what I’ll try to do from now on.”
He smiled at you.
You caressed his cheek. “And hearing you spew these facts out like it’s breathing, it warms my heart, and it actually makes me excited to hear more.”
“I’m sorry too, my love,” Minghao muttered and leaned into your touch. “I’m very quick to jump to conclusions sometimes and it’s unfair to you especially since you need a little longer to gather your thoughts. I should’ve given you proper time and space to do so, instead of pushing the blame all on you.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest. “We’ll work on this just fine, my love. I’m very sure of it.”
Minghao pressed a long kiss into your hair. “I love you so much, darling. So so much.”
You looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
He kissed you so eagerly that the heat pooled in your stomach. His hands gripped your waist, nails dipping into your sides like you would disappear again. When you pulled him in closer, he chuckled against your lips.
You pouted when he pulled back.
“I came here to pick up my order,” he muttered. “I need to get back to work.”
“See you tonight?” You offered, to which he smiled.
“You have a key.”
You pressed one last kiss to his lips and watched him walking to the counter. He was talking to the same guy that had taken you under his wing.
As Minghao slipped past, he squeezed your waist. “Seungkwan wants to talk to you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. He rushed out of the door and disappeared around the corner.
You looked over at Seungkwan, who waved at you. With a chuckle, you walked over to him. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Let’s make you a bouquet for Minghao,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you all I need to know.”
When you walked out of the shop with the bouquet, you were light as a feather. Your stomach tingled whenever you thought of how Minghao’s eyes would light up, how he would kiss you passionately that you melted in his arms. Since your fight, you hadn’t felt so excited to see him again.
You knew that he wouldn’t get off work for another hour and set out to his house. The bouquet rested in your hand as you twisted the lock, slipping in before any of his neighbours would see you.
As you looked around, there wasn’t a flower in sight.
The empty vases were lined up on the counter on a towel. They looked dried up and you had no trouble believing they’d been there for a couple of days. Purposeless.
You grabbed the vase that Minghao painted himself, tracing the dried streaks with a smile. You filled it with water and put it in, setting the vase on the saloon table in the living room. ‘A center piece’, Minghao had often told you. You hoped that this would meet his requirements.
Minghao had texted you about dinner, opting that he would get something on his way home. You agreed with a smile.
When you heard the lock clicking not much later, your heart jumped.
You rubbed your hands together and balanced from the front to the heel of your feet.
Minghao pushed the door back into its lock with his hip, the crackling of a plastic bag following him around. When he walked into the living room, he yelped.
Covering your mouth, you suppressed a giggle. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you already doing here?” His eyes darted to the bouquet on the table and his lips twisted into a smile. “That wasn’t there before.”
“Happened to come with me,” you watched him set the bag down and observe it. “Seungkwan helped me. It’s not how the professionals do it, but–”
“It’s perfect.” Minghao looked back at you and opened his arms. “Come here, you.”
You walked right into his arms, inhaling his citrus, amber scent. You closed your eyes with a hum. “I missed you a lot, Hao.”
“I you too, my love.” He ran a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss to it. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
You peeked inside the bag curiously and smiled brightly. You grabbed the servings and sat down on the ground. “You know, why Seungkwan works in a flower shop is beyond me,” you said and opened the container.
Minghao chuckled. “He’s a talker, hm?”
“He is.” You put the other one in front of your boyfriend and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. “A good one at that, though. Very convincing.”
“He’s helped me since the first time I set foot in that place,” he started and stirred his soup. “I just moved to the city and I wanted a good bouquet for my living room.”
“The center piece,” you said in unison.
Minghao looked at you with a smile before he continued. “He knows everything there is to know and I really formed some kind of friendship with him.”
“He’s a nice guy.” The broth you sipped from was an explosion of flavours, making you groan. “God, I missed this.”
“I thought I’d treat you.”
With a smile, you spent the rest of the dinner catching up with Minghao; work, your parents, your friends. For the first time it wasn’t silent, as if your relationship had completely reinvented itself.
As Minghao was at the counter cutting the branches of the flowers, you stood behind him, your arms wrapped around him. Your head rested against his back, your eyes closed. “If you cut them at an angle, they’re able to absorb more water,” he told you. “Your beautiful bouquet will stay alive for a very long time.”
You smiled. “I worked very hard on it.” You peeked up at him. “Can I tell you about the flowers?”
His smile grew. “I would love to hear it.”
“I picked the blue orchids first,” you said and looked out of the window. “I had never seen it before, but it’s a way to express that you think of someone as beautiful in a unique way. And Seungkwan told me it’s spiritual so naturally, I had to pick it.”
“Flattered.”
You grinned at him. “You should be.”
“And then you chose red lilies,” Minghao continued, followed by a sheer cut.
“I know it looks a little odd next to the orchid, but they’re a symbol of love. I thought a red rose was too standard, so Seungkwan showed me these.”
Minghao looked back at you. “You really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
“And I’m not even finished,” you said with a small smile, the heat flushing your cheeks. “I did pick white and pink roses because they made me think of you.”
He smiled and put the bouquet back into the vase as you let go of him. “Pink is joy and appreciation.”
“And white symbolises a fresh start,” you added. You pointed at the daffodils on the side. “Just like those, moving away and transforming.”
“And pink camellias because you missed me.” Minghao bumped your hip. “Sappy.”
You chuckled and bumped him back.
