It was the only thing he wanted to take: that and an oddly nice promise ring.

That was all Cody took when he boarded the boat back to civilization, away from the messed-up island after a hazardous month. Cody didn't want to look back; the memories hurt too much. The screams, the blood, and the brown eyes that he loved staring into faded to nothingness. It was all Cody could imagine; even when he tried to forget about it, he couldn't. Cody wanted to puke, to scream, anything, but nothing came out of his mouth.

In his hands? A blood-red sweater, oddly still soft after what had happened to it.

Why did he take it? He doesn't know. But it was a reminder—a reminder of the one he lost, of everyone he lost.

It was horrifying to think about that day. Cody remembered the feelings of dread and fear as he walked through the forest to see the body of Noah, lifeless above the water. Cody held it until Gwen had to take him away, crying herself.

She didn't even stop him when Cody attacked Duncan; only Izzy and Eva did. He remembered how they managed to rip away from choking Duncan to death, and Cody shook, realizing that he couldn't be like that, a cold-hearted person.

What would Noah think if he did?

Would he be happy? Scared? Satisfied? Those questions filled his head as the boat rode forward, the island now hiding amongst the fog, never to be seen again.

"Best to sleep," he heard Alejandro whisper. "You need the engery when you get back to the mainland."

"…how could I?'

Cody didn't sleep for a long time, paranoid about everything around him. But he should. He was safe now, and now that he was safe, he should sleep.

Right?

Or was he going to have the same nightmares of his own friends dying over and over again? Or dream of one of the best moments before things went to hell?

He doesn't know, but once he started wearing that blood-soaked sweater—the sweater that could only warm Noah for mere seconds—he felt some sort of peace. A peace that made him rest, his eyes slowly closing, and off to a delightful dream.

(Prompt (Outfit Swap) Loosely based on Nocovember2024 by @aangellface)

It wasn't surprising that Noah was allergic to most flowers. Cody remembered them all and usually only came within walking distance of Noah after work, not without showering first. It was the best option when they started living together, and Noah appreciated Cody's cautiousness about his allergies, even giving his cat a separate room so Noah wouldn't be sneezing.

It was a typical day at the flower shop, with Cody tending the flowers and giving them to men and women who adored a beautiful bouquet once in a while. One day, he saw a new flower that the owner was glad to add: the Hyacinth.

Cody knew the origins of the flower. Noah rambled about it the other day, and it stuck with him, especially since Noah clarified that the Hyacinth was a flower that he wasn't allergic to but never gotten. How can such a tragic tale belong to such a beautiful flower with soft petals that made every bouquet shine? Maybe it was wishful thinking, but at the end of the workday, Cody bought a bouquet with an employee discount, of course.

The drive was short, giving Cody time to add a little note for Noah, something of love.

Cody knew Noah wasn't affectionate after his breakup with a rather famous ex, so he decided that small gifts would be a little better than physical love—not yet anyway.

He hummed as he walked to his apartment door and unlocked it, only to be jumped by Lincoln, Noah's golden retriever. Luckily, the flowers weren't chewed by the dog.

"Hey, buddy," Cody laughed, petting the dog. "Heh, I missed you too."

Cody quickly found a vase, put the flowers in it, and put water in it. Lincoln tilted his head, staring at the flowers,

"It's for Noah," Cody explained, kneeling to scratch his chin. "You won't tell him, won't you?"

Lincoln let out a small bark before going back to the bed and snuggling against it. Cody smiled, filled the dog's bowl with food and water, and went on to his cat's little area.

Cody's cat, Tilly, was a Manx, a cat that Noah was only slightly allergic to, not severely enough. Cody still wanted to keep her away from Noah to avoid any allergic reaction, but he was always surprised to see Tilly sleeping on Noah's lap whenever he returned from an errand, work, or shopping.

"Hey, Tilly," cooed Cody, petting her ears. "Looks like you've been sleeping her all day."

Tilly mews softly, trying to nuzzle his hand sleepily.

"Alright, alright, Ill let you sleep," Cody chuckled and left the room.

After a shower, the afternoon went quickly. Cody entered the room to see a napping Noah. Cody wasn't surprised to see the still open book on his chest, his hand losing grip of it. Cody, not wanting to wake him up, carefully took the book and put it back on the bookshelves, remembering the page number just in case.

Cody kissed his forehead and went back to the kitchen to cook dinner. It was not much, but an excellent fettuccine alfredo was a simple recipe that Cody did not mess up, and he was practicing with D.J.

"Hm," groaned Noah as he walked into the kitchen.

"Heya, sleepy head," Cody greeted.

"…Did I…?

"Yes, and you left off on page 57, before the next chapter." Cody explained, trying to chop the chicken.

"How's work?" Noah asked, sitting down at the dining table.

"Pretty ordinary, but my boss just announced some new flowers for the shop and everyone wanted them." Cody explained. "We earned a lot today, and those flowers were a hit."

"What kind?" Noah pondered.

"I'm glad you asked," Cody grinned.

He quickly grabbed onto the vase and presented it to Noah.

"Hyacinths?"

"Yep. And I know you aren't allergic at all, so I bought you a whole bouquet just for you." Cody kisses his forehead. "I couldn't help but give it to you."

Noah blushes and smiles at the bouquet.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." Cody smiled and went back to his pasta.

Noah liked the smell, and the mixture of blue and purple meant so much to him. It was indeed the perfect flower for him.

(based on the Nocovember Flower shop/Coffee Shop Prompt by @aangellface)

We were both young when I first saw you

I close my eyes and the flashback starts