PAST

Orion called him Petal Boy the first time they met and Jasper with Soda Boy. That is how their friendship began. Franta enjoyed puns, Jasper enjoyed a friend that wouldn't question everything he did, and that is how their friendship escalated to a brotherhood.

It began with Orion sitting next to Jasper in Art their first day in freshman year, the latter boy fuming and biting into his apple ferociously. "Hey, Petal Boy, did your rose finally drop you or something?"

"What?" Jasper said, turning his head to Orion with narrowed eyes. "What are you talking about, Franta?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," Orion scoffed, throwing a look to the blonde. "That redhead that you're always throwing words around with, going at each other like savages. Rose something. What did she do this time? Clip you off? Tell you to get a life without being attached to her?"

"Look, Soda Boy," hissed Jasper, forgetting about his apple, redirecting his anger to this loud mouthed kid that clearly had no idea what he was talking about, "mind your own business, okay? Don't blow a can or something."

"Cute," Orion chuckled, "Haven't heard that one before. 'Sides, it's my business when you're biting into an apple so aggressively that you spray apple juice onto me."

He'd put up his sleeves to show the darkened stains of juice trailing his arm, leaving Jasper to widen his eyes, full moons staring at his mess. "Crap. Wow. What the hell, I didn't even notice, man. Sorry."

Orion shrugged, putting his arm down. "S'ok. I can't say I like getting your spit on me — don't swing that way, dude — but if we're going to have this on a reoccurring basis, might as well tell me if I should get a new seating plan."

Jasper bit into his lip when Orion asked in an indirect way of 'what's wrong?'. "Well, it's nothing. But you know Rozes, right?"

"The girl who you're always lashing out with?"

"Shut up. I do not lash out."

"Do you hear the words that come out of your mouth and cringe? Because of how pathetic they sound as you lie? I mean, you sound like a boy going through puberty — you better hope it's hitting you still — but even that's upsetting."

"Do you want to hear why I'm mad or not?" snapped Jasper and slouched further in his seat. When Orion gave him an amused smile but remained quiet, Jasper continued. "Well, we were fighting about the new construction they're doing outside. You know the one in the fields?"

"Where the old garden is?" guessed Orion correctly.

Jasper nodded. "Yeah, well, she wants them not to continue with it because that's where the gardening club meets — they're such geeks, honestly — and we ended up arguing about it. Long story short, she's convincing them on not making it happen." Jasper growls, low and thundering. "She's so freaking infuriating!"

"That's it?" Jasper whipped his to glare at Orion, bewildered. "I mean, yeah, that sucks, but they're most likely going to have to do a compromise. One girl can't just stop a major production from happening without any solid reason. Stop freaking out, man."

"Whatever, you wouldn't understand," said Jasper.

"I heard you guys, you know," Orion said nonchalantly, internally grinned when Jasper accidentally slammed his leg on his desk. "I think everyone did."

"What are you talking about?" gritted out Jasper, rubbing his sore leg.

Orion smirked, then crossed his arms. "Dude, you could have just told me that Rozes called you 'an insufferable idiot that couldn't ever appreciate anything and that's why no girl likes you' and I would have dropped this right away."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." But there was no conviction behind Jasper's words as he sulked.

"Look," Orion started, "suck it up. We can all see you'll probably end up together in four years — don't stare at me like I said you have an STD, Christ — so just eat your apple like a normal human being, okay, Petal Boy?"

"I hate you," Jasper said, biting into his forgotten apple, but Orion caught Petal Boy's eyes and saw a type of glitter that enticed him, a flicker of something supernatural. And like his namesake, he is the constellation's hunter. He liked a good hunt, and he didn't mind helping his new friend with this prize.

"I'm Orion Franta," introduced Orion, "and you're Jasper Eden, right? Don't worry, kid, I'll help you with your garden of Eden. On one condition."

"I'm really scared to ask."

"Then don't," Orion smiled, his rectangular smile stretching the corners of his lips wide and met from one galaxy to another. "You make sure we end up getting that construction for the new nets and basketball area up and going. Your lover doesn't need the balls as much as you do."

____________________

PRESENT

Jasper stares at the flowers the florist recites off of memory, the woman not realizing her new customer lacked the fascination for botany like she did. "And here is the—"

       "—fifty-sixth plant that he didn't really come here for?" Orion interjects helpfully, earning a scornful look from the heavy woman, and a grateful glance from Jasper. "Ms. Wondy, we're really grateful and all. It's just..."

"It's Wendy, young boy," the older woman says, condescension leaking words. "And I'm sorry I was boring you. But you haven't exactly told me what you wanted and I was just trying to help."