He draped an arm around your shoulder and locked you into his side. “Thank you. Truly.”
You stood on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”
You finally regretted speaking that into existence when you found yourself in the flower shop again a couple of weeks later. Your eyes darted around before you looked back at Minghao. “Seriously?”
“You claim to know so much about this now,” he answered with a shrug. “I would love to see you make a bouquet for your own apartment.”
Shooting him a sweet smile, you traced his arm. “But aren’t you sad that you can’t do it for me anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Was worth a try.” You looked around again and your eyes landed on Seungkwan. When he looked back at you, his eyes lit up.
He came over hurriedly. “You finally got her here!”
You arched an eyebrow and turned to Minghao.
“We’re here for some pieces for her apartment,” he said and placed a hand on the small of your back. “She’s going to pick them out herself, as she’s claiming to have the hang of it.”
Seungkwan bobbed his head, his upper lip curved upwards like he was impressed. He remained where we stood and smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“Something for my kitchen,” you answered and frowned. “Why does this feel like a test?”
Behind you, Minghao chuckled. He pushed you forward gently and followed you to the daisies. “I told you she would go there first.”
Seungkwan chuckled and joined you at the front of the shop. Instead of walking after him, you navigated the shop like it was your second home. With a bright smile, you walked out of the shop with the bouquet and your boyfriend back by your side.
A place that you never thought you would ever step foot in had become like a second home in an oddly beautiful way. After your fight with Minghao, that very shop had brought you back to each other like no flow could. And this time, you wouldn’t drift away from each other anymore.
summary: After a fight with your boyfriend, you visit the flower shop that he’s a regular at, although you’re not entirely sure what your purpose is. Coincidentally, the flower shop becomes the very reason you can save your relationship from falling apart
wc: 3,937
tags: non-idol au, first blooms collab, tension, first fight, first reconciliation, it’s very tense, angst with a happy ending, fluff at the ending, light pda
a/n: so excited to be sharing my fic for the first blooms collab by @svthub! make sure to check the other fics as well, you're going to have a blast <3
You had no idea what you were going to get yourself into.
Tucked away underneath an umbrella, you stared at the sign on the shop window. Minghao was always the one decorating your place with flowers, always knowing exactly what would fit the season, the scenery, even your mood.
Now you had to do it yourself because your flowers were dying in your windowsill. Minghao wouldn’t be around to save them anytime soon. You never had much with flowers, but he loved it so you let him go crazy.
And honestly? Everything he put in there was gorgeous.
The thought tightened your chest. You nearly turned around and went home crying, but you pushed through the doors anyway.
You closed your umbrella and left it in the holder with the others. The smell of fresh flowers was all around you, and you recognised the daisies that were on your right. Observing them closely, tears welled in your eyes.
A stupid argument had completely escalated. An argument that you had a thousand times before, that led to nowhere, had made everything worse. When you thought about the way you started screaming at each other, the air punched out of your lungs. You’d never seen Minghao angry before – irritated at best – but you had ticked him off so badly that the vein in his neck visibly pulsed. The entire apartment complex could hear him, even though he switched to Chinese every few sentences.
Since that night, you hadn’t seen or spoken to him anymore. That was now two weeks ago and you were in a flower shop, looking as lost as you were. You were still not sure whether you were truly there to replace your dying flowers or if you didn’t know where else to go.
Strolling past the displays, you stopped in front of a bouquet of roses.
Minghao had often talked about them. Especially the pink and white flowers had always appealed to him and you’d never been able to pinpoint why. Just like many of his preferences, the mystery had left you wanting to know more. When you asked, you expected a very specific answer, something direct and tangible.
More often than not, he told you that some things didn’t need an explanation. It was a feeling you had and it left you with more questions than answers. You wanted things figured out, while Minghao was someone who could wait and see how things would go. ‘Go with the flow’, as he would’ve told you.
His flow didn’t exactly bring him back to you yet.
You headed into the back of the shop. Lavender, something you absolutely hated no matter how many times Minghao tried to introduce it to you. The smell was overbearing and overwhelming.
You turned back around, bumping right into a guy, guessing him to be around your age. Muttering a quick apology, you stepped out of the way, but he chuckled.
“I was actually here to help you,” he said and crossed his arms behind his back. “First time here?”
“Do I look that obviously out of place?”
He flashed a smile.
You clicked your tongue. “Alright. Loud and clear.”
The guy chuckled and started walking. “The actual reason is that I haven’t seen you around here. I would recognise you if you were a regular.”
“Ah.” You trailed after him. “My… um, my boyfriend comes here often. If anyone’s the regular, it’s him.”
He looked back at you and narrowed his eyes, scanning you up and down. “Your boyfriend…”
“I think.”
Mentally you were already strangling yourself for letting it slip out, but he ignored it to your surprise. You breathed out softly and stopped when he did.
“Is he broad and muscular?”
You couldn’t help but snort before composing yourself. You shook your head. “Sorry. No, he’s not.”
“Guessing by that reaction, he’s the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t describe him as ‘broad’, no.”
An amused smile decorated the man’s face. “Longer blond hair?”
Your stomach tingled. “As of recently, yes.”
“Oh, Minghao,” he cooed and clasped his hands together. “He would be laughing in my face if I told him that you were here.”
You tilted your head with a frown.
The man took you to the front of the shop, where you were admiring the daisies earlier. He grabbed a couple of white ones out of the bucket and turned around. “Minghao always comes here to pick out flowers for your house then, I assume, and he talks about you on many occasions.”
