Flowers for a Swan
Summary: Flower Shop AU; Emma goes looking for flowers and finds more than she could have ever expected.
Emma entered the small flower shop on the corner of the street. Her friend Mary Margaret had been feeling under the weather as of late and Emma had decided that getting her a bouquet would be a nice way of cheering her up. It probably didn't hurt that Ruby had said the new guy who ran the flower shop was extremely attractive. Not that Emma was interested in dating right now, her last relationship with Walsh hadn't ended well; but that didn't mean she was blind. When Emma walked into the store she found herself quickly realizing how much Ruby underscored the man at the counter. Ruby had called him a 10 but damn if he wasn't at least a 15.
He looked up at the tinkling of the bell. "Hello love" he said with a wide smile. Emma swore in her internal monologue, not only was he handsome but he had an accent. A freaking British accent no less. Emma added an extra couple points to her mental tally for his lilting voice. "What can I get you lass?" He asked her while gesturing to the various flora. Emma glanced around the collections of flowers in the store before shrugging her shoulders awkwardly.
"This is a bit embarrassing but I know absolutely nothing about flowers. Don't get me wrong I can tell the difference between a rose and a lily, but that's pretty much the extent of my knowledge" she said while worrying her lip.
"Okay" he said with a smile. "Let's start with something easy. What is the occasion?" he asked.
"My friend is feeling rather ill and so I wanted to get something to cheer her up. She's always been the one with the green thumb" Emma answered. He muttered under his breath while walking around the shop before stopping at a small pot containing a small green leafy plant.
"How about this?" He asked out loud while lifting the plant into the air. "It's mint, so although it doesn't look stunning your nature loving friend can keep growing it after the fact. Plus mint was thought to protect people from illness" he explained. Emma nodded her head in assent and he deftly wrapped it with paper and ribbon. He rings her purchase up at the till and hands her some change and a small white flower with a green center. A look of confusion crosses her face at the unexpected item. "This one is on the house. It's a blackthorn which means I can hardly live till I see you again" he said while scratching his neck with embarrassment. Emma felt her cheeks lightly heat up at his words.
-CS-
Mary Margaret loved the mint. She loved the fact that Emma went out and got her a plant, and she loved the sentiment behind it. Of course Mary Margaret was well versed in victorian flower language, she was basically obsessed with fairytales and the meanings behind them. So when Mary Margaret's birthday rolled around a few weeks later, Emma once again found herself listening to the light tinkling of the bell as she opened the door to the flower shop. It didn't hurt that Emma wasn't against getting a chance to see Killian the florist once again. But of course she was there solely for the purpose of getting her friend flowers, not to flirt with the handsome shop keeper. Emma had to remind herself of her purpose when he turned to face her wiping sweat from his brow. Evidently he had been repotting some plants which was obviously a far more strenuous activity than Emma had anticipated. She couldn't keep her mind from wandering to other more strenuous activities that could cause him to sweat. Her train of thought was almost immediately derailed by him speaking.
"Couldn't help coming back to see my gorgeous face, could you love" he spoke a cocky grin spreading across his face. Emma couldn't help the slightly embarrassed blush that crossed her face at the unintentional accuracy of his words.
She recovered slightly too late with a roll of her eyes. "In your dreams, love" she parroted back his pet name.
"Aye. In my dreams indeed, and probably in yours as well" he replied with a smirk.
She ignored his comment and began looking around the shop in silence. Emma stopped when she came across the container of lilies. A quick google had revealed that Mary Margaret's birth month flower was the lily. She grabbed them and brought the flowers to the counter. With a quick flick of her wrist she placed the flowers on the counter. Killian took the flowers and began delicately wrapping them up.
"For your friend again?" He inquired. Emma nodded her head once again in confirmation. He handed back over the wrapped flowers and once again passed over an additional flower. This time it was at least one that Emma recognized; a beautiful orchid. He explained the significance "Orchids are made to be given to beautiful ladies such as yourself". Emma couldn't stop the smile of affection from crossing her features.
