AU - what if Yuck had been forgiven after all?

"So...A garden, huh?"

Yuck looked up from the plants he was tending to, and the look in his eyes nearly made Yin reel. It was like looking into a puppy's eyes; wide-eyed and innocent and so out of place on the green rabbit's face, just like the neatly combed aquamarine fur and the genuinely kind smile.

She'd think she was talking to a completely different person, but the kindness in his smile couldn't hide the sharpness of his teeth. And the innocent puppy look couldn't hide the fiery orange hue that she'd recognize anywhere.

(And she hated herself for still doing so).

"Hi, Yin!" The voice didn't help either; warm and eager like he was greeting an old friend and not a sworn enemy; she watched him clean his gardening gloves on the apron he was wearing before getting to his feet so they were eye to eye. "Do you like it? It was a gift from President Muffin as thanks for helping around town; he said I could have anything I wanted!"

"It's...something, alright." And that part at least was true; the newly built garden only took a small corner of the dojo yard, but it was already brimming with flowers of all types and colors. Then again, Yuck had been going at it since the day he officially moved in as a student; he'd spent more time tending to them than training, which was yet another new and unsettling thing about him.

If he's faking it, he's going for the long run this time, she mused to herself as a hydrangea bush caught her attention. "I didn't think you'd be the gardening type, Yuck."

"...Luck."

She turned her head to stare. "Come again?"

Yuck flinched, eyes wide and ears pressed flat like he'd been caught red-handed doing something he shouldn't. He fiddled with his hands, refusing to look at her - again, so weirdly out of place; "I'm sorry, I didn't mean...I just don't like being called that."

"You don't like being called by your name?"

"I don't like having that name. It's just so…..yucky." There was a brief flash of cartoonish disgust that twisted his whole expression, a brief reminder for who Yin was talking to, before it softened and she was back to talking with a stranger. "'Luck' sounds more positive, but also similar enough so it's easier for people to memorize. Besides…"

He finally looked back, and the look of genuine gratitude in his eyes caught Yin off guard. "I really AM lucky that you guys decided to give me a second chance! So it fits me pretty well, don't you think?"

"...Yeah." Maybe a little too well, she inwardly fumed; Yuck - or Luck, rather - becoming the newest student at the dojo definitely hadn't been hers or Yang's idea. But no one had bothered to listen to them - not the citizens, not President Muffin, not even Master Yo, and specially not after his special surprise (which turned out to be a lovely, completely non-lethal friendship statue) was unveiled before she and Yang could intervene.

Gotta hand it to you, Yuck. You've really got everyone eating out of your palm this time around. But you can't fool me that easily, not again!

"So….Luck." Feigning disinterest, Yin walked past the other and through the garden to take a closer look at the flowers (and scope out whatever evil scheme Yuck needed them for). As a flower enthusiast herself though, he had to admit he'd done a pretty good job at maintaining them; "You still haven't told me why you chose gardening."

"Well, it's only fair." Yuck was right behind her, and from the corner of her vision she saw him trim some dead leaves off the stalks of some daffodils. And he did so with such care, like even the slightest move off-kilter would kill them. "I spent so much time taking that it's only right that I try giving back instead. Preserve something rather than destroy it, you know?"

If Yang were here - and not cleaning the indoor bathrooms while she was supposed to clean the outhouse - he would've laughed at hearing that and she wouldn't have blamed him. Words like those coming out of someone like Yuck just sounded wrong and completely unbelievable.

But in that moment, as he finished plucking the dead leaves and began watering the daffodils, a gentle smile on his face, those words suddenly didn't feel so unbelievable.

He really is playing the long game here.

Not that she had a chance to think much about it, since a splash of bright pink caught her eye. Upon closer inspection, Yin's eyes lit up with genuine excitement, any thought about exposing Yuck's evil plans momentarily forgotten. "Are those roses?"

Without thinking, Yin closed the distance between her and the rosebush in record time; was it cliché of her to like roses? Maybe. But romantic clichés were her ultimate weakness, and there was no flower more romantic than roses. And these came in her color!