He walked to a couple of other buckets and picked some pink flowers. “I vividly remember him telling me that you would never be found here. Look at you now!”
You blinked a couple of times. It was the first time you ever saw him, but he was spewing information like he knew you better than you knew yourself, talking like he was catching up with an old friend.
With a weak nod, you looked at the flowers in his hand. “Minghao was completely right in saying that.”
“What brings you here?”
You looked at him, opening your mouth to say something before closing it. Shrugging, you shot him a small smile. “I don’t know, to be honest. It just felt right coming here.”
He returned the smile warmly before handing you the bouquet. “You made the right choice, then.”
The bouquet had been sitting in a vase in your kitchen for days. You’d been pondering over what to say to Minghao and how you were going to approach him in the first place. It was almost three weeks ago since your last contact and you were reaching your final straw.
When you called him, you got voicemail. Expecting him to call back, you left him be until a call would never come. Slowly, the empty feeling in your chest started filling up with a burning sensation, until you had enough.
You stood in front of his door with a hammering heart. The lock clicked and he peeked his head around the corner.
Minghao seemed surprised to see you as he opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you shrugged, pretending to think, “maybe trying to get back in touch with you so we can get this over with.”
He leaned against the door. “Okay, what do you have to say?”
“Why don’t you pick up when I try to call you?”
“Because I have a right to decline.”
Your eyes clouded over, piercing right through him.
Minghao shrugged, your name rolling off his lips so calmly, you got shivers. “You’re not even sure what you’re going to say.”
You crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrow. “I am.”
He repeated your gesture and straightened his posture. You hated that through all the anger, he still managed to make your heart skip a beat. His eyes still held a softness for you, and you know he was more than open to hear you out.
You were the one visiting him, after all.
“Well,” you started and cleared your throat, “I think it’s unfair of you to assume that I don’t know what to say.”
“Can you prove me wrong, though?” Minghao asked. “Whenever we’re arguing, you say the same thing in five different ways. And frankly, we never get it solved.”
Before you had a defence at the ready, he cut you off.
“I’m not going to do it, not like this.” Minghao offered you a small smile. “Figure out what you want first.”
“Minghao–”
He shut the door.
You stared at it, head spinning. You were angry, upset, hurt, disappointed and unable to ride out one. You wanted to pounce at the door and scream at him, but you wanted to cry in his arms all the same.
Instead you ended up back home.
The bouquet had withered by the time you decided to do something else than go to work, the rose petals that were still clinging on a faint brown. The rest of them were on the kitchen table drying up.
You shoved your hands into your pockets and walked the block, taking a left and walking straight into the city. You didn’t have a destination in mind, you just needed to catch some fresh air.
After a good month since your fight with Minghao, the flow hadn’t brought him back to you still. On the contrary, even. You had a feeling he drifted away from you if you didn’t do something soon.
In all your anger and confusion, you’d stood on his doorstep the night before. Once again, Minghao had opened the door and you even made it into his apartment. The conversation seemed to go well and you were making progress.
Until it was your turn to talk. The conversation had escalated once again and you left with the anger burning your chest to ashes. Everything that he’d said had fallen on deaf ears and you started to realise that the problem wasn’t with Minghao.
You pushed through the doors. The daisies on your right side were the first thing you smelled, a warmth wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. Since your last visit, not much had changed in their display. Some colours had been replaced or switched around to make it more appealing, but that was the biggest change you could find.
Bowing over the daisies, you inhaled.
“Look at that.”
You shot up and looked right in those mischievous eyes.
“Are you becoming a regular?” The same guy asked, arms crossed behind his back. His lips twisted into a grin. “Welcome back. I guess that you’re still a little clueless?”
“Yep.” You looked around before your eyes landed on him. “The last bouquet kind of died and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.”
“I expected nothing less.” He beckoned you and started walking. “You’re around more than Minghao and that says a lot. Is something going on?”
You shrugged and crossed your arms over your body. “We’re kind of on a rough patch right now.”
He hummed and stopped by the counter, leaning on it as he watched his coworker helping someone else. “I think it’s very ironic that you find yourself here of all places.”
You looked at him with a tilted head.
“You’re not someone that cares much for flowers,” the guy started. “You’re okay with Minghao decorating your house with it because he loves it, but that’s all. And now you’re in a rough patch and where are you right now? A place that he loves more than you do.”
You hummed and looked away.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not here without a reason, you just need to know how to return the gesture to him.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a public speaker?”
The guy laughed. “Next to being a florist, I also offer free therapy sessions. Part of the job.” His chuckles eased into a smile. “You have no idea the things I’ve seen since working here. Flowers play a bigger role in people’s lives than you might assume.”
“I get why you and Minghao get along so well,” you remarked. “It’s like hearing him speak as we’re talking right now.”
“Like attracts like.” He winked and patted the counter. “I need to look over deliveries. Take a look around and call for me if you need me.”
You nodded and watched how he slid behind the counter and disappeared in the back. Walking back to the daisies, you kneeled down. They had all kinds of colours, blending into each other so seamlessly it made you smile.
The purple ones had been in your house before. You remembered getting a promotion at work, and telling Minghao was the most exciting part of the day. That same night, you had a small bouquet, which included the purple daisies.
You’d always assumed they were purple because it was your favourite colour, but it was the only time you’d seen them. Faded to the back of your mind, passing it off as something insignificant.
