A snowflake for tomtoru001!
Sep. 1st, 2024 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snowmods09 posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
snow_exchangeTitle: the edelweiss of my feelings that bloomed
Pairings: Meguro Ren/Sakuma Daisuke
Genres: Florist AU. slice of life, romance.
Rating: T
Summary: It only takes one peculiar customer telling him to learn the language of flowers to turn Meguro Ren’s world upside down. He can’t help it, either. What kind of planet doesn't get pulled by such gravity? (Or, how Meguro and Sakuma’s relationship develops, with flora accompaniments.)
Warnings: None.
Author's notes: title credit goes to unknown (till the end…) by till (akugetsu) from alien stage. the flower’s meanings used in this fic are mainly based on hanakotoba, the japanese language of flowers, and not the victorian british one. also i Tried my best with the flora knowledge but it might not be 100% accurate. please keep those in mind <3 thanks to mods for hosting the fest again this year. i had lots of fun writing this. i hope you like this, my dearest recipient!
“Why would this flower always follow the direction where the sun shines?”
Meguro Ren looks up from his place behind the counter to see a pink-haired man squatting near the sunflower rack. He almost jumps in fright because he doesn’t hear the other man coming at all. Luckily, Ren’s surprise reflex only extended to grabbing the vase he’s trying to decorate tightly. The tall and big sunflower stalks casted a little shadow atop the man’s head, almost like a halo. He’s wearing an oversized shirt, obvious by how it looks too loose to frame his body properly. The stranger looks so small there, under the protection of the blossoms of yellow sunflowers, as he continues his musings.
“Must be tiring to follow a sun that never reciprocates their feelings.”
“How romantic.”
Ren doesn’t really intend for the comment to be verbalized, but sometimes he just does that. It’s a kind of bad habit forged by the desolate flora shop and being the only employee stationed during work hours. But now Ren feels kind of mortified because that makes the pink-haired man turn his head, and their eyes meet across the room. Ren tries his best to smile as the other man blinks slowly.
“Isn’t it?” He tilts his head, his pink hair swaying in motion. The way he smiles made Ren realize that the other man’s cheeks are dotted with moles–almost like a constellation mapped on that little face. “That kind of devotion is so heartwarming.”
Ren nods absentmindedly. He steadies his heart by releasing the grip on the vase, trying his best to mask his breathing sound. The pink-haired customer is still looking at him with those big, big eyes. Ren is so tempted to keep mum and goes back to his job (the flower arrangement in this pot is not even close to finished) but yet, locking gaze with the man under the sunflowers, Ren finds himself talking once again.
“It’s only young sunflowers that always follow the sun.”
Some may call this a prelude, an ice-breaking talk, but Ren thinks he’s just telling a mere fun fact. The customer blinks once again as he continues to stare. Ren smiles at him before trying to get his focus back on his work. The baby breath bundle on the table hasn't been inserted to the arrangement of freesia and gerbera on the vase yet. He separates the stem into several tiny stalks by cutting them carefully. It, once again, made him unaware of his surroundings–that he doesn’t notice that the pink-haired customer is already getting up and walking towards him.
Meguro Ren is so focused on trying to find a space to insert the baby’s breath stalk on the bouquet that he doesn’t realize that there is someone standing in front of the counter, until a voice breaks the silence.
“Tell me more about it.”
Ren freezes. As he raises his eyes from the vase, the pink-haired man is now standing in front him… only separated by the counter. He’s small, Ren notices, much shorter than him because he has to bow down a little so that their eyes can meet. The corners of his mouth seem to be always raised, making his small face always in the state of smiling. Now it’s Ren’s turn to blink as he tries to refocus his attention on the newcomer.
“About… what?” Ren asks, as careful as he handled the flowers.
“The sunflowers.” The customer confirms. It seems like he’s standing on tiptoes now, with how he raises his body and puts his elbows on the counter. “What about only the young sunflowers follow the sun?”
“Oh.” Ren blinks. “That.”
“Yeah.”
Those big, big chocolate eyes stare at him, unblinking and unwavering. Ren finds himself a bit unnerved, but mostly kind of flattered that the pink-haired young man wants to hear more about it. So he opens his mouth and begins his explanation, the movement of his hand holding the baby breath ceases as he talks.
“Sunflowers got their name because they will always face the sun when in bloom. But actually, the older a sunflower gets, the more their movement of following the sun would decrease… until it stops and the flower wither, coming back to the ground.” Ren hmms before continuing. “There’s no one who told the sunflower to chase the sun, but they did it anyway. Biologically, it made sense because they need it to survive–to grow. But it’s also the only thing they know, ingrained in their cells.”
Ren shrugs as he concludes with, “Humans just romanticize it.”
The pink-haired stranger claps as he stares in awe. Ren can feel his face reddening from that gesture alone. But, per usual, Meguro Ren is pretty good at pretending. So he masks his shyness with a thin grin and tightening his fingers around the stalk of baby breath he abandoned before. It takes several seconds before the clapping stops and the man on the other side of the counter opens his mouth again.
“I just knew that!” The customer leans forward and, in turn, almost invades Ren’s personal space. He manages to avoid that by shifting his position to another direction while still holding on the stalk full of little brittle white flowers. “That’s so interesting… But still, don’t you think it fits nicely with their meaning?”
Ren tilts his head. “Meaning…?”
“Language of flowers!” The stranger tells Ren excitedly with sparkles in his eyes. But it doesn’t last long because he then frowns as he gazes at him, the flower he’s holding, and the bouquet he’s trying to arrange on the vase in front. “You’re working in a flower shop but don’t know that?”
“It’s not like I’m required to know it…” Ren defends himself weakly.
It is true, though. Ren got this job not because he’s well-versed in the meanings of flowers, but because Ren is willing to work hard and is earnest in nature… as the owner himself says. He also doesn’t shy away from learning from scratch, as it was how he managed to learn the method of arranging flowers. Ren thinks he did a pretty good job with all of that. Putting meanings to a bunch of petals is never the priority, so he doesn’t bother.
The stranger hums as he leans back, then he nods as if he’s agreeing with Ren. “Well!” He then says as he claps once, with so much flourish. “That’s true. But knowing hanakotoba is a good weapon to have in your arsenal as a florist too!”
Ren doesn’t get to respond as the pink little man in front of him now tries to reach out his arm to touch his shoulder. It just won’t reach, even after the man tries leaning forward, so Ren just shifts back to his former position and leans a bit so that he can finally do it. When that small hand finally reaches Ren’s shoulder, it pats him with such vigor it almost sends him lurching backward.
“Learn and memorize it, okay!” What Ren almost asks, but the man is already smiling so bright it almost blinded him. “The next time I visit, please tell me more fun facts and some flower meanings!”
Whoosh.
The pink-haired man just disappeared like that. Only the chime of bells is Ren’s reminder that there was a customer here, even though he didn't buy anything. Ren blinks, once, twice, before taking a deep breath and shaking his head. Whether there was an eccentric visitor or no, he still has a vase to arrange. So he goes back to that until his shift ends.
💐
Ren tries to not think about The Pink-Haired Customer, but it’s so hard.
He still doesn’t know when did he come or how did he go… It still bugs him because that man just seemed to appear and disappear out of thin air. Ren could chalk it up to him being so hyperfocused on his tasks that he became unaware of his surroundings, but that it’s still weird… very weird. Especially his parting words. Somehow that sounds ominous. The other man told him that he would visit again and asked Ren to learn some hanakotoba until then, so Ren has been trying to do so.
Keyword: trying.
There are so many flowers with similar meanings and many meanings for a petal. Different colors give different messages, so does the amount. Ren never thought that the world of flowers would be so complicated. But the stranger had been right, it does help his job as a florist. When he used to be confused when a customer asks for a bouquet to convey something like apology or confession, Ren now can suggest one or two flowers on his own. But still, he’s not that well-versed in the language of flowers, as he’s still learning.
All that comes to a test when The Pink-Haired Customer does come, two weeks later.
