"It's not normal, Hana," Momo chides her. He sits at the foot of her bed, arms crossed and face molded into concern. "He's like–what? Twenty or something? Why would a twenty-something-year-old want to hang out with a kid our age?"
Hana smiles, a thoughtful look on her face. She twirls the freesia in her hands, lifting it to the window so its petals can catch the light. It's already a little wilted, despite her best efforts to keep it alive. "Maybe he's lonely?" she muses.
Momo snorts. "Riiight," he says, dragging out the word. His expression sours when he sees the flower in her hands. Momo loves flowers (though he'll never admit it), but now he thinks he really hates freesia. "Seriously, Hana, you should stay away from him. He has to be dangerous."
Hana just continues to smile.
Vivi frowns when he walks through the front door of the mansion without incident.
How...strange.
Lately, Anzu and Yamabuki have grown suspicious over his recent outings into town (since he rarely ever goes out more than once a month, let alone twice), and it's so tiring trying to avoid their ambushes. Occasionally, they would catch him right before he left, and Anzu, the more verbal one of his two children, would frown and bombard him with questions.
"You never used to go out before, Papa," Anzu would complain. She'd puff out her chest, her hands on her hips, and glower at him. He supposed she was trying to look intimidating, but Vivi hasn't felt fear in nearly thirty years, and he wasn't about to start now. At this point, he'd either fireball a hole in the ceiling and escape (neither of them had wings, thank God) or bribe them with a new variety of flowers for their mother's garden.
It's selfish of him, but he wants to keep the knowledge that Hana is alive to himself for just a little longer.
Hana is sitting at the flower shop's counter, her hand pressed to her cheek, and looking out the window when her thoughts suddenly turn to a certain tall, dark, and handsome man. She wonders if she's right, if he really is just lonely and looking for company. It would certainly explain his wish for a friend. But he looks like he could get whatever he wants with just a word. Why would he be lonely?
Hana sighs and sinks into the counter, when a dark blob in her peripheral vision suddenly shifts, growing larger and more prominent. She looks up.
Speak of the devil...
"Mr. Akuma!" Hana sits up and beams at him.
"Hello, Hana." Vivi returns her smile. "I have a present for you." At that, he pulls out a large stalk from behind his back.
"Oh, a sunflower!" She stretches her hands out eagerly.
Vivi smiles and pushes the sunflower into her waiting arms.
She strokes the bright yellow petals slowly, her fingers barely brushing the flower. Adoration. That is the meaning of the sunflower, but... Hana scrunches her brows. She doesn't understand what she's done to be adored. "You know," she starts slowly, "I've been thinking."
Oh, God. Vivi blanches. Those words are never good.
"...Mr. Akuma?"
He blinks and finds Hana waving her hand in his face.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine," he forces out. He swallows down the lump in his throat. Is she going to ask him to stop coming? "Just fine. What were you saying?"
Hana shoots him a strange look but brushes it off. She grins. "Well, I was thinking that, now that we're friends, we should meet outside of the shop."
Vivi almost sinks into the ground out of relief. He lets out a soft chuckle at his own foolishness. "Sure, that sounds great."
With both parties being in agreement, they set the date and place: next Sunday, 3 o'clock, at the park.
Unbeknownst to the two, they are being watched by three pairs of eyes.
A/N: Oh, God, I am so sorry. I've made you guys wait like 7 months. This chapter didn't go quite the way I wanted, but I felt like I had to post something.
Just out of curiosity, but what flower would you want me to center next chapter around?
