Title: Dandelions
Summary: Weeds for her birthday, what more could a girl ask for?
Genre: Romance
Rated: K+
Word Count: 1,026
Today was her birthday, and Tohru couldn't be more excited.
Ever since they had started dating three years ago, Yuki had always managed to surprise her with the perfect gift, and every year, though she couldn't believe it could get any better, it somehow did. Last year, Yuki had given her a gorgeous silver necklace with a ruby and emerald strawberry pendant that she knew he couldn't afford, especially since they were college students sharing a tiny apartment and especially since he had rejected all his familial funds after graduating from high school. Though he tried to hide it from her, she was sure he had finished paying the necklace off only recently. The gifts, however, did not cause her joy. Rather, the thought and care he put into her gifts and the smile that would spread across his face would elicit a mirror expression across her own.
Nevertheless, she did not expect Yuki to come home at eight-o-clock at night with a bouquet of dandelions in his arms after leaving her alone in their apartment for four hours. He had decided to give her weeds, monstrosities that anyone could find right outside of their apartment complex, for her birthday. At first, she did not know how to react. She could only stare at her boyfriend and the weeds in his arms while gripping the door for support. Tohru had probably left him standing out in the hall with his bouquet for five minutes before she took the flowers awkwardly and stepped aside from the entrance to let him in.
Now that she had the dandelions in her arms, Tohru gazed carefully at them. An elaborate pink satin ribbon tied in a crooked bow held them together, and she smiled because she knew he had put all his effort into tying the ribbon for her. Still, she couldn't help assuming he had forgotten about her birthday and had literally run outside to grab something off the ground for her. Who could blame him though? An ever diligent boyfriend couldn't be perfect all the time, and it was finals week after all. A disappointed expression must have still haunted her face, regardless, for it didn't take long for his fingers to graze her face in concern, turning her gaze towards him.
"What's wrong? You don't like them?" he asked in a soft voice.
"No-no! I do like them! Really!" she tried to assure him in vain.
A wry smile crossed his face as he remarked, "You're an awful liar."
She tried to deny his accusations but he pressed his finger to her lips to silence her. Peering up at him with concerned eyes, she was shocked to find his eyes twinkling back at hers in amusement rather than boring through her with offense. He acted as if he expected this very reaction from her. She, however, no matter how hard she tried, could not comprehend his actions. Despite how clearly she thought she portrayed her confusion and desire for an explanation, he seemed to withhold for a moment, but he decided to surrender his secret quickly after.
"You see, dandelions are the most resilient plants I have ever encountered, and such strength reminded me of us and our relationship. I want us to be like dandelions that have the strength to break through cement and thrive, though you wonder whether they even have access to water there. I want us to be dandelions with roots that stretch so far down into the ground that no human can unearth their foundations. I'd rather not associate our relationship with roses and such that wither by the end of the week. I don't want us to be like flowers that require fertilizers and constant attention only to live another day. We're the type of flower that persists even though we get trampled on and sprayed with poisons because Tohru, I believe, being dandelions is an honor, just as it has been an honor being with you," he explained with a gentle, loving expression.
Tohru couldn't help smiling and planting a kiss on his check after that.
"But did it really take you four hours to pluck dandelions from the front of the building?" she queried.
"If I had gotten them from the complex, it probably wouldn't have taken that long. But I got them from our secret base, so yes it did."
"Our secret base? Back at Shigure-san's house? But that's a two hour train ride away! Why did you go that far when there are dandelions here?"
"Because those here are contaminated with fumes and the like, and the only dandelion with an undamaged seed head I could find was back at our secret base, which by the way is overrun with weeds now. They are the only plants that aren't wilted I might add."
For the first time, Tohru noticed the fuzzy gray head without a single seed missing amongst the sea of yellow petals in the bouquet, and she grinned. Perhaps, this truly was the gift he had put the most thought and effort into, despite her initial beliefs. She didn't think anyone could concern himself over weeds as much as Yuki did today, but thanks to his care, Tohru could begin to see the beauty in these common plants that everyone overlooks and deems as atrocities. Not until now did she notice how the velvet yellow petals rivaled roses in texture or how the thin sunny petals fanned out like ruffled feathers. Dandelions must resent their status as slighted treasures, though their gold coloring suggested that nature knew their true glory, and now, Tohru knew too.
Suddenly, Yuki grasped her hand and tugged her towards the window, sliding it open with his free hand.
"Make a wish, Tohru," he urged.
She laughed, closing her eyes for a moment to make her wish before leaning out the window and blowing every last seed out into the wind. As she leaned against Yuki's chest and watched the tiny seedlings soar across the city, blanketing the sky with their white wings, Tohru beamed and could only hope that Yuki was right and that their relationship truly was a dandelion.