Synopsis:

Anya knows Haha's secret stories that stemmed from roses. She wants to help her tsundere Chichi become the closest person to her.

The first flowers that Yor plucked were a pair of bronze roses, about the size of a dalc, intertwined with a thick, lustrous band of a similar shade in the shape of a figure eight. Her small, chubby hands would envelop the pair of glossy bronze buttons that nestled on the curve of her mother's back as soon as her mother hoisted her against her bosom, high enough for the infant to reach over her back and fiddle with the fasteners.

"Pretty, aren't they, Yor?" her mother's warm soprano voice would be muffled due to pressing her lips against her daughter's gummy cheeks, sending vibrations as she continued talking against her soft skin. This would be occasionally interchanged and/or accompanied with peppered kisses.

"One day, maybe you will start wearing them."

Her mother would have confirmed it had she been alive.

What kind of expressions would she have made if she saw Yor's wardrobe?

How would she react if she had walked her daughter to the door when she wished her off for work and caught sight of the coffee rose-shaped buttons that ran from her neck to her mid-torso on her pink trench coat?

Would she notice the palm-size golden rose-shaped button that accented her left torso from her pink dress?

Would she detangle the wisps of hair that got caught in the pink rose fasteners found at the back of her red sweater?

Would she comment on the four pink rose buttons, a vertical pair resting against her sternum, and the single button found at the top of the slits found on both sides of her hips, of her blush blouse when they had tea together?

Would her eyes find the pink rose buttons on her salmon blazer or the brass rose on her white headband?

Yor glanced at her reflection, ruby eyes glued to the hand that subconsciously and daintily pressed against the golden pendant found below the intricate collar of her black dress.

Would she have seen the golden rose button that was seamed onto the choker of her signature black dress? Would she have been with Garden at all if her mother was still alive?

Yor caught a brief tenderness in her dazed eyes and wondered if her mother might have reacted with the same soft expression too.

Yor wasn't particularly picky when it came to flowers, but when she was asked about the type she liked, she would say roses. She often received a bountiful bouquet of red roses from Yuri once in every few visits, and it would warm her heart not only because of the heartwarming gesture, but it felt like they were keeping their roots close to heart with this exchange. Roses were the Briar's coat of arms after all.

She probably should have mentioned that she preferred pink roses because it was her favorite color-an abandoned color; but also a color that she had started wearing more after moving in with the Forgers. But maybe, it might feel juvenile considering she was a full-grown woman.

Red suited her better. Red was more mature… perhaps.

However, yellow roses were special. They often triggered a memory Yor had of her late mother in her early infancy. The yellow her mother wore was a lighter shade, a pastel yellow. It was innocent and soft, warm and happy just like her mother.

Maybe that's why Yor had been drawn to gold. It was a darker shade than her mother's yellow dress, but it felt fitting for Yor Briar-Thorn Princess-because she wasn't her mother but wanted to be a part of her. She wasn't pure like her mother nor had the talent to make people smile with a single spoonful of food. But she had always wanted to be like her mother. To honor her, to keep her close; she wanted a darker shade of the same hue.

When Shopkeeper had gifted Thorn Princess her new uniform and accessories, the first object that she found inside the bag had been the golden headband. Yor had immediately cradled the golden crown between her fingers, familiarizing the cool and smooth texture against her fingertips. She ran her fingers down the slick golden rim, down to the metallic flower and its thorns. When she moved the accessory slightly, her eyes twinkled and she felt herself grow emotional. At the slight movement, the light glimmered a spectrum of yellows, and one of the brightest had been a familiar pastel yellow.

It was a fitting accent to Thorn Princess, but it was also a perfect present to a matured Yor Briar; a woman who aimlessly pined to be closer of a woman to that of her mother.

Mr. and Mrs. Forger hadn't had a date night with one another for a little over two weeks due to an infiltration mission that required Twilight's attendance almost every evening to win the trust of the organization. He knew that Yor never once minded his hectic "medical" schedule, let alone inquired details about it; and though he was grateful, part of him would feel a twinge of guilt when he would wake up at five o'clock in the morning and see the raven-haired woman, dressed in her cream nightgown, prepare breakfast in his stead on days when it was his turn.

"I know Loid-san must have been very busy and working hard with his medical research, so I wanted to be a little bit selfish and take over some of the housework," she had told him.