Well, you haven't exactly given me a breather to tell you. Jasper rubs the skin between his eyebrows hard, trying to ease his annoyance. "Well, I kind of wanted red roses, if we're going to listen to my input."

"Thank God," Orion says as the woman left to check if they had any in stock in the back, "I can't even hate you for waiting so long to tell her. Does that woman breathe?"

"If she told me another type of violet flower, I was going to use one of the thorn cutters to slice my throat," Jasper moans quietly. "Snip, snip, bye, Jasper."

Wendy appears right after Jasper mimics cutting his throat. Jasper quickly hides his fingers by pushing them through his hair and misses Orion saying, quietly under his breath, "The only Veeolet's I'm interested in aren't here."

"We do have a bouquet of roses in stock," the woman informs them, "but as it is Valentine's day, we're running short on red ones. We do have a few other colours, however."

"I wanted red. You have no red ones?"

"Boy, you're too young to have hearing aids, aren't you?"

"Great," Orion blows out air, avoiding to lean against a precarious assortment of flowers, "Jasper, I think you just like wasting my time in these places. Why couldn't you just get a teddy bear? There was a two for one special, man."

"I will use the thorn clipper on you if you don't shut up," Jasper retorts at the side of his mouth, "Miss, what colours do you have?"

"We have white and black?" offers the lady, but Jasper purses his lips, shaking his head.

"No, it's fine, thank you," Jasper sighs, before gesturing for Orion to follow him. "I think I have another idea."

"If you're telling me we're going shopping again..."

"We're going shopping again."

"I was going to follow that threat with, 'I'm not coming unless you're searching for coffins' but I think I'll just do that by myself."

"I'll give you two teddy bears."

"... I'm buying them matching coffin sets."

____________________

PAST

Jasper wasn't certain when the hurtful words Rozes and him sparred turned into something a little more than a burning in his heart to a burning in his stomach, from a pain in her poisoned words to a gutting addiction in hearing her voice; that is the problem with addictions — they are so beautiful, so easy to fall in their security, that when they dig themselves deeper into the bones of your body, the ink in your mind, it's already too late.

Rozes is Jasper's addiction — and he didn't know whether he could remedy himself from her.

"You seriously can't expect me to think you made this?" said Rozes, her mouth slightly agape as she noticed the intricate way Jasper's hands moved, at a type of agile speed that seemed to cut through space and time.

"You're watching me, aren't you?" Jasper said simply, his fingers pushing back the blonde bangs that kept getting in his eyes, before his hands went back to the construction paper in his hands. "What? Why are you so impressed? Surprised I'm not messing something up?"

"Exactly," Rozes murmured, though she doesn't catch the stunned smile Jasper sported, her eyes too focused on the precision of his hands. "How do your fingers move that fast? It's..."

"Beautiful? Perfect? Impressive?"

"... So unlike you."

"It's not exactly a compliment, but I guess it counts." Jasper sent her a shy smile, before turning back to the paper he'd twisted. "Here."

"What—" Jasper thrusted his paper creation into her hands before she could object, a moment of sincere understanding passing through them.

Rozes played around with the red paper heart in her hands, raising an eyebrow at the sirens doting Jasper's cheeks.

He cleared his throat before she could open her mouth. "I was going to give it to my grandma because she's the one who taught me how to make origami and since it's Valentine's day. But I guess you can have it. Now you have a total of one heart with you!"

"Jerk," she sneered, but it is without malice; teasing, almost, if Jasper vouched for the fact that she hadn't hit his arm with her pricking nails (thorns that suit her).

She nodded at him, tucked the paper heart in her book bag (it's never not on her), and gave Jasper a type of timid smile that should not indicate as more (their platonic relationship should really just be a grey scale) but it does. "You want to teach me?"

"I would, but I don't have the patience for slow learners," taunted Jasper. He doesn't know why he felt like there was a burning sensation in his gut, as if he ate soil and dirt and rocks, and he needed to turn it back around, make their world black and white again.

Her smile disappeared. "Jerk."

And things didn't really change after that. They jabbed and poked and rubbed each other off in all sorts of cruel ways — their ways. But even then, Jasper felt the solid plates of his body gradually shift to try to and overcome the empty space in his chest because he, like the idiot she called him, gave her more than just a paper heart.

___________________

PRESENT

Jasper unloads the crinkled rolls of red paper onto his bed, getting straight to work at separating the green tin foil and tucking in his BTS fanboy shirt into his trousers. His mind is already formulating the numbers and the measurements that he'll need to create what he has thought of, sitting down in his chair and thoughtfully looking out at the art supplies he'd laid out in front of him.

"So. What should I do?"