As if it had never mattered at all.
With a soft sigh, you came back up. You dusted your pants off and straightened your jacket. As you turned around, you bumped into someone.
“Did I look lost again?” You remarked with a chuckle. When you looked up, Minghao was staring right back at you.
You froze.
His eyes scanned you carefully, and you couldn’t help but drown in them.
“You do look kind of lost,” he finally said. “I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw you here.”
You shrugged weakly and crossed your arms over your body.
Minghao nodded at the buckets. “What were you looking at?”
Your eyes darted to the purple daisies.
“Ah,” he hummed and bowed down, picking one from the bucket. He observed it before giving it to you.
You took it carefully and held it to your chest.
“I know purple is your favourite colour.” He nodded his head at the flower. “That’s not what that daisy is about.”
You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”
Minghao placed a hand on the small of your back and guided you further into the shop. The touch was electric, lighting a flame that you thought had long died out. “Purple daisies resemble success, and admiration. When I put them in your living room, I was celebrating your promotion.”
He picked a pink flower. “Pink lilies bear the same meaning, and they were also in that same bouquet. Admiration and gratitude.”
You took the lily from him. “What flowers say ‘I’m sorry for everything, please forgive me?’”
Minghao stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder.
You took a small step towards him. “I really am sorry, Hao. I don’t want you to feel undervalued, or misunderstood, and I hate myself for not realising earlier that that’s what this is all about.”
He turned around in full.
“You know,” you looked up at him with a small smile, “if I would’ve engaged earlier, be more open-minded like you’d tell me,” you nudged Minghao, making him chuckle. “I would’ve realised much sooner that it’s one of the most touching gestures someone has ever made for me. So that’s what I’ll try to do from now on.”
He smiled at you.
You caressed his cheek. “And hearing you spew these facts out like it’s breathing, it warms my heart, and it actually makes me excited to hear more.”
“I’m sorry too, my love,” Minghao muttered and leaned into your touch. “I’m very quick to jump to conclusions sometimes and it’s unfair to you especially since you need a little longer to gather your thoughts. I should’ve given you proper time and space to do so, instead of pushing the blame all on you.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest. “We’ll work on this just fine, my love. I’m very sure of it.”
Minghao pressed a long kiss into your hair. “I love you so much, darling. So so much.”
You looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
He kissed you so eagerly that the heat pooled in your stomach. His hands gripped your waist, nails dipping into your sides like you would disappear again. When you pulled him in closer, he chuckled against your lips.
You pouted when he pulled back.
“I came here to pick up my order,” he muttered. “I need to get back to work.”
“See you tonight?” You offered, to which he smiled.
“You have a key.”
You pressed one last kiss to his lips and watched him walking to the counter. He was talking to the same guy that had taken you under his wing.
As Minghao slipped past, he squeezed your waist. “Seungkwan wants to talk to you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. He rushed out of the door and disappeared around the corner.
You looked over at Seungkwan, who waved at you. With a chuckle, you walked over to him. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Let’s make you a bouquet for Minghao,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you all I need to know.”
When you walked out of the shop with the bouquet, you were light as a feather. Your stomach tingled whenever you thought of how Minghao’s eyes would light up, how he would kiss you passionately that you melted in his arms. Since your fight, you hadn’t felt so excited to see him again.
You knew that he wouldn’t get off work for another hour and set out to his house. The bouquet rested in your hand as you twisted the lock, slipping in before any of his neighbours would see you.
As you looked around, there wasn’t a flower in sight.
The empty vases were lined up on the counter on a towel. They looked dried up and you had no trouble believing they’d been there for a couple of days. Purposeless.
You grabbed the vase that Minghao painted himself, tracing the dried streaks with a smile. You filled it with water and put it in, setting the vase on the saloon table in the living room. ‘A center piece’, Minghao had often told you. You hoped that this would meet his requirements.
Minghao had texted you about dinner, opting that he would get something on his way home. You agreed with a smile.
When you heard the lock clicking not much later, your heart jumped.
You rubbed your hands together and balanced from the front to the heel of your feet.
Minghao pushed the door back into its lock with his hip, the crackling of a plastic bag following him around. When he walked into the living room, he yelped.
Covering your mouth, you suppressed a giggle. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you already doing here?” His eyes darted to the bouquet on the table and his lips twisted into a smile. “That wasn’t there before.”
“Happened to come with me,” you watched him set the bag down and observe it. “Seungkwan helped me. It’s not how the professionals do it, but–”
“It’s perfect.” Minghao looked back at you and opened his arms. “Come here, you.”
You walked right into his arms, inhaling his citrus, amber scent. You closed your eyes with a hum. “I missed you a lot, Hao.”
“I you too, my love.” He ran a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss to it. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
You peeked inside the bag curiously and smiled brightly. You grabbed the servings and sat down on the ground. “You know, why Seungkwan works in a flower shop is beyond me,” you said and opened the container.
Minghao chuckled. “He’s a talker, hm?”
“He is.” You put the other one in front of your boyfriend and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. “A good one at that, though. Very convincing.”
“He’s helped me since the first time I set foot in that place,” he started and stirred his soup. “I just moved to the city and I wanted a good bouquet for my living room.”
“The center piece,” you said in unison.
Minghao looked at you with a smile before he continued. “He knows everything there is to know and I really formed some kind of friendship with him.”
