('Language of the Flowers' is literally my favorite phrase ever

And I got the sweetest comment ever from my boo @Music_is_Life_118, love you hon

And on other news, I wrote this originally in 3rd POV so if there's she/her addresses to the reader I'm sorry I tried to fix all of them I might miss one honeys I'm sorry

MAVEN HAS RED BLOOD IN THIS BECAUSE HE'S NORMAL BOY OKAY? OKAY

Fun fact: The idea of this fic was inspired by Kiss and Swallow by IAMX, and if you read the lyrics and then look at the title, you can see why lmao)

It's the first day of your Senior year. You walk down the hall of your school, scattering past recognizable faces you didn't know. Your head spins; your mind rotating with each pat pat of your soft shoes. Your plan is clear: head to class and ignore everybody for the rest of the day. 

"You're safe with me," his warm hands grabbed yours as he led you away from the dangerous crowd. Colors of blue washed over your drunken form. The stranger looked at you with concern in his eyes, trying to drag you away from the people he knew not to trust. 

You feel comfortable the moment you step into your first-period class. Even the teacher takes notice of the dramatic drop of your shoulders. Soon enough, your entrance becomes one of many students as they begin pouring into homeroom.

The kids you remembered from last year were suddenly too fixated on you for your own liking. Just keep to yourself, you think as you wait for the day to begin. But just as you sit down, everybody turns back to themselves and ignores your existence. You're just paranoid. But why?

"Stop that," his voice vibrated your skin as you kissed his cheek, trying to get close to his lips. The stranger knew he was attractive but was never attractive enough to have a girl throwing herself on to him. All he can think about is his brother; how often does this happen to him?

You keep your head up, anxiety washing over you as you pray for somebody you know to walk through those doors. As quickly as you built your walls, they all came crumbling down when a familiar boy walked into the class. His thick curly hair covered one of his eyes, making it abundantly clear he didn't want to be the center of attention like he was. 

"Just keep to yourself," he places you into his jeep's backseat, watching you tip over and mumble to yourself. He looks back at the house party, all the lights only looked like aesthetic decoration through the windows. It almost looked peaceful. Like his brother said, he had been enjoying himself. He was having fun watching overs being their true selves while intoxicated. He accepted himself as the observer.

Your phone was in your hand by the time he looked back at you. He remembers minutes ago the object trying to get stolen by a silver-haired offender. 

"What are you doing?" He eyes your pupils as they searched the screen of the device. You smiled,  turning the screen around to reveal an address on Google Maps. Clever. You weren't as helpless as he thought.

"Take me home, cowboy."

A red dust covers his nose and cheeks when he makes eye contact with you. He could recognize you immediately - you were left wondering where you'd seen the blue-eyed kid before. He ends up seating himself differently behind you, staring at the back of your head. Almost like you feel his gaze, you run a hand through your locks. It gives him a chill goosebumps he couldn't justify.

"Had fun?" A purple haired girl smiles at you and you smile back.

"Yes, Mare, I had fun while you left me to die at your boyfriend's house."

She smiles stiffly, "you seemed to be having fun."

"What?"

You scream, "STOP!"

He slams on the brakes, his body inches from releasing the airbag. Your iron grip on the seat in front of you kept you from dying. As slick as a fox, you open the car door and run out. The stranger checks his phone for the first time in a while. 

12:49 am.

The moment your hard shoes hit the grass you collapse, taking off your shoes and lying on the ground. The stranger looks around, no soul in his sight. "Holy shit."

"Yeah," Mare's eyes go to the stranger, "people saw you leaving with a stranger." 

You giggle the way only you can giggle. You look at the clock. Still more time to talk. "I remember looking at the stars."

The stranger laughs, "the stars were beautiful yesterday." You spin around, blue eyes reflecting the galaxy.

"The stars are beautiful every day, every time we look..."

"...at the stars, it's the same stars every day." You explain with a smile. The stranger wiggles against the grass, looking at the stars like he did it every day. 

"Don't you want to go home?" Grass prickles his ear as he observes your face. You smile, looking him dead in the eye.

"I think I'd rather stay here with you."

"I've heard that before," the stranger replies as he chuckles. Mare follows his laughter. You look at him, feeling a warmth develope in your chest. Your eyes flicker to hers, asking multiple questions without words. Mare smiles, leaving you just to figure you out.

You turn back to the stranger, "Whoever told you that the best person in the world."

He blinks, leaning back in his seat, "they really are."

"I could stay here all night," you sigh. He grins blandly as he stares at the stars, wondering what you see in the tiny white dots. 'Same stars every day,' he repeats those words in his head. Stars are born and die every day, but would anyways notice if another one suddenly shows up? Even if we see the same stars, they are definitely different every time we look at the sky. 

"Me, too..."

You put your chin in your palm as you waited for your name to be called to collect your I.D.. You listen to the array of peers, eyeing even Mare as she steps up.

"Maven," the teacher calls. The stranger walks up and your jaw drops. He claimed the name as his own before walking back to his seat, smiling at you as he does.

"My name is Maven," He says to you after minutes of the silent car ride. You prop your leg on the dashboard before staring at the stars through the foggy window. It's silent for a couple more streetlights.

"I'm (Y/N)." You smile, closing your eyes, "I guess we were meant to be."

You blush in embarrassment, his name recalling only a few memories from the night before. You turn around, "Maven." His name sounds like bliss on your tongue. His eyes sparkle.

"You called me cowboy," he recalls. You laugh, hiding your guilt behind her hands.

"I remember."

"You were so pleasant."

Your gaze softens as you hesitate, "you were, too."

They stare at each other for a second, both gazing at the stars in their eyes. The silence was sweet and louder than any words.

He clears her throat, leaning back in his chair. "Do you want to watch the stars with me on Saturday?"

"I would love to, cowboy."