Akashi Seijuurou had never been particularly interested in flowers. He could understand why they would appeal to other people though, with their colorful petals and pleasant smells. He could admit that they were easy on the eyes, but their fragility, short lifespan, and lack of a purpose beyond decoration hardy impressed the young heir. He had always been used to finer, more exotic things.
However, his mother didn't share his opinion. She filled the gardens of the Akashi manor with blossoms of every hue, and was always seen tending to them personally, preferring to spend the free time she had on her hands taking care of her favorite plants instead of hiring a gardener.
Akashi loved the tender smile on her face whenever he would show even the slightest interest in her flowers; he especially remembered the day he got one of the maids to teach him how to make one of those flower crowns he heard a classmate of his talking about. The smile that bloomed on his mother's face when he placed the flowers on her reddish locks was the most brilliant he's even seen.
Even though he never liked flowers, he'd always loved his mother. To him, she was the most beautiful of roses, the rarest of them all.
Akashi heaved another sigh of irritation as his car stopped once again in the middle of the heavy traffic. He had managed to sneak his way out of his office without alarming his secretary, who had insisted on piling up files on a recently signed contract for him to review. It would be another two hours before she notices he'd been missing-when the management meeting was due.
It was not as if Akashi had any intention of neglecting his duties. He had gone through most of the files back at the company, but today was the day of his monthly visit to his mother's grave. It was one of the few occasions which he prioritized ahead of his work.
The car had been stuck in the same place for the past ten minutes. He could take a different route, but it would be a full hour before he made it to the flower shop he usually visited, and another half an hour to get to the cemetery from there. He simply didn't have that much time to spare.
He weighed his options in his head; he could always go after the meeting was over, but knowing his senior-partners, the meeting would most likely be over late into the night ,and he'd have no more energy to spare. He could always go tomorrow, but breaking the habit he'd become accustomed to because of a mere traffic didn't settle well within himself; it would make the efforts he put into his courageous escape seem futile.
He wondered if abandoning the car and attempting to run the entire distance was an acceptable option. He could catch up on his exercise that way.
Before his mind settled on the final option, Akashi's eyes, thankfully, caught the sight of flowers on the side of the road. He never noticed there was a flower shop so close to the company before. Without a second thought he parked the car in front of the small shop.
Akashi eyed the shop skeptically. The shop's sign read 'Les fleurs de Seirin' in elegant writing, but aside from that, the shop was, indeed, a small one with simple decorations. It seemed so mediocre, so average; nothing like the grand, luxurious shops he was used to. But he couldn't afford to picky, not right now.
He entered through the doors and for a minute he thought the shop was vacant; closed boxes and empty vases laid randomly on the floor. He cringed slightly at the untidiness of the place.
"H-How can I help you, sir?" A voice startled him. He turned around to find a nervous looking brunette staring at him from behind the counter.
"I would like a bouquet of flowers," Akashi said after a brief pause. "Pink and striped carnations,"
The young man looks shocked for a minute, eyes widening and all, but said nothing as he rushed to complete his task. Akashi's brow rose at the reaction, but didn't question it as he rested his back on the counter. Even if the place wasn't up to his standards, he couldn't deny he was lucky for finding it. He could endure one messy bouquet of flowers.
But it turned out that he didn't necessarily have to do that, for it was safe to say that the bouquet the young man presented to him was one of the most beautiful one of carnations he ever bought. He had an interesting way of taking care of the tiniest details, contradicting the current state of the shop.
Akashi allowed a small smile of satisfaction to grace his features as he handled the florist a ten thousand yen bill and asked him to keep the change. The florist stuttered his thanks and Akashi took one last look at the name tag pinned on his apron before he left.
Furihata Kouki
He thinks he might just visit again.
Exactly one month later, Akashi walked through the same doors of the small shop. The place was in a much better state than the last time he visited. The once empty vases were organized on one side of the room with colorful flowers filling each and everyone of them. The shelves had mini-jars with miniature sunflowers and the whole place looked nice and tidy.