“He’s a nice guy.” The broth you sipped from was an explosion of flavours, making you groan. “God, I missed this.”
“I thought I’d treat you.”
With a smile, you spent the rest of the dinner catching up with Minghao; work, your parents, your friends. For the first time it wasn’t silent, as if your relationship had completely reinvented itself.
As Minghao was at the counter cutting the branches of the flowers, you stood behind him, your arms wrapped around him. Your head rested against his back, your eyes closed. “If you cut them at an angle, they’re able to absorb more water,” he told you. “Your beautiful bouquet will stay alive for a very long time.”
You smiled. “I worked very hard on it.” You peeked up at him. “Can I tell you about the flowers?”
His smile grew. “I would love to hear it.”
“I picked the blue orchids first,” you said and looked out of the window. “I had never seen it before, but it’s a way to express that you think of someone as beautiful in a unique way. And Seungkwan told me it’s spiritual so naturally, I had to pick it.”
“Flattered.”
You grinned at him. “You should be.”
“And then you chose red lilies,” Minghao continued, followed by a sheer cut.
“I know it looks a little odd next to the orchid, but they’re a symbol of love. I thought a red rose was too standard, so Seungkwan showed me these.”
Minghao looked back at you. “You really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
“And I’m not even finished,” you said with a small smile, the heat flushing your cheeks. “I did pick white and pink roses because they made me think of you.”
He smiled and put the bouquet back into the vase as you let go of him. “Pink is joy and appreciation.”
“And white symbolises a fresh start,” you added. You pointed at the daffodils on the side. “Just like those, moving away and transforming.”
“And pink camellias because you missed me.” Minghao bumped your hip. “Sappy.”
You chuckled and bumped him back.
He draped an arm around your shoulder and locked you into his side. “Thank you. Truly.”
You stood on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”
You finally regretted speaking that into existence when you found yourself in the flower shop again a couple of weeks later. Your eyes darted around before you looked back at Minghao. “Seriously?”
“You claim to know so much about this now,” he answered with a shrug. “I would love to see you make a bouquet for your own apartment.”
Shooting him a sweet smile, you traced his arm. “But aren’t you sad that you can’t do it for me anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Was worth a try.” You looked around again and your eyes landed on Seungkwan. When he looked back at you, his eyes lit up.
He came over hurriedly. “You finally got her here!”
You arched an eyebrow and turned to Minghao.
“We’re here for some pieces for her apartment,” he said and placed a hand on the small of your back. “She’s going to pick them out herself, as she’s claiming to have the hang of it.”
Seungkwan bobbed his head, his upper lip curved upwards like he was impressed. He remained where we stood and smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“Something for my kitchen,” you answered and frowned. “Why does this feel like a test?”
Behind you, Minghao chuckled. He pushed you forward gently and followed you to the daisies. “I told you she would go there first.”
Seungkwan chuckled and joined you at the front of the shop. Instead of walking after him, you navigated the shop like it was your second home. With a bright smile, you walked out of the shop with the bouquet and your boyfriend back by your side.
A place that you never thought you would ever step foot in had become like a second home in an oddly beautiful way. After your fight with Minghao, that very shop had brought you back to each other like no flow could. And this time, you wouldn’t drift away from each other anymore.
summary: After a fight with your boyfriend, you visit the flower shop that he’s a regular at, although you’re not entirely sure what your purpose is. Coincidentally, the flower shop becomes the very reason you can save your relationship from falling apart
wc: 3,937
tags: non-idol au, first blooms collab, tension, first fight, first reconciliation, it’s very tense, angst with a happy ending, fluff at the ending, light pda
a/n: so excited to be sharing my fic for the first blooms collab by @svthub! make sure to check the other fics as well, you're going to have a blast <3
You had no idea what you were going to get yourself into.
Tucked away underneath an umbrella, you stared at the sign on the shop window. Minghao was always the one decorating your place with flowers, always knowing exactly what would fit the season, the scenery, even your mood.
Now you had to do it yourself because your flowers were dying in your windowsill. Minghao wouldn’t be around to save them anytime soon. You never had much with flowers, but he loved it so you let him go crazy.
And honestly? Everything he put in there was gorgeous.
The thought tightened your chest. You nearly turned around and went home crying, but you pushed through the doors anyway.
You closed your umbrella and left it in the holder with the others. The smell of fresh flowers was all around you, and you recognised the daisies that were on your right. Observing them closely, tears welled in your eyes.
A stupid argument had completely escalated. An argument that you had a thousand times before, that led to nowhere, had made everything worse. When you thought about the way you started screaming at each other, the air punched out of your lungs. You’d never seen Minghao angry before – irritated at best – but you had ticked him off so badly that the vein in his neck visibly pulsed. The entire apartment complex could hear him, even though he switched to Chinese every few sentences.
Since that night, you hadn’t seen or spoken to him anymore. That was now two weeks ago and you were in a flower shop, looking as lost as you were. You were still not sure whether you were truly there to replace your dying flowers or if you didn’t know where else to go.
Strolling past the displays, you stopped in front of a bouquet of roses.
Minghao had often talked about them. Especially the pink and white flowers had always appealed to him and you’d never been able to pinpoint why. Just like many of his preferences, the mystery had left you wanting to know more. When you asked, you expected a very specific answer, something direct and tangible.
More often than not, he told you that some things didn’t need an explanation. It was a feeling you had and it left you with more questions than answers. You wanted things figured out, while Minghao was someone who could wait and see how things would go. ‘Go with the flow’, as he would’ve told you.
