A/N: Title taken from a poem by Sarah Kay, "Here and Now."
"I'll take this, please," says GoGo, the plastic wrapping crinkling as she sets the bouquet down. Meanwhile, she dumps the contents of her purse on the counter, picking through the jumbled mess and locating a few crumpled bills.
The boy behind the counter straightens and turns around to look at her order. As he punches the numbers into the cash register, he asks, "What's the occasion?"
"Family dinner," GoGo answers, checking her watch. Nineteen minutes.
The boy nods. GoGo's gaze sweeps over his green apron, searching for a nametag, but finds nothing. "Are you sure you don't want one of those bouquets?" asks the boy, pointing to a wooden display of red and white flowers. "They might be a better color scheme, since it's the holidays and all, and that one has American Starwort, which means welcome—"
Seventeen minutes. "Look, I'm kind of in a hurry," says GoGo, pushing her money across the counter pointedly. She feels a slight twinge of regret at her abruptness—she doesn't mean to be rude—but she's still annoyed that her parents dropped the responsibility of decorating the house for their impromptu guests on her with only thirty minutes to spare (fifteen, now, her internal clock chimes).
"Right," says the boy. To his credit, he doesn't seem fazed at all, only flashes a warm smile, and GoGo feels even guiltier. He drops her change into her hand, and GoGo sweeps the rest of her belongings back into her bag, grabs purse and bouquet, and rushes out the door, back into the wintry afternoon.
o.O.o
"Morning," a muffled voice greets. GoGo watches the boy set down two large terra cotta pots brimming with marigolds. He dusts his hands off before turning to her. "Oh, it's you."
"It's me," agrees GoGo, clearing her throat awkwardly. "About the other time—sorry. For being kind of rude."
The boy shrugs. "No big deal." He holds out a hand. "I'm Tadashi, by the way."
GoGo shakes his hand gingerly, her hand dwarfed by his. Tadashi's palms are soft and warm, his grip gentle but firm, and GoGo tries to assess more about his character but only comes up with: friendly. "I'm GoGo."
"Well, GoGo, how can I help you today?" asks Tadashi, starting deeper into the store; he moves so naturally that GoGo follows him without thinking.
"My friend came down with a cold."
Tadashi stops, glancing at her over his shoulder. "I hope you're not here for herbal remedies, because I'm afraid I'm going to let you down."
GoGo rolls her eyes. "Of course not. I just thought a bouquet might cheer her up." She says this last part while pursing her lips and staring fixedly at one of the purple geraniums, trying to decide what Honey Lemon would like. Honestly, flowers aren't her first choice for a gift, but Wasabi has already made cookies and Fred's supplying the movies, so GoGo doesn't have many options.
A prickling sensation on the side of her face spurs GoGo to look up. When she does, she finds Tadashi watching her, the corner of his mouth curled in a small smile. "What?" GoGo asks, maybe a little too sharply, but she's allowed to be prickly. They've only just met, after all.
Tadashi tilts his head, gesturing for her to follow. "Come on, I'll help you."
o.O.o
"So, tell me about this friend," says Tadashi as they move through the aisles. The flower shop is a dizzy assortment of colors and fragrances; GoGo feels like her senses are being assaulted at every turn, but Tadashi maneuvers around the pots with ease, plucking selected blossoms with deft fingers.
"She likes pink," says GoGo, and Tadashi pauses to pick a few pink and red flowers with serrated edges. They remind GoGo of the tie-dyed shirts she and Honey made last year as part of their joint exercise sessions.
"What else?"
"Super cheerful."
Tadashi nods and grabs some daisies.
"Really energetic," continues GoGo, watching as Tadashi reaches up to clip something from a basket hanging overhead. Satisfied, he goes to the counter, where he pulls out a simple glass vase and proceeds to arrange the flowers he gathered. Fascinated, GoGo stands silently while Tadashi shifts things around and alters stem lengths, a tenderness to his every gesture. At last, Tadashi steps back, content.
It looks nice. Gorgeous, even, but: "I don't know what half of these are."
Tadashi looks amused. "Lily of the valley," he explains, pointing to the white bell-shaped bulbs that dangle over the rest. "To add some variety with height. Then you've got Sweet William," he taps the pink ones, "daisies, for cheerfulness, and apple blossoms because, well, they smell nice." He grins.
GoGo stares at him. "Wow."
"Wow what?"
"Wow, I've never seen someone get so excited about flowers before."
Tadashi shrugs, the grin refusing to slip off his face. "I'm a florist. It's what I do."
"Mhmm?" says GoGo, biting back a smile as she pays for the bouquet. "Thanks for the help, Flower Boy."
