Delivery Person/Florist AU

.*Flowers for Whom*.

It had become a Saturday tradition at noon: Toshi heading toward the entrance to his apartment before the chime even rang out. As he padded across the hardwood floor in his favored white slippers, he made quick work of giving his hair a shake and then running his hands back over it to ensure no locks were out of place.

It was a little silly and he knew it...but Toshi couldn't deny feeling that old familiar pang of anxiety within him at the moment. There'd been no deviation from their current pattern over the last two months, nor any indication that anything would be different on this occasion. Yet, he couldn't stop wondering if last weekend had also been the last time. What if he'd missed his chance? And if the universe would be so generous to grant him another, could he finally conjure the courage to say what he'd been wanting to since that first day he'd been left breathless?

Toshi drew a deep inhale and braced himself, then opened the door—and promptly tried to conceal the surge of relief which flooded him.

Golden-eyes was standing before the threshold as per usual, with his soft smile and kind greeting. "Good afternoon, Hijikata-san. How are you this weekend?"

"Hey..." Toshi replied, caught off guard by the gentleness of his own tone. "I'm fine."

"Gladiolas this week, hm?" Golden-eyes asked, handing over with care the dozen of flowers wrapped in cellophane.

"Mm." Toshi reached out to receive them; in all honestly, he hadn't even recalled what he'd purchased from . "Thanks." His eyes fell to the ground for a beat, and just as he began gathering courage to broach the topic which had gnawed at him from that first pivotal moment, Golden-eyes stole the words right from his lips.

"They're lucky, you know... If you don't mind me saying."

Taken aback, Toshi blinked and shifted all of his weight to his heels. "...Who?"

Golden-eyes' smile grew and he gazed off to the side, before looking back. "The person you buy these flowers for every weekend." He offered a courteous nod. "Which...we appreciate your patronage so much. And look forward to serving you next Saturday! That is..." A hand rubbed at the back of his head. "If you keep up the tradition, of course. Anyhow, you have yourself a nice day."

And after that awkward exchange, he was off.

Toshi could do nothing but let his mouth fall as he watched this man who'd stolen his heart walk away, believing the absolute opposite of what was the truth. In all honesty, the entire situation had begun with Souji sending over a dozen roses as a joke...and now, Toshi's pulse pounded in his ears and his chest ached with a pain he couldn't even rightly describe.

But he had one thought. 'He thinks I'm buying these flowers for someone...'

And in that moment, Toshi realized it was do or die. He recklessly tossed the flowers into his apartment and bound out the front door, chasing after the florist delivery man while not even bothering to change out of his slippers.