He had noticed how her vermillion eyes looked bright despite the betraying lines that formed beneath them, and how chirpy her soprano voice sounded when she insisted that he went back to bed to get himself another few hours of sleep. He knew that she must have had a tough couple days herself, but she never once complained about it, let alone brought it up with him. He was keenly aware that he was slacking off as the patriarch of the Forger household and was prepared to insist on taking over, but the woman had remained adamant.

"It's okay for Loid-san to lean on me," she answered softly, "You've already done so much for me, so please, let me help."

He couldn't bring himself to argue with the unwavering woman, so he smiled and thanked her as he returned to his room to sleep for another 3 hours. This take-over had ended up extending for a little over two weeks. The extra hours of rest made a huge difference in his mood and well-being that, despite having to shovel a range of inedible to mediocre breakfast meals, he was in a good mood and felt well-rested for the day's work.

The side mission had been completed as of yesterday, and when Twilight had received his paycheck from WISE the following morning, the first thing he thought about was purchasing a bouquet of flowers for the Missus. Normally, anything relating to Operation Strix was fully reimbursed by WISE, but this time he wanted to express his gratitude out-of-pocket.

He brought out a white vase that Yor had once used to hold the bouquet that Yuri had brought her the other day and placed it at the center of the dining room table. He stared at it intently as his thoughts wandered about the flowers that best suited her.

Red roses might suit her the best. Yuri brought Yor red roses from time to time, and she did seem quite pleased with it too. At these times, it's best to follow what family members do.

Across from him, a 6-year-old child with pink cotton candy hair had instantly intercepted his thoughts. Her fingers stilled over a red crayon, her attention on her artistic masterpiece disrupted as she looked up suddenly across the dining room table at her monologue-absorbed father. She knew her mama's secret, and she knew red wasn't her real favorite color.

To hide her telepathic abilities, Anya looked at the empty white vase beside her.

"Chichi, does Haha like flowers?"

The blond-haired man stared at her, his preoccupied narrowed azure eyes suddenly became soft as he turned to her. "Why do you ask?"

"There's a white vase on the table. I thought Haha likes flowers."

Perceptive as usual.

"I was thinking of buying Yor-san some flowers. That's why I brought it out."

"Ooh!" Anya emerald eyes sparkled and widened in a display of excitement. Then within the next few seconds, they narrowed with a mischievous glint as she smugly teased, "Chichi is flirting with Haha."

Loid's cheeks and ears became the same shade of red as Anya's forgotten crayon as he stammered, "N-no I'm not."

In an attempt to gather his composure, he closed his eyes and cleared his throat against the fist that was pressed to his lips. However, the hues on his facial features continued to betray him with their stark presence. "I'm thinking about buying her some flowers to show my appreciation for her." He paused, eyes half-opened and emotionless as if he was persuading her that his true emotions were the ones found in Twilight's gaze. "You do know that flowers don't always express love, right?"

"Becky told me that if you apple-e-she-ate someone then you love them."

Loid stared at the pink-haired child silently as he mulled over her question-a question that distracted him to the point that he had forgotten to correct her pronunciation. It was probably the most intelligent comeback that Anya had ever said to him, and for once he couldn't find the right words to respond to it. What Anya stated was true, but how would he even begin to explain the complexities of love to a mere 6-year-old child? But he does suppose, to put it plainly, love Yor in an appreciative way.

He offered a gentle smile as he reached across the table to gently ruffle the crown of Anya's hair. "I suppose you're right."

The child grinned and elicited a whimsical soprano giggle that filled the entire space. "Chichi loves Haha!"

"Anya," he elongated her name with a soft, stern warning while the rouge on his face deepened in shade. Thank goodness Yor wasn't home at the moment. His mouth opened in preparation for a rebuttal, but instead, the thoughts were silenced by a mere sigh. He retracted his hand and brought both of his arms to fold over his chest as he shared his thoughts aloud. "Red roses would be best for Yor-san, don't you think?"

Anya stared at her father quietly, then dramatically she raised an index finger in the air and wiggled it side to side whilst clicking her tongue. "Tsk, tsk, Chichi doesn't know Haha's favorite color."

Loid was taken aback by the statement. His eyebrows were raised while curiosity glimmered in his azure eyes. "Oh?"

"Haha like pink," she answered matter-of-factly with her chest puffed up as if she had become the hero with her narration.

