Word Count: 328
meet me not
George let another petal fall from his fingers.
"Please don't leave me unloved," he whispered. It was an old tradition, one that he told himself he didn't care about and yet he plucked another petal from the red rose he was holding. Was he destined to be forever alone? It was a question that plagued him now.
Meet me not
He was focussed so intently on the flower that he didn't hear his brother come up behind him until Bill laid a hand on his shoulder. George flinched, knocking over the glass he'd put down next to him. It spilt all over the magazine he'd been reading and Bill cursed.
"That's rough, buddy. You're not normally this jumpy," he said with a slight frown, waving his wand to dry the magazine - although George was sure some the pages were still a little warped. George didn't say anything and Bill's cheeks went a pale pink when he saw what he was doing.
"Ah. The flower thing, to find out if you'll get your soulmate. I remember Mum telling us about that."
"Yeah yeah, make your jokes now," George said with a roll of his eyes. Instead, Bill just sat next to him.
Meet me.
Meet me not.
They sat in silence, watching as George plucked at the petals until they were only two left.
"No going back now," George muttered. He didn't want to feel emotional or bitter about it. It was a stupid superstition and yet as the petals fell to the floor, his heart felt heavier than it had ever done before.
"Oh George," Bill said softly. He wanted to deny he was crying - crying over a flower of all things. It was disastrous, it would be the key joke for years of ribbing from his brother. Instead, all George could do was crumple forwards and let himself be pulled into a hug from Bill.
"I just want to have someone. I just don't want to be alone any more."
Bill didn't say anything, just held him as his little brother cried.
A/N: Prompts and challenges
Romance Awareness: Day 20 - Instead of removing flower petals for "loves me, loves me not" the flower petals dictate whether you'll meet in this lifetime ("meet me, meet me not") and it's forever accurate.
Love in Motion: Round 2 - Bill & George (family)
Character Appreciation: 7. [Era] Trio
Disney Challenge: C6 - King Louis - Write about someone who wants the impossible.
Book Club: Adam: (trait) focused, (object) red rose,(dialogue) "Please don't leave me unloved.",
Showtime: 11. The Point of No Return - (dialogue) "No going back now."
Count Your Buttons: S1 - Heavy (ft Kiiara) - Linkin Park, W1 - Disastrous
Lyric Alley: 12. Heavy as a feather when you hit the dirt
Ami's Audio Admirations: 6. The King of Keys — (word) key.
Angel's Arcade: 4. Amy Rose: (object) roses, (color) pale pink, (action) hugging
Lo's Lowdown: D5. "That's rough, buddy." - Zuko
Back to School: 1. (word) Question
Feline Fair: 6. Egyptian Mau: (genre) Family
