So sorry for the huge delay in updating. Life's been a bit crazy and I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to edit stories. Hope you guys enjoy the new chapter!

Pitch Black smiled at the girl he was talking to at the bar. Black was well aware that his good looks and status as one of Hollywood's sexiest actors and most sought after bachelors made him highly desirable. He leaned in closer to her, whatever her name was, and whispered in her ear. She giggled and followed him to his hotel room.

An hour later he was already redressed and back at the bar, flirting with another woman. Of course he had left what's-her-name a beautiful rose bouquet. The flowers had started out as a joke but had become one of his symbols, like Batman or Zorro. Now women everywhere were willing to settle for a bouquet or rose if they couldn't have his heart. By the end of the night, he had used up a good number of the roses he had purchased and already had designs on who would receive the rest.

After a night of debauchery and drinking, Black sat in a scandalously plain t-shirt and pajama bottoms with a bowl of Cocoa Puffs in his hands. On the TV was a gossip show, a group of women talking about his latest escapades. He chuckled and stuck another spoonful into his mouth. He looked at the door when the bell rang and put his bowl on the table, sauntering over and leaning against the wall as he opened the door. "Hey there, flower child."

Jack stood on the doorstep, feeling a little awkward and trying not to gape at the clear luxury of the man's home. He was suddenly very glad he'd taken Fairy's advice and dressed up a little more than he usually did. "Morning, Mr. Pitchner."

"I see you were more than capable of fulfilling my order." Pitch walked back into the room to turn off the TV. "Please, come in."

"We managed to finish yesterday before closing." He stepped carefully through the door and tried to look around on the sly.

"I'm glad. I'd hate to think I kept you at work late." Pitch picked up his bowl and carried it into the kitchen, leaning against the counter as he finished eating.

"Nope. We both left on time." Jack smiled at him. "Is there anywhere in particular you'd like your flowers?"

"Just put them anywhere. They'll be gone by the end of tonight. I'm throwing a party." Pitch smiled. "I plan on gifting them all out then."

"A party? Is it Valentine themed?" he joked as he brought in one of the buckets full of bouquets.

"You could say so." Pitch walked up to one bouquet and took a deep breath, his eyes closing as he smelled the flowers' perfume. "I've always loved roses."

Jack smiled fondly and made another trip out to the van. "They're classic. I could understand why they're yours and your mom's favorite."

"A rose can say so much, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you that." Pitch pulled one of the roses out and trimmed the stem until it was just a little longer than his middle finger. He walked over and slid it into one of Jack's button holes. "From me to you."

"Th-thanks," he stammered, pink coloring his pale cheeks. "It's not often people give flowers to a florist," Jack joked.

"Shocking." Pitch smiled. "Seems so obvious."

"Not really. Maybe they just think we see enough flowers already as it is."

"Doesn't mean you might not appreciate the sentiment."

"I do appreciate it." Jack set another couple buckets down next to the quickly growing pile.

"How would you like to grab some coffee later?"

"Um...I have a few more deliveries to make this morning, but I think I'd be free later?"

"Perfect. How about that little coffeehouse near the shop?"

"That works. Is around one o'clock okay with you?"

"One works just fine. I'll meet you there, okay?" Pitch smiled and brushed his hand down Jack's arm. "And you don't have to dress up for me. I like you just as you are."

"I-I didn't dress up for you. I always dress like this for deliveries." He turned and fiddled with some of the bouquets to hide another blush. Jack hated how pale he was sometimes; it always made any blush way more difficult to hide.

"Really? And here I thought I was special," Pitch teased.

"Sorry to disappoint." Jack brought in the last bucket and took a different bouquet out. He held it out for the man with an embarrassed smile, the pinks and reds of the amaryllis and ranunculus stood out from the sea of red roses.

"For me?" Pitch took the flowers and brought them to his nose, smelling their sweetness. "In one instance you tease me and in the next you're giving me flowers. You are quite a mystery."

"I try to not be too predictable. I usually give you the one flower with each bouquet you buy, but I thought a small bunch was a bit more practical than a hundred flowers."

"This is significantly less than a hundred flowers. I'll expect the rest later." Pitch hummed and put the small bouquet into a glass of water.

"You really want the rest?"

"Of course I do. I like seeing what you'll surprise me with next. In fact, what are these? I've never seen them before."

"The uh, the red and white almost lily-looking ones are called amaryllis, and the others are ranunculus."