“Huh?”
Ren is almost ready with his greeting when he hears the bell chiming softly and the shop’s door opens noisily. His smile freezes when he sees that the one stepping into the store is the mysterious, peculiar customer who told him to learn hanakotoba. That pink hair is so hard to miss, not to mention the anime girl printed on the tee he’s wearing under his soft blue wool cardigan. Unlike before, now there are prescription glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. Ren blinks as he chokes out a “Welcome…” when the man looks up from his phone and freaking beams when he sees Ren.
“Heyyy!”
The pink-haired man waves his free hand energetically as he shoves the phone to his pocket. Ren is taken aback when he speedwalks to his counter and, once again, puts his elbows there as the customer stares at him with a smiley face. Ren relaxes his stance as he once again lifts up the corners of his lips, trying his best to appear friendly and amicable. The man smiles back with the force of a thousand suns. (Ren almost wants to wear sunglasses seeing that.)
“What can I do for you…?”
It’s protocol, said automatically to any customer he sees. Including this bright ball of pink light. The man beams once again when he answers with, “Well! I’d like to ask something…” Those eyes squint as he tries to read the name tag pinned on Ren’s shirt. “...to you, Hasu-kun.”
Ren almost bristles with the way he uses his given name with the wrong reading. Even though the customer can just use his surname, which is easier to read (it is on the name tag, mind you). So he bites a sigh as he corrects him gently, “It’s Ren,” then steels himself and keeps his professionalism intact as he inquires, “And that is…?”
“Oh!” The petite man blinks before apologizing profusely, his forehead almost touching the counter top as he bows. “Sorry! I read that wrong! Abe-chan always says kanji is my weakness… and it seems that he’s right… Ugh…” Ren catches that little grumble, but doesn’t comment on it except for an it’s fine… and an awkward smile to reassure him. The man seems appeased by that, as he stops bowing and starts leaning forward in enthusiasm once again. “Oh, yeah! Does your shop have sunflowers to be kept indoors? Like, that can be planted in a pot?”
“Ah.” Ren hmms, trying to run the plant nursery inventories in his head as fast as he can. It still takes him a few minutes before giving a feedback. “I think we have some. Are the dwarf ones okay?”
“Oooh.” Ren, for the life of him, cannot miss the sparkle in that customer’s eyes when he hears his answer. “You have dwarf sunflowers? How small are they?”
“It ranges between about 25 cm to 60 cm… The tallest being around 1 meter, if I’m not mistaken.” The pink-haired customer is listening to him with such attention. It feels kind of new to get a customer so interested in what they’re trying to buy, because Ren’s usual buyers are the come and go type. “For indoor planting, I’d recommend the Choco Sun or Elf variety. They’re vibrant and well-suited to be planted in a pot.”
“Do you only sell the plants?”
“We also have the seeds, but I think growing it from scratch at this time of the year would be… kind of challenging.” Winter is coming, after all. Sunflowers tend to bloom from summer to early autumn, and the hottest months are when they really thrive. The planting and sowing process during colder months also needs to be more meticulous to avoid frosting, especially if they’re going to be planted indoors–like what this customer wants. “But sunflowers are pretty easy to raise, so if you really want it I can sell you the seeds.”
The customer hums as he takes his time to decide. Ren waits patiently, as he would do to other customers. There is no bouquet to be arranged like last time so Ren’s hand is idle. He itches to do something… so he settles by arranging the bouquet wrappers on the counter. He already smoothes out one and is folding another when the customer finally tells him, “Give me the plant! And the seeds for big sunflowers, please!”
Ren finishes one last fold as he responds with, “Alright,” and puts the folded wrapper into a box. “Which variant do you want?”
“Elf sounds cute, so that! Also, do you have any recommendations for the seeds?”
“If your criteria is still the same, I think dwarf variety is still the answer… Sunbright Supreme would fit, as it is the biggest miniature sunflower and can be planted indoors.”
When Ren looks at the man, those sparkles are back in his eyes. His pink hair sways as he nods with eagerness permeating through the stare he gives Ren. How marvelous, to see someone so enthusiastic about planting their own flowers. Ren cannot help the way he smiles as he sees that, as something warm settles without permission inside the hollow of his chest. So Ren nods and excuses himself to get what the customer wants from the nursery–a packet of seeds and a young sunflower plant. He won’t make excuses about how he almost ran as he did that, because the warmth that is now spreading in his chest kind of startles him.
It doesn’t take that long to pick all the items, but Ren spent about 30 seconds of the time to calm himself down. As he feels himself becoming more zen, he then goes back with his hands full. He puts the pot on the counter, then the seeds packet beside it. Ren pushes it a little to the front so that the customer can see it. The man then peers curiously at the items, like a kitten would look at its toys.
“Here. You only need to water and fertilize the plant, but for the seeds you need to have an appropriate sized pot if you want to plant them. We sell that, and also the soil mixture, if you need it.” Ren rummages through the supplies to take out a shopping bag. “Are those okay with you? Nothing more to add to the bag?”
“I think those are okay for now!” He then stops peering at the plant and stands upright, beaming at Ren. Ren returns the smile a little shakily as he puts the pot and the packet inside the shopping bag carefully. “I can just come back here if I ever need any help with my sunflower, right, Ren-kun?”
Ren stops moving as his mind blanks out at what he says. The man giggles at Ren’s reaction with little hands (he has sweater paws, Ren just noticed… what the hell…) coming up to cover his mouth. That sentence shouldn’t make his heart feel like jumping out of his ribcage, but he can’t help it. It sounds innocent and sincere, like he just thinks that getting Ren’s help about the flowers he bought at this shop is natural… but Ren also can’t stop thinking if… there’s something more to that.
(This won’t be the first time someone hit on Ren. But somehow, somehow, this little pink sun is different.)
“Sorry!” The pink-haired guy is still giggling as he apologizes. It makes him look almost cute. “I didn’t know you’d react like that. You’re so pure, just like your name.”
“M… my name?” That elicits a response out of Ren, shaking him back to consciousness.
“Ren,” Ren’s heart skips a beat when the man calls him softly like that. “The kanji is for lotus, right?” He continues after Ren confirms it with a nod. “In hanakotoba, that symbolizes chastity and purity.” Ren feels his face flushing when the man asks, “You didn’t know that?”
“I’m still learning,” he answers, by which the customer giggles once again as he responds with a satisfied, “Good, then.”
Ren rings the total of his purchase, which the customer paid without much fuss. The pink-haired man then takes the paper bag from the counter, stumbling a bit by the weight of its content. Ren almost reaches out to help, but the man stabilizes himself fast enough and grins at him. Ren stares bemusedly as the customer waves, walking backward with his hand full, and says: “My name’s Sakuma Daisuke! See you again, Ren-kun!” before disappearing with a chime of bells, just like before.
💐
Sakuma Daisuke does become a fixture in Meguro Ren’s weekly running of the shop.
The pink-haired man kept his promise to see him again by coming over exactly a week after to buy some fertilizer. He came again a week after that to buy soil mixture, two full bags of them. Everytime Sakuma paid him a visit, he would ask him something about the flowers he happened to have on hands. Like when he bought the fertilizer, Ren was making a bouquet of roses and so Sakuma quizzed him on that. The next time, Ren happened to arrange a door decoration with some leaves and lillies, so that was what they were talking about. That routine continues, with how Sakuma drops by once a week with various plant-related needs and testing Ren on his hanakotoba learning progress.
Now, two months and a half after that fateful encounter, Sakuma is once again making himself comfortable on the seat near Ren’s counter–watching him arrange a bouquet of carnations. It’s an order for this evening. The inquiry is for Ren to make a bouquet that would be appropriate to gift a mother for. As he learns, carnation is usually the go-to flower for this kind of request so that’s what he picks. He takes a careful look at the colors too, as different hues also tend to have different meanings. (Ren doesn’t want this bouquet to become an accidental curse or something, okay.)
