goldenrod – encouragement
orchid – love, beauty
Chapter 9: Goldenrod
The day after Hibari left for his business trip, Kyoko had to cancel her plans with Tsuna because one of her friends whom she works with got into an accident, although he barely comprehended the girl as she was rambling due to panic. He put his mobile phone in his pocket, propped his right elbow on the counter, and leant on it, waiting for customers to come in. It had been a while since he had a normal day and it made Tsuna realise how big of an uproar the stoic man made since his arrival in his life.
And his house. With the number of bouquets Hibari had given him, his own house was starting to look like a flower shop. Tsuna started counting the number of bouquets Hibari had given him. Let's see. He gave me a white rose when we first met, which was almost a month ago, I think? One jonquil a week after. Oh, hey! He didn't pay for that. The week after is when he started giving me bouquets. The first was fireball hibiscus. It barely lasted two days. Using hibiscus for a bouquet... He frowned. The week after was red camellias. Afterwards, he started coming every day. Spiderflowers, crocus, pink camellias yester—
Abruptly stopping, he folded his arms on the counter and burrowed his head, embarrassment flooding in him. Hibari-san is so corny. I'm so corny. Why are we so corny? And I'm already thinking of him and he just left yesterday. Enma-kun's going to say I'm pining, which I'm not. I'm definitely not pining. He sat straight up and bit his lip. I don't even like-like Hibari-san. Do I? I don't, right? But he's kind of fun to be with, and he was kind of cute yesterday. Who even googles dating tips? That's so lame... and cute, I guess. Wait, I already thought of that.
"He seems busy, Mother." Lifting his head at the sound of chuckling, he flushed as he saw the daughter of his boss smiling cheekily at him. "Good afternoon, Sawada-kun." Aria ruffled his hair, still chuckling.
Luce walked towards them, arms crossed. "Tsunayoshi-kun, you're at work." Abashed, the brunet was about to apologise when Luce started giggling, unfolding her arms. "I'll forgive you this time since it's the first time I've seen you pining."
"I just said I'm not pining," replied Tsuna, voice louder than normal.
Raising a questioning eyebrow, Luce looked at her daughter, who shook her head. "So you are pining. That's good; looks like you've talked it over with yourself already," said Aria, nodding. At her words, Tsuna just realised he actually never said he was not pining out loud. "Hibari Kyouya, right? I was surprised when I heard from Mother."
"I just said—Are you close with Hibari-san?" he asked, a bit too eagerly for his taste.
Aria simply smiled at his sudden enthusiasm. "Nuvola Inc. has been a customer for a while now, but I only met him on the third time the corporation ordered. It's a man named Kusakabe who usually calls. Hibari Kyouya is rather reserved, so I was surprised when, a year and," she furrowed her eyebrows, "three or four months ago, I think, he approached me and asked if I would teach him things about flowers." She paused, her cheeky smile returning. "Looks like the knowledge was well used."
Tsuna bit his lower lip in embarrassment. "I heard the other day from Gamma-san that you had a meeting with his company a month ago, so I thought you first met him then."
Aria waved her hand. "Gamma doesn't come often, and even if he does, he just stays at the truck. He came all the way that time because Tazaru wasn't available." Shrugging, she continued, "Thought Hibari wanted to keep his flower hobby a secret, but he calmly brought it up when I was still with Gamma after the meeting that day."
A year and four months ago? That's the time Mukuro and I broke up. Willing his unnecessary thoughts to leave, he asked, "Does Hibari-san grow his own flowers?"
"In his garden; he has a greenhouse, too. I went there once since he wanted to know if what he's doing is fine. Kusakabe helps him out, because apparently, to quote him," she raised her arms to make quotation marks gestures, "'Kyou-san is clumsy.'"
"I can imagine." Tsuna laughed but was incredibly impressed that Hibari had been growing flowers on his own. So everything he's given me is grown by him?
"Is he coming today, Tsunayoshi-kun?" asked Luce.
"He's on a business trip. He said he'll be gone for a few days."
"Why don't you message him?"
Rubbing the back of his head, he awkwardly replied, "I don't know his number, or even if he uses LINE."
In disbelief, Aria started violently shaking him. "You silly boy, are you going to let a handsome man like him slip your fingers?"
"Who's a handsome man?"
The three of them froze and saw Gamma leaning on the door frame, with his arms crossed.
"Oh, you're back. We're talking about Hibari Kyouya."
"Great. My wife is talking about how handsome another man is," he muttered.
"He is, though." Luce playfully added, "Uni will probably think the same." The blond raised his hands in mock surrender, to which Tsuna laughed. "Tsunayoshi-kun does so, too."
"I didn't say anything!"
"You silly boy." Gamma smirked, repeating Aria's words. Leaving a flustered brunet behind, the husband and wife left, but not without Aria ruffling his hair while handing him a cheery yellow flower.
Tsuna smiled at the goldenrod.
.
.
.
Loving the calm mood the rainy October weather gave him, Tsuna took his time on the way home. He shifted the umbrella to his left hand and grabbed his vibrating phone with his right. Seeing Kyoko's name, he pressed the answer button.
"Tsuna-kun, are you free four days from now? I called Haru-chan and Enma-kun, and that's the earliest day they're both free."
"Yup. By the way, how's your friend?" His voice hitched as his foot slipped on a puddle. Luckily, he managed to maintain his body's balance and didn't fall over.
"You just slipped, didn't you?" Tsuna pouted at the teasing tone in her voice. "She's fine; nothing serious—Wait, Adelheid! I told you to rest. I take my eyes off a minute and—" Blinking at the sudden outburst, he waited patiently for Kyoko to return, assuming she was still in the hospital and that Adelheid was the name of her friend. "Sorry, Tsuna-kun, but I need to hang up."
After pocketing his phone, the rain begun to fall harsher, forcing the brunet to run back to his home. Feeling his soul leave at the numerous times he slipped, he finally released a relieved sigh upon succumbing to the comforts of his apartment complex. He had barely closed the door when someone knocked. Tsuna opened it, revealing a white-haired man in a plain green kimono carrying a basket of orchids.
"Good evening, Sawada. Someone left this for you."
Tsuna took the basket from the man, ashamed he had to trouble his landlord. "W-who left it, Kawahira-san?"
"He said his name is Kusakabe. Big guy with a pompadour."
"Oh, uh, um. Thank you for bringing this, and I'm sorry for troubling you."
"No big deal." Winking, Kawahira waved and walked away.
Tsuna slid down to the floor once he closed the door, grabbing the basket tightly on his lap, with his head lowered in both amusement and, he begrudgingly admitted, happiness.
Really, Hibari-san? Even when you're away?