"Any time, GoGo."
o.O.o
On the one-year anniversary of her grandmother's death, the sky is the clearest blue GoGo's seen in a while. The air still has a bite to it—it's January, after all—and the sharpness makes the familiar ache feel more like a day-old wound. As GoGo walks down the street, hands shoved in her pockets, she feels like an insect trapped in amber, plodding along while the world around her continues in normal time.
So she isn't in her usual rush when she sets foot inside the flower shop. It takes her a while to compose her thoughts, and her tongue feels thick as she declares, "I need—"
"Lilies?" says Tadashi before she can finish, and GoGo doesn't have time to figure out how Tadashi just knows because she's too busy realizing that this is the first time her grandmother hasn't been downstairs, sitting in her rocking chair, ready to say something pithy to ring in the new year.
But somehow, Tadashi senses everything without needing GoGo to elaborate further. His hands close over hers for a brief moment as the bundle of flowers is pressed into her hands, and his smile is reassuring as he sends her on her way.
Only later, after GoGo's paid her visit and sits at home, on her bed, does she pull the receipt out of her pocket and realize that Tadashi gave her a discount.
o.O.o
"Wow, you've really outdone yourself."
"GoGo!" Tadashi snaps to attention, straightening abruptly. In the process, he hits his head on one of the overhanging baskets, causing it to swing wildly. He grimaces, reaching up to steady it, before peering more closely at her. "What are you doing here?"
GoGo shrugs, examining the room. "I was on my way back from grocery shopping."
"And you decided to visit me?" asks Tadashi, grinning cheekily.
"Ha ha," GoGo says dryly. "Seriously, though, aren't you lonely? It's Valentine's Day and you're stuck here all alone."
"Ah, but I'm not alone," Tadashi says, pointing to her as he moves to fix a bunch of white roses.
"Yeah, well." GoGo folds her arms, the plastic bag rustling. "I'm not staying here for the rest of the day, if that's what you're asking."
"Best time of the year, though!" says Tadashi. "Lots of customers."
"Uh-huh," comments GoGo. "I can see you've drawn quite the crowd."
Tadashi places a hand over his chest, looking hurt. "Hey. Stop being a jerk."
GoGo rolls her eyes. It's hard to take him seriously when he has a clipped carnation tucked behind one ear and is pulling the most pathetic puppy face in the history of puppy faces.
"Well," sighs GoGo, "I guess I'll be even more of a jerk if I leave with this box of chocolates."
Tadashi perks up immediately. "You brought me chocolates?"
GoGo snorts. "They're not all for you. But I thought we could share. Since I never repaid you for the lilies," she says, mumbling the last part.
Tadashi's eyes soften and he holds up a hand. "Come here."
And so, somehow, GoGo ends up eating chocolate and arranging flowers with Tadashi. It's amusing, watching Tadashi debate the aesthetics of one display over the other out loud, and GoGo begins to notice the way he plays with the petals, as if each one deserves his full and undivided attention. The flowers under Tadashi's care are loved, and it shows in their radiant variety, the way they all seem to open up to the sky, even though they're held indoors.
"So, what about you?" Tadashi asks, popping another chocolate in his mouth. "Mmm, raspberry."
"What about me?" frowns GoGo, handing him a long-stemmed rose.
"What are your plans for this evening?"
GoGo opens her mouth to answer but is interrupted by the sound of the door flying open. A man stands in the doorway, looking frazzled, his blue eyes wide in panic. "What's the biggest bouquet you have?" he asks.
"See? Told you there'd be customers," whispers Tadashi, winking, before he goes to help the man.
GoGo checks her watch, doing a double take when she sees the time. Has she really spent a whole hour and a half here?
"Later," she tells Tadashi in passing, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder as she grabs the box of remaining chocolates and tucks it under one arm.
"Wait, GoGo," blurts Tadashi, shooting an apologetic look at the harried man and taking a step forward. "Hold on a second. I have something for you, too."
GoGo stares at him curiously, waiting. Tadashi reaches behind him, pulling out a single pink carnation, and presents it to her. The stem is still wet as GoGo takes it, the leaves digging into her palm.
"Happy Valentine's Day."
Clutching the carnation, GoGo leaves the store, but she doesn't cross the street immediately. Instead, she stands under the awning for a while, watching the sunlight bounce off the cars flashing by. The glare is almost too much—everything suddenly seems brighter, actually, and GoGo narrows her eyes, chewing the inside of her cheek.
And that's when it hits her like a truck.