Ren makes his bundle consist of pink and white carnations. He inserts a few clematis flowers in the gap between the carnations of the piece he’s making when Sakuma decides to talk after a long while.
“Ren-kun, did you know that both carnations and roses can be used to express love?”
“I know that.” Ren doesn’t look up from his arrangement, but the movement of his hands does stop. He cannot multitask for the life of him, so he treats talking to Sakuma as a little break from his job. “I think the book I’m reading says that both are appropriate gifts for people close to us, especially lovers… But we have to be careful when picking the color.”
“That’s right!” Sakuma claps at that. “What color should we avoid?”
“Yellow.” The answer comes instantly. “For roses that means jealousy and the decrease of love, while for carnations it’s disappointment, rejection and disdain.”
“You’re so smart!” Sakuma compliments, full of awe, as Ren ducks his head and blushes. His fingers itch to do something, so he grips the wrapper lightly to suppress that instinct. “So can I ask why you chose white-pink carnations and…” It seems like Sakuma is squinting his eyes to see what else would build this bouquet first before continuing. “...is that clematis you’re inserting? And sage on the box?”
Ren nods, peering to peek at Sakuma’s expression as he looks at his flowers, before giving his answer. “Carnations are usually given to family members too. As this is an order for a mother’s gift, I chose pink for a mother’s love and white for sweet and lovely. Clematis is for mental strength, as I think mothers are the strongest mentally… and sage is for wisdom and domestic virtue, which I think is a nice touch for a meaningful bouquet.”
Sakuma oohs and ahhhs after hearing Ren’s explanation. There is also an enthusiastic clap, which makes Ren all the more bashful at Sakuma’s reaction. When Ren finally looks up, he meets Sakuma’s eyes who’s smiling at him so brightly–full of pride and wonder.
“That’s such a nice combo. You grew so much.” Sakuma laughs, ha-ha-ha boisterous yet not jarring, making his pink hair sways as he shakes his head. “When I met you, you didn’t know a lick about the language of flowers. Now you can build a meaningful bouquet all on your own! I’m so proud!”
“It’s all thanks to you, Sakuma-kun.” Ren says softly, with a tender smile on his lips. He loosens his grip on the wrappers. “If you didn’t tell me to learn that at our first meeting, I think I would remain ignorant of its virtues.”
Sakuma puffs up his chest like a proud peacock. The smug grin that stretches out his lips makes him look like a cat who got cream all over its mouth, and Ren just finds that expression on Sakuma’s little face cute. “What did I say! That helps you in your job, right!” He peers at Ren, fluttering his eyelashes coyly. “Is this your last order for the day? Your shift ends after this, right?”
“Mmm.” Ren nods because it is, indeed, his last order for today. After finishing this bouquet, the next shift worker will come and he will go deliver the flowers before going home. He tilts his head as he asks, “What’s up, Sakuma-kun?”
Sakuma smiles sheepishly as he inquires, “Would it inconvenience you to ring me a big pot and two bags of soil mixture? I’m finally gonna plant the sunflower seeds I bought before, you see…”
Ren buffers for a few seconds, trying to grasp for a coherent thought to form a proper response. His eyebrows furrow as he tries to recall Sakuma’s purchases until now. “I don’t mind… But didn’t you buy soil mixture from here a few weeks ago? Also, did you bring your car today?”
“That’s for my lemon tree!” The bright, peppy timbre of that answer toned down a lot when Sakuma continued his response. “I don’t drive today… I thought about hailing a taxi though.”
The creases on Ren’s forehead clears for a bit. “You got a lemon tree?” Interest and surprise colors his voice, distracted by new trivia. But Sakuma’s answer pulls him right back on track again. Sakuma didn’t drive here today, huh… “Won’t it be difficult? The pot won’t be that big, but the soil mixture, on the other hand…” Ren frowns a little before putting down an offer, “Why don’t I drive you home?”
Sakuma stares at him, mouth agape as he gasps dramatically. “You would do that for me?”
The glittering, sparkling eyes are back again. Ren gets an urge to shield his vision but restraints it to not appear rude. Sakuma is still beaming as he accepts his offer and tells Ren, “That would be lovely! Now that my lemon is bearing fruits, maybe I’ll give you some later as a token of my thanks!”
“You don’t have to do that…” Ren starts to refuse, but Sakuma won’t hear a no with how he pouts and shoots a kicked puppy stares at him. “I’ll still do it without the incentive, you know?”
“I know.” Sakuma stops pouting and nods, fondness dripping from his words. Ren feels the blush creeping up his cheeks hearing that. “You’re kind like that. I just want to give you my lemons, is that okay?”
Ren inhales deeply, then exhaling slowly. Take a deep breath once again, before nodding softly. “... Okay.” Biting back a smile, Ren agrees. It’s not because he doesn’t have a choice… but it is an informed decision made knowingly. “Please wait for me, Sakuma-kun. I’ll finish the order then bring the goods for you. Then… we’ll go to your house.” Ren lets the corners of his lips raise a little freely now. “Together.”
Sakuma’s answering smile is so bright it’s insane, it puts the sun outside to shame.
(Deep down, Ren is glad to be the reason for that beam of brilliance.)
💐
Sakuma’s living room is surprisingly spacious and tidy.
Ren doesn’t really know what he expects when he finally steps into the house, but the shelf containing various mangas and light novels is within his imagination. (The various anime t-shirts Sakuma wore whenever they meet is telling enough.) There is a cat tower inside, whose users are now meowing and bounding towards Sakuma who is already kneeling with open arms to welcome the kitties. The mentioned lemon tree is also there, stationed near the window, with few blossoms and several fruits hanging low on its brittle branch. Ren side-steps the forgotten pot at the genkan as he drags the soil bags inside, trying to find a place to store it.
“Sakuma-kun?” Ren’s calling apparently interrupts Sakuma’s cooing over his furry children, as the other man has stopped burrowing his face to one of the cat’s furs. “Where should I put this?”
“Oh, oof–wait a bit, Ren!” Sakuma tells him, and so Ren stays put. He hears the meows and pitter-patter of paws first before a flurry of steps, and then he sees Sakuma bringing the pot inside. He waits until the distance between them is only a few steps apart, as Sakuma adjusts the pot’s position on his grasp. “Let’s put it on the terrace first!”
Ren nods, eyes following Sakuma’s steps as he opens the big glass door near the lemon tree (so that’s not a window…) and puts the pot on the empty side of the terrace. The older man then waves his hand, beckoning Ren to come, and he obeys while dragging the bags. Sakuma grins at him as he takes one bag from Ren’s hand and puts it beside the newly bought pot, so Ren does the same. After making sure that all the stuff was safely stored, both of them got out.
There might be a little accident where their hands brush as Ren steps back into the living room, but he tries to not to think about that too much. (It might just be coincidence.) Ren looks around as Sakuma closes the door, his focus pulled back to the lemon tree. He is not that well-versed in botany, but Ren does have some knowledge about raising plants. So he crouches in front of the indoor pot, trying to make sure of its condition. The leaves look vibrant and fresh, so do the petals and buds. The fruits are still small though, but he did see a sign of plucking from some of its branches.
“Thank you for your help, Ren-kun.” Sakuma’s voice shakes Ren out of his focus. He turns to the older man to see him smiling with a cat toy in his left hand. His hair looks softer under the lamp light somehow, and Ren can finally see his arms now that the cardigans are discarded. The cats are nowhere to be seen, though. Maybe they’re shy and in hiding because of Ren’s presence in their territory. “How do you find my lemon tree?”
“It’s… good.” Ren gulps, trying to dispel the sudden nervousness. “I can tell you took very good care of it.” Sakuma beams. “Really? Nice!” He punches the air in celebration, making the cat toy in his hold shake and ring. The sound attracts some meows from places Ren can’t see. “Hold on, Tuna, Shachi! Papa is talking to Ren-kun!”
