Prompt: Flowers/Lovey Dovey (2021)
Takano Masamune was really, sincerely trying here.
He had been in plenty of relationships before, (if you could count his one night stands as relationships) but he had never cared about any of them like how he cared about he and Ritsu's relationship (again, if you could call what they had a relationship. Masamune did, but Ritsu didn't, so...it was complicated).
Ten years had gone by and Masamune was still a total sucker for the guy!
Yes, Masamune was a lovelorn, idiotic, sucker for one Onodera Ritsu, but Masamune was also a man of his word and he had told Ritsu that he intended to be completely lovey dovey with him. Masamune found that lately he wasn't quite living up to that promise, which was a wrong that needed to be righted immediately.
That was how he found himself in his current predicament: agonizing over what flowers to choose to give to Ritsu. Flowers were a classic gesture of affection and they'd certainly brighten up the place in Ritsu's warzone of an apartment. However, Masamune didn't want to just pick up any bouquet and run out with it. He wanted it to be nice, maybe even perfect if he could dare to hope to meet such a standard.
Masamune had never done anything like this, had never really tried very hard (rather, had never tried at all) in any of his relationships, so who could blame him for being a little lost?
Ugh, if only he knew what kind of flowers Ritsu liked! But it wasn't like he could ask without raising suspicion. He wanted this to be a surprise. Plus, he doubted Ritsu would even tell him since, according to the brunette, they technically still weren't 'dating' so 'Masamune would have no reason to need to know that' or whatever. Masamune rolled his eyes briefly at the thought of Ritsu's never ending denial before he refocused.
"Excuse me, sir, may I be of assistance?"
Masamune spared the employee a glance, taking in the rather tall, dark haired man. He instinctively went to dismiss him and assure him he was fine before stopping himself.
"Actually, I could use some help. I want to surprise the person I love with flowers, but I don't know which ones to get." Masamune explained.
"Some flowers have certain meanings. If there's a specific message you're trying to convey to your loved one I could help you make a custom boquet!" The employee offered with a shiny, almost too-white smile.
Masamune slowly nodded along as he listened. "Yes, please, I'd like that."
Ritsu ignored the first knock on his door.
He wasn't expecting any company and therefore he was not obligated to answer, or at least that's how he justified it. He was a hardworking adult who deserved just a minute of peace. Whoever was at his door could allow him that. Unless the building was on fire, he didn't want to hear it.
Of course, Ritsu wasn't that lucky and the knocker wasn't that easily deterred.
Once there was another knock Ritsu knew right away who it was and that made him want to answer the door even less. However, Ritsu knew there could be consequences for ignoring his neighbor/boss/ex lover/current lover(?). So, he took a deep breath and forced himself to stand from his couch. He opened the front door and was not surprised to find Takano standing there, but was surprised to find Takano standing there with flowers.
"Um...hello Takano-san. How can I help you?" Ritsu asked as he leaned slightly away from the bouquet.
"I came over to give you these." Masamune said, holding out the flowers toward him. The bouquet consisted of purple lilac for first love, violets for loyalty, devotion and faithfulness and forget-me-nots for...well, its in the name.
Ritsu's nose scrunched as it already started to tickle. "Why?" Ritsu asked. It wasn't his birthday, was it? Or, oh God, was this about to be followed up with some terrible news? Were the flowers being used to soften the blow? Was Ritsu being fired?
"Because I wanted to. Because I love you. I don't think I need any other reasons than that." Masamune stated.
Masamune had gotten Ritsu flowers? Just because? God, he wasn't one of the maidens in the shojo mangas they edited! Ritsu couldn't be won over with such gestures! Right? He definitely couldn't be won over by something like this. His heart definitely wasn't beating fast and he didn't have butterflies in his stomach and he wasn't shoving down the urge to smile. Ritsu's eyes were also beginning to water, but that was not from happiness and it reminded him that he had to reject the gift.
Ritsu took a deep breath and felt his cheeks start to burn with embarrassment as he spoke. "W-While I appreciate the gesture, T-Takano-san, I cannot accept." He somehow managed to splutter out a coherent sentence much to his own surprise. Even though the bouquet (secretly) made him happy, he couldn't take it.
Masamune frowned at the professional and impersonal tone. Ritsu's rejection, as polite as it may be, still twisted his heart in ugly, awful, painful ways. "Why not?" He asked. "Do you not like them?"
"That's not the issue." Ritsu sniffled and took a step back. "Th-they're very pretty! It's just, I'm just-" Ritsu cut himself off, turning away from Masamune to sneeze three times in a row. He sniffled and took another step back. "I'm-" another sneeze. "-allergic."
Masamune wanted to smack himself.
"I'm so sorry." Masamune apologized immediately. "I'm such an idiot-I didn't even think-" he huffed, frustrated with himself. Damn it, he just can't get this lovey dovey stuff right, can he? Ritsu sneezing once more snapped him out of his thoughts.
"I-its okay!" Ritsu assured through his sniffles. "You didn't know."
Damn it, Ritsu was already sounding congested too. "I'll just get rid of these, sorry again." Masamune sighed.
Ritsu frowned to himself as it seemed like a waste. "Well, um, th-thank you anyway." He said, swallowing hard as he glanced away from Masamune to try to build up some courage. "I-its really the thought that counts. It was swe...swee...swe-ACHOO!" Ritsu sneezed once more. Ugh, I feel gross now, he thought. And his eyes were getting so itchy! They were probably red.
"Yup, I'm definitely getting rid of these." Masamune said, taking a step away from Ritsu, which wasn't something he ever thought he would voluntarily do. "How about after I get rid of the flowers, I make up for this by cooking you dinner?"
"Y-You don't have to do that." Ritsu denied automatically, almost as if it were routine.
"I want to. Please?"
"...Fine. Let me take some medicine and you get rid of those and then I'll come over."
Wait...had Ritsu just agreed to dinner with only a little bit of a fight? Masamune hoped he didn't look as surprised as he felt, but apparently he did as Ritsu's face turned pink and he snipped, "What? Stop staring at me and get started already!"
"Right, right, sorry. You're just so hot when you're having an allergy attack." Masamune teased.
"Shut up before I change my mind!" With that Ritsu slammed the door shut, but Masamune was smiling wide.
I guess the flowers were a good idea, after all.
