A few weeks later, Kunzite once again found himself standing in front of the heavy apartment door, in the dark, cramped building he did not like.

Contrary to the ugliness of his surroundings, Kunzite was in a bright mood, if not even a little anxious. His fingers played with the plastic of the bouquet in his hands behind his back, as he waited for the door to open, while his other hand loosely fidgeted with the button of his dark formal jacket. It had been a very long time since he had dressed himself for an occasion that did not require a uniform, and an even longer time since he had courted someone on an official date. While he could recall being confident in all of his other dresswear, he felt uncertain in his plain trousers and dress shirt. Hopefully it would make a first good impression; after all, Zoisite had always attended to such matters.

All his concerns, however, were washed away the moment the door had opened. In the light of the small apartment, Kunzite found a sight that stunned him and took his breath away.

It wasn't necessarily how opulently he was dressed, or how ethereally beautiful Kunzite remembered him being. Rather, it was the realization then that Kunzite was now looking at his former lover anew. In the time since his passing, Zoisite's cheeks were no longer as round, nor as cherub as they used to be. Now they gave way to higher, distinctive cheekbones that were complemented with an equally handsome, androgynous jawline. Ivy eyes, though still expressive and large, were lined with a faintly harder edge but flourished with thick black lashes. Lips, however, still as lush and soft as the first day Kunzite could remember kissing them.

It struck him then, and Kunzite realized now he was getting to see Zoisite had he would've grown, had he lived to proper adulthood. And Kunzite, still gripped in this moment, found it amazing.

In fact, he was so focused that he hadn't realized Izou was eyeing him up as well.

"Ah- ...Saitou-sama," Izou's voice sounded a bit awed himself, "I hadn't realized we were going to be dressed so ...formally." Izou glanced up and there was a slight blush to his cheeks. "Perhaps I should change into something else?"

Kunzite quickly brought himself back and glanced at Izou's clothing. Dark grey slacks that seemed to hug his long legs, a light top of varying shades of deep greens with a turtleneck collar. A copper-gold necklace that hung just in the hollow of his ribs, carrying a simple, abstract design of a leaf, matching the shades of his soft curls.

Kunzite shook his head. "No...you look beautiful."

The way Kunihiro had said those words made Izou's cheeks glow surprisingly shyly.

"Thank you."

Confidence returning, Kunzite revealed a single pink rose from behind his back. The bud was in partial bloom and was still wrapped in cellophane. Surprised, Izou took it after a brief moment's hesitation. The scent was old and familiar, but the crinkle of material was new.

"Saitou-sama, it's lovely…"

Kunzite smiled. "It's only half as lovely as you," he said honestly.

At this Izou gave him a funny face, as if he had heard that line a few times. However, the sound of more crinkling from behind Kunihiro's back distracted him. He tilted his head curiously.

As though almost shyly, Kunihiro pulled out the rest of the bouquet. Izou was surprised. Why hadn't Saitou-sama just given him the whole lot? There were eleven other individual species, each as delicately wrapped as the rose. Izou was confused.

"Perhaps you may have recalled my feelings about bouquets," Kunzite started. "They're - "

"Garrish and tacky, clumped together," Izou finished, smiling. "So what's with all this…" He gestured to the individually wrapped flowers.

"...Well, I still wanted to make an impact, but I didn't want to give them to you in an undeserving bunch." Kunzite began to separate each stem from the bouquet. "So..please enjoy each one." He began to hand Izou the buds one by one. "For their singular, uniquely individual beauty."

There definitely was something about Kunzite that Izou found quite idiosyncratic, but he also found it both appealing and strangely endearing. There was a certain poetry to the man's oddness, which Izou was beginning to realize was truly genuine. One man may have given him a single rose in the past for comparison, and another a fresh bundle of the reddest variety - but the man before him was different. He hadn't assumed what Izou loved, he had given himself a chance to learn what Izou would love.

As Izou pulled the flowers to his chest, his smile brightened while the flowers crinkled lovingly.

"Why don't I put these in water real quick," he said, "and we'll head out?"

Kunzite's smile widened.

"Sounds wonderful."

And so, after the flowers were in their new vases, the two were off on their very first - but certainly not the last - date of a fresh new life.