"Welcome! How can I help you, sir?" The brunette beamed at him from his usual post behind the counter, with no signs of his previous nervousness.
"I would like a bouquet of pink and striped carnations," It was only when Akashi uttered his order that Furihata's face lit up in recognition.
"I-I'm so sorry about the mess last time! I had just opened the shop and didn't expect a customer so early!" He muttered an apology while bowing.
"No, it's perfectly fine, Furihata-kun. I liked your work and so I came again," Akashi calmly reassured.
They didn't say anything further to each other, but this time Akashi took extra care in watching Furihata prepare his order. The guy was clumsy, Akashi noted, as he almost tripped on nothing but air when he went to retrieve the flowers, but other than that he treated the flowers with such delicacy that reminded him of how his own mother would touch her flowers. He highlighted their appeal with beautiful arrangements.
The thing with carnations was that they were no roses, none of the previous florists had taken much interest in garnishing his bouquets the way Furihata did.
He paid for the bouquet when the brunette was done, but couldn't help but notice the sad expression the florist had on his face when he handed him the flowers.
It took him three more months to find out why.
Akashi was back in the shop, now becoming somewhat or regular-monthly customer. He and Furihata exchanged greetings as per usual, and by now he didn't even need to voice his order for Furihata to know what he'd wanted. But this time, the brunette hesitated when he handed him the bouquet.
"Is it someone you can't be with?" He asked, abruptly, startling Akashi. "I-I'm sorry for asking! I just got c-curious, because you always buy the same thing..."
"What makes you say so?" Akashi questioned, a bit alarmed that the sad, nervous expression returned to Furihata's face.
"The carnations...the flowers you chose have a sad meaning," He said, lowering his head, being a bit wary of Akashi's eyes on him.
Akashi blinked at him in confusion. They were flowers, what other meaning could they behold? "How so?"
"In the flower language, striped carnations are like an apology," Furihata paused and Akashi somewhat knew he was thinking about what to say. " It's like you're saying: I'm sorry I can't be with you, but I wish I could,"
Rather than being surprised that there was a language to flowers he didn't know about (Which just showed how uninterested in flowers he was) His mind focused on the meaning of the flower.
As a child his mother had always loved flowers, but as her illness got worse and she was confined to her bed, she still had a small pot with carnations in her room. She would always tell him the flowers were for him and always asked Akashi to take care of them with a tired smile on her face.
After her death, Akashi had assumed they were her favorite. He asked of his father to hire a gardener to take care of those blossoms his mother cherished, and he made sure to have a bouquet of carnations for her every time he visited her grave.
Akashi never thought there could be another reason...such an underlying meaning.
"Sir?" Furihata was staring at him, seemingly concerned. It made Akashi wonder what kind of facial expressions he was making right now.
"...And the pink ones?" He could feel his voice wavering.
Furihata hesitated before answering. "It means: I'll always be with you,"
Oh, how befitting of his mother to use her dear flowers as ways of conveying her final message to him when she knew she would no longer be with him.
Akashi found himself chuckling and then, for the first time in years and in front of a complete stranger, he sobbed.
Striped Carnations: I'm sorry I can't be with you, I wish I can.
Pink Carnations: I'll always be there with you.
His regular visits to the flower shop continued though, and Akashi continued to order the same flowers, but now he did so while knowing what they actually meant. If it was any other place, Akashi would have probably never stepped foot in it again, having publicly shown a side of himself he rather kept hidden.
But the brunette was so considerate; even though he panicked at first when he saw Akashi's tears, he just quietly sat there as Akashi cried. He never asked or judged, he silently listened to Akashi's broken version of his story. Now that Akashi thought about it, it was a rather embarrassing event, but he found it strangely easy to speak to Furihata and after he left that night; his shoulders felt much lighter.
"Akashi-san!" Furihata beamed at him the minute he walked through the doors.
"Furihata," Akashi nodded at him with a smile of his own.
The two have somehow become friends of sorts. They no longer maintained just a regular customer-shop owner relationship. They spoke much more often than a greeting and addressed each other a little more intimately, even though Furihata insisted on adding the '-san' to his name as he was still a respected customer, or so Furihata said.
