Dear Taehyung, (MxM)

17: Penicillin

[Luccia POV]

I hum to myself as I carry a potted sunflower inside. It was getting close to closing time but no one usually comes to my beautiful little flower shop at night. As I bend down to pick up another pot I spot a small ladybug and it crawls from the leaf to the tip of my finger.

"Well, it looks like it's just you and me little guy," I whisper, listening to the hum of the city where millions of people reside yet feeling so alone.

I pick up the potted sunflower only to hit with such a force that I'm knocked over while trying to stand. I cry out as the clay pot crashes onto the sidewalk, shattering into pieces of clay mixed with dirt.

"Oh god, I am so sorry, here let me help you." A man says in the dark and bends down on the sidewalk to help pick up the bigger pieces.

"No, it's alright sir. I've got..." I recognized the deep voice the moment I heard it and slowly looked up. Matching the voice to a person I never thought I'd see again.

"Alejandro?" He looks up when I say his name and I gasp. His lip was badly cut and his face was badly beaten, and his eye looked like a black and blue balloon.

"Lulu? I haven't seen you in years!" He smiles but retracts it in pain. I drop the pieces of pottery and grab his hands to pull him inside the shop.

***

"Ali, What happened to you?" I ask and in the light, his face looks ten times worse.

"Ah, I was just...mugged and got a little roughed up in the process. It's not a big deal really," He shrugs it off and I go into the freezer grabbing an ice pack before crossing to the desk to retrieve the first aid kit and a clean towel. The blood was fresh and still dribbling from his bottom lip.

"No, Lulu you don't have to do this. I'm sorry if I bothered you. I'm fine! Really..." he tries to reject my help and softly push me away but I force him to sit down and smack him with the ice pack.

No one says no to me.

"Clearly you're not fine so stop lying. I'm only trying to help you. God, you're still just as stubborn," I chuckle and he takes the pack from me, breathing a sigh of relief as he presses it against his cheek.

"Thank you," he says in a soft tone. His dark green eyes closing as he applies more pressure. I wet the towel in the sink, then walk over to the door and change the sign to closed.

"I hope you got in at least a few good punches," I say as I wring out the extra water from towel and douse it in alcohol.

"Ah, yeah. I like to think I did. But clearly, I should stick to fighting with words instead of fists." he says and winces as I press the warm towel to his lip, trying to soak up the blood and clean it.

I was so focused I didn't realize he was staring at me with a glint in his eyes. As soon as I catch him he looks away and when I finish cleaning I take a different warm dry towel and press it to his lip.

"How is it that after five years you're still just as beautiful as the last time I saw you?" He asks and I tilt my head a little. Debating in my head as to how I should react when my ex-boyfriend tries to flirt with me.

"How is it that after five years you still behave exactly the same?" I respond and feel naturally drawn to him all over again.

"I mean I like to think I've matured at least a little bit," He laughs and I take this as my opportunity to pull away before I get sucked into those beautiful green eyes again. He catches me though and seems hurt.

"Oh? Sorry did I do something to make you uncomfortable." He sits up in the chair.

"No you're fine I just um. Needed to finish closing up shop," I tell him as I go back outside to pull in more sunflowers.

"Oh, I can leave. Thank you for your help," he says as he gets up,

"No! I mean...you don't have to." I tell him, slipping a little too much excitement into the no.

"I mean...It's usually just me here and it get's pretty lonely." I admit, he smiles and sits back down again.

And doesn't leave until the following morning.