The Scent of Love

Steven stands in front of a flower display, tending to them as he thinks of how he will arrange the store in the near future. Having worked at The Flowers Scent for close to six years now meant he was in line to taking over the business once his boss Terry, the current owner, retired next month. The two had run the shop perfectly since he started and it was only a matter of time until the paperwork went through. At least it would, were it not for Terry's insufferable nephew Fred. His only living relative after his younger sister passed due to a drunk driver. Being his only living relative meant he was next to inherit the business should Terry not pass it on to someone else. Fred wanted nothing to do with the flower shop, he just wanted to renovate the building and open up another loaning business.

"That's it for you, fellas. Can't have you drown on me." Steven chuckles. He always felt more comfortable talking to the flowers then people. Strange as it may seem, but he was fine with it.

"You know, if you turn that chatty self of yours towards our customers--." Steven turns towards the office behind the counter where Terry was leaning against, a small smile on his face. "--you'd be making a heck of a lot more sales."

"Probably. But then, who would talk with the flowers?" Steven joins Terry at the counter, placing the water can down. "They need friendly conversation too. And there aren't that many people who talk to plants." He walks behind the counter as Terry grins at his employee/friend.

"Mind the store while I step out for a bit."

"Everything okay?"

"The owner transfer papers I filled out last night have gone 'missing'." Terry practically spat the last word.

"Again? How the hell does he keep doing that?" While there was no definitive proof, they both knew Fred was responsible for this. As well as the three other times Terry has tried to put Steven's name on the paperwork. "Can't you have your lawyer write up the paperwork for you? It'll keep them out of--." Just then the door to the shop opens and Fred walks in with a cocky stride. "Speak of the devil."

"Fuck you too, wuss." He flings back.

"That's enough. Both of you." Terry looks at Steven. "Gives us a minute."

"Gladly." With that he makes his way to the other side of the shop, leaving Terry to deal with his nephew. Aside from Fred's untimely visit, the rest of the day went by as normal. His last customer was a couple looking for tulips for their garden. He managed to sell them fully bloom purple ones and a few bags of seeds. He watches them leave, seeing the excitement in the women's eyes, the disinterest slump in the man's shoulders and the closeness they both radiated together. He still held the image of them in his head when he drove onto his parking lot. His home was a decent house, big enough for two with a long backyard he had turned into a full walkthrough garden. It was his pride and joy, spending countless hours among his flowers that it left him little to no time towards building a relationship. He had been on several dates since starting at The Flowers Scent. In fact he had met most of his dates at the shop. But, his garden would always take priority over everything but his job. Getting out of his car Steven sighs before looking up into the clear sky. "Must be nice...having someone to love you back."

The next day was his day off, so Steven got ready for another day in his garden. Throughout the years his neighbours and even some animals that made their home in the forest beyond his fence would pay him and his garden a visit. He would get deer, elk, a moose, a couple of wolves and even a bear. He was able to repel them without much fuss from the animals, thankfully. As for his human visitors, they would often compliment his work and even ask to purchase a few flowers.

He makes his way to a pair of tree sculptures that had been his obsession for the last three months. One was a border collie in mid jump ready to catch a frisbee. The other was a wyvern roaring with its wings outstretched. He was having trouble getting the look of its head the way he liked it. Pulling out his mini sheers he starts to carefully position them at angle he believes would smooth out the wyvern's snout.

"That's impressive detail." The sudden voice startles Steven, making him sheer off the wyvern's left horn. He stares horrified at the damage the stranger had caused him to make. "Ooo. My apologies for intruding."

Steven grit his teeth as he spoke, fuming. "You better be fucking sor--ry?" He turns towards the stranger, his body freezing up once he laid eyes on the man; he was casually leaning on the fence with a small smile on his handsome face, dark brown hair was styled and clean with a guilty gleam in his piercing blue eyes. He was built huge, making Steven think he'd break the fence if he put more of his weight on it. Being a straight man, Steven had never been really stunned by another person's appearance, much less another man. He didn't even realize he had frozen up until his visitor waves at his face, trying to get his attention.

"You still in there, Mr. Gardener?"

"What?" Steven blinks his eyes. Realizing he had been staring at the guy, his face goes red. "Yes! I am! I was just--! You kinda--." He frantically looks everywhere but at the man, his face getting redder. Finally he stops, takes a breath and looks at the man. "I'm Steven." He introduces himself nervously.