This time she didn't even bother fighting him for paying for the additional flower. It wasn't like he had any intention of letting her pay for it.
-CS-
Flower shopping at Killian's store had become a regular occurrence for Emma. What had started as an occasional occurrence to pick up flowers for Mary Margaret had evolved into a weekly trip to collect flowers for her own dining room table. Emma had to admit that although she loved the smell of fresh flowers in her apartment; she also enjoyed the time spent flirting with Storybrooke's resident florist. Each and every time he would make sure to slip an extra flower into her bundle and in turn Emma would insist on giving him a tip.
A few months in and Killian had asked her out by slipping a daffodil into her bouquet while explaining that she was the only one that he thought of. After she agreed to date him, he absolutely refused to let her pay for flowers at all. Apparently Killian was an old soul who valued the beliefs of chivalry. Emma however was far more stubborn and would leave bits of change laying around his shop.
Not a week would pass by without her discovering a red rose, a white camellia, or some such other offering gracing her doorstep.
It had been awhile since Emma had been so smitten with someone. Slowly all of those years of hurt were being replaced with happy memories of her time spent with Killian. Each passing day found Emma falling harder and harder for the town's florist; and oddly Emma didn't mind. Sure the part of her that remained an orphan at heart was still screaming at her to run but somehow that part of her seemed much less powerful with each encounter.
Their love for each other had began as a seed and was now in full bloom.
-CS-
Emma walked into the flower shop that she now had come to know as a second home. Her boyfriend turned to face her with the tinkling of the bell. A huge smile crossed his face upon seeing her. Emma had told him that she wouldn't be in today, but thankfully David had agreed to take her shift at the station.
"I didn't expect to see you today" he said.
"It's not super busy today so David told me to take a long lunch" she supplied. Although the small town was relatively low on crime this wasn't the reason that Emma found herself in his flower shop. She placed a small basket on his counter "I thought I'd spend my lunch with my favourite florist" Emma said.
"I wasn't aware you knew any other florists" he said teasingly.
"Well, Eric who runs Fairytale Flowers in the next town over and I have been getting pretty close as of late" she said a teasing grin crossing her face. She started taking containers of Granny's food onto the counter. Finally she placed a small vase with a white flower with purple spots down beside the food.
Killian blinked slowly as if his brain had momentarily stopped functioning. Emma felt a brief moment of panic shoot through her chest. "That's a toad lily" he said as if he had forgotten all he knew about flora and was asking for her confirmation.
"Indeed" she said while lifting the flower "I've been told that it is used to say I am eternally yours; but you've always been more of the flower buff". She gifted him the flower and he looked puzzled for a moment before removing the second part of her gift from the flowers center.
"Are you asking me to marry you?" he asked, his excitement creeping into his voice.
"I don't know, you were always the one who said that important things should be said with flowers" she said a teasing smirk crossing her face.
He leaned forwards and planted a kiss just beside the corner of her mouth. "Even flowers can't express how much I love you in this moment" he spoke rather breathily.
Emma felt her heartbeat pick up at his words. "Can I take that as a yes?" she asked.
"You can take it as a solid red carnation" he said with a smile. Even Emma knew that that particular flower meant "Yes. I love you".
With a kiss surrounded by flowers Emma and Killian promised to spend the rest of their lives together, and a half year later when the two were finally wed they did their vows amongst huge collections of brilliant flowers.
Author's Note: All flower meanings were grabbed off of google, so let me extend my sincerest apologies to anyone who is actually adept in Victorian flower language if any of them are incorrect. As far as I'm aware the character of Snow White from OUAT has no listed birthday so I went with her actress' birthdate which is in May. Reviews feed my muse so please consider leaving one. I look forward to seeing you all next chapter (providing of course you like my writing style and plan on continuing on).