Burdock

It had been two years since his sister passed away. He had become closed and wouldn't allow anyone near him. His parents were worried about him yet he was just not ready to come out of that shell that he made for himself.

He was a few months away from graduation from his ASTA course, his parents had both been saving up money for him to be able to open his tattoo shop. If he could say how he felt… he would say that he's scared. He was scared he wouldn't actually make it, that he would disappoint his adoptive parents who had saved up with so much effort to pay for his course, who took the time to take him and his sister in. But what he was afraid of the most was that he would let down Zayda.

After Zayda's passing, the HongXian twins had started visiting him, to make sure he was ok. Well, more like NuWa checking on him and Shui just tagging along with her because the recital season was over. While Zayda and Lake talked, Shui would be talking with the adults.

Lake was sitting in his room, twiddling and fidgeting with the ring in his index finger while sketching in his notebook some designs for his course. He looked to his left and saw his sister's bed, empty and covered with a white blanket over her usual bed covers.

Lydia decided it would be a good idea to did that. She didn't want to get rid of the bed and Zayda's belongings but also didn't want to see the bed as if the girl would come back from going out with the other girl. So her bed was intact. Her belongings remained untouched. In order like she liked to keep them. It wasn't the best coping mechanism, but none of them knew any better.

Lydia knocked on the door to Lake's room.

"Can I come in, hun?" Lake looked at the door, the platinum-blonde woman was standing at the frame of the door. Lake nodded. She walked in and stood in the middle of the room, she was being cautious. "Can I sit beside you?" Lake nodded again.

The woman took a step forward, taking into consideration how the teenager was reacting to her approach. She was trying hard not to cross his boundaries. She carefully sat at the edge of her son's bed.

The woman was nearing her 50's but looked well conserved, she was platinum blonde, with a pair of milk-brown eyes. Her ability consisted in the growth of plants, she could only make them grow, she had no control over them. Her eyes fell to the sides with a sad gaze, making her look frail. She was gentle and while still afraid, the siblings felt safer with the presence of the woman that had decided to foster and subsequently, adopt them.

She leaned closer to him, wishing to take a peek at what the kid was sketching. All were tattoos based on intricate and detailed flower designs. Other sketches were just for male anatomy studies. "They are beautiful" she whispered. Lake accommodated the sketch so she could see. He's being open…

She extended her hand and placed it on the side of his face, he was taken aback to then immediately lean into the touch. He closed his eyes, like trying to process the affection.

Her mind drifted to the first time the elder woman had tried to do that. He blew up trying I avoid the touch and immediately started coughing up tiny balls of what seemed to be a purple flower covered in blood. She had frozen in place not knowing what to do. His sister took distance and waited.

He had to voice out what he thought instead of reacting if they wanted the alarming situation to stop. It must have taken an hour of her feeling terrified and the 10-year-old standing there seemingly calm, waiting, until the boy finally said it. Please don't touch me.

"May I hug you?" Lake placed the notebook aside and scooted closer to the elder woman. She gently placed her arms around the teenage boy and held him against her chest. She placed a gentle kiss on his head.

His breathing was calm, and he allowed himself to be coddled by the woman. "This is nice… you initially wouldn't allow me to touch you." He cuddled closer… was this what motherly love felt like? Did he actually deserve this affection? He hugged her back.

"Lake… I need your consent for this… I thought to move your stuff to the other room, your bed…" Lake listened in silence. "I won't touch any of your sister's belongings, they will remain here until you decide you are ready, but… would you like to move rooms?" Lake thought of the proposition for a moment.

At first, Lydia decided to make them share a room because they had come in together, and she didn't want to separate them if they didn't want to. And considering how defensive they were at the beginning, she was too scared to ask.

"Yeah… it's ok"

The door from the entrance rang. Lydia got up from her son's bed and kissed him on the forehead. She went down the stairs and opened the door, greeting once more, that long-haired ginger girl, who was asking for the black-haired teen. Lake stiffened when he heard the girl’s voice. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, but he felt uncomfortable when she was around. Maybe it was the reason she started visiting.