The man chuckles. "Drent." He offers his hand. Steven puts the mini sheers away before accepting the outstretched hand. His grip was like a vice, not that it surprised him given Drent's size. What he did take note of was how gentle he was. Most men he had met would do the macho thing and squeeze as hard as they could in a show of assertion.

"Nice to see a new face. Did you just move into the neighbourhood?

"I did. House 1990 at the end there."

"That pseudo-mansion? Wow. How much did that set you back?"

"A couple million. I own a gym in town. Plus, I'm big in the stock market. I can afford it."

"Heh. I could tell you work out. Didn't realize you bought the whole gym. Is it easier to get your reps in when you can pull rank on the machines?"

He chuckles. "I wouldn't know. I haven't had to. Yet." He tilts his head towards the garden. "Pretty impressive work. How long did it take?"

"Oh. Almost seven years now. I'm a florist so gardening's my life. I also work at The Flowers Scent in town."

"Isn't that the flower shop down the street from Dragon and Muscle? That's the gym I own."

"No way! I see a lot of people go there. Business must be booming."

"It is. I've been meaning to check out Flowers Scent. I enjoy nature. Walking through the forest fills me with calm." Drent points at the forest behind him with his thumb. "I was enjoying a walk through this one when I noticed your garden. You must be quite the florist." He gives Steven a charming smile, making his heart beat faster.

"Th-thanks. I-I don't get many compliments so that was nice of you. And you're really hot--I-I mean IT'S really hot! Out here! A-and I could use a drink! W-would you like a drink?"

Drent smile grows. "Thank you, but no. I need to head to the gym soon. I would like my hand back though." Steven looks at him, confused then looks down. His eyes widen, realizing he had been holding Drent's hand throughout their conversation. His face hot and red, Steven releases Drent, turning away from him in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"Sorry! I'm not...usually like this!"

Drent chuckles deeply, the reverb reaching deep into Steven's core. "It's fine. I appreciate the compliment. And anyway, you're pretty cute when you're embarrassed." Steven fidgets as Drent starts to leave. He gets halfway to the forest before calling back. "It was great meeting you, Steven. Talk to you again soon." Steven turns to watch Drent disappear into the forest. Once the other man was out of sight his legs buckle, bringing him down to his knees.

"What the hell is with me?" He breaths out, his heart finally starting to settle down. "How could he have had...such an effect on me?" He sat down, taking a few minutes to try and work through his thoughts and feelings. "...do I...? Am I...attracted to...?" He shakes his head before standing up. "Of course not. He's nice and he appreciates my garden. That doesn't mean I'm attracted to him." He slowly turns towards the forest, his damage wyvern sculpture in his peripheral. "...I said he was hot. Out loud. While holding his hand. Fuck."

The week went by fairly quickly and uneventful. Steven had been keenly aware of Drent in the neighbourhood. He drove the latest deep brown Dodge Challenger that was not quiet and had even spotted him walking through the forest, not so secretly hoping he would make do on his words and visit. He never did. After a while he believed Drent was just being a friendly neighbour and he had no intention of going out of his way to see him. That thought stung him more then he expected it to. His one sliver of hope was kept alive by noticing Drent never brought anyone home with him and his interactions with their other neighbours. They would ring his doorbell, greet him once he opened the door and attempt to converse. But Drent would always cut it short with a thank you before closing the door. This behaviour got Steven thinking. "Why did he talk to me but not anyone else?" After a few seconds of thought he came upon an answer. He turned his head toward his back window, seeing his garden through it. "Of course. He likes my garden."

He went to work not long after that revelation, wondering why Drent hadn't stopped by his garden if that was the reason. A customer had entered the store, interrupting his train of thought. All throughout the week Fred had 'stopped by', being a nuisance to him and Terry, somehow disrupting his uncles attempt to name Steven the new owner, saying the store was his by 'birthright' and that Steven would run the business to the ground. "Just a little longer, Steve-o." He often said to himself. "Once Terry bequeaths The Flowers Scent to me, I'll ban Fred and never have to deal with him again."

