Eyes were something that Johnny took a special interest in. In his past relationships, he recalled getting lost in his significant others eyes. He took enjoyment out of seeing how they lit up when they were around something they liked. How they would look after they had cried or were angry was pleasing to see, too. The color was important, too. When he moved to Oak Tree Town, he liked the color of two certain siblings. The purple and blue of their eyes had urged him to visit them every day to look at them.

Until he moved in, that is.

When he moved in, Johnny found himself spending more time on Elise's property. It was under the guise that he wanted to see how Elise's crops were doing. He was sure that Elise knew the truth, which is why she never sent him away when she saw him. She left him alone to continue staring at her gardener, so long as he wasn't being a nuisance. The gardener was never aware of this silent conversation between his employer and him.

For this, Johnny was grateful. Nadi was different than the other villagers. They all had a chance to adjust to his strange attraction to their eyes. Nadi had only been here for two seasons, and he was completely unaware of this little fact. No one bothered to tell him, figuring that it would be easier for him to know by Johnny himself. With each day that passed, he expected Nadi to question him about his sudden interest. Each day, Nadi never asked him. He focused on his task and did it. Every now and then, they would share a sentence or two, but it never developed into anything else.

Something like this didn't last for long, though.

As the seasons went by, he became bolder. When he would see Nadi, he would bring up various topics to get to know him. The more Nadi talked, the more Johnny couldn't help falling for him. Nadi had this way of speaking that was pleasing to his senses. His accent and the way his lips moved. Plus, all the things he talked about, that weren't about flowers, interested him. He had been to so many places, had seen so many interesting plants and wildlife. Johnny enjoyed listening to his stories and imagining what it would be like to be there.

Their conversations increased to flirtation. Subtle jokes here and soft touches or flowers that meant different things. When they developed into soft kisses, there was no going back. There was a fire that Nadi had inside of him and Johnny helped bring out. That fire consumed him and Johnny was happy as the flames licked him.

The passion...
the pleasure...

Johnny became lost in everything that Nadi was. Laying in the aftermath of their coupling, their hands clasped, there was no place he would rather be. It was a mutual and a silent decision for Nadi to move his stuff to the farmhouse. For the both of them, they enjoyed the idea of coming home to someone. Nadi or Johnny would arrive home, see their significant other, and all the stress of the day flowed away. What more could they ask for?

The town was happy for them. They offered congratulations and hints at their wedding. It sent the town into a happy frenzy, their conversations filled with how great the two were for each other. Nadi and Johnny paid it little mind. Marriage was far off for them. For now, they were only happy to be in each others company.

When they lay in bed next to each other, they were complete. Their lives were now filled with the love they had for each other. What more could they want? Marriage? They were fine.

Then Johnny got sick.

As more time passed, he became worse. Nadi rushed to retrieve Marian in hopes that the doctor would help him. There was nothing he could do, though. Johnny would only get worse with each passing day. For now, he had a few remaining days and Marian suggested that Nadi be with him as much as he could.

It's what he did. Whatever hours that Nadi didn't spend working, he was with Johnny. Word spread around quicker than the start of their relationship. The townspeople sent their condolences and food to store. The other farmers helped with the farmland, small tasks to keep the farm going. Elise even allowed Nadi to take some time off to be with his boyfriend.

Nadi's heart broke as he watched Johnny deteriorate before his eyes. He became pale and weak, his body growing thinner. He had no appetite and would go into a coughing fit at random times. Whatever was affecting his boyfriend, Nadi only wanted his pain to leave. To see him suffer like this, why, it hurt. It hurt worse than any other painful experience he had. He wanted nothing more than to take the pain away, but something like that happened only in fairy tales.

When Johnny did die, Nadi locked himself away at Maurice's Inn for days. The family kept their eye on him, delivering meals to his door only to find them untouched. Nadi felt numb to everyone's sympathy. They didn't know. They didn't understand. What he was going through was beyond anything they could feel. Or at least, he pretended that they couldn't understand. They cleaned the farm house and sold the animals. The farm would go to someone else, with hopes that they would do just as well as Johnny.

The last thing Nadi found as a letter addressed to him. Johnny had written it. His handwriting, which was once strong and cursive, was sloppy and done in a frenzy. It stated his undying love for Nadi, claiming that he loved him from the moment he looked into his eyes. How he loved the way he spoke and the gentle way he cared for plants. How he-

"Okay, stop right there."

Johnny looked up from the loose-leaf paper and at his lover. Nadi stood at the counter, preparing their dinner. He smiled. "Oh? Why's that?" Nadi looked over at him from over his shoulders. He could see his red eyes burning with irritation. "It's a complete invasion of Iris's privacy. Besides-" he went back to his cooking, "the story is lacking." Johnny chuckled. He got up from the bed and walked over to his lover. He wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. "Really? I think she got my character down right."

"Oh?"

Johnny turned him around so that they were facing each other. His eyes were what brought his attention to Nadi. They were magnificent. "She wrote down everything I feel for you perfectly."

A hue of pink came to Nadi's cheeks. He shoved at Johnny's shoulder as he leaned in for a kiss. "You're a damn fool..."

"You don't mean that," Johnny said playfully. He leaned forward and nuzzled Nadi's neck. "You love me and you know it."

Nadi turned around in his arms, returning once more to the meal. "Ridiculous."

But Johnny could hear that playful tone in his voice.

Author's Notes: I have many concerns about this and how it was written. I struggled so many times with a good plot and it started with liking Nadi's eyes. It didn't help that I had to write this on my phone while I was on vacation. I tried so hard to get it done earlier... I want to one day revisit this couple after learning more about Nadi's character. I hope you still enjoy it, ATWF! I definitely owe you a new one. Thank you so much to the event moderators for creating this event! It was really fun! :D