Red and White Roses
6:04 AM : Longing for You.
I stumbled down the hallway to get ready to open shop -- my shifts often occupy the weekends because of school, and today, Ken is coaching soccer in the afternoon so I have his shift, too. Rubbing my eyes to wash away any sleepiness, I came to a halt. Something was in the hallway.
That something sat innocently against Aya's door. A single pink camellia. Weird.
But we're all smart enough to not mess with anything that's Ayan's, including flowers that happen to be sitting on the floor RIGHT BY HIS DOOR. So I left it alone and continued onward for my shower.
6:25 AM : A Refusal -- I wish I could be with you.
What's this? Another flower? The pink camellia is gone now, nothing near Aya's door. I can smell his coffee in the works downstairs and conclude he must have already taken care of the pink one -- but that doesn't explain the existence of a striped carnation tilted against Youji's door.
Things around here are starting to get a little weird.
Maybe Youji had a lady friend over the other night and she left it for him. I might not have noticed; maybe I slept through any of his antics. That must be it. So I guess I'll leave it for him, then.
9:57 AM : Unrequited love -- the sun shines when I'm with you. (You're the only one)
Aya had been uncharacteristically quiet during our morning shift -- although it's usually hard to tell; but something...something was bothering him. You can never get anything out of that stoic idiot though, so I left him alone, managing the register while he worked on flower arrangements. Youji waltzed in a little later, although why, I'm not quite sure -- since he had afternoon shift. He glanced over at Aya, eyes settling on the arrangement, then selected a single daffodil, handing it to the redhead.
"Your arrangement looks like it could use this, Ayan."
Youji murmured in a teasing voice, although I couldn't tell what the heck he was thinking -- nobody would want a Daffodil in the middle of their zinnias. Aya obviously agreed with me as he set the flower aside, fingers brushing over delicate petals. Youji yawned and announced that he was going to go take a nap, heading out of the shop to the living room. Strange. Very strange indeed.
12:42 PM : Flight of fancy; Ardent attachment.
Aya suddenly announced that he had to go to the bathroom, but I could have sworn I saw him pick up a Delphinium flower on the way out.
And then I pinched myself. Aya's way too tight with his money to be taking flowers from our shop!
When he came back, I told him I would go make us lunch as usual and received no reply from the redhead -- which I took for an "okay." Passing through the living room I could have sworn that I saw Youji sitting up, Delphinium in hand, flipping through a small book that read Flower Meanings.
But then I blinked and looked again and Youji was sprawled out on the couch, sunglasses down, asleep; hands tucked behind his back. It looked a little uncomfortable, but who was I to wake him up?
1:02 PM : Let's Take A Chance on Happiness
When I came back into the shop carrying some soup for Aya and myself I was surprised to find him holding a white violet, a thoughtful frown on his features as he stared down at the flower with a bit of a glare.
"Here's your soup, Aya-kun!" I told him cheerfully, setting lunch down on the counter. No response. Sigh. I supposed he'd never bother becoming an social creature, but it was worth a shot.
1:30 PM : Admiration but Solitude
Aya stood up promptly at 1:30, his shift over, picking up some Lavender-colored Heather on his way out. I blinked. Alright, what the hell was going on with these flower things?
"Where are you taking that?"
Aya stared at me. "Taking what?" He repeated blankly, and before I could tell him again he was out of the room. "I'll get Youji for his shift."
1:33 PM : I can't live without you
Youji came into the shop a few minutes later, carrying the same lavender colored heather Aya had carried out. He put it back in its place among the rest of the flowers, and turned to work on arrangements, his back to me. A few moments later he picked up some primrose, and shot me an apologetic grin.
"Sorry, chibi. I forgot my sunglasses. Be right back."
"Don't call me chibi!" I protested; forgetting to ask why he felt the need to steal one of our primroses when he was only going to get his sunglasses.
He returned without it and I scowled.
"Mou! You and Aya are stealing flowers from the shop left and right today!"
But Youji only smiled and fondly ruffled my hair.
"Don't worry about it...chibi."
2:39 PM : Love and Purity -- Unity
Shop's slow today.
...
I was about to be bored out of my mind when Youji glanced over at me, idly fingering the petals of a red rose he'd picked up a few moments ago.
"Ne, Omi. We don't have any customers. Why don't you go take a break?"
I stared at Youji like he was getting ill, and the blond frowned a bit.
"Or I can start telling you some jokes I heard while I was out last week.."
That was enough to make me take my break, brushing past Aya as he stepped inside the shop carrying something small and white. A white rose?
I thought, at that point, that my fellow assassins had lost their respective minds, and decided to go to the kitchen and make a sandwich for a snack.
Sitting on the table were a collection of all the flowers I'd seen today, arranged, most likely, by Aya's hand -- he's the only one that could make such a weird combination of flowers look halfway decent. That was it. Those two had taken enough flowers from the Koneko -- and I was going to go set them straight.
Heading back to the flower shop I stepped inside, ready to launch in on the two older florists. What I saw shocked me, and I had to reach up to close my mouth with one hand before my brain started working again.
Youji. And. Aya. Kissing. Surely there was some sort of mistake. Like maybe they'd both simultaneously spilled super glue on their lips and somehow gotten them stuck together.
A moan from the redhead, as one hand reached up to thread pale fingers through blond hair. Superglue theory just went out the window.
A quiet thud signaled the fall of a small handbook from Youji's left hand -- Flower Meanings. Aha! I knew he'd been reading that! Who would've thought that Youji could read?!
Their other hands were linked; and I recognized the red rose Youji had been holding earlier as well as the white rose Aya had carried in, resting between their joined fingers.
Youji's left hand moved to Aya's hip, manuevering the redhead back against the counter. I blinked and calmly reached over for the shop's open sign, flipping it to "Closed" and then selected a single blossom of Phlox, slipping it onto the counter undetected.
What does Phlox mean, you might ask.
For them..
Our souls are united.
A/N:
Just an idea I had for a oneshot I wanted to get out. Section titles are the flower meanings but I'll clarify anyway (the entire story is Youji wooing Aya through flowers and Aya's responses)
1) Pink Camellia: Longing for you. From Youji to Aya.
2) Striped Carnation: Refusal, I wish I could be with you, I can't be with you. From Aya to Youji in rebuttal of the Pink Camellia.
3) Daffodil: Unrequited love, the sun shines when I'm with you, You're the only one. From Youji to Aya to prove he's sincere.
4) Delphinium: Flight of fancy, ardent attachment: From Aya to Youji, Aya's afraid that Youji's affections will not last.
5) White Violet: Let's take a chance on happiness. Youji to Aya, saying that they should try to be together anyway despite the risks.
6) Heather (lavender): Admiration, Solitude. Aya's way of saying he returns the feelings but deserves to be alone.
7) Primrose: I can't live without you. Another declaration of Youji's lvoe for Ayan.
8) Red Rose (love) White Rose (purity): together these mean unity. Aya gives in, Youji declares his love again.
9) Phlox: Our Souls are united.
Well...it's not well written. But it's cute. I feel like I've abandoned you guys. I still have to work on Family Business (Rurouni Kenshin)! gaaah...school... *buried* - glaube. Leave me lots of love.