By now, Akashi didn't need to voice his order before Furihata rushed to prepare it. The bouquets he received were different every time. There were different bows, wrapping papers, and even extra flowers to compliment the carnations. Akashi looked forward to each new one and always gave valuable feedback.
"Here you go, Akashi-san," The brunet said and enthusiastically handed him his flowers. Akashi paid as per usual but made no move to leave. Furihata looked at him quizzically.
"I'm waiting for my lesson, sensei~" The playfulness in Akashi's tone send color straight to Furihata's cheeks.
"W-what flower would you like then?" Furihata stuttered the question.
"Anything you recommend, sensei," Akashi said with a slight smirk as he rested his chin or his hand and stared intently at Furihata.
"Stop it with the sensei thing!" The blush on his cheek deepened in color as he stared at the shelves behind him. "Oh! How about Lilacs? Actually..."
Akashi's mind focused not on what Furihata was saying, but more on the way Furihata's smile brightened whenever he talked about flowers, the way that endearing blush would adorn his cheeks whenever he was embarrassed and the way his eyes lit up whenever he talked to him about flowers, in much the same manner his mother's did.
This was another change in the relationship they shared. Akashi would ask Furihata to explain the meaning behind one of the flowers he had at his shop. It only started as a way to lengthen the short time he shared with the brunet but before he knew it, he came to look forward to each 'lesson', and even tried to guess the meaning of some of the flowers before Furihata said anything. He never got any right, but he did like to give himself credit for trying.
"Are you listening, Akashi-san?" Furihata asked with an -adorable- pout.
Akashi woke up from his trance and smiled at him. "But of course I was!"
Furihata shook his head at him, totally convinced otherwise.
Akashi's heart was thumping in a rhythm it only took around the brown-haired florist. It was true he never was interested in flowers, but he would admit it was getting harder to resist their appeal when it was Furihata's fingers touching their stems. His eyes followed every move of those hands and took in every new expression the brunet made. He knew he enjoyed their time together and a part of his mind always seemed to wish it never ended...
Ah...That thing Furihata explained about Lilacs was probably what the feeling in Akashi's heart was...
Lilac: The first whispers of love.
His visits became irregular.
Akashi realized if he wanted his crush to go anywhere, he'd have to at least create opportunities where he could confess to the slightly shorter man. And so, he found reasons (excuses) to purchase flowers from his shop.
It was either, "A friend of mine is down with an illness," or "I need some flowers for a congratulatory gift,". He even threw in a "I would like flowers for my personal use at the office," into the mix of orders.
Furihata didn't seem to suspect the change in Akashi's attitude though, and arranged every order perfectly, asking an occasional question about the people who were receiving the flowers which made Akashi's heart twist in a bitter feeling of guilt, that there was no people who needed flowers, it was just his selfish desire to see the brunet.
Maybe he could send Kuroko one of the bouquets to quench his guilt a notch-his friend since middle school always appreciated flowers after all.
Akashi accepting his regular bouquet for his mother's grave visit marked a month of unsuccessful courting. He frowned at the flowers, a sigh of irritation at his own hesitant self escaped his lips. He was suddenly very alarmed of his inability to convey his feelings properly. He would blame his rusty skills on lack of usage.
"Your month was hectic," Furihata commented, probably having mistaken Akashi's sigh for one of exhaustion. Akashi could only nod his head.
Before Akashi left the shop though, Furihata thrust a single red flower in his hand. Akashi blinked at him in confusion.
"I-It's for you! Something to cheer you up," He said and that endearing blush colored his cheeks once again.
He was oddly nervous, something that just stopped happening after the many months Akashi visited his shop. Akashi's lips curled into a smile as he looked at the red tulip in his hand as a way of reassuring the brunette his gift was appreciated. Only then did Furihata release a breath he was holding as he returned Akashi's smile with one of his own.
But something didn't feel right...
Akashi kept staring at the flower on his way back from the cemetery, his mind replaying the images of Furihata's earlier expression. Furihata did smile at him, but it was nothing like the usual smile Akashi had come to love so much. He seemed like he worried about something when he handed Akashi the flower.