Ren finds his cheeks heating up for unknown reasons once again. Sakuma peers at him, lips curving to a tender smile as he sing-songs, “I gotta get you the lemon I promised.” Then he gives Ren the toy in his hand. Ren accepts it absentmindedly, only perking up in alarm as Sakuma asks, “Play with my children for a bit, would you? I have to go to the kitchen quick!”
Sakuma goes, and Ren still crouches there blankly with a cat toy in his hand. The cats find him like that, but apparently they have no problem playing with a stranger as long as they have something interesting. So Ren waves and shakes the stick in his hand, watching the cats chase and swat at it with their paws, before their owner comes back with a tupperware.
“Here!”
Sakuma stretches out his hand, so Ren does the most logical thing and stops crouching down. He stands on his two feet and receives the container Sakuma gives him, the cat toy between his fingers sways as he does so. Inside the tupperware are two lemons, unpeeled–seemingly freshly picked from the tree. The cats then zoom out the area as Ren gives his thanks with a proper bow.
The pink-haired man chuckles. “No problem!” he says, as he takes the toy in Ren’s hand. The clinking bells are ringing once again. Ren rises to his full height and realizes that to talk to Sakuma-kun, he has to lower his neck a little because the other man is pretty… small. Compared to him, anyway. He is not that good with measurement, but they might have a pretty big height gap if Sakuma’s head only reaches around his clavicle area. Like, Ren knows Sakuma is not that tall… but standing toe to toes like this made him more aware of that fact somehow.
(He’s also fully aware of the fact that their fingers did brush when Sakuma handed him the lemons, if you ask.)
“I’ll get the tupperware back to you soon.” Ren promises solemnly. Sakuma is biting back a smile as he shakes his head and says, “I can’t come to the shop for a while, though.” Ren then follows suit. “That’s fine… I can just deliver it here…” His voice becomes a little softer as he realizes that Sakuma Daisuke might not be at home when he does deliver the container back. He blinks and blurts out the thought that has been simmering in his mind since God knows when. “Ah, for coordinating purposes… can I ask for your number then?”
Sakuma is blinking those large, large eyes at him. Silence stretches between them. For a hot minute, Ren assumes the worst. But when Sakuma finally agrees with a nod and a, “Sure! Let’s exchange contacts!” something inside Ren’s ribcage is filling his chest with gooey warmth that is so, so sweet.
(Sakuma Daisuke’s contact name in his phone is nothing special, but the first message he sent to Ren is pretty extraordinary because it’s a selfie with the cutest smile and Shachi and Tuna in frame.
“Use that as my contact picture!” And because Sakuma-kun asks him to do so, that's what he does. If he spent the time after getting home poring over said picture with a silly smile on his lips until Moko-chan bites his ankle, then it’s nobody’s business but Meguro Ren’s alone.)
💐
Exchanging numbers and staying in contact with Sakuma Daisuke did wonders for Meguro Ren’s mood and state of being.
Apparently, as noted by fellow florist employee Murakami Raul, Ren is smiling a lot more. His steps have more spring and his voice is more peppy. His movements as he did his tasks around the shop are a lot faster than before. Every break, Meguro Ren who doesn’t usually touch his phone unless necessary would check it and grin ear to ear. When asked, his lips would stay shut. Unless you take a peek at his screen, you will never guess that the reason for Ren being glued to his phone is none other than a lemon tree and two cute cats.
(The honest answer would be their owner, but Ren doesn’t want Raul to have more ammunition to tease him.)
Ren had returned the container to Sakuma’s house two days after he took him home. What should have been a brief visit then turned into dinner invitation, then they talked about so many things. Ren now knows that Sakuma used to own a dog, which then made him introduce his own pet–a little pomeranian called Moko-chan–to the pink-haired man. Sakuma would send him cat pics and Ren would reply with his own collection of Moko-chan photos. They also talked about the plants Sakuma kept, like the lemon tree, and the progress of his sunflower planting. Ren shared that he made lemonade using the lemons Sakuma gifted him. Sakuma told him that the seedling is growing nicely despite the cold.
When Ren found out that Sakuma liked osmanthus’ fragrance, he offered a bag of dried flowers made of his own osmanthus tree. Sakuma screeched on the chat and begged for a picture upon learning that Ren planted an osmanthus tree in his apartment, so he did so and they talked about their trees for about three days straight. Their little messaging routine continued until Ren came home from work, so sometimes he would read the chat while lounging on the sofa or while lounging around the terrace. When it’s the latter, Ren would snap a photo of the sky outside his balcony and send it to Sakuma. The older man would send him food pictures or the manga he’s reading in return.
It’s a nice back and forth. To be honest, Ren really enjoys it. It’s been so long since he got to know a new person and got along with them this well.
That’s why he sent Sakuma-kun a picture of a japanese primrose he stumbled upon on his walk without much thought. They’re not fully in bloom, just a shy bud biding their time to blossom in spring. His message is also nothing special, just succinct sakurasou buds are already appearing--like he is reporting a sighting of a wild animal. Sakuma’s reply comes a few minutes later, a shocked face emoji of an anime girl Ren doesn’t know the name of, and a really!!!. Ren sends a nodding emoji back and Sakuma returns it with so many exclamation marks.
let’s go on walk tgt next time, Ren then texts, bet u’ll love the flora around here.
Sakuma’s excitement is noticeable from the strings of emoji he sends after, and Ren can’t help his smile. Especially after the older man tells him leggo this weekend!!. Ren, of course, agrees in a heartbeat.
Weekend seems so far now that Ren has something to do with Sakuma. He really cannot wait.
💐
“Look.”
Meguro Ren is now on the promised walk with Sakuma Daisuke. He tries his best to look fashionable by exchanging his usual tee over shirt for a nicer outer and pants. Ren can tell that Sakuma is also dressing up, as he doesn’t wear his usual anime girl t-shirt and is donning a flannel shirt with plain tee and a well-worn pair of jeans. Their footwears somehow match, as they both wear similar sneakers. Ren is taking care of his strides, trying his best to match Sakuma’s steps as he points out the things he notices on their walk.
Sakuma turns his head, following Ren’s finger, which points at a bush near a gimlet full of blooming purple-pink flowers. “That’s the Japanese Primrose I told you. Seems like they’re blooming early this year.” The older man then peers at said bush, ogling the flowers with his big, bambi eyes with so much fervor. Ren has to watch Sakuma go back and forth like self-zoom to take a better look at the petals. He then circles around the bush like he’s trying to identify something.
Ren doesn’t mind, though. He likes seeing Sakuma so interested in so many little things, and he also enjoys this slow spent-times. This is not their first stop and stare spot, anyway. Before this, they had also stopped to pet several pedestrian’s dogs, smell some more flowers, stare at unique-shaped buildings and tall, tall trees with little squirrels and some birds, and window shopping at some stores with seemingly interesting goods (that can be seen through their window).
They already went around the route once and are coming back to their starting point. Sakuma parked his car near here and they have penciled lunch for their next schedule. As Ren came by public transport, it was decided that they would drive together to the restaurant. (Sakuma’s recommendation, who got it from someone called Miyata-kun–who, apparently, is someone akin to a… big brother? respected senior? of the sort. Ren is not too sure, Sakuma’s expressions when he explained it was much more distracting.) So Ren waits until Sakuma has his fill before reaching out to grasp his elbow like asking for permission, asking: “Let’s go back? Our appointed time for lunch is near.”
“Oh!” The older man stops admiring the flowers. Ren doesn’t really notice since when did the hand he placed on Sakuma’s elbow end up within his grasp, but they somehow manage to hold hands. A little tug and, “Okay, Ren-kun! Let’s go!” is all Ren needs to follow Sakuma Daisuke back to his car.
Their journey doesn’t take that long; only a few steps taken before they arrived in front of said vehicle. Ren was about to ask Sakuma to open the car door, but then the pink-haired man already let go of his hand while telling him to, “Wait, Ren! Wait!” and almost skips a step to open the backside door. Ren just stands there blankly with hands hanging limp by his side, flabbergasted by the sequence of motions that is outside of his prediction. He does as Sakuma says and waits patiently for whatever the older man has in mind.