Jasper is so caught up in his head (60*? will that be enough? How about...) that he doesn't hear Orion's question. They're both lounging in Jasper's garage, Orion sitting on one of the bean bags to the left of Jasper's work desk.

After a few beats of silence following Orion's question, he repeats it. "Jasper. What should I do?"

"Hm?" Jasper hums, his attention snapping towards his friend. "Oh, yeah. Forgot you were there."

"You're the best 'best friend' there is," Orion grumbles. "Glad to let you know you finally acknowledged my wonderful presence. Now what the heck should I do?"

"I don't know, just don't break anything."

"Just to spite you, I'm dropping this expensive looking thingy —crap, don't fal— heh, let's pretend like that didn't happen."

"Orion, I swear to God..."

"Look," Orion cuts him off. "I didn't follow you all around today just so you would end up blowing me off the last second. I get it, you want to do something for Queen FD, ruler of the female dogs, but I'd really like to do something."

"What do you want to do?" Jasper asks, throwing out his hands in front of him.

Orion lets his knees angle towards the ceiling, his large frame squished on the floor, and leans back. "I kind of want to know how to make a flower. It seems pretty cool."

"You want to learn how to make a rose? I thought you were Mr. Manly Man."

Orion shakes his head. "No, I have blue construction paper. Can you teach me how to make a different flower? Like, I don't know—"

"A violet?" Jasper teases lightly, already back to the plastic wrapping in his hand.

"Yeah, actually."

There's an audible crash as Jasper drops the construction paper on the floor, a screeching sound of wheels stretched over the ground as Jasper rushes his chair over to Orion. Orion jumps at the gaping image of his best friend. "What the actual f—"

"It's her, isn't it?"

"I'm handsome, not a mind reader."

"I knew it!" Jasper pokes Orion with his scissors, earning an angry look from the boy in question. "I knew you liked her! You bloody rascal, making fun of me when you're worse than I am!"

"There's nobody worse than a boy who went to five different stores to get a gift for a girl who kind of hates his guts," says Orion, trying to push Jasper away from his personal space.

Jasper ignores his words, already laughing. "I can't believe I didn't notice it. You're so lame. You're even as lame as I am, at this point."

"Would you shut up?" Orion says, squirming. "Okay, fine, you caught me. Now would you teach me or not?"

"Roses and violets, huh, Soda Boy?" Jasper clucks his tongue. "Are you going to be called Petal Boy, too?"

"I'm tempted to use those scissors on you," Orion threatens, throwing a punch that Jasper dodges on his way to his desk. "I should have just gotten the teddy bears."

"Veeolet's does have a soft spot for bears, right?" Jasper yelps as a shoe hits his shoulder. "Okay, got it. Now are you going to watch this or not?"

"I totally should've just got the teddy bear," sighs Orion, though he still gets up to watch Jasper's skillful fingers conjure because humans are created to create.

And sometimes, our creations are pretty damn beautiful.

______________________

PAST

Rozes threw away her botany book during lunch, and Jasper pretended not to notice her flutter away quietly (or the rain tormenting her cheeks). He knew that she didn't notice him sitting at the table right near where she angrily shoved the papers down, didn't notice him when she ripped a few of the pages for good measures as he talked with a handful of his friends that were as oblivious as he acted he was.

So engrossed in her own emotions, that flew around her like drizzles and hurricanes and tsunamis, she didn't notice him excusing himself from his friends to quietly follow her, because she was a normal sixteen year old teenager that is just so bloody confused sometimes. 

She did notice him, however, when she slid down the wall in one of the secluded hallways in their huge school, could sense the intense gaze he had on her as she crossed her legs and stared the other way. "W-what do you want?"

Jasper was a good actor, he'd been told, so he pretended he couldn't hear the stammer in her words, so unlike her usual boldness. Rozes was a good actor, too, so she pretended like he really hadn't heard her hiccup.

Jasper slid down beside her, not speaking a word, knowing she just needed the silence. Even misery needed company.

They sit in silence for what feels like hours, filled with tension and a couple hiccups and sniffles both don't really focus on, until broken by Rozes's cracking voice. "Why are you here?"

Jasper still remained silent, his blue eyes penetrating the floor they shared. She started to feel her sorrow into anger, a stifling suffocation of heat because he wouldn't talk. "Are you deaf?" she wanted to shout, but instead settled for a, "Answer my question, you asshole," hoping he didn't notice the way she was cracking (her plant is rotting, really).

He did, though. He noticed a lot. "Why are you here?"

"You can't just answer my question with a question, you-you dolt! You're so infuriating! I didn't even ask you anything rhetorical!" she did shout this time, even hit his arm in a way she knew would bruise and she wanted it to bruise because he needed to hurt like she did.