In any case, he didn’t have the gut to tell her. He had more important matters to attend so he opted for the classical sneaking out the back door. He prepared his things in his backpack and went down the stairs as quietly as possible. He shot a glance at NuWa… she was glowing her eyes- Shit.

“I can see you Mr. Hanahaki.” Lake groaned. “Hi Ms. HongXian, Ma, I’m off.” The elder looked at him with confusion. It was Saturday so there was no way he had ASTA. NuWa immediately made her way to the older guy, placing her hands on her hips and looking up to see his face. “You and I both know you don’t have ASTA today Lake.” he swallowed hard.

“Do you hate me?”

“No…”

“This past few weeks you have been avoiding me Hanahaki.” NuWa frowned “Why is that?” A lump formed in the male’s throat. He turned around to leave, and in return, NuWa extended a hand towards him, as if trying to stop him. Her grip was firm.

Lake tried to shake it off, coughing as quietly as he could. She was able to feel an electric current that ran through the guy’s body, a current that avoided her. She opened her eyes. She tightened the grip and with her other hand, grabbed his shoulder to turn him around.

He tried, once again, to push her away. Her grip was strong and firm, him running away wouldn’t happen.

“Do you hate me?” Lake only responded with another cough. Something funny about the Hanahaki’s ability is that, even if the user doesn’t want to, they will be affected. “NuWa… I don’t think he’s feeling well…”

“I just want to visit… I just want to spend some time with him… Is there a problem with the fact that I want to spend time with my best friend’s brother?” Lydia walked to NuWa and touched her hand. NuWa finally had let go of the boy.

“Lake, hun… are you ok?” The teen just nodded in return.

---

Lake was sitting at the kitchen counter whilst his mother prepared him honey and lemon tea. After NuWa left, he broke out in tears and coughing burdock flowers all over himself. Lydia was unsure whether to hold him or not, but after the face he made and how he extended his arms… she did.

She was glad to be able to make a connection with the boy… he nearing 18, yet… it’s never too late. Right?

She handed his boy the warm mug with the tea. He took a few sips and cleared his throat. She softly caressed his head as he put his mug down. She took him from the sides of his face and started placing gentle kisses all over. He just hugged her and allowed her to pamper him.

“You should start voicing your thoughts… You can’t keep going on like this…” She spoke softly. He looked at her, nodded, and looked away. He would rather not speak up his mind, he would very much rather just avoid any conflict, it was scary and unpredictable when he did things for himself. He started fidgetting with the ring on his index finger, the area was already a bit chaffed from that habit he had picked up.

“It’s not that I don’t like her, but the reason she started talking to me…” He sniffled at the thought. “It’s just…”

“I know dear, I know.” Lydia hugged him again. “Shall we start moving your things?”

“Mn”

---

“Back then… there are so many things I wish I knew, you know?” the other one at the table nodded. “I’m supposed to-” she was shushed.

“There are things that even the most skilled mind-reader can’t catch,” They said as they blew at their teacup, trying to cool it down.

“So that’s why he distanced himself so much from everyone…” another nod.

---

He was sitting at the center of the plaza, smoking a cigarette while sketching. Watching the people walk by and just generally enjoying the view. It was an open area so, there was a lot to take from when drawing. His mother was finishing the deal with the Local seller since in June he would be graduating from his ASTA course. When he started had said to his adoptive mother that he wanted to open the shop as soon as he graduated.

“Hun, It’s all settled” The woman wore a tired look in her eyes. She sat beside him. “You smoke?” As much as he hated to admit that in from of the woman who had raised him for the past seven years, he nodded. “Not much, just when I feel like it. Like once every two months, don’t worry Mama.” Lydia’s heart jumped a little… He had never called her anything close to even the term ‘mother’.

“Can I?” He nodded. Killed his cigarette and threw it away.

She hugged him tightly. He started to get used to her hugs, he loved them, it felt warm and he felt safe.

Her touch was different.

He wondered if her touch towards him would change if he told her. Well, that’s for another day.