"Pink, you say…" Loid murmured. His thoughts were instantly bombarded of Yor wearing pink. Beginning from her trench coat followed by the two pink dresses she had worn for Eden's interview, to the pink flower on her headband and the pink nail polish she had worn on the night he had picked her up from Camilla's party. "Now that you mention it, I think you're absolutely right."

"Am I a good girl?" Anya asked excitedly.

"The best," Loid praised.

Anya expressed her satisfaction with a large toothy grin. Then, she recalled another color.

"Haha likes gold roses too."

Another unexpected answer. He doesn't seem to recall that she wore a lot of gold, not unless they were her accessories. "I'm afraid gold roses don't exist, but yellow roses do. Do you really think she likes yellow roses too?"

Anya nodded, a look of confidence evident on her gentle face. "Haha will love it!"

"Okay," Loid placed his hands on the table to create pressure for his chair to slide back, "Let's go get her some flowers then."

Loid and Anya had been watching a rerun of Bondman when, at the corner of his eyes, Loid caught sight of one of Bond's erected ears. He was familiar with the pup's intuitive habit of announcing Yor's arrival with such a subtle gesture, and based on Anya's averted gaze from the TV screen, it appeared that she had also picked up on the tacit announcement.

"Chichi! Haha is here!" Anya stood up excitedly.

"Let's go greet her," Loid agreed. Before following his daughter, he collected the bouquet of pink and yellow roses from the dining room table and held it behind his back.

As soon as he stood behind his daughter, just a few feet away from the entrance, the door suddenly opened.

"I'm home," Yor announced tiredly, with eyes averted away from them. But when she noticed that Anya and Loid were standing in front of her, her expression shifted to surprise.

"Welcome home, Yor-san."

"Welcome home, Haha!"

The pair greeted her simultaneously. This was accompanied with Anya running to hug her legs. Yor bent down to return the hug before hoisting her into her arms as she stood up.

"Yor-san," the blonde-haired man felt his throat tighten up. He wasn't sure why he was feeling bashful. It wasn't like it was the first time he's ever given flowers to anyone. But before Yor-He gathered his wits and presented the bouquet of flowers to her, mustering the level of confidence that he had always exuded as Westalis's greatest spy.

Yor stared dumbfoundedly at the bouquet. Meanwhile, Anya beamed ear to ear at her parents' exchange.

Chichi's a tsundere.

"I just wanted to thank you for all you've done for me and Anya these past two weeks," her husband explained as a scarlet hue seared on his cheeks and ears. "I know it's not enough to compensate for what I haven't been able to do these past two weeks but-"

His words were cut short when he noticed the aqueous film that formed beneath her cerise irises.

From her free hand, an index finger quickly swiped at the gathering liquids. "Loid-san, How did you-where did you-You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to," his voice comes out naturally and gently. "Anya helped me pick the colors. She said that pink and yellow were your favorite colors."

Yor's face turned to the little girl in her arms. "Anya-san, how did you know?"

I don't recall if I ever told her about these colors.

"Ehe!" the child responded proudly, "It's a secret."

Yor planted a kiss on her small cheek, which earned her the child's whimsical laughter.

"Will Haha give Chichi a kiss too?"

Yor and Loid briefly caught each other's gaze before looking away. However, before Loid could answer, he felt gentle lips press against his warm cheek. The exchange was instant but for that moment, it had felt like the world had suddenly frozen still. His mind was blank except for a single thought.

Soft.

Normally, he would compose himself within the thousandths of seconds, but this was the first time that he had completely lost composure of himself. Instead, Loid's hand clapped over the warm sensation where her lips had pressed against. His azure eyes were large and flabbergasted while his lips pressed tightly to form a long, thin line. His face, however, was coated vermillion from forehead to neck. He could barely even hear his thoughts through the erratic and boisterous drumming that filled his ears.

Yor's complexion had also donned the same scarlet hue, but her eyes remained fixated on their aquamarine curtains over his shoulders. Every so often, she would blink and sneak a peak in his direction before blinking back at the drapes.

"Th-Thank you, Loid-san," she whispered flusteredly. Then shifting her attention to Anya, her voice coated with honey, "Thank you, Anya-san. I will treasure them for as long as they last."

I will treasure you… us… for as long as I am alive.

A/N:

I had unintentionally written more than I should for this day, but I just had so much to say about what roses meant to Yor Forger.

I hope you enjoyed it!

(c) Spy x Family belongs to Tatsuya Endo