Sakuma’s car window is darkly tinted so Ren cannot take a peek to see what Sakuma is doing there. He just hears some rustling and a sound of something banging against the car’s roof before Sakuma gets out with his hands hidden behind his back. Ren stares at Sakuma through the glass, trying to figure out what this petite man is trying to do, before a bouquet of flowers is thrusted to his hands. Ren gets a face full of sunflowers and red roses and he can’t help the gasp he lets out as Sakuma yells, “Happy late birthday, Ren-kun!” with a smile that rivals the sun shining above their heads.
Ren blinks. “Oh.”
It’s a coincidence that this walk slash date was scheduled a few days after his birthday. Sakuma had already greeted him via chat with a bombardment of emojis and an electronic voucher, so Ren didn’t think that Sakuma would give him something during this excursion. It’s a pleasant surprise, so Ren makes sure to smile (as bashful as he is) and tells the older man, “Thank you…”
Sakuma beams. “Flowers for the most handsome boy I know!” he says, and Ren does choke at that. Sakuma giggles as Ren hides his cough behind the petals, their sweet fragrance thankfully doesn't complicate things further with his respiratory organs. “You might be bored of them as you work as a florist, but I hope being at the receiving end of a bouquet is a novel and good experience for you, Ren-kun.” Sakuma’s voice sounds so soft that there is a spot in Meguro Ren’s heart that is tender and filled with warmth as he listens.
“It is new, indeed.” Ren agrees readily because it is his first time receiving a big bundle of flowers from someone. Their gazes lock as Sakuma tilts his head and Ren’s smile goes a little wider. “Thank you once again, Sakuma-kun.” Ren reaches out, using the hand not holding the bouquet to grasp Sakuma’s little hand and brings it close to his mouth. He plants a kiss at the back of his hand before saying, “Can I take that this bouquet has special meaning?”
At Sakuma’s glittering eyes and meaningful smile, Ren smiles back. He still doesn’t let go of the pink-haired man’s hand.
“Because I like you, Sakuma-kun. And I think this bouquet is a hint enough of your possible answer.”
Three stalks of sunflowers and three stems of red roses, all smell fresh. The white wrapper is crumpled, but the maroon ribbon that decorates it is silky to the touch. Different flowers have different meanings, so does its number. Three is usually for a confession. Red roses for romantic love while sunflowers are for adoration. Ren can guess the message Sakuma tries to convey, but he also needs the verbal confirmation from the man himself because he wants, needs, to hear it.
So when Sakuma nods and tells him, “That’s right, Ren-kun. I do like you.” Ren doesn’t miss a chance to pull Sakuma into his embrace. Sakuma’s head only reaches his clavicle. Ren can rest his chin on Sakuma’s head as they hug, so Ren does just that. The older man is chuckling with so much mirth while returning the hug, his arms clutching at the fabric at the back of his clothes so tightly.
“But Ren-kun,” Sakuma begins, voice almost muffled by the cotton of Ren’s shirt. “You need to take me on a date first.”
“Aren’t we already going to do that?” Ren asks lightly. “We’re going to have lunch together. Our walk also counted as a date, no?”
“Hmm.” Sakuma is pouting so audibly that Ren tightens his embrace a little to try to comfort him. “Let’s just count the lunch as a date, then. The walk is a pre-date, okay?”
Ren chuckles. “Right.” He nuzzles the top of Sakuma’s head with his chin (which earned him a headbutt in return) before taking a step back so they can lock eyes. Ren is smiling as he does so. “Anything for you, Daisuke.”
The way Sakuma yelps and blushes is enough to make Meguro Ren’s mood soar for the rest of the day. Especially their lunch date after that… because Sakuma Daisuke is now his boyfriend. Ren can’t ask for more.
Pairings: Meguro Ren/Sakuma Daisuke
Genres: Florist AU. slice of life, romance.
Rating: T
Summary: It only takes one peculiar customer telling him to learn the language of flowers to turn Meguro Ren’s world upside down. He can’t help it, either. What kind of planet doesn't get pulled by such gravity? (Or, how Meguro and Sakuma’s relationship develops, with flora accompaniments.)
Warnings: None.
Author's notes: title credit goes to unknown (till the end…) by till (akugetsu) from alien stage. the flower’s meanings used in this fic are mainly based on hanakotoba, the japanese language of flowers, and not the victorian british one. also i Tried my best with the flora knowledge but it might not be 100% accurate. please keep those in mind <3 thanks to mods for hosting the fest again this year. i had lots of fun writing this. i hope you like this, my dearest recipient!
“Why would this flower always follow the direction where the sun shines?”
Meguro Ren looks up from his place behind the counter to see a pink-haired man squatting near the sunflower rack. He almost jumps in fright because he doesn’t hear the other man coming at all. Luckily, Ren’s surprise reflex only extended to grabbing the vase he’s trying to decorate tightly. The tall and big sunflower stalks casted a little shadow atop the man’s head, almost like a halo. He’s wearing an oversized shirt, obvious by how it looks too loose to frame his body properly. The stranger looks so small there, under the protection of the blossoms of yellow sunflowers, as he continues his musings.
“Must be tiring to follow a sun that never reciprocates their feelings.”
“How romantic.”
Ren doesn’t really intend for the comment to be verbalized, but sometimes he just does that. It’s a kind of bad habit forged by the desolate flora shop and being the only employee stationed during work hours. But now Ren feels kind of mortified because that makes the pink-haired man turn his head, and their eyes meet across the room. Ren tries his best to smile as the other man blinks slowly.
“Isn’t it?” He tilts his head, his pink hair swaying in motion. The way he smiles made Ren realize that the other man’s cheeks are dotted with moles–almost like a constellation mapped on that little face. “That kind of devotion is so heartwarming.”
Ren nods absentmindedly. He steadies his heart by releasing the grip on the vase, trying his best to mask his breathing sound. The pink-haired customer is still looking at him with those big, big eyes. Ren is so tempted to keep mum and goes back to his job (the flower arrangement in this pot is not even close to finished) but yet, locking gaze with the man under the sunflowers, Ren finds himself talking once again.
“It’s only young sunflowers that always follow the sun.”
Some may call this a prelude, an ice-breaking talk, but Ren thinks he’s just telling a mere fun fact. The customer blinks once again as he continues to stare. Ren smiles at him before trying to get his focus back on his work. The baby breath bundle on the table hasn't been inserted to the arrangement of freesia and gerbera on the vase yet. He separates the stem into several tiny stalks by cutting them carefully. It, once again, made him unaware of his surroundings–that he doesn’t notice that the pink-haired customer is already getting up and walking towards him.
Meguro Ren is so focused on trying to find a space to insert the baby’s breath stalk on the bouquet that he doesn’t realize that there is someone standing in front of the counter, until a voice breaks the silence.
“Tell me more about it.”
Ren freezes. As he raises his eyes from the vase, the pink-haired man is now standing in front him… only separated by the counter. He’s small, Ren notices, much shorter than him because he has to bow down a little so that their eyes can meet. The corners of his mouth seem to be always raised, making his small face always in the state of smiling. Now it’s Ren’s turn to blink as he tries to refocus his attention on the newcomer.
“About… what?” Ren asks, as careful as he handled the flowers.
“The sunflowers.” The customer confirms. It seems like he’s standing on tiptoes now, with how he raises his body and puts his elbows on the counter. “What about only the young sunflowers follow the sun?”
“Oh.” Ren blinks. “That.”
“Yeah.”
Those big, big chocolate eyes stare at him, unblinking and unwavering. Ren finds himself a bit unnerved, but mostly kind of flattered that the pink-haired young man wants to hear more about it. So he opens his mouth and begins his explanation, the movement of his hand holding the baby breath ceases as he talks.
