Alone {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Petals

A/N: This is a oneshot; more explanation on the matter at the end <3

Prompt: "His lips were P E T A L S of flame against the icy fingers of his lost love."

Han Jisung sighed, sliding onto the barstool just as the storm began to pour down outside the quiet tavern. "The usual?" He looked up, smiling brightly and nodding at the bartender who had approached him from the other side of the counter.

The middle aged man left to go prepare the simple drink the blonde ordered every time he stopped by on Fridays. He'd never taken a liking to alcohol until after he'd lost the one person that kept him sane. After a long week of working his nine to five shift, he deserved the blissful release burning whiskey provided him.

He sighed, his mood immediately dampening. It happened every time; he arrived happy, only for that cheerfulness about him to drain away until his mind got hazy and he forgot about him. Was it possible to still love someone after years of contactless-ness? Ten years ago, his answer would've been a definite no.

It almost seemed that fate was laughing in his face, because there he was, a decade after a fruitless summer-love, aged twenty-six, his heart still solely beating for Lee Minho. If he focused hard enough, he could still feel the ghost-like touches across his skin, or the peppering of kisses on his lips, or hear the quirky laugh he'd taken for granted.

He chuckled humourlessly, staring at the glass he hadn't even noticed arrive. He probably forgot about me already, married to some rich girl and doing just fine without me.

And that thought hurt, because no matter how well he pretended, Jisung wasn't doing just fine without Minho. There had always a part of him that had wondered what could've been if he hadn't been torn away from Minho after that wonderful, beautiful, short summer. That very same part of him that plagued his every waking moment also loathed the people who'd forced him away.

What right did they have to take something so pure, and crush it under the sole of their boot? His knuckles turned white from how hard he'd been clenching his fists, and he forced himself to relax, picking up the glass and downing it in one go.

He raised his hand to signal for another. He let out a quiet sigh, his hand slipped into his collar, gently tugging the ring laced through a thin metal chain-necklace into view. He rolled it around in his hand, smiling softly.

"You know, kid, it isn't really my place to say, but... you're only hurting yourself by standing still." Jisung knew exactly what he meant, and his smile became strained. He'd ranted once too many times to the bartender in a drunken stupor. "Thanks, but... it isn't that easy." How could he possibly tell his heart to forget what had so carefully become engraved in it?

He sometimes wished he could stop loving Minho, because it hurt every day to know that he'd never be able to hold him in his arms, or see his smile, or kiss him ever again. He wished for it so hard.

His friend had all thought him to be ridiculous when he'd claimed to be in love with Minho – despite the short time they'd known one another, it was true love. Jisung knew that, and he had enough proof ten years later to back him up.

Tears began to well in his eyes, and he chugged his second cup, and his third, and his fourth, and his fifth. He was becoming light-headed and a little woozy just as the storm hit full-throttle, lightning bolting through the sky accompanied by its late partner.

The small bell attached to the door could barely be heard over the pounding of rain on the roof of the small building. Someone shuffled behind him, and he continued to think as much as his intoxicated brain could handle, mindlessly playing with his necklace.

"Jisung?" He lifted his head, surveying the area, when his eyes landed on a soaked figure standing a few feet behind him. "Damn, I've never hallucinated before," he mumbled, lifting his hand to ask for another cup, because clearly, he hadn't fallen into obliviousness yet.

Cold fingers wrapped around his own, slowly bringing his hand back down again. "Jisung?" Minho repeated again, his eyes cloudy with tears. His eyes landed on the necklace messily dropped around the younger's neck, and a small sob left him.

His shaking hands rose to caress the blonde's cheeks in a familiar gesture that neither of them had forgotten. Any blissful haze that had coated his mind had evaporated, and his eyes widened in the realization that Minho was standing in front of him.

"Jisung," the brunet whispered, desperately trying to reel in the tears he knew were coming. Jisung felt the air get knocked out of his lungs as he spluttered, sliding off of his stool and nearly falling to the ground because of how weak his knees had become.

Minho caught him, although he was hesitant; it had been ten years, and just because he hadn't moved on, didn't mean that Jisung hadn't either. They stared at each other for a few intense moments, when Jisung suddenly became annoyed with the silence.

"Just kiss me already," he whispered, and when Minho's face grew red as it always had when he acted more forward than the older himself, he took initiative, cupping his face and crashing their lips together.

He could still feel the warmth of the whiskey in his mouth, and everything was amplified by the heat that sparked through his body when they finally kissed after so long; his lips were like petals of flame against the icy fingers of his lost love.

As soon as they pulled away, a few tears left Jisung's pale eyes. "I looked, God, I looked," he sobbed suddenly, bringing his head down to rest in the crook of Minho's neck, if anything to hide the fact that he was crying.

"I know," Minho's voice cracked as he brought his hand to caress the back of his head, the other resting on Jisung's waist in a passionate embrace. "I tried to escape, so, so many times. But they... they flew me to America, and I couldn't get back to you."

"And you're... you're back? For good?" When Minho nodded, Jisung felt a part of him come alive, dulling the pain more than alcohol ever had. "I love you so much," he stated, never more sure of anything else in his life. Minho grinned, dusting some of Jisung's bangs away from his face. "I love you, too."

Maybe their summer had been short-lived, but now the winter had passed, and they were ready to ride off into the spring's sunset.

A/N: WHAT KIND OF CHEESY GROSS ENDING IS THAT?!

Anyways, not proofread, I just needed to write something to get my writer's block for this book to gET OUT DA WAY (sorry, not really). So, as you've probably figured I haven't been able to write at all, all week due to school (ew), and now that I finally have the time, writer's block decided to screw me over.

So if I get writer's block, I'll just write random, short little oneshots based off of prompts that I find on Google. If you don't like me posting them here randomly when I write them, feel free to tell me and if the majority of you don't like it I'll stop!

I just felt bad not being able to give you guys any content even after a week so...

Have a nice night!