Warning: Overwhelming amounts of fluff.
"Do you like roses?"
It was the question that had started it all really. The simple question Buford had asked in passing when he'd been hanging out at Ferb's house one time. It'd just been the two of them, Ferb lying on the couch with his feet propped up on Buford's shoulder reading a book, while Buford sketched him in his sketchbook. Not that Ferb knew or anything, Buford never showed him anything he drew.
"I guess?"
It had been a strange question, but Buford had just nodded and kept drawing. Ferb had stared at him for a long time before shrugging and going back to reading.
Three months later, when odd question had long since been forgotten, a bouquet of thirteen roses turned up for the young mechanic.
It'd been Candace who'd sat down beside him and explained it all when she saw how puzzled he looked.
"Wow, thirteen roses." She'd commented, smiling at him and nudging him lightly. He'd just shot her a raised eyebrow before she'd begun to point them all out. "Oooh! Look! A yellow one! And lavender! And-"
"You know what they mean?" He'd interrupted her, frowning in her direction. The roll of her eyes stated that'd clearly he'd asked a stupid question.
"Of course I do. I did help Mum and Dad with their rose garden remember?" The blank look she'd received made her laugh. "Alright, well, you have a yellow one here. That means friendship, although in this case it might mean joy or 'I care'. It might even mean Promise of a new beginning." She'd paused when he'd asked how she knew they were romantic like, but she just tapped her nose and told him to wait. "Then you've got this yellow one with red tips. Thats also friendship, but its also falling in love. This orange one is… desire or fascination. Peach is appreciation, or 'lets get together'. And… aww! The light pink one means sweetness and grace! They think you're sweet! The burgundy one, sorry, dark red one means unconscious beauty. Theres two of each of them… and this last one! The lavender one." She smiled at him, reaching out to touch his cheek. "It means love at first sight."
He'd been stunned speechless, looking at the bright bouquet as the meaning of them all sunk it. "And… and the fact there's thirteen?"
"Thirteen roses means a secret admirer."
She'd left him with a brilliant blush, just as Buford had come swanning in.
"Whats got you all red loser?" he'd asked, pausing to look down at the roses with a frown. Ferb had blushed even more and quickly looked away, scooping up the bunch of roses and turning to find a vase to put them in, throwing a "nothing!" over his shoulder as he went.
The roses had stood proudly beside his bed. Buford had commented on them once, even asking Ferb if he knew what all the colours had meant. Ferb had blushed and shook him off, turning to run out the door with Buford's laugh following him.
He hadn't know that Buford had sketched him smelling them.
It was a Wednesday, an exact three months later, that the doorbell rang. Candace had answered it and promptly squealed Ferb's name, scaring him enough to send him flying into the house looking for trouble. She'd just grinned at him, and thrusted another bunch of roses into his grease and oil stained arms.
"Look!"
"I can see," he'd bitterly remarked, trying to stop his pounding heart as he'd dropped to the sofa. Candace had been quickly beside him, counting the roses quickly and grinning madly.
"They're all red!"
"I know."
"Ferb! Do you know what this means?" The blank look sent her way had made her huff. "Of course not. Love! Beauty! Courage! Respect! Romantic love, sincere love, passion! Red roses are the most famous!"
He had just rolled his eyes before counting them as well. Eleven? He'd quickly voiced the number and cocked his head to the side, asking his sister if that meant anything.
"Eleven roses means the giver is truly and deeply in love."
He'd been left even more speechless. And when Buford had come in, having washed off the stains before coming inside, and seen him staring at the bouquet in shock he'd literally laughed his ass off at the mechanic.
"Aww! Little Ferb has a little love!"
"Shut up Buford," Ferb had snapped and pushed past his snickering best friend. The blush on his cheeks had almost matched his roses when he placed them beside his bed like the other ones.
His missed Buford's pleased grin and small dance of victory.
It wasn't until another three months again when there was a knock at the door. Ferb had been the only one home, and was very disgruntled at having to put his book down. Especially on such a cold and miserable day when it seemed that the only thing the weather wanted to do was pore down and make everyones moods as dark as her sky.
He'd been stunned to see a drenched Buford standing outside, tears sliding down his cheeks as he shakily held out a bunch of six roses.
It'd only been when Candace came home to see a sleeping Buford on the couch, his head resting in Ferb's lap and Ferb staring at the bouquet on the table with confusion did he get told what it meant.
"Did Buford give them to you?" Candace had asked, shakily picking them up and rotating them before raising an eyebrow in Ferb's direction. Ferb had nodded, his lips pursed and Candace had smiled, realising who the other two had been from. She'd walked over, running a hand down Buford's cheek and noticing the tear tracks before looking up at Ferb. "
"White means purity, innocence, humility, heavenly, silence and 'I am worthy of you'."
"A-And the s-six roses?" Ferb had stuttered, his heart pounding in his ear at seeing the sad smile on Candace's face.
"Six roses means the giver needs to be loved and cherished."
When Buford had woken up, he'd been surprised by the sudden feeling of Ferb's lips on his. He hadn't minded too much.
The white roses had taken up residency by Ferb's bed, and were constantly replaced by Buford, his new boyfriend, every week. The colour would vary, changing in many many different ways. Luckily Ferb had gotten most of the knowledge off Candace before she left for a three year work exchange overseas, so he always managed to understand what Buford was trying to say.
It wasn't until Candace came home though, bursting through the door of his new flat he shared with Buford with a large hello and a big smile did he finally understand one thing he'd never clued in on.
For weeks Buford had been giving him a red and white rose entwined together, both completely thornless.
Candace's sudden scream as she flew at him and pulled him to a tight hug, screaming out "congratulations!" over and over again had confused him, until she realised he had no idea what she was on about and had plucked them from his hands.
"A thornless rose means love at first sight," she'd almost sang, eyes dancing with happiness. "And a red rose means love, a white rose means purity, together they mean pure love, and unity." She'd grinned again and squealed, swooping in to kiss him on the cheek.
"And them being entwined…?"
"Two entwined roses means 'marry me'."
Speechless hadn't even describe Ferb.
In fact, he'd more or less fainted.
And when Buford had gotten home that night, covered head to toe in grease and oil from his time fixing tanks out at base with a huge grin on his face, he'd clearly not expected the sudden armful of Ferb continuously screaming "yes yes yes!" at the top of his lungs.
It didn't surprise anyone when they'd gotten married three years later. Their relationship basically consisted of three, three months before Buford's first deliverance of flowers, three months until the next, three months after that they got together. Three years they'd become engaged, and then three years later they were getting married.
Buford thought it was hilarious, Ferb thought it was corny, Candace thought it was unbelievably romantic.
Standing there with Buford though, saying their vowels and pushing back tears of happiness, Ferb didn't think of this whole thing being corny. He thought it was amazing, how such simple things as roses held the power to bring people together.
And then after the kiss, and the declaration of them now being husbands, Buford stepped forward and held out a single red rose.
Candace had gasped, her already tear-filled eyes overflowing as she almost squealed with their mother. Ferb had looked at her, a question in his eyes.
"A red rose, 'I love you'," she mouthed, a grin on her face.
"And a single rose?" he'd replied, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Buford shake his head with a smile on his lips. Candace grinned.
"A single rose means utmost devotion."
Buford had laughed loud and clear as a crying Ferb kissed him, whispering "I love you" over and over again.
I love roses. They're amazing. I have gardens filled with them, thought I'd spread the love :D