His flow didn’t exactly bring him back to you yet.
You headed into the back of the shop. Lavender, something you absolutely hated no matter how many times Minghao tried to introduce it to you. The smell was overbearing and overwhelming.
You turned back around, bumping right into a guy, guessing him to be around your age. Muttering a quick apology, you stepped out of the way, but he chuckled.
“I was actually here to help you,” he said and crossed his arms behind his back. “First time here?”
“Do I look that obviously out of place?”
He flashed a smile.
You clicked your tongue. “Alright. Loud and clear.”
The guy chuckled and started walking. “The actual reason is that I haven’t seen you around here. I would recognise you if you were a regular.”
“Ah.” You trailed after him. “My… um, my boyfriend comes here often. If anyone’s the regular, it’s him.”
He looked back at you and narrowed his eyes, scanning you up and down. “Your boyfriend…”
“I think.”
Mentally you were already strangling yourself for letting it slip out, but he ignored it to your surprise. You breathed out softly and stopped when he did.
“Is he broad and muscular?”
You couldn’t help but snort before composing yourself. You shook your head. “Sorry. No, he’s not.”
“Guessing by that reaction, he’s the opposite.”
“I wouldn’t describe him as ‘broad’, no.”
An amused smile decorated the man’s face. “Longer blond hair?”
Your stomach tingled. “As of recently, yes.”
“Oh, Minghao,” he cooed and clasped his hands together. “He would be laughing in my face if I told him that you were here.”
You tilted your head with a frown.
The man took you to the front of the shop, where you were admiring the daisies earlier. He grabbed a couple of white ones out of the bucket and turned around. “Minghao always comes here to pick out flowers for your house then, I assume, and he talks about you on many occasions.”
He walked to a couple of other buckets and picked some pink flowers. “I vividly remember him telling me that you would never be found here. Look at you now!”
You blinked a couple of times. It was the first time you ever saw him, but he was spewing information like he knew you better than you knew yourself, talking like he was catching up with an old friend.
With a weak nod, you looked at the flowers in his hand. “Minghao was completely right in saying that.”
“What brings you here?”
You looked at him, opening your mouth to say something before closing it. Shrugging, you shot him a small smile. “I don’t know, to be honest. It just felt right coming here.”
He returned the smile warmly before handing you the bouquet. “You made the right choice, then.”
The bouquet had been sitting in a vase in your kitchen for days. You’d been pondering over what to say to Minghao and how you were going to approach him in the first place. It was almost three weeks ago since your last contact and you were reaching your final straw.
When you called him, you got voicemail. Expecting him to call back, you left him be until a call would never come. Slowly, the empty feeling in your chest started filling up with a burning sensation, until you had enough.
You stood in front of his door with a hammering heart. The lock clicked and he peeked his head around the corner.
Minghao seemed surprised to see you as he opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you shrugged, pretending to think, “maybe trying to get back in touch with you so we can get this over with.”
He leaned against the door. “Okay, what do you have to say?”
“Why don’t you pick up when I try to call you?”
“Because I have a right to decline.”
Your eyes clouded over, piercing right through him.
Minghao shrugged, your name rolling off his lips so calmly, you got shivers. “You’re not even sure what you’re going to say.”
You crossed your arms and cocked your eyebrow. “I am.”
He repeated your gesture and straightened his posture. You hated that through all the anger, he still managed to make your heart skip a beat. His eyes still held a softness for you, and you know he was more than open to hear you out.
You were the one visiting him, after all.
“Well,” you started and cleared your throat, “I think it’s unfair of you to assume that I don’t know what to say.”
“Can you prove me wrong, though?” Minghao asked. “Whenever we’re arguing, you say the same thing in five different ways. And frankly, we never get it solved.”
Before you had a defence at the ready, he cut you off.
“I’m not going to do it, not like this.” Minghao offered you a small smile. “Figure out what you want first.”
“Minghao–”
He shut the door.
You stared at it, head spinning. You were angry, upset, hurt, disappointed and unable to ride out one. You wanted to pounce at the door and scream at him, but you wanted to cry in his arms all the same.
Instead you ended up back home.
The bouquet had withered by the time you decided to do something else than go to work, the rose petals that were still clinging on a faint brown. The rest of them were on the kitchen table drying up.
You shoved your hands into your pockets and walked the block, taking a left and walking straight into the city. You didn’t have a destination in mind, you just needed to catch some fresh air.
After a good month since your fight with Minghao, the flow hadn’t brought him back to you still. On the contrary, even. You had a feeling he drifted away from you if you didn’t do something soon.
In all your anger and confusion, you’d stood on his doorstep the night before. Once again, Minghao had opened the door and you even made it into his apartment. The conversation seemed to go well and you were making progress.
Until it was your turn to talk. The conversation had escalated once again and you left with the anger burning your chest to ashes. Everything that he’d said had fallen on deaf ears and you started to realise that the problem wasn’t with Minghao.
You pushed through the doors. The daisies on your right side were the first thing you smelled, a warmth wrapping around you like a comforting blanket. Since your last visit, not much had changed in their display. Some colours had been replaced or switched around to make it more appealing, but that was the biggest change you could find.
Bowing over the daisies, you inhaled.
“Look at that.”
You shot up and looked right in those mischievous eyes.