“Sunflowers got their name because they will always face the sun when in bloom. But actually, the older a sunflower gets, the more their movement of following the sun would decrease… until it stops and the flower wither, coming back to the ground.” Ren hmms before continuing. “There’s no one who told the sunflower to chase the sun, but they did it anyway. Biologically, it made sense because they need it to survive–to grow. But it’s also the only thing they know, ingrained in their cells.”
Ren shrugs as he concludes with, “Humans just romanticize it.”
The pink-haired stranger claps as he stares in awe. Ren can feel his face reddening from that gesture alone. But, per usual, Meguro Ren is pretty good at pretending. So he masks his shyness with a thin grin and tightening his fingers around the stalk of baby breath he abandoned before. It takes several seconds before the clapping stops and the man on the other side of the counter opens his mouth again.
“I just knew that!” The customer leans forward and, in turn, almost invades Ren’s personal space. He manages to avoid that by shifting his position to another direction while still holding on the stalk full of little brittle white flowers. “That’s so interesting… But still, don’t you think it fits nicely with their meaning?”
Ren tilts his head. “Meaning…?”
“Language of flowers!” The stranger tells Ren excitedly with sparkles in his eyes. But it doesn’t last long because he then frowns as he gazes at him, the flower he’s holding, and the bouquet he’s trying to arrange on the vase in front. “You’re working in a flower shop but don’t know that?”
“It’s not like I’m required to know it…” Ren defends himself weakly.
It is true, though. Ren got this job not because he’s well-versed in the meanings of flowers, but because Ren is willing to work hard and is earnest in nature… as the owner himself says. He also doesn’t shy away from learning from scratch, as it was how he managed to learn the method of arranging flowers. Ren thinks he did a pretty good job with all of that. Putting meanings to a bunch of petals is never the priority, so he doesn’t bother.
The stranger hums as he leans back, then he nods as if he’s agreeing with Ren. “Well!” He then says as he claps once, with so much flourish. “That’s true. But knowing hanakotoba is a good weapon to have in your arsenal as a florist too!”
Ren doesn’t get to respond as the pink little man in front of him now tries to reach out his arm to touch his shoulder. It just won’t reach, even after the man tries leaning forward, so Ren just shifts back to his former position and leans a bit so that he can finally do it. When that small hand finally reaches Ren’s shoulder, it pats him with such vigor it almost sends him lurching backward.
“Learn and memorize it, okay!” What Ren almost asks, but the man is already smiling so bright it almost blinded him. “The next time I visit, please tell me more fun facts and some flower meanings!”
Whoosh.
The pink-haired man just disappeared like that. Only the chime of bells is Ren’s reminder that there was a customer here, even though he didn't buy anything. Ren blinks, once, twice, before taking a deep breath and shaking his head. Whether there was an eccentric visitor or no, he still has a vase to arrange. So he goes back to that until his shift ends.
Ren tries to not think about The Pink-Haired Customer, but it’s so hard.
He still doesn’t know when did he come or how did he go… It still bugs him because that man just seemed to appear and disappear out of thin air. Ren could chalk it up to him being so hyperfocused on his tasks that he became unaware of his surroundings, but that it’s still weird… very weird. Especially his parting words. Somehow that sounds ominous. The other man told him that he would visit again and asked Ren to learn some hanakotoba until then, so Ren has been trying to do so.
Keyword: trying.
There are so many flowers with similar meanings and many meanings for a petal. Different colors give different messages, so does the amount. Ren never thought that the world of flowers would be so complicated. But the stranger had been right, it does help his job as a florist. When he used to be confused when a customer asks for a bouquet to convey something like apology or confession, Ren now can suggest one or two flowers on his own. But still, he’s not that well-versed in the language of flowers, as he’s still learning.
All that comes to a test when The Pink-Haired Customer does come, two weeks later.
“Huh?”
Ren is almost ready with his greeting when he hears the bell chiming softly and the shop’s door opens noisily. His smile freezes when he sees that the one stepping into the store is the mysterious, peculiar customer who told him to learn hanakotoba. That pink hair is so hard to miss, not to mention the anime girl printed on the tee he’s wearing under his soft blue wool cardigan. Unlike before, now there are prescription glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose. Ren blinks as he chokes out a “Welcome…” when the man looks up from his phone and freaking beams when he sees Ren.
“Heyyy!”
The pink-haired man waves his free hand energetically as he shoves the phone to his pocket. Ren is taken aback when he speedwalks to his counter and, once again, puts his elbows there as the customer stares at him with a smiley face. Ren relaxes his stance as he once again lifts up the corners of his lips, trying his best to appear friendly and amicable. The man smiles back with the force of a thousand suns. (Ren almost wants to wear sunglasses seeing that.)
“What can I do for you…?”
It’s protocol, said automatically to any customer he sees. Including this bright ball of pink light. The man beams once again when he answers with, “Well! I’d like to ask something…” Those eyes squint as he tries to read the name tag pinned on Ren’s shirt. “...to you, Hasu-kun.”
Ren almost bristles with the way he uses his given name with the wrong reading. Even though the customer can just use his surname, which is easier to read (it is on the name tag, mind you). So he bites a sigh as he corrects him gently, “It’s Ren,” then steels himself and keeps his professionalism intact as he inquires, “And that is…?”
“Oh!” The petite man blinks before apologizing profusely, his forehead almost touching the counter top as he bows. “Sorry! I read that wrong! Abe-chan always says kanji is my weakness… and it seems that he’s right… Ugh…” Ren catches that little grumble, but doesn’t comment on it except for an it’s fine… and an awkward smile to reassure him. The man seems appeased by that, as he stops bowing and starts leaning forward in enthusiasm once again. “Oh, yeah! Does your shop have sunflowers to be kept indoors? Like, that can be planted in a pot?”
“Ah.” Ren hmms, trying to run the plant nursery inventories in his head as fast as he can. It still takes him a few minutes before giving a feedback. “I think we have some. Are the dwarf ones okay?”
“Oooh.” Ren, for the life of him, cannot miss the sparkle in that customer’s eyes when he hears his answer. “You have dwarf sunflowers? How small are they?”
“It ranges between about 25 cm to 60 cm… The tallest being around 1 meter, if I’m not mistaken.” The pink-haired customer is listening to him with such attention. It feels kind of new to get a customer so interested in what they’re trying to buy, because Ren’s usual buyers are the come and go type. “For indoor planting, I’d recommend the Choco Sun or Elf variety. They’re vibrant and well-suited to be planted in a pot.”
“Do you only sell the plants?”
“We also have the seeds, but I think growing it from scratch at this time of the year would be… kind of challenging.” Winter is coming, after all. Sunflowers tend to bloom from summer to early autumn, and the hottest months are when they really thrive. The planting and sowing process during colder months also needs to be more meticulous to avoid frosting, especially if they’re going to be planted indoors–like what this customer wants. “But sunflowers are pretty easy to raise, so if you really want it I can sell you the seeds.”
The customer hums as he takes his time to decide. Ren waits patiently, as he would do to other customers. There is no bouquet to be arranged like last time so Ren’s hand is idle. He itches to do something… so he settles by arranging the bouquet wrappers on the counter. He already smoothes out one and is folding another when the customer finally tells him, “Give me the plant! And the seeds for big sunflowers, please!”
Ren finishes one last fold as he responds with, “Alright,” and puts the folded wrapper into a box. “Which variant do you want?”
“Elf sounds cute, so that! Also, do you have any recommendations for the seeds?”
“If your criteria is still the same, I think dwarf variety is still the answer… Sunbright Supreme would fit, as it is the biggest miniature sunflower and can be planted indoors.”
When Ren looks at the man, those sparkles are back in his eyes. His pink hair sways as he nods with eagerness permeating through the stare he gives Ren. How marvelous, to see someone so enthusiastic about planting their own flowers. Ren cannot help the way he smiles as he sees that, as something warm settles without permission inside the hollow of his chest. So Ren nods and excuses himself to get what the customer wants from the nursery–a packet of seeds and a young sunflower plant. He won’t make excuses about how he almost ran as he did that, because the warmth that is now spreading in his chest kind of startles him.
