Our Hearts Collided (MxM)

Prologue

A/N: Thanks for your patience and continued support <3 feel free to share your thoughts.

Third Person POV

The flowers hardly had a chance to wilt by the time Vince arrived. Occasionally, a petal or leaf would fall, but they remained vibrant and full of life, for the most part, a result of Vince's weekly visits since Simon had left. Vince had made it a ritual to care for the garden and keep it pristine. He'd clip flowers and arrange bouquets with Helen from across the street before walking over and spending his Sundays in the garden.

The garden had been flourishing, as well as Vince's self-reflection. Along with his sessions with Chase, Vince was starting to see a change in himself. Relief, almost free of the burden of being weighed down by his self-critical thoughts. Of course, they weren't completely gone, but Vince was working on it. He owed his progress to the garden as well.

The longer he stayed and shared his heart out, the freer Vince felt. With the sky as clear as today, and the slight wind from the mountains, Vince could almost smell it; Simon's scent. And when he read his letter, his eyes tracing every hand-written word, Simon's voice seemed to whisper in his ear. If Vince were lucky, he'd sometimes picture Simon by his side, the ghost-like presence of their once joined hands. If he shut his eyes, he remembered how warm they felt in his, the reassurance they brought as their fingers interlaced.

It was days like this that Vince reflected the most; days he savored, no matter how much it hurt. Simon was still here, in spirit. Vince knew he should've called, should've reached out, or even visited him in person, but the wounds were still raw. As Simon wrote in his letter, Vince needed more time. He needed to forgive himself and be the best version of himself. Vince still had room to grow and still had things he needed to address before considering seeing Simon with the composure and dignity he deserved.

He owed Simon that much, at the least.

Vince took his time watering the flowerbeds and cleaning up any dead flowers or trash others left behind. He saved reading his letters aloud for last before placing them in a box near Simon's stone. Each letter Vince wrote, he learned a little more about his feelings, thoughts, and complicated emotions. Like journal entries, Chase had called it a series of letters for Vince to help get it all out, and it worked.

After reading this week's letter, Vince set it down, taking in the sight of the garden and reflecting on his past actions. His phone buzzed, distracting him from his moment of introspection. Aspen's name flashed on the screen.

"It's happening." Aspen's panicked voice breathed over the line. "The baby's coming, and I'm freaking out."

"Isn't this too early?"

Aspen let out a nervous breath. "Yeah, he wasn't supposed to be born for another month."

"Shit, I'll be there," Vince replied before standing up. "If you still want me to be there..."

"Of course, Sarah insisted."

"Alright." Vince waited for Aspen to hang up before looking back down at the growing collection of flowers, cards, and gifts. He had taken a liking to organize the pile, occasionally collecting them in a box to store under the shelter of the packhouse. Vince would often change out the flowers others left, cleaned up any of the trash that flew into the yard, or even pruned the hedges and flowers near the other stones. With the supplies from Helen across the street, Vince had even helped paint the fence and benches, reinforced the pathway, and scrubbed the stones like new.

It was the least he could do, Vince believed.

He took a long last look at the memorial garden before walking to the pack hospital. Since the changes in regulations and rules Xavier established, the pack clinic had expanded. This included more beds, and equipment had been installed to accommodate the influx of rogues initiated.