By the time he returns home, Steven decides to visit Drent with a 'Welcome to the Neighbourhood' gift, a basket full of white roses. His favourite. With a basket and sheers in hand, Steven enters his garden and makes his way to his batch of white roses. "This is normal, right? A neighbour bringing another neighbour a 'Welcome to the Neighbourhood' gift basket full of white roses. Yep! Totally normal." He stands in front of his roses, staring at their gorgeous white petals. "Should it be white roses? They mean a lot to me, but how would he take it?" A silent moment passes. "The first time we met I called him hot. And now, I plan on giving him a basket full of white roses. A flower commonly used at...weddings. Fuck." He sighs heavily, placing the basket and sheers down before moving to his fence. He leans against it while looking out at the forest. "What am I doing? Why am I doing this? I've never done anything like this! Even before my--!" He stops himself from finishing his thought, knowing he wouldn't stop crying. He takes another deep breath. "...he complimented my garden. That's it. Just said something nice about it and...didn't...ask for anything. Besides his hand back." He chuckles lightly as heat returns to his cheeks. "God, damn it. Have I fallen for him?" He lays his head against the top of the fence with a silly smile on his face. "All these years of dating women and it's another man I go head over heels for? Wish I knew that six years ago!"

Suddenly the bushes from the forest rustle. Steven slowly lifts his head up, in case it was a bear. Once he had the forest in sight his vision started to adjust, allowing him to make out a rather large creature limbering past. "That's...a really big...bear?" The creature let out a loud, throaty hiss similar to a crocodile. Steven crouches down, hiding behind his fence. "Not a bear! Not a bear! Not a bear!" He whispers quickly in a panic. "What the fuck is that?" He waits behind the fence until the creature lumbers away. Once he couldn't hear it anymore Steven forgets the roses and heads inside, slamming the door behind him. He goes to his living room where a wall separates it from the kitchen and hides behind it. "Holy shit! I-I need to tell someone about that thing! But--who'll believe me? A giant gator lumbers through the forest, miles away from any sizeable river? I heard that thing and I still don't believe it!" He sits on the floor, his back to the wall for a few minutes, trying to steady his panicking heart. He suddenly has a thought regarding the forest. "Drent! He likes to walk through the forest! I have to warn him!" With that, Steven rushes out of his house and straight to Drent's pseudo-mansion home. Upon reaching the door Steven starts slamming his fist against it. "Drent! Drent, it's Steven! I need to talk to you! It's--!" A gators hiss creeps from behind Steven, his eyes dilate as he shakes uncontrollably. He slowly turns his head to look over his shoulder. "...im...por...tant." His mind too overwhelmed by fear, complicated emotions, and confusion, Steven's body shut down, causing him to faint.

The smell of steak sizzling on the stove reaches Steven's nose, startling him awake. He kept his eyes close while trying to remember where he was. His eyes fly open upon recalling the creature. "Drent!" He shouts quickly sitting up.

"Yes?" Steven whips his head around to see the man standing by his stove, cooking a T-bone steak. "I'm glad you're awake, Steven. You had me worried for a bit there." Steven stares at Drent then looks around, discovering he had been laying on a very nice leather couch.

"Am...am I in your house?"

"Yeah."

"How did I...? The creature!"

"Creature?" Drent asks while placing the steak on a plate with eggs on the side.

"Yes! This big gator! It was huge! And loud! And--! You...didn't see or hear anything?"

"I heard you banging on my door shouting you wanted to talk." He grabs two plates and carries them to the couch, placing a plate with cutlery in front of Steven. "When I opened the door, I found you slumped against it. Unconscious but unharmed, thankfully." He sits down beside Steven, placing his own plate down before smiling at him. "Near as I could tell, you were by yourself."

Steven stares at him before turning to look at the steak and eggs before him. He glances out the window noticing how bright it was outside. "Was I here all night?"

"Yeah." Drent replies after swallowing his bite of steak. "If you weren't awake by noon, I would've brought you to the hospital."

"Thank you, Drent. I'm sorry for intruding on you like this."

"We can talk about that later." He points to the untouched food. "Eat. Please. Your steak is tempting me." Steven smiles at him. The two ate in silence, aside from the odd comment on the food. Once they finished, Drent leans back with a satisfying sigh, his hand on his stomach. "Ahh1. Nothing beats steak and eggs for breakfast."

"No argument here." Steven follows his lead and leans back on the coach.

After a moment Drent looks at Steven with a concern look. "Now that we've eaten, wanna tell me why I found you knocked out on my front door?"