It doesn’t take that long to pick all the items, but Ren spent about 30 seconds of the time to calm himself down. As he feels himself becoming more zen, he then goes back with his hands full. He puts the pot on the counter, then the seeds packet beside it. Ren pushes it a little to the front so that the customer can see it. The man then peers curiously at the items, like a kitten would look at its toys.
“Here. You only need to water and fertilize the plant, but for the seeds you need to have an appropriate sized pot if you want to plant them. We sell that, and also the soil mixture, if you need it.” Ren rummages through the supplies to take out a shopping bag. “Are those okay with you? Nothing more to add to the bag?”
“I think those are okay for now!” He then stops peering at the plant and stands upright, beaming at Ren. Ren returns the smile a little shakily as he puts the pot and the packet inside the shopping bag carefully. “I can just come back here if I ever need any help with my sunflower, right, Ren-kun?”
Ren stops moving as his mind blanks out at what he says. The man giggles at Ren’s reaction with little hands (he has sweater paws, Ren just noticed… what the hell…) coming up to cover his mouth. That sentence shouldn’t make his heart feel like jumping out of his ribcage, but he can’t help it. It sounds innocent and sincere, like he just thinks that getting Ren’s help about the flowers he bought at this shop is natural… but Ren also can’t stop thinking if… there’s something more to that.
(This won’t be the first time someone hit on Ren. But somehow, somehow, this little pink sun is different.)
“Sorry!” The pink-haired guy is still giggling as he apologizes. It makes him look almost cute. “I didn’t know you’d react like that. You’re so pure, just like your name.”
“M… my name?” That elicits a response out of Ren, shaking him back to consciousness.
“Ren,” Ren’s heart skips a beat when the man calls him softly like that. “The kanji is for lotus, right?” He continues after Ren confirms it with a nod. “In hanakotoba, that symbolizes chastity and purity.” Ren feels his face flushing when the man asks, “You didn’t know that?”
“I’m still learning,” he answers, by which the customer giggles once again as he responds with a satisfied, “Good, then.”
Ren rings the total of his purchase, which the customer paid without much fuss. The pink-haired man then takes the paper bag from the counter, stumbling a bit by the weight of its content. Ren almost reaches out to help, but the man stabilizes himself fast enough and grins at him. Ren stares bemusedly as the customer waves, walking backward with his hand full, and says: “My name’s Sakuma Daisuke! See you again, Ren-kun!” before disappearing with a chime of bells, just like before.
Sakuma Daisuke does become a fixture in Meguro Ren’s weekly running of the shop.
The pink-haired man kept his promise to see him again by coming over exactly a week after to buy some fertilizer. He came again a week after that to buy soil mixture, two full bags of them. Everytime Sakuma paid him a visit, he would ask him something about the flowers he happened to have on hands. Like when he bought the fertilizer, Ren was making a bouquet of roses and so Sakuma quizzed him on that. The next time, Ren happened to arrange a door decoration with some leaves and lillies, so that was what they were talking about. That routine continues, with how Sakuma drops by once a week with various plant-related needs and testing Ren on his hanakotoba learning progress.
Now, two months and a half after that fateful encounter, Sakuma is once again making himself comfortable on the seat near Ren’s counter–watching him arrange a bouquet of carnations. It’s an order for this evening. The inquiry is for Ren to make a bouquet that would be appropriate to gift a mother for. As he learns, carnation is usually the go-to flower for this kind of request so that’s what he picks. He takes a careful look at the colors too, as different hues also tend to have different meanings. (Ren doesn’t want this bouquet to become an accidental curse or something, okay.)
Ren makes his bundle consist of pink and white carnations. He inserts a few clematis flowers in the gap between the carnations of the piece he’s making when Sakuma decides to talk after a long while.
“Ren-kun, did you know that both carnations and roses can be used to express love?”
“I know that.” Ren doesn’t look up from his arrangement, but the movement of his hands does stop. He cannot multitask for the life of him, so he treats talking to Sakuma as a little break from his job. “I think the book I’m reading says that both are appropriate gifts for people close to us, especially lovers… But we have to be careful when picking the color.”
“That’s right!” Sakuma claps at that. “What color should we avoid?”
“Yellow.” The answer comes instantly. “For roses that means jealousy and the decrease of love, while for carnations it’s disappointment, rejection and disdain.”
“You’re so smart!” Sakuma compliments, full of awe, as Ren ducks his head and blushes. His fingers itch to do something, so he grips the wrapper lightly to suppress that instinct. “So can I ask why you chose white-pink carnations and…” It seems like Sakuma is squinting his eyes to see what else would build this bouquet first before continuing. “...is that clematis you’re inserting? And sage on the box?”
Ren nods, peering to peek at Sakuma’s expression as he looks at his flowers, before giving his answer. “Carnations are usually given to family members too. As this is an order for a mother’s gift, I chose pink for a mother’s love and white for sweet and lovely. Clematis is for mental strength, as I think mothers are the strongest mentally… and sage is for wisdom and domestic virtue, which I think is a nice touch for a meaningful bouquet.”
Sakuma oohs and ahhhs after hearing Ren’s explanation. There is also an enthusiastic clap, which makes Ren all the more bashful at Sakuma’s reaction. When Ren finally looks up, he meets Sakuma’s eyes who’s smiling at him so brightly–full of pride and wonder.
“That’s such a nice combo. You grew so much.” Sakuma laughs, ha-ha-ha boisterous yet not jarring, making his pink hair sways as he shakes his head. “When I met you, you didn’t know a lick about the language of flowers. Now you can build a meaningful bouquet all on your own! I’m so proud!”
“It’s all thanks to you, Sakuma-kun.” Ren says softly, with a tender smile on his lips. He loosens his grip on the wrappers. “If you didn’t tell me to learn that at our first meeting, I think I would remain ignorant of its virtues.”
Sakuma puffs up his chest like a proud peacock. The smug grin that stretches out his lips makes him look like a cat who got cream all over its mouth, and Ren just finds that expression on Sakuma’s little face cute. “What did I say! That helps you in your job, right!” He peers at Ren, fluttering his eyelashes coyly. “Is this your last order for the day? Your shift ends after this, right?”
“Mmm.” Ren nods because it is, indeed, his last order for today. After finishing this bouquet, the next shift worker will come and he will go deliver the flowers before going home. He tilts his head as he asks, “What’s up, Sakuma-kun?”
Sakuma smiles sheepishly as he inquires, “Would it inconvenience you to ring me a big pot and two bags of soil mixture? I’m finally gonna plant the sunflower seeds I bought before, you see…”
Ren buffers for a few seconds, trying to grasp for a coherent thought to form a proper response. His eyebrows furrow as he tries to recall Sakuma’s purchases until now. “I don’t mind… But didn’t you buy soil mixture from here a few weeks ago? Also, did you bring your car today?”
“That’s for my lemon tree!” The bright, peppy timbre of that answer toned down a lot when Sakuma continued his response. “I don’t drive today… I thought about hailing a taxi though.”
The creases on Ren’s forehead clears for a bit. “You got a lemon tree?” Interest and surprise colors his voice, distracted by new trivia. But Sakuma’s answer pulls him right back on track again. Sakuma didn’t drive here today, huh… “Won’t it be difficult? The pot won’t be that big, but the soil mixture, on the other hand…” Ren frowns a little before putting down an offer, “Why don’t I drive you home?”
Sakuma stares at him, mouth agape as he gasps dramatically. “You would do that for me?”
The glittering, sparkling eyes are back again. Ren gets an urge to shield his vision but restraints it to not appear rude. Sakuma is still beaming as he accepts his offer and tells Ren, “That would be lovely! Now that my lemon is bearing fruits, maybe I’ll give you some later as a token of my thanks!”
“You don’t have to do that…” Ren starts to refuse, but Sakuma won’t hear a no with how he pouts and shoots a kicked puppy stares at him. “I’ll still do it without the incentive, you know?”