The flower...
Akashi took out his phone and searched for the meaning of tulips on the net. After all, like his mother, Furihata seemed to be more comfortable and happy whenever he talked about flowers. It couldn't be a far off shot in thinking he wanted to convey something to Akashi that way.
The results were displayed on his screen, and his eyes widened.
Akashi found himself in front of the shop again. The brunette was tidying up; probably planning on closing for the day when the small bell above the door rang as Akashi stepped foot inside. Furihata looked up and seemed genuinely shocked, a troubled expression crossed his features.
Before Furihata could say anything, Akashi cupped Furihata's cheek with one hand and pressed their lips together. It only lasted for mere seconds before Akashi pulled away and stared at Furihata in the eyes.
"I didn't misunderstand, right?" He asked, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
But when Furihata blushed and buried his face in Akashi's chest, it was all the answer he needed.
His lips were, addictively, sweet.
Red Tulips: A Declaration of love.
Their relationship only continued to grow further.
Instead of being only limited to see each other once a month, they saw each other more often and went on dates that were thankfully not inside the flower shop. One kiss turned into many and at the new level of intimacy, they finally started calling each other by their first names.
But among all those changes, one thing remained the same.
Kouki picked the habit of leaving small flowers for Seijuurou whenever there was something he wanted to say.
It has become a way of communication for the two, and for someone who claimed to never be interested in flowers; Seijuurou found himself looking forward to finding those small flowers on his bedside table in the morning or inside the pockets of his jacket.
They were not always happy flowers. Kouki made sure to leave him a willow whenever Seijuurou managed to upset him, though he would like to argue the glares he received instead of a morning kiss were enough of a clue.
A year into their relationship, Seijuurou took Kouki with him to visit the cemetery together this time. Seijuurou still had his bouquet of carnations while Kouki held one of beautiful orchids in his hands. When he questioned his choice in flowers, Kouki smiled warmly at him.
"I never met your mother before, but I'm quite sure she was a wonderful person,"
If the two were ever destined to meet, he was sure they'd be the best of friends. They'd share tips on gardening and tell Seijuurou more stories of flowers than he would ever want to know.
His mother would have loved Kouki for sure.
Orchids: A symbol of exotic beauty, refinement and glorious femininity.
A couple of years later, they were happily enjoying their third year anniversary.
Seijuurou rarely bought Kouki flowers, Kouki being a florist and all, but this was one of the special occasions where he did. The vase in the middle of the table was filled with red roses. It showed he'd come a long way since never understanding any of the meanings those flowers stood for. Now he knew, red roses meant love and that was exactly what he was feeling for the brunet sitting before him.
"I actually have another gift, Kouki," Seijuurou said and Kouki looked at him, a bit confused, before he was given a small box.
His brown irises scanned the seemingly regular box. Seijuurou smiled at him and urged him to open it, and he did.
Inside there was a flower crown, but was made of all dried flowers. The flowers were oddly familiar though. Kouki's fingers touched the flowers lightly as to not ruin the crown, it was then he realized they were all flowers he gave Seijuurou at one point.
There was a forget-me-not he placed in Seijuurou's pockets during one of his many business trips. Another one was a sun flower he gave him on their first date, even the willows he usually placed when being upset were part of the flower crown.
"You kept them?" He asked in disbelief as his eyes sparkled while looking at those flowers.
Seijuurou didn't answer him, but kept his eyes on Kouki as he continued to marvel at the flowers.
There was another flower that caught Kouki's eyes. This time, unlike the other ones, it was still vibrant with color and was unattached to the flower crown. Kouki held the small red flower, and recognized it almost instantly.
He looked at Seijuurou, his eyes becoming a little watery and started nodding at Seijuurou who enveloped his lover-now fiance in a tight hug.
Inside the red Salvia flower laid a golden band.
Salvia: Forever Mine.
Story co-posted on AO3 and tumblr and written for the akfr contest ~ I hope you liked it :D