11The last thing Neil wanted on his peaceful Saturday was someone slamming on his door. He grumpily got to his feet, his blanket casually falling to the floor. He didn't even bother picking it up as he wanted to get that damn knocking to finally stop. He would snap at whoever it was. Especially if it was Dunhill. He remembered all of the times that Rio had complained about the creepy old man doing the same thing to her. Not to mention all of the pictures that Dunhill had of all of the townsfolk. Neil had never liked Dunhill and his stalkerish behavior. But he had tolerated the old man when it was only them, Hana, and Emma in town. He remembered when Rio had moved to town.

The farmer had just started her farm up when he brought over her first cow to her. The cow had hardly ever listened to him, restless as if she had been just a calf, not a fully grown animal. The cow had wandered over to Rio's land just as she left the house, Neil following after her. It impressed him when the cow had instantly bonded with her new owner. He could tell by Rio's soft tone and touch that the cow, which had been named Misty, would be taken good care of. Rio's blue eyes had sparkled at the huge animal, telling her that she was glad to have her. It was one of the reasons that made Neil fall for the delicate blonde farmer.

He had wanted to confess his feelings to her for the longest time, but had never gained the courage to do so. He remembered how the other guys in town had flirted with her, even the happy-go-lucky Rod seemed to be speechless when it came to the farmer. He knew that he couldn't compete. How in the world was he going to gain her affection over a prince? Even the prince's butler seemed interested in winning Rio's heart. Neil had no hard feels for Amir or Sanjay. Even Soseki yearning for her affection never really bothered him. She was a cute and happy girl. It was the stupid redhead that he had problems with.

Even while being in a relationship with that annoying pink magician, he had caught Allen flirting with Rio numerous times. He had scoffed at the stylist, glaring at him the whole time. He just had to flirt with anything that walked. Neil knew that he wasn't the most popular guy in town, but he was glad that he didn't have to stoop to the redhead's level. But he remembered how arrogant Allen was about the whole thing, acting as if he wasn't in the wrong at all.

Neil had been taking a small walk through the woods and decided to have a meal at the restaurant since it had been his day off. He had sat down at the table where Michelle usually performs. Luckily it was a Saturday, so he didn't have to see the overly sweet gumball of a girl. He couldn't be the only one who wasn't charmed by her magic or looks. She wore too much pink for his taste. He noticed Tina, Allen, Rod, and Rio all sitting together, all of them in a bubbly and good mood. He heard their laughter from his own seat, rolling his eyes at the others. He noticed how Tina was leaning into the pet seller's side, giving him her full attention. Was this supposed to be a date? Then why was Allen and Rio with them? The two looked way too close for Neil's liking.

He kept a glare locked onto the redhead, making sure that he didn't try anything. Wasn't he with Michelle? Did she know that he was hanging out with another girl, close enough for their thighs to touch? It was even worse when Felicity handed the group their desserts. Tina and Rod had shared a terrible looking chocolate cake, the smell of it even reaching Neil. Allen had an apple pie, while Rio had chosen chocolate pudding. He had scooped up a piece of pie, practically stuffing it into Rio's mouth. The farmer had giggled after she swallowed the bite, doing the same thing to him, while Rod and Tina had laughed at the pair's antics. Neil rolled his eyes at the childish behavior. He had gotten up to their table to tell him off.

"Hey, Neil," Rio flashed him a smile. "I wasn't even aware that you were here. You should have at least waved. Oh, hey! You wanna sit with us? You guys fine with that?"

"I'm fine," Rod nodded innocently, bright blue eyes on Tina, as if he didn't even care. She nodded as well as she agreed with Rod. They practically were glued together.

"I guess he can," Allen dismissed him, using his middle finger to adjust his glasses, as if flipping Neil off. Neil glared at the redhead's tone, wanting to slap that stupid smirk off his pretty face.

"Shouldn't Michelle be eating with you guys?" Neil had retorted, reminding the stylist that he really should be eating with his girlfriend instead of Rio. "Since you and her are both off today."

"She got sick," Rio told him with a slight frown. "She said that a fan must have given her something expired. She usually gets lots of gifts from her fans, including food. She said that she can't let them go to waste."

"I already saw her today anyways."

Neil had sat down between Rio and Allen, happily keeping the two apart. He could smell the flowery smell of the redhead's expensive shampoo, making him feel annoyed. How in the world could another guy smell so sweet? Rio's fruity scented perfume wasn't even as strong. He tried not to cringe at the desserts on the table, hating the sweets just from their looks. He had been uncomfortable the whole date, but he stopped their dumb flirting.

