I Wanna Hold Your Hand

John looked around, depressed. Why he'd come here, he didn't know. He twirled a wild rose between his fingers mournfully, remembering the day he had been here with Paul.
That had been the day that he had wanted to slip a rose behind his ear. The day he'd realized he was in love.
And the day he'd realized he and Paul were never meant to be together.
A tear suddenly tracked it's way down his face. He was more surprised the saddened by it, and he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.
He looked down at the rose. So beautiful and alone. Was this a metaphor? Was this rose maybe an analogy for Paul?
So beautiful. Yet....so rare. So unreachable.
Normally so alone.
He sighed and reluctantly let it go, as though he could easily do the same to his depression. But his feelings didn't change as he watched the red petals glisten in the setting sun.
He squinted into the sunset. If he was lucky, maybe he'd hurt his vision even more. Maybe then he wouldn't be able to see Paul's heart breaking smile, his so tempting body, his innocent eyes....
He felt a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't look up. He could feel the slender fingers.
"Hello, Paul." he murmured.
Paul sat beside him, clad in his long coat. He said nothing, simply stared off into the landscape with him. "I thought you might need these." he said quietly, tugging out his glasses from his jacket pocket.
John took them, but didn't put them on. He just held them for now. Eventually he slipped them on and looked back down at the rose. It's stunning beauty was now wrought into clarity, the glistening, smudged gold lining it's petals now bordered clearly.
"Thanks." he said, detached. The older man flicked his dark eyes towards him, his face oddly bright in the setting sun. "I know why you're here, you know."
John didn't seem to react. "Do you, now."
He nodded. "Yeah, I do. And look....it wasn't fair of me to react like that."
Yet again, John didn't react. He just kept his face devoid of any inner emotions. On the inside, he was nearly sick from nervousness and romanticism.
"So...I've been thinking things through." Paul seemed just as nervous as John felt.
Of course he is, John thought bitterly. He doesn't want to break his best friend's heart.
Paul squirmed a little uncomfortably. He looked down at the rose John had dropped, blinking at it. Was he thinking the same thoughts? Was he realizing everything just now? John had to bite his tongue back.
He bent over and picked it up. He turned to John, smiling faintly. "Was this your's?"
"Forgive me for sounding all poetic," John started a bit acidly. "It's a metaphor. It's my falling heart."
Paul blinked. He smiled a bit and clutched it in two hands. "It could be a metaphor for my heart too." He gently laid it in John's lap. "Now it's yours."
John stared down at it for a minute. He picked it up, still not quite understanding. "Your heart?"
"It's yours." Paul grinned. He shuffled a bit closer to John, trying to be subtle.
John pressed his lips tighter together. Suddenly the numbness he'd felt since that day lifted. He could really see the beauty of the sunset. He could truly appreciate the beauty of the rose.
He could honestly say he loved Paul.
Paul smiled sweetly at him. He leaned closer, but hesitated for a moment.
John blinked back into his doe-eyes, smiling. He too leaned a bit closer, but he also hesitated, their noses brushing slightly.
Paul closed his eyes, his breathing ragged. "You would think I wouldn't be nervous about this." he murmured.
"And I'm not?" John murmured back. He slowly brushed his cheek against Paul's, just loving the feel.
Paul hummed in pleasure. "Why not just try it...just once?"
"I'm all for it." John agreed. He pulled back slightly to once again bring his face close to Paul's. Slowly, hesitantly, he pressed his lips to Paul's softly.
At first, it terrified him like nothing before. he was kissing Paul! Paul! And at the same time, it was like a strange high took him over.
Paul pulled back slightly. He opened his eyes and grinned back at him. Paul grinned and blushed lightly, looking down.
"Don't look down." John said quietly. He crooked his finger underneath Paul's chin and tilted his head up. "You're so beautiful."
Paul just grinned again. He slowly took John's hand, loving the feel as John intertwined their fingers.