~Noah~

I held the tiny hand in mine and guided the little girl to colour neatly in a flower printed on her book.

Flowers are the epitome of happiness and contentment.

From decorating a place of celebration to a child's colour book, from gifts on a happy occasion to a bride's hands as she walks down the aisle, flowers are everywhere where people are happy.

But flowers are there on the gravestones, where happiness doesn't even dare to lurk. They are there as a connection between the lost and the grieving.

I wish people were like flowers too; there when you're sad, there when you're glad.

~Ian~

I stood on the door with a bouquet of lilies in hand and a very confused face.

The delivery man said someone asked him to deliver it to our address. There was no note on them. They definitely weren't for me, I was a rude secluded person who had no admirer. I shoo-ed people away before they even tried to come close.

Could they be for mom?
I smiled at the thought.

I wanted it to be for her. She deserved people who actually cared for her, and wanted to make her happy.

Ever since my excuse of a father left us two months ago, she has been doing nothing but mourning, only occasionally acting childish, but that was just another attempt of her to seek happiness from a different means.

My parents weren't the happiest couple out there, they kept fighting over silly things and then grew distanced till dad decided to leave and enjoy his life with somebody else. Though mom wasn't enjoying her marriage either but she clearly hadn't expected this turn of events. I knew she has always loved him.

Love— a waste of emotions, just like watering a wilted crysanthemum.

***

Five blue hydrangeas stood graciously in the pot that sat in the middle of the dining table while I twirled the fork around my plate. Two more people sat on the table with me, but I was trying my best to ignore that fact.

I focussed on the flowers, on each and every petal decorated with whites on its edges that trailed down to the centre and began making their resemblance with a cauliflower.

"You could've atleast texted me once! How long does it take to text?"

"I couldn't take my phone out of the pocket in the middle of the discussion!"

"You're incredible."

I continued to watch the flowers while forcefully swallowing the salad down my throat as mom pushed out of her chair to storm out and my father let out a sigh.

***

I took the flowers inside and put them in a vase in the living room.

It was early morning eight o'clock and mom had left for the hospital an hour ago already.

I had to leave for my class at nine but my university was nearby so there wasn't any rush. I was studying Architecture, something I'd always dreamt of, after my dad who was an architect too.

It's funny how I idolized him since childhood, and now despised the mere thought of him.

I went to the bathroom, showered lazily and then collected my books and drove my Harley to the campus. I loved my bike. I liked it better than any car.

"How's it going Ian?" Came a voice from behind me as I parked the vehicle.

I turned around to face the most irritating human I had ever come across. He bounced like a kid with that creepy smile he always gave me and came closer. I hate clingy people. And this person right there was a whole new definition of clingy.

It was since the last few months that he had taken a sudden liking to me and he followed me whenever he saw me on campus. I did not even know his major, nor did I have the intentions of knowing. He changed tables in the cafeterias every day, bothered new people everyday. The worst part— he never cared to be subtle about his affection or his motives. 'Fuck me, Ian' he had once clearly mentioned in the male washroom in front of two other guys.

I thanked the heavens that this guy wasn't in any of my classes or college would've been a total nightmare.

"Flynn." I greeted with a sigh. He stepped closer and I stepped back. Then he came closer again and I had to step back again and it continued till he had me turning around and walking away as fast as I could.

He didn't stop chasing me though.

"Oh please Ian, stop denying your love for me!" he said from behind as I climbed up the stairs, grunting. The passersby had begun watching us with bemused eyes. Nothing unusual.

"Go away, Flynn." I warned turning my head to the side and casting him a glare but not stopping my feet.

"Flynn and Ian sitting in a tree..." he began singing.

Who sings that for themselves?! Oh yeah, Flynn.

"I swear if you continue singing that thing..." I turned around in the corridor and smiled in victory as I saw my class. My pace increased.

"Yeah baby walk away, you'll come back to me at night I say." he sung.

