Love (And Other Difficulties)

Neighbors (Taiyang Xiao Long)

"Look, homegrown! Just for you."

You find a bushel of wonderful smelling flowers directly in your face, and you happily take the bouquet, appreciating the work Taiyang had put in to creating it. He had wrapped it all up rather nicely, but some of the sunflowers inside had begun to turn an unhealthy brown. You know he'd been working on his gardening skills lately, but it looked like he might still have a few things to learn.

"They look a little... dead inside, Tai."

"Ah, well, I tried, right?" He laughs it off, and you know then that this was only an excuse to come see you.

It wasn't unusual for Taiyang to make the stroll to your house, especially now that both his children were in Beacon. He said he suddenly found himself with a lot more free time without the girls around, but you had a feeling he came over so often because he was worried about them and what they were getting into while away. He wasn't a helicopter parent by any means, nor did he think his daughters were weak, but sometimes he couldn't help himself. Sometimes, the loneliness of an empty house creeped in, too, and he had admitted you were good company to have.

You tried to ease his fears as much as you could, or at least provide a distraction.

"What's on your mind?"

"You've always been able to read me like a book, haven't you?"

Taiyang takes a seat beside you on the bench positioned outside your house, where it faced an almost endless forest of green trees and silence. He'd sat next to you on this bench so many times before you don't know why recently, it's made you nervous. You notice how close he sits to you despite there being plenty of room, you notice his shoulder brushing against yours, and you notice how his hand is mere centimeters from your thigh.

You didn't know if there was something more between you, and you were afraid to touch the sensitive topic. He'd deeply loved two women in his life, and he had two daughters who he also loved; you tried not to be a fool and use that as an excuse to not act on your feelings, but at the same time you couldn't help but convince yourself there's no room for you in his life. Considering the fact the man visited you daily, and had once told Qrow you were beautiful while in a drunken state, you'd think you'd rationalize he might have feelings for you, too.

But could Qrow be trusted on such things? Could Taiyang's drunken words mean something?

'Wouldn't it be nice to take a chance?' A voice inside you whispers, 'Wouldn't happiness and love be worth it to put yourself in an uncomfortable position?'

'Not if I lose his friendship,' You combat the thought, unwilling to accept the notion that something positive could come from a confession, 'Not if I lose him because of it.'

So you sit there and listen, thankful for Taiyang's friendship, thankful for his flowers, thankful for his company, and thankful for his place in your life. If only you could gather the courage to aim for something more.