"Funny names," he whispered. "I guess I should let you go. I'm not your only delivery after all."

"Yeah. Oh, can I just get you to sign the delivery form?" Jack pulled out his little clipboard and pen.

"Sure." Pitch quickly signed the form. "See you later, flower child."

"See you, Mr. Pitchner." Jack saw himself out of the house. When he was safely in the van and heading down the street, he let out a squeal. "What the hell just happened?!"

Considering his status as a celebrity, Pitch chose a rather boring drink: a plain black coffee. He smiled down at the smaller man beside him who had ordered a cocoa with a foamy cat face on top. "Are you fond of chocolate?"

"Who isn't? Chocolate is one of the best things the earth has ever given us."

"I'm not fond of it, if you can believe it." He walked with Jack over to an empty table to wait for their drinks. "Chocolate makes me shiver."

"Shiver? Like you get the chills kind of shiver? Or hyper jitters?" Jack sat across from him.

"As in, I may be sick kind of shiver. Probably comes from a past traumatic experience."

"Past trauma from chocolate?" An eyebrow raised in curiosity. "I feel like there's a story here."

"Not a very exciting one. My mom got me a new Sunday suit for Easter. Absolutely pristine and all white. I was a kid, and obviously I had to have some chocolate from my Easter basket. My mom almost caught me, and I had the idea to sit on the candy bar I had been munching on. I had chocolate all over my ass and I still had to go to church. My mom was pissed and all the kids were laughing at my 'poopy butt.'"

Jack cringed. "Alright. That is pretty bad. And you haven't been able to eat chocolate since?"

"Nope. Guess it reminds me of angry mothers and poopy butts." Pitch chuckled and leaned back in his chair, crossing his long legs. "I notice you changed. I like you better when you're dressed like this."

"Seriously?" He laughed. "Fairy teases me for looking like a hobo when I dress like this."

"I don't think you look like a hobo." Amber eyes ran over Jack, slowly looking from his toes to the top of his head with a teasing smile. "Unless hobos are handsomer than I thought."

"I…" Jack froze. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks and hated it. "I wouldn't say I'm handsome."

Pitch smiled knowingly. "I would."

"Thank...you?"

"I'm complimenting you. Do you not get complimented often?"

"I can't say I do." He heard the barista behind the counter call their order number and stood up a little faster than he intended. "I'll go get the drinks."

"Thank you," Pitch chuckled, having noticed Jack's behavior.

Jack returned with the drinks and slightly less pink in his face. "Sorry if I'm being weird."

"You're not being weird. I think you're actually rather cute."

Damn it. He groaned inwardly when his cheeks heated once again. Jack took a big sip of his cocoa without answering.

"I'd like to know more about you, Jack."

"I'm a simple guy who gets by working as a florist. Nothing special."

"But that's not who you are. You're more than just your job."

"I'm really not very exciting. If I'm not working, I'm usually at home reading. I don't go out very much except for the rare occasions Fairy can drag me somewhere."

"What do you like to read?"

"The classics. Great Expectations, Sense and Sensibility, Shakespeare. I like a good mystery on occasion."

"I enjoy Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights myself. Dracula, when it gets closer to Halloween."

"Wonderful choices. I haven't read Dracula yet. I know it's a classic, but I'm not really into the darker themes."

"I admit, Dracula does delve into darker themes. I actually wrote my masters thesis on it."

"You have a masters degree?" Jack nearly choked on his drink.

"Yeah, in English literature. Most people don't know about that."

"That's amazing! What college do you go to?"

"Oxford. No big deal."

"No big deal?! It's Oxford."

"Shh," Pitch chuckled, putting a finger to his lips. "You're noisy when you're nervous."

"Sorry." He cringed. "I've never known someone that smart. I mean I've had friends who went to colleges but never any as prestigious as Oxford."

"You don't have to apologize. I just have a reputation I'd like to uphold, and brains doesn't exactly fit that reputation." Pitch smiled and took a sip of his coffee. "What about you?"

"I'd say brains go well with any reputation," Jack grumbled softly. "What about me?"

"Tell me about your education."

"Or lack thereof?" He poked the whipped cream cat in his cocoa with a spoon, shoulders shrugging in embarrassment. "I only went to community college. I figured out school just wasn't my thing after my first year. I got a job at a flower shop to help pay for my books and figured out that it was my real calling. I graduated with my Associates degree in agriculture because it was the only subject I could force myself to get through. Still took me about five years though."