I froze just a couple of steps from the door of the classroom. What did he just say and why? I turned around to find the answers and faced the wickedly grinning skinny boy.

"What do you mean?" I said in a low, threatening voice. Nights were the only private time I had, the only time I let my guard down. I suddenly felt exposed and defensive.

"Well, don't you love it when you scream 'Forest, oh yeah, oh you're so good Forest!' " He mimicked, now coming dangerously close, with that grin etched onto his face.

I paled.

"Y-you're Forest?" I stuttered in a whisper.

A flashback of all the nights I had spent pleasuring myself to his words came to my mind; all the times I had moaned and groaned, wondering how amazing one could ever be in the art of seduction. It was this very boy. This very boy I had been avoiding all through my college life. And he had gotten to me, one way or the other. He had actually gotten to me.

"Mhmm..." he said and nodded, now putting his arms around my neck. I didnt move because the shock had paralysed me.

"Well, didn't you make the most extravagant love to me last night, Mr. CEO." he whispered the last part in my ear.

I shivered in utter disgust and pushed him off myself as he giggled in a terribly off-putting manner.

"Don't you dare come close to me. And don't text me again." I warned and he rolled his eyes.

"You're no fun." he pouted and tried to come closer again.

"Flynn." I growled, grasping his shoulder to get him to stop.

"Fine! You'll miss me then." He surrendered, crossing his arms and tilting his head. Just looking at him made me want to slap something.

"Sure." I replied and walked past him.

"When the chance comes, I'm going to grab it, Ian!" I heard his call fainting away.

~

When I came back home in the evening, I got to my homework the first thing. I had a lot of assignments to complete and for the first ever time, I was thankful. They helped me think of something other than the bizarre encounter with Flynn, who was apparently the man pleasuring me at nights since a few weeks.

The site I used for sexting had an algorithm for matching you with people living around you. But despite knowing that, I couldn't believe that out of all the queer people there could possibly be, I was paired with the guy I absolutely didn't want to be paired with.

My life felt screwed up.

After I was done with the college work, I drove to my gym for training the batches that came from six o'clock onwards. They were mostly middle aged ladies about my mom's age who never cared to be subtle about bending a little lower whenever I was nearby.

Sadly for them, I wasn't into older women.

I spent two hours training them and then took my leave at eight thirty, including the thirty minutes I spent in my own workout.

After I reached home, I got involved in the same routine of cooking dinner and waiting for mom. And when she arrived, I told her about the flowers.

I was sure they weren't from Flynn. He was just a guy looking for play and wasn't the romantic kind. But mom shrugged too, saying she couldn't think of anyone that could've send it to her.

For a moment I saw something flash in her eyes just like before but it was gone as soon as it had come. 'So there is someone she has in mind, hmm', I thought and chuckled inwardly. I was glad she was beginning to deviate her mind elsewhere.

Later, when mom and I had both gone to our rooms, I sat on my bed, letting boredom slowly engulf me. I didn't want to go back to my last routine of the day. I wanted nothing to do with that guy.

There were plenty of people out there who would love to be my submissives over a chat but none I had ever had before were as good as Forest. Or Flynn, whatever. As much as I cringed saying it, I was missing him. Not him in particular. I missed the feeling of beint pleased so dedicatedly. I missed making somebody else lose themselves to me. I missed the way he made me forget about everything.

I wanted that back. But if I texted him now, there was no chance that he was going to leave me alone at the campus and I didn't want that even in my sickest of dreams.

I lay in bed, contemplating. Should I or should I not give this one more chance? Should I go searching again? Will I be disappointed and frustrated once more? Or will I finally hit jackpot? I thought about it for a really long time and after a lot of grunting, sighing, making faces and punching pillows, I finally decided to set in search for another Forest.

A/N: Okay, so I lied :p Their story didn't completely connect here, but we can all imagine who the next Forest is going to be...So there.

Happy reading!