"You didn't answer mine, either," he told her, and she finds comfort in his smartass comments. When her lips are still tightly sealed, though her eyes were drier, he added hastily, "I mean, you don't have to. We can just sit here in silence, if that will make you feel better."

"They're getting rid of the gardening club," she said suddenly, and barrows on without letting the words register in his head. "And they're making sure to do the construction on one of the other parks that I campaigned for not to have, and my parents keep telling me that my life to become a florist is stupid and disgusting and you know, I'm starting to think maybe they're actually right."

She breathed here, before realization settled and made her blanch. "Shish kabob's, wait, I wasn't supposed to ramble like that, I'm sorry, dammit."

Jasper let her blabber a little before having placed a placating hand to make her stop. "Planting isn't stupid. You're not stupid. I mean, occasionally..."

"Still a jerk, Jasper," she said.

"And if you like something like you do, you should continue doing it," he told her firmly and shoulder but hers. "You're great at science and you like planting. And your other campaigns usually do work, so you shouldn't be so mad at yourself. You're not stupid. And as much as I tell you it is, neither is your planting. Now will you stop crying? Because it's really awkward."

"That's not exactly a consolidation, but I guess it counts." Jasper smiled at her words, and nodded. "Okay, I guess I'm being a little drastic, but what am I supposed to do now? If I don't have a gardening club or any projects, how the heck do I even work on anything?"

"Hey, chill out," Jasper said gently, trying to rein her in from the bubbling hysteria that seemed to rush through her. "You'll figure something out. Make your own projects or something."

Rozes sniffled. "How do I just create a project?"

Jasper shrugged, not really unconfident but not really vain. Assured, maybe. "I'm pretty sure you can pretty much do anything. Including getting up and heading to the girls washroom to get yourself together for third period which starts," Jasper checked his watch, "in ten minutes."

Jasper stood up and offered a hand to Rozes. "You can do anything, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"You're Rozes Amor. There isn't anything you can't do."

Like making me fall in love with you when I really should know better.

_________________________________________

PRESENT

Jasper tugs at the red tie he paired with some random plain shirt (he was classy, not stuffy!) and picks at the pocket of his snug, black jeans. He breathes a little (plants made air, not humans) and closes the door to the car he jumped out of.

"Don't sound too insufferable and you'll do fine!" says Orion cheerfully from his position in the driver's seat, talking through the open window. "I know it'll take work, but your whole life has practically prepared you for this moment!"

"You're really not helping me out here," Jasper hisses, throwing a dark look to Orion, his hands already feeling like they were holding the weight of an elephant (or an Orion).

"You'll do fine, Petal Boy. Now go and meet your flower." Winking, Orion revs the engine (to go meet his own flower, maybe) and leaves a contemplating Jasper at the steps of the one house he never really thought he'd ever end up at.

"Yeah, Petal Boy," Jasper says to himself. "You'll do fine."

Then adds, "I might as well be a criminal if I keep lying like this."

Sighing, because this could go either really, really well or really, really bad (he's hoping for the former), he forces himself to walk the steps up to the house, ignoring the roots that begin pulling him down. He ignores the pricks of thorns that seems to dig into his skin, ignores the scratches he earns as he makes his way up, because sometimes, the beauty is worth it.

There are a few moments when he wonders if his heart is being devoured by the darkness when nobody answers the door, but then it retreats because he's a really emotional sap and today is Valentine's day, but she's standing in front of him and he can't bring himself to give a damn.

"Hi," he says, and he wonders if she always made him feel this unintelligible.

"Yes?" and she sounds about as breathless as he does, but it's probably because his ears are ringing. "Are you okay? Why are you here?"

"Um, uh, Rozes," he gives up on trying to explain, knowing words usually mess him up, so he brings out the bouquet instead. "These are for you."

"You brought me roses? Seriously?"

"Rozes, c'mon! You can't tell me it's not brilliant!"

Rozes raises an eyebrow, before turning toward the boy who handed her paper roses that makes her feel beautiful, makes her feel like a rose. But she needs to hear him say it. "Any specific reason why?"

"Well, today is Valentine's day, and, you know," he stumbles over his words, and Roses feels pity.

"Yeah, anything you want to say to me?" She is dressed in red (and it is not the colour of blood, it is the colour of hope) and she is so beautiful, so ready and eager and waiting for Jasper to speak that he still can't stop blanking out.

"Be Valentine. Mine."

"Really, Jasper?"

"Oh, bloody hell... I should just bugger off, right?"

"I don't know," Rozes says, and Jasper feels the red in his chest expand, "But for the measure, I think I will be, thanks."

•∞•

No new content, just reshuffling parts of the story to seem more organized!