“Are you becoming a regular?” The same guy asked, arms crossed behind his back. His lips twisted into a grin. “Welcome back. I guess that you’re still a little clueless?”
“Yep.” You looked around before your eyes landed on him. “The last bouquet kind of died and I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.”
“I expected nothing less.” He beckoned you and started walking. “You’re around more than Minghao and that says a lot. Is something going on?”
You shrugged and crossed your arms over your body. “We’re kind of on a rough patch right now.”
He hummed and stopped by the counter, leaning on it as he watched his coworker helping someone else. “I think it’s very ironic that you find yourself here of all places.”
You looked at him with a tilted head.
“You’re not someone that cares much for flowers,” the guy started. “You’re okay with Minghao decorating your house with it because he loves it, but that’s all. And now you’re in a rough patch and where are you right now? A place that he loves more than you do.”
You hummed and looked away.
“What I’m trying to say is that you’re not here without a reason, you just need to know how to return the gesture to him.”
“Have you ever considered becoming a public speaker?”
The guy laughed. “Next to being a florist, I also offer free therapy sessions. Part of the job.” His chuckles eased into a smile. “You have no idea the things I’ve seen since working here. Flowers play a bigger role in people’s lives than you might assume.”
“I get why you and Minghao get along so well,” you remarked. “It’s like hearing him speak as we’re talking right now.”
“Like attracts like.” He winked and patted the counter. “I need to look over deliveries. Take a look around and call for me if you need me.”
You nodded and watched how he slid behind the counter and disappeared in the back. Walking back to the daisies, you kneeled down. They had all kinds of colours, blending into each other so seamlessly it made you smile.
The purple ones had been in your house before. You remembered getting a promotion at work, and telling Minghao was the most exciting part of the day. That same night, you had a small bouquet, which included the purple daisies.
You’d always assumed they were purple because it was your favourite colour, but it was the only time you’d seen them. Faded to the back of your mind, passing it off as something insignificant.
As if it had never mattered at all.
With a soft sigh, you came back up. You dusted your pants off and straightened your jacket. As you turned around, you bumped into someone.
“Did I look lost again?” You remarked with a chuckle. When you looked up, Minghao was staring right back at you.
You froze.
His eyes scanned you carefully, and you couldn’t help but drown in them.
“You do look kind of lost,” he finally said. “I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I saw you here.”
You shrugged weakly and crossed your arms over your body.
Minghao nodded at the buckets. “What were you looking at?”
Your eyes darted to the purple daisies.
“Ah,” he hummed and bowed down, picking one from the bucket. He observed it before giving it to you.
You took it carefully and held it to your chest.
“I know purple is your favourite colour.” He nodded his head at the flower. “That’s not what that daisy is about.”
You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”
Minghao placed a hand on the small of your back and guided you further into the shop. The touch was electric, lighting a flame that you thought had long died out. “Purple daisies resemble success, and admiration. When I put them in your living room, I was celebrating your promotion.”
He picked a pink flower. “Pink lilies bear the same meaning, and they were also in that same bouquet. Admiration and gratitude.”
You took the lily from him. “What flowers say ‘I’m sorry for everything, please forgive me?’”
Minghao stopped in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder.
You took a small step towards him. “I really am sorry, Hao. I don’t want you to feel undervalued, or misunderstood, and I hate myself for not realising earlier that that’s what this is all about.”
He turned around in full.
“You know,” you looked up at him with a small smile, “if I would’ve engaged earlier, be more open-minded like you’d tell me,” you nudged Minghao, making him chuckle. “I would’ve realised much sooner that it’s one of the most touching gestures someone has ever made for me. So that’s what I’ll try to do from now on.”
He smiled at you.
You caressed his cheek. “And hearing you spew these facts out like it’s breathing, it warms my heart, and it actually makes me excited to hear more.”
“I’m sorry too, my love,” Minghao muttered and leaned into your touch. “I’m very quick to jump to conclusions sometimes and it’s unfair to you especially since you need a little longer to gather your thoughts. I should’ve given you proper time and space to do so, instead of pushing the blame all on you.”
You wrapped your arms around his waist and rested your head on his chest. “We’ll work on this just fine, my love. I’m very sure of it.”
Minghao pressed a long kiss into your hair. “I love you so much, darling. So so much.”
You looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”
He kissed you so eagerly that the heat pooled in your stomach. His hands gripped your waist, nails dipping into your sides like you would disappear again. When you pulled him in closer, he chuckled against your lips.
You pouted when he pulled back.
“I came here to pick up my order,” he muttered. “I need to get back to work.”
“See you tonight?” You offered, to which he smiled.
“You have a key.”
You pressed one last kiss to his lips and watched him walking to the counter. He was talking to the same guy that had taken you under his wing.
As Minghao slipped past, he squeezed your waist. “Seungkwan wants to talk to you,” he whispered and kissed your temple. He rushed out of the door and disappeared around the corner.
You looked over at Seungkwan, who waved at you. With a chuckle, you walked over to him. “What could you possibly need me for?”
“Let’s make you a bouquet for Minghao,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you all I need to know.”
When you walked out of the shop with the bouquet, you were light as a feather. Your stomach tingled whenever you thought of how Minghao’s eyes would light up, how he would kiss you passionately that you melted in his arms. Since your fight, you hadn’t felt so excited to see him again.
You knew that he wouldn’t get off work for another hour and set out to his house. The bouquet rested in your hand as you twisted the lock, slipping in before any of his neighbours would see you.