Oh, god. This can't be happening.
o.O.o
She can't believe she's doing this. Honey Lemon's face appears in her mind, brimming with glee as she squeals, "GoGo, you look adorable!" GoGo reaches down to smooth out her skirt, hoisting her messenger bag higher on her shoulder with the other hand. She blows a bubble, staring up at the painted green sign that has become all too familiar to her after weeks and weeks of visits.
Through the glass windows, which are partially covered by the giant bouquets and leaves arranged inside, someone moves behind the counter.
Sighing, GoGo squares her shoulders and tries to compose herself, working through Honey Lemon's instructions in her head. Make sure you smile, then…
This better be worth it, GoGo thinks as she marches up to the door.
o.O.o
Tadashi looks up as the bell rings, signaling GoGo's entrance. For a moment, his eyes flicker down to her skirt, widening slightly, but the expression disappears before GoGo has time to process it. By the time GoGo reaches the counter, Tadashi is his usual self, all smiles and attentive gaze.
"What's up, GoGo?" he asks, in the process of adding a sprig of azalea to a display.
GoGo takes a breath. "I need a bouquet of roses."
Tadashi's eyebrows jump upward. "Roses, huh?"
"Yeah." GoGo's grip tightens around the strap of her bag. "Red ones, preferably."
Tadashi gets to work, laying out a sheet of plastic and bustling around the shop until he comes back with a dozen of what GoGo suspects are his healthiest ones. As he begins to tie them together and wrap them up, he comments, "Red roses are a symbol of love and passion."
It's like he's quoting straight from a handbook or something, but there's a question in his gaze, and GoGo's heartbeat slows. He knows. "I know."
"Lucky guy," Tadashi comments as he hands them over, but there's something off about his smile—it's a little more lopsided, now, reminding GoGo of flowers wilting, their petals curling downwards, and dammit, this is a byproduct of her spending too much time around Tadashi. Now everything makes her think of flowers. She'd be disgusted with herself if she weren't slightly panicking because wait, this wasn't how it was supposed to go. Why isn't Tadashi saying anything more?
Meanwhile, Honey Lemon's suggestions cycle through her mind: "It'll be perfect, GoGo! You just have to talk to him in his language—the language of flowers!" complete with a happy sigh.
Yeah, well. Tadashi Hamada may have a green thumb, but he sure isn't a flower whisperer, apparently.
"It's not for a guy," GoGo finally says, after much deliberation.
Tadashi's smile wavers, confusion creeping in. "It's not?"
"Well, sort of," huffs GoGo, and god, she can't believe she's doing this, "Look, I've changed my mind."
Now Tadashi is staring at her as if she's grown a second head. "You…don't want the roses," he says, slowly.
"No." She shifts awkwardly from one foot to another, sucking in a breath. Just cut to the chase, GoGo. "Instead of roses, what's a flower that says, 'You're completely oblivious but for some reason I still kind of like you, so maybe we should go on a date'?"
Tadashi blinks. And blinks some more, his mouth dropping slightly open. GoGo swears that if he doesn't understand things in the next two minutes, she's going to march out of here and never look back.
Luckily, it doesn't come to that. A red blush slowly spreads over Tadashi's cheeks (roses, GoGo thinks, and then internally curses because she's back to the darn flowers again), and that's all the confirmation GoGo needs.
"Peonies," Tadashi says, after a long pause.
GoGo squints at him.
"Peonies would be what you're looking for," explains Tadashi. "To answer your, um, question."
"Right," says GoGo, and she can't believe the two of them are still playing this game, but she's determined to see it through. Swiveling around, she scans the store for the flowers Tadashi's talking about.
"They're in the right corner. Next to the carnations," Tadashi supplies, so GoGo marches over to the dark green bin and pulls one out, making her way back to the counter and setting it on the glass surface.
"So, Tadashi," she starts, before finding that all her previous courage has drained away and she can't meet his eyes. She swallows and winds up talking to the embroidered buttercup on the chest of his apron. "Will you go out with me?"
Tadashi laughs, shakily. GoGo looks up to find him covering his mouth with one hand and staring at the ceiling. "This is not at all how it was supposed to happen," he says, dropping his hand to his side and shaking his head, looking defeated and embarrassed but also really, really happy.
It's cute. Not that GoGo's going to say that out loud. Instead, she proclaims, "So you aren't a complete dunce. You were planning on making a move."
"I was," Tadashi agrees. "But I didn't know—I wasn't sure—and then you came in here today like this so I thought maybe you were meeting your boyfriend…I have a bouquet for you, in the back," he finishes sheepishly. "If you want it."
Watching Tadashi stutter through his proclamation, something in GoGo's heart unfurls. It's not love, but it's the start of…something. She thinks that this must be what flowers feel like, when they take the first deep breaths of spring.
"Save it for our date," she smiles.