Neil opened his door to a grinning Tina, the brunette's hands behind her back. She had a mischievous smile on her face, her brown hair looking silkier than usual. She must have come to his home straight from the salon. He didn't like the look of things.

"Heya, Neil," she smiled even brighter at him, her gleaming white teeth showing through her lips. "I'm here to deliver this to you. This is my last deliver for the day." With those words she pulled out a bouquet filled with many different roses. He couldn't help noticing how most of the flowers were red roses. The symbol of love and romance. He gave the newspaper girl a glance.

"A bouquet? Who sent me that?"

"I'm not telling," she giggled. "It's a surprise. You must be pretty lucky to get such a nice gift. Those flowers came from a pretty expensive flower shop. I heard that they came from Bluebell itself."

"You don't know where they got shipped from? Isn't that your job?"

"The bouquet was made here, but the flowers came shipped, silly. I'll leave you with your flowers."

Neil watched her leave with confusion. She only wanted to deliver these flowers, but who in the world would bring him flowers. He glanced down at the roses, noticing the small thorns on the side of the stems. These flowers were the real deal. He noticed a small paper in the folds of the red rose in the middle, covered in a sweet smelling perfume. He opened the paper, curiosity taking over his senses. It was written in a much better handwriting than Neil's.

I bought these flowers because they reminded me of your sweet face, my love. They say that red roses symbolize love. My only wish is to hear the words, "I love you," come out of your lips. Nothing else in the world would make me happier.

"What?" Neil couldn't help but shake his head at such sappy words. These flowers certainly couldn't be for him? No one in town would have sent them to him. He never really talked to any of the single ladies in town. He glared down at the roses, wondering if Tina was play a joke on him. She even seemed like she was in on some joke.

He put on his shoe and left his house, not bothering to turn his light off as he tried to guess where the girl had gone, the harsh sunlight making him flinch a little. For fall, it sure had been sunnier lately. Maybe the weather was broken. He could see Tina in the distance, handing a small letter to Soseki. The older man gave her a light laugh at something she was saying to him. Were they together? Neil didn't know if she liked him or Rod. Some girls were just so hard to tell. She didn't seem to be interested in confessing to anyone. They didn't seem to notice him as he lead her into his home. Neil watched her disappear with a small sigh. He had been too late to catch up to her. What if she was talking to Soseki about him? The thought made him clench his fists.

"What in the world are you doing?"

Neil stiffened at the cocky tone, turning to give Allen a glare, "It's none of your damn business. Were you fucking stalking me?"

"I'm not allowed to leave my own house?" his smirk only grew as he glanced down at the small bundle of flowers in the animal seller's hand. "I see that you got a package. Tina seemed really giddy when she left your porch."

"Are you suppose to be this annoying?"

"Only for you, darling."

"Don't call me darling," Neil pointed at him with hate on his tongue. "You're an asshole."

"No need for harsh names," Allen wiggled his finger at him. "But it's good to know that you did end up getting my gift."

"Huh?" Neil cocked his head, completely confused. "You never got me a gift."

"Oh, but I did," the redhead pointed at the bouquet in Neil's grasp. "Those flowers right there. You do know the meaning of roses, don't you?"

"What?" the blonde hissed at him. "Why in the hell would you give me these?"

"Red roses mean love," Allen ignored him completely, using a hand to sweep away bangs as he made sure their gazes met. "It stands for passion."

"Love is the last thing I feel for you."

"You will eventually," the stylist shrugged. "You might not feel anything for me now, but I will win your affection. I meant what I said in my note. I will hear you say that you love me. I don't care how long it takes. You should just say it to me now and spare yourself the trouble, Neil. I'm nice like that."

"Oh sure, I have something important to tell you," Neil set the bouquet down near his door and gave the redhead his full attention, not liking the sparkle in those dark blue eyes.

"I'm waiting. . ."

"I think," Neil placed his hands together and swallowed whatever saliva was in his mouth before continuing. "You should go fuck yourself, you fucking asshole."

The gloating look fell from Allen's face and his eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, taking Neil's jaw in his hand, nails digging into the skin as he pulled Neil closer. "You probably think I'm joking. But I always get what I want." With that he pulled Neil into a kiss, his other hand on the blonde's back. Neil stiffened again, but managed to separate himself with a growl.

"You're so stupid!

"And you're so cute," Allen licked his lips. "You certainly are going to be quite the challenge, bitch."