how to make a flower crown: a step by step guide
Jay's side still hurt. It hurt after days of rest. It hurt even after driving for several days towards the other side of the country. Jay still struggles with… everything, really. Both he and Tim were. I mean, Jay has spent that last — God, how long? Five years? Six? Running from something , and trying to find his old friends.
In the end, it was just Tim and Jay, once again.
There's a hole in his chest, for those he lost. Seth, Sarah, Amy. Jessica. Alex. Brian. (Jay still checks the ToTheArk channel, hoping, praying that Brian would upload something — anything, to prove he's still alive. That the fall didn't kill him.)
It was… it was safe, now. Tim said he "handled Alex". But Jay knows what he meant. He's seen the (since privated) video. Most… Most of the videos had been privated now. A clean state. Jay still had his camera, but its been left in the back of the car, right next to his laptop that currently doesn't have any battery to it.
Driving was peaceful.
Yes, the car was definitely starting to feel cramped, and uncomfortable, but it symbolized freedom. That Jay and Tim were leaving, and they weren't ever coming back.
As Jay stared out the window, watching trees pass by, Tim pulled onto an exit that led into a small town. "I have a surprise for you," Tim simply said before parking the car. Curious, Jay followed him, bringing only a phone with half charge and no signal.
"Where are we going?" Jay asked, following Tim.
"I uh, I've stayed in contact with one of Brian's friends. We don't talk alot, but I mentioned to her that you like being outside and stuff, but we haven't been able to enjoy being outside since the whole Alex and Operator thing," Tim said, continuing forward before walking into a small field. "And she — she lives here, and mentioned there was this field where we could just… I dunno. Relax?"
Tim was watching Jay's face, waiting for his reaction. "This is… God. Thank you."
Tim's goofy smile goes across his face. "Oh, yeah, it was— it was no big deal, really. Figured it would uh, be nice to not have to be stuck in the car for a while."
Jay sank into the field, picking several dandelions and started to weave them together. "You know how to make flower crowns?"
Jay hummed, continually working the stems through each other with his fingers. "Yeah. Sarah taught me how one day when shooting was slow." A smile spread on Jay's face. "Alex came over to me for a script direction question, or something, and saw me and Sarah picking dandelions. He whined about it, but… it was before everything, y'know? I could tell he was faking it. We finished the third one by the time Sarah was needed again, and she wordlessly placed it on his head."
Sitting down next to Jay, he spoke, "I mustn't have been on set that day."
"No. You were busy, I think." Jay finishes the crown, inspecting his work. "Here," he handed it to Tim, his blue eyes shining in the sun. Tim carefully takes it, before gently placing it on his head.
"Do you wanna know how to make one?"
Tim looked at Jay — he saw Jay's blue eyes sparkling, the sun reflecting off his hair. The crooked smile Jay proudly wore. He saw the person Tim met in college, carefree and happy before all of the tapes and the cameras.
Tim saw the person who would always stay on set last minute, then having to rush to get to class on time.
Tim saw the person who annoyed Alex any moment he could.
Tim saw the person who would make jokes and laugh like nothing could go wrong.
Tim saw the real Jay Merrick.
"Yeah," Tim finally said, sitting onto the soft dirt of the field. "Yeah, I would like to know how to make one."
Jay smiled, and that's when Tim decided: he would do anything to see Jay be happy like this. Neither of them deserved the pain that was given to them. And Tim will sooner be damned to the deepest pits of hell than let this pain ruin their lives again.
A fond smile fell onto Tim's face as he watched Jay, copying the movements he did with his hands, braiding the flowers together into a crown. A few of the stems got loose, and some of the flowers were flattened, but he was happy with his first ever one.
Tim placed the crown onto Jay's head. "What?" Tim asked, looking at the other's expression, "There can't be just one king, after all." Jay laughed, head reeling back, and, yeah. Tim could spend the rest of his life like this.
It was over. God, it was over.
And Tim was okay with the outcome.
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