"I'm honestly not sure. I was in my garden getting a basket of flowers ready... when I saw a huge creature in the forest."

"What was the basket of flowers for?"

"It was for--!" A light blush appears on his face. One that Drent caught, grinning with understanding.

"Aww. That's sweet of you. I appreciate the thought." He gives a good natured laugh that makes Steven blush even more. A moment later and after a very deep breath, Steven looks at Drent.

"Honestly Drent, I don't know what it is about you. But ever since we met...you're all I can think about." He leans forward, resting his arms on his knees, looking at the floor. "This has never happened to me before. With anyone, much less another guy."

"And here I was thinking I botch my first impression. After what happened to your sculpture."

Steven smiles. "The thing about plants, they're always growing." He grabs both dishes and makes for the kitchen.

"Oh, you don't have to--."

"Yes I do." Steven cuts him off. "Guest or not, you cooked so I'll clean." He places the dishes in the sink and starts washing them. Despite feeling uncomfortable letting Steven do the dishes, Drent didn't dispute it. After finishing the dishes he made his way to the front door. "Thanks again for taking care of me. I really appreciate it."

"Anytime. And, don't worry about the gift basket. That visit to your garden was welcome enough." Drent winks at Steven. "Compliment and all." Steven laughs nervously. "Though, I am curious. What flowers were you gonna give me?"

Steven looks away, still red. "...white roses."

"Really?" This time, Drent got nervous. Something Steven managed to pick up on. "You uh, planning on a proposal as well?"

"Of course not!" He says with a laugh, expecting some kind of response regarding weddings but not something that direct. "The white rose is what got me to be a florist in the first place." His smile turns sad. "Without it, I might never have dedicated so much of my time on my garden. If it wasn't for the garden...we might never have met. I...felt it was appropriate."

"I...I see." Drent wanted to ask more but could tell Steven was anxious to leave. He perks up as an idea pops in his head. "Let's go for a walk."

Steven looks at Drent, his gentle smile soothing him similarly to how his garden does. He matches Drent's smile with his own. "Okay."

The two were quiet leaving the house. Drent lead them to a walking path between two houses, waiting until they were in the forest before he said. "So, the while rose made you a florist. Care to elaborate?"

Steven took a steady breath. "Seven years ago, as of September thirteenth, my parents...were killed." Drent stops walking, looking at Steven continue forward with a pained look.

"My...condolences." He finally said once he caught up with him. "How did it happen?".

"...wrong place. Wrong time." That was all he would saw on the matter. For now. "Anyway, I was devastated when I found out. They were my only family. I was alone. For months, I wondered from one bar to another. Burning through my money and theirs. I eventually did, which lead me straight into the gutter." He stops walking, prompting Drent to do the same. Steven looks up at the sky through the tree branches. "It was raining that night..."

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The rain poured, coming down so hard and fast it felt like the sky was weeping. Steven laid sprawl against the curb with long, unkept hair, clothes that were torn and dirty with booze and vomit. "Is this it? Is this rock bottom?" His eyes were bloodshot but still, he kept them open as rain showered him, making his vision blurrier then it already was. "If this is rock bottom...THEN WAY DO I STILL FEEL EMPTY?!" He shouts over the sound of the storm. He grew silent, the rain masking his tears that flow free and plentiful. "That's it. I'm done. I have nothing left. It's over." With that, his mind was made up. He would stay on the curb until death took him.

Suddenly, a blanket falls over him. It was thick and surprisingly dry for a few seconds. "Goodness. You poor thing. You'll catch your death of cold laying on the street like that." Steven tilts his head, his vision still blurry but he can make out a person. They sound like an elderly woman. He tries to speak, to tell her not to bother with him. To leave him to his fate. "Here you go, sonny." She slips something into the blanket, the end of it laying on his chest. "Maybe this flower will brighten your view of life." And with that, she was gone.

Steven stares at the thing on his chest for minutes, his weak body trying to repair itself and adjust his eyesight. Eventually, his sight returns enough for him to discover what the old lady gave him. A single, white rose. "Why would she...". As time went on his mind held onto the single act of kindness he received. The rose that was gifted to him with no word of repayment. Its brightness that cut through the dark of his turmoil. With what little strength he could muster, Steven threw the blanket over his head, covering both him and the rose from the harsh rain until it past. As he waited, Steven held the rose for dear life, allowing it to anchor him to his renewed desire to live.