Such was her excitement that she didn't see Yuck reach out to her; "Wait, be careful! Don't try to-!"

"OW!"

The moment she reached out to pluck one of the roses, she immediately pulled back like she had put her hand into an open flame instead. Only then did she notice the sharp thorns under, some of their tips darker and wet. When she looked down at her fingers, she saw them covered in scratches and droplets of blood.

"Yin! Are you OK?"

"I-I'm fine!" The thorns had surprised her more than they had hurt her, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. She tried flexing her hand, but the cuts made her wince. "I'm just gonna get some bandages and-"

She didn't finish her sentence.

Yuck's hands - now without the gardening gloves - were soft.

Yin was too dumbfounded by surprise that she could do nothing but stare as Yuck inspected her hand between his own, as gently as he had held those daffodils, like he was afraid to hurt her. Even though he was looking down, he had gotten so close to her that she could see the concern clearly in his eyes, too genuine to be an act.

(The eyes, it was always those stupid eyes-)

"Here, let me just…" Before she could interject, Yuck grabbed the hem of his own gi and ripped a long strip of it off. Another uncharacteristic habit he had gained were borderline obsessive cleaning habits, so she wasn't worried when he carefully wrapped the cloth around her hand...just surprised. "Is this better?"

It still stung a bit to flex her fingers, but much less so than before. "Y-yeah, I was more surprised than hurt. Aren't you supposed to cut the thorns off, anyways? I mean, they're your roses."

Yuck's hands stiffened around hers, and he got a strange expression on his face. Remembering why she had come here in the first place, Yin suddenly became alert; had she somehow broken through his charade? Was he about to drop his act? If she screamed now, would that be enough time for Yang to come help?

But what she got instead was a sigh. "I...I don't really want to do that. The thorns are part of the rose, so without them...it's just not the same. It's not right."

His fingers twitched, and only then did Yin notice the scratches and cuts on his own hands. "Don't you get hurt when you maintain them, though?"

"Yeah, but I don't mind." He looked down and pouted at his now torn gi, rubbing the uneven hem between his fingers. "Aw man...I hope Master Yo doesn't get mad at me for ruining my uniform, though."

Yin only stared at him, dumbfounded. What was wrong with him? Why did he act like this, the complete opposite of who he really was? Why go through these lengths just to gain their trust when it was all an act?

If it was all an act.

"...Yin?"

"I…" There was a strange feeling, a realization in her chest, and she didn't like it. "I should go back to cleaning the outhouse. Master Yo's gonna flip if he realizes I've been slacking off this whole time."

"Oh no! Was I distracting you? Let me do it then! I mean, your hand..."

"I just got scratched by thorns; I'm pretty sure I won't lose my hand over that."

"Can I at least help you clean?"

He was doing it again. That sweet smile. That light in his eyes. That gentle, foreign, completely strange expression that had no business being on the face of the rabbit that had broken her heart. An expression that had no business making her feel like she felt.

"...Alright."

Yuck's smile grew even wider, but then his expression switched to surprise; she could almost picture the lightbulb turning on over his head. "Oh! But before I forget, do you want a flower?"

She tilted her head.

"You like flowers too, right? That's why you came over in the first place." He turned around and waved his arm towards his prized collection. "So you can grab any flower you want! I don't mind!"

Yin considered turning him down for a moment, but the eager look in his eyes made that decision waver. And he was right; she'd love a flower to brighten up her room. She would've picked one of those pink roses in a heartbeat, but the strange feeling in her chest persisted just by looking at them.

Then another flower caught her eye. "What about that one?"

Yuck - no, Luck - followed her gaze, and his face lit up brighter than she had seen him all day. He slipped his gloves back on, and when he returned to her side he carefully placed her choice in her hands before heading over to the outhouse to get started on cleaning it. She walked right behind him, admiring the newest addition to her room in front of her.

A small sunflower, neatly tucked into its own pot. Framed by a beautiful ring of petals like a halo, a lovely imitation of its namesake. Petals of that amber hue she'd recognize anywhere.

(Somehow, she no longer hated herself for still doing so).