As you looked around, there wasn’t a flower in sight.
The empty vases were lined up on the counter on a towel. They looked dried up and you had no trouble believing they’d been there for a couple of days. Purposeless.
You grabbed the vase that Minghao painted himself, tracing the dried streaks with a smile. You filled it with water and put it in, setting the vase on the saloon table in the living room. ‘A center piece’, Minghao had often told you. You hoped that this would meet his requirements.
Minghao had texted you about dinner, opting that he would get something on his way home. You agreed with a smile.
When you heard the lock clicking not much later, your heart jumped.
You rubbed your hands together and balanced from the front to the heel of your feet.
Minghao pushed the door back into its lock with his hip, the crackling of a plastic bag following him around. When he walked into the living room, he yelped.
Covering your mouth, you suppressed a giggle. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“What are you already doing here?” His eyes darted to the bouquet on the table and his lips twisted into a smile. “That wasn’t there before.”
“Happened to come with me,” you watched him set the bag down and observe it. “Seungkwan helped me. It’s not how the professionals do it, but–”
“It’s perfect.” Minghao looked back at you and opened his arms. “Come here, you.”
You walked right into his arms, inhaling his citrus, amber scent. You closed your eyes with a hum. “I missed you a lot, Hao.”
“I you too, my love.” He ran a hand through your hair before pressing a kiss to it. “Let’s eat before dinner gets cold.”
You peeked inside the bag curiously and smiled brightly. You grabbed the servings and sat down on the ground. “You know, why Seungkwan works in a flower shop is beyond me,” you said and opened the container.
Minghao chuckled. “He’s a talker, hm?”
“He is.” You put the other one in front of your boyfriend and grabbed a spoon and a pair of chopsticks. “A good one at that, though. Very convincing.”
“He’s helped me since the first time I set foot in that place,” he started and stirred his soup. “I just moved to the city and I wanted a good bouquet for my living room.”
“The center piece,” you said in unison.
Minghao looked at you with a smile before he continued. “He knows everything there is to know and I really formed some kind of friendship with him.”
“He’s a nice guy.” The broth you sipped from was an explosion of flavours, making you groan. “God, I missed this.”
“I thought I’d treat you.”
With a smile, you spent the rest of the dinner catching up with Minghao; work, your parents, your friends. For the first time it wasn’t silent, as if your relationship had completely reinvented itself.
As Minghao was at the counter cutting the branches of the flowers, you stood behind him, your arms wrapped around him. Your head rested against his back, your eyes closed. “If you cut them at an angle, they’re able to absorb more water,” he told you. “Your beautiful bouquet will stay alive for a very long time.”
You smiled. “I worked very hard on it.” You peeked up at him. “Can I tell you about the flowers?”
His smile grew. “I would love to hear it.”
“I picked the blue orchids first,” you said and looked out of the window. “I had never seen it before, but it’s a way to express that you think of someone as beautiful in a unique way. And Seungkwan told me it’s spiritual so naturally, I had to pick it.”
“Flattered.”
You grinned at him. “You should be.”
“And then you chose red lilies,” Minghao continued, followed by a sheer cut.
“I know it looks a little odd next to the orchid, but they’re a symbol of love. I thought a red rose was too standard, so Seungkwan showed me these.”
Minghao looked back at you. “You really put a lot of thought into this, didn’t you?”
“And I’m not even finished,” you said with a small smile, the heat flushing your cheeks. “I did pick white and pink roses because they made me think of you.”
He smiled and put the bouquet back into the vase as you let go of him. “Pink is joy and appreciation.”
“And white symbolises a fresh start,” you added. You pointed at the daffodils on the side. “Just like those, moving away and transforming.”
“And pink camellias because you missed me.” Minghao bumped your hip. “Sappy.”
You chuckled and bumped him back.
He draped an arm around your shoulder and locked you into his side. “Thank you. Truly.”
You stood on your toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll do anything for you.”
You finally regretted speaking that into existence when you found yourself in the flower shop again a couple of weeks later. Your eyes darted around before you looked back at Minghao. “Seriously?”
“You claim to know so much about this now,” he answered with a shrug. “I would love to see you make a bouquet for your own apartment.”
Shooting him a sweet smile, you traced his arm. “But aren’t you sad that you can’t do it for me anymore?”
“Nope.”
“Was worth a try.” You looked around again and your eyes landed on Seungkwan. When he looked back at you, his eyes lit up.
He came over hurriedly. “You finally got her here!”
You arched an eyebrow and turned to Minghao.
“We’re here for some pieces for her apartment,” he said and placed a hand on the small of your back. “She’s going to pick them out herself, as she’s claiming to have the hang of it.”
Seungkwan bobbed his head, his upper lip curved upwards like he was impressed. He remained where we stood and smiled. “What are you looking for?”
“Something for my kitchen,” you answered and frowned. “Why does this feel like a test?”
Behind you, Minghao chuckled. He pushed you forward gently and followed you to the daisies. “I told you she would go there first.”
Seungkwan chuckled and joined you at the front of the shop. Instead of walking after him, you navigated the shop like it was your second home. With a bright smile, you walked out of the shop with the bouquet and your boyfriend back by your side.
A place that you never thought you would ever step foot in had become like a second home in an oddly beautiful way. After your fight with Minghao, that very shop had brought you back to each other like no flow could. And this time, you wouldn’t drift away from each other anymore.
