Author: Keiran
Title: Floral Arrangement 1/1
Rating: G.
Genre: Fluff, AU.
Pairings: 1+2
Warnings: Fluff.
Word Count: 646
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The following is strictly for entertainment purposes.
Notes: for the gw-bakery "flowers" theme.

Thanks to the Amazing Shenlong Deb, for betaing!

xxx.XXX.xxx

The sunlight sparkled. Heero forced the low growl back down his throat – he was still in a public place, no matter how disgustingly cheerful it seemed to get overnight. The universe mocked him. Flowers everywhere. Magnolias on every other corner, planted by some apparently masochistic soul. They were arranged according to colour, from the pristine white lookit-lilies-one-a-tree to nearly purple.

The universe mocked him. Flowers! Every-bloody-where.

He wanted to scream.

A window caught his attention. The scowl he wore warred with the relief he felt, eventually giving way to mild annoyance. He ran a hand through his hair and let himself in. A merry jingling of bells above his head grated on his nerves, but he decided to bear it for the moment.

"Good morning!" There was a healthy blush covering the face emerging from the scenery as its owner smiled up at the newcomer. "I'll be with you in a moment, I just got a fresh delivery."

A decidedly wet palm pointed out a vase of lilies. They shone with whiteness in the sunlight.

"Lovely, aren't they? I will have to see about a permanent contract with Wufei, lilies just flourish in his hands! Pun very much intended."

"I need flowers," Heero declared, loosening his tie. The little shop was packed with shapes, colours and smells. It was a little overwhelming. The florist looked up at him, surprise – and amusement – dancing in his eyes.

"I would applause your choice of an establishment, sir, but my hands are a little busy handling the greenery here."

Heero stared at him. People did not mock him. It was one of the things that just didn't happen, right up there with pigs flying and governments fulfilling promises.

"I apologize. I thought you'd appreciate a little humour." Then again, Heero thought, for a smile like this, he might suffer a little humour. "How can I help you?"

"I need a bouquet."

"Do you have a preference?" The man stared. Like he should know? There was a reason he always volunteered to provide cutlery. Then again, he could make an educated guess as for what the recipient would like.

"Pink," he said finally. "As pink as possible." The florist raised a brow.

"Right you are, sir. Do you have a set budget?"

Heero delved into his pockets, producing several bills. He laid them on the counter. "I have to carry it too," he added. The other man tapped his chin thoughtfully. Heero watched with interest as he leaned over a sea of tulips and carefully extracted a heavy vase, previously hidden by the enormous white lilies.

"Dahlias," the florist explained. Heero nodded absentmindedly, his eyes more preoccupied with following the honey-brown braid as it moved behind its owner. He continued to stare at it, even as the man very carefully turned around with an armful of floral pinkness. True to the order, the bouquet couldn't be more pink if someone took a can of paint to it. The colour radiated of the petals, rendering the reality around it greyscale.

Heero was most impressed. "She'll love it," he said, carefully taking the load.

Before he could leave, however, the florist called him back. "Hey, you forgot your change!" He was holding up a bill.

"Keep it," Heero said, his lips curving into what for him passed as a smile. His heart fluttered faster, seeing the sunny beam he received.

"Thanks! Come by if you ever need flowers again."

"I will." Accompanied by a merry jingle of the bell, the bouquet stepped out onto the street.

As it turned out later, Heero did need flowers again. In fact, he felt a craving the very next morning. And the morning after. Eventually he realised he didn't mind the flowers as much as he thought at first, but of course by then he didn't have much of a choice when it came to avoiding them.

END.