"I respect that. You finally followed the dream that was best for you."

"I guess you're right. I've stuck with it for...eight years now? I must be suited for it after all."

"I think you're quite suited for it."

"Thanks. Sometimes I think I'm better with flowers and books than I am with people."

"You're doing pretty well right now."

"Don't lie. I know how much of a nervous wreck I am."

"I think you're charming."

"Ha!" Jack snorted. "You're the first to say that besides my parents and Fairy."

"Except your parents and Fairy aren't also attracted to you."

"Nope. Nope they aren't."

"And I am."

Jack froze in shock. He stared at the man across the table. "Is this a joke?"

"I never joke about sexual attraction, Jack. You should know that about me." Pitch smiled. "There's nothing funny about sex."

"There's no way this can be true." His brain couldn't process quick enough to really believe the man across from him.

"You doubt me?"

"Uh….yeah," Jack answered sarcastically before he could stop himself. He continued rambling nervously. "You're a decently wealthy, super intelligent, incredibly good looking man, and I'm just the skinny, albino guy who's practically a hermit and talks to flowers more than I do to people. There's no way you could possibly be interested in me even if you are gay."

"Are you finished?"

"I think so," he groaned and let his forehead fall to the table.

"Good. You're cute when you're nervous but lord, is it exhausting to watch."

"Believe me. It's exhausting to feel too."

"Then I'll drop this topic, for now. Think about what I've said."

"You mean how you said I'm handsome and you're interested in me? I don't think I'll be able stop thinking about it." Jack sat back up with a sigh.

"I'd like to take you out on an official date, if you'll let me. I'll obviously give you time to process all of this before giving me an answer."

"Thanks," he mumbled. Jack shyly looked up to meet his eyes. "Are you really gay?"

"I guess. Gender doesn't matter to me."

"Really? I thought for sure you were straight. Fairy insisted you were super gay because no man loves his mother as much as you do unless they are."

Pitch laughed loudly. "I'm not sure whether that's offensive or hysterical."

"Definitely both." He cracked a smile.

"I love my mother very much but not any more than you or that guy over there or those girls. I'm not suffering from some Oedipus complex or anything like that."

"You sure? You do buy her an awful lot of roses," Jack teased.

"We both like them, and it gives me an excuse to see you."

"Don't tell me you've been buying so many just to come into the shop."

"Only half of what I get is an excuse to come in. I really do use all those flowers."

"That's still-" Jack took a deep calming breath. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since...yeah, I'd say since the third time I came in."

"Seriously?!"

"Yep. Got me with those damn tulips."

Jack felt himself blushing again and thanking whatever deity was out there that Kozmotis didn't know the hidden meanings of the flowers he'd been receiving. "That was almost five months ago. You've really been interested in me that long?"

"Those eyes of yours are quite captivating. Icy blue, then cerulean, then so dark as to almost be black."

"Yeah…" He rubbed at the back of his neck. "It used to freak my classmates out when I was a kid."

"I like them."

"Again, like thinking me charming, you're one of the very few."

"That makes it better. Your modesty isn't disingenuous." Pitch smiled and reached across the table to push a stray lock of hair away from Jack's eyes. "You're not fake at all."

"I'd hope not." Goodness, would his cheeks ever stop flaming?

"Plenty of people hope they aren't fake and yet are. You are so incredibly...real." His eyes dropped to Jack's lips, and he smiled.

"It's hard to be fake when you have the friends I do. They wouldn't accept me if I was anything other than what they see."

"I should thank them then, for keeping you honest and genuine."

"You can thank Fairy and Bunny for now. I don't know if you'll ever meet the others. They don't work with me."

"Bunny? Another girl?"

"The owner of the shop." Jack snorted. "He's a buff and gruff Australian. Don't let him hear you calling him a girl."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"He's married to a wonderful woman, and they have two amazing kids. So….no."

"I see. And Fairy isn't your girlfriend?"

"That's also a nope. She's engaged to one of my other friends."

"So you're most definitely single."

"Pathetically so at times."

"I don't think so." Pitch looked down at his wrist at the beeping watch. "Bollocks, I gotta go." He stood up and leaned down, quickly kissing Jack's cheek. "I'll see you at the shop, flower child."

Jack put a hand to the warm feeling on his cheek. He could only wave the man off, frozen to his seat in shock. "Bye…"

Let's say...4 reviews, and I'll post the next chapter?