“I know.” Sakuma stops pouting and nods, fondness dripping from his words. Ren feels the blush creeping up his cheeks hearing that. “You’re kind like that. I just want to give you my lemons, is that okay?”
Ren inhales deeply, then exhaling slowly. Take a deep breath once again, before nodding softly. “... Okay.” Biting back a smile, Ren agrees. It’s not because he doesn’t have a choice… but it is an informed decision made knowingly. “Please wait for me, Sakuma-kun. I’ll finish the order then bring the goods for you. Then… we’ll go to your house.” Ren lets the corners of his lips raise a little freely now. “Together.”
Sakuma’s answering smile is so bright it’s insane, it puts the sun outside to shame.
(Deep down, Ren is glad to be the reason for that beam of brilliance.)
Sakuma’s living room is surprisingly spacious and tidy.
Ren doesn’t really know what he expects when he finally steps into the house, but the shelf containing various mangas and light novels is within his imagination. (The various anime t-shirts Sakuma wore whenever they meet is telling enough.) There is a cat tower inside, whose users are now meowing and bounding towards Sakuma who is already kneeling with open arms to welcome the kitties. The mentioned lemon tree is also there, stationed near the window, with few blossoms and several fruits hanging low on its brittle branch. Ren side-steps the forgotten pot at the genkan as he drags the soil bags inside, trying to find a place to store it.
“Sakuma-kun?” Ren’s calling apparently interrupts Sakuma’s cooing over his furry children, as the other man has stopped burrowing his face to one of the cat’s furs. “Where should I put this?”
“Oh, oof–wait a bit, Ren!” Sakuma tells him, and so Ren stays put. He hears the meows and pitter-patter of paws first before a flurry of steps, and then he sees Sakuma bringing the pot inside. He waits until the distance between them is only a few steps apart, as Sakuma adjusts the pot’s position on his grasp. “Let’s put it on the terrace first!”
Ren nods, eyes following Sakuma’s steps as he opens the big glass door near the lemon tree (so that’s not a window…) and puts the pot on the empty side of the terrace. The older man then waves his hand, beckoning Ren to come, and he obeys while dragging the bags. Sakuma grins at him as he takes one bag from Ren’s hand and puts it beside the newly bought pot, so Ren does the same. After making sure that all the stuff was safely stored, both of them got out.
There might be a little accident where their hands brush as Ren steps back into the living room, but he tries to not to think about that too much. (It might just be coincidence.) Ren looks around as Sakuma closes the door, his focus pulled back to the lemon tree. He is not that well-versed in botany, but Ren does have some knowledge about raising plants. So he crouches in front of the indoor pot, trying to make sure of its condition. The leaves look vibrant and fresh, so do the petals and buds. The fruits are still small though, but he did see a sign of plucking from some of its branches.
“Thank you for your help, Ren-kun.” Sakuma’s voice shakes Ren out of his focus. He turns to the older man to see him smiling with a cat toy in his left hand. His hair looks softer under the lamp light somehow, and Ren can finally see his arms now that the cardigans are discarded. The cats are nowhere to be seen, though. Maybe they’re shy and in hiding because of Ren’s presence in their territory. “How do you find my lemon tree?”
“It’s… good.” Ren gulps, trying to dispel the sudden nervousness. “I can tell you took very good care of it.” Sakuma beams. “Really? Nice!” He punches the air in celebration, making the cat toy in his hold shake and ring. The sound attracts some meows from places Ren can’t see. “Hold on, Tuna, Shachi! Papa is talking to Ren-kun!”
Ren finds his cheeks heating up for unknown reasons once again. Sakuma peers at him, lips curving to a tender smile as he sing-songs, “I gotta get you the lemon I promised.” Then he gives Ren the toy in his hand. Ren accepts it absentmindedly, only perking up in alarm as Sakuma asks, “Play with my children for a bit, would you? I have to go to the kitchen quick!”
Sakuma goes, and Ren still crouches there blankly with a cat toy in his hand. The cats find him like that, but apparently they have no problem playing with a stranger as long as they have something interesting. So Ren waves and shakes the stick in his hand, watching the cats chase and swat at it with their paws, before their owner comes back with a tupperware.
“Here!”
Sakuma stretches out his hand, so Ren does the most logical thing and stops crouching down. He stands on his two feet and receives the container Sakuma gives him, the cat toy between his fingers sways as he does so. Inside the tupperware are two lemons, unpeeled–seemingly freshly picked from the tree. The cats then zoom out the area as Ren gives his thanks with a proper bow.
The pink-haired man chuckles. “No problem!” he says, as he takes the toy in Ren’s hand. The clinking bells are ringing once again. Ren rises to his full height and realizes that to talk to Sakuma-kun, he has to lower his neck a little because the other man is pretty… small. Compared to him, anyway. He is not that good with measurement, but they might have a pretty big height gap if Sakuma’s head only reaches around his clavicle area. Like, Ren knows Sakuma is not that tall… but standing toe to toes like this made him more aware of that fact somehow.
(He’s also fully aware of the fact that their fingers did brush when Sakuma handed him the lemons, if you ask.)
“I’ll get the tupperware back to you soon.” Ren promises solemnly. Sakuma is biting back a smile as he shakes his head and says, “I can’t come to the shop for a while, though.” Ren then follows suit. “That’s fine… I can just deliver it here…” His voice becomes a little softer as he realizes that Sakuma Daisuke might not be at home when he does deliver the container back. He blinks and blurts out the thought that has been simmering in his mind since God knows when. “Ah, for coordinating purposes… can I ask for your number then?”
Sakuma is blinking those large, large eyes at him. Silence stretches between them. For a hot minute, Ren assumes the worst. But when Sakuma finally agrees with a nod and a, “Sure! Let’s exchange contacts!” something inside Ren’s ribcage is filling his chest with gooey warmth that is so, so sweet.
(Sakuma Daisuke’s contact name in his phone is nothing special, but the first message he sent to Ren is pretty extraordinary because it’s a selfie with the cutest smile and Shachi and Tuna in frame.
“Use that as my contact picture!” And because Sakuma-kun asks him to do so, that's what he does. If he spent the time after getting home poring over said picture with a silly smile on his lips until Moko-chan bites his ankle, then it’s nobody’s business but Meguro Ren’s alone.)
Exchanging numbers and staying in contact with Sakuma Daisuke did wonders for Meguro Ren’s mood and state of being.
Apparently, as noted by fellow florist employee Murakami Raul, Ren is smiling a lot more. His steps have more spring and his voice is more peppy. His movements as he did his tasks around the shop are a lot faster than before. Every break, Meguro Ren who doesn’t usually touch his phone unless necessary would check it and grin ear to ear. When asked, his lips would stay shut. Unless you take a peek at his screen, you will never guess that the reason for Ren being glued to his phone is none other than a lemon tree and two cute cats.
(The honest answer would be their owner, but Ren doesn’t want Raul to have more ammunition to tease him.)
Ren had returned the container to Sakuma’s house two days after he took him home. What should have been a brief visit then turned into dinner invitation, then they talked about so many things. Ren now knows that Sakuma used to own a dog, which then made him introduce his own pet–a little pomeranian called Moko-chan–to the pink-haired man. Sakuma would send him cat pics and Ren would reply with his own collection of Moko-chan photos. They also talked about the plants Sakuma kept, like the lemon tree, and the progress of his sunflower planting. Ren shared that he made lemonade using the lemons Sakuma gifted him. Sakuma told him that the seedling is growing nicely despite the cold.
When Ren found out that Sakuma liked osmanthus’ fragrance, he offered a bag of dried flowers made of his own osmanthus tree. Sakuma screeched on the chat and begged for a picture upon learning that Ren planted an osmanthus tree in his apartment, so he did so and they talked about their trees for about three days straight. Their little messaging routine continued until Ren came home from work, so sometimes he would read the chat while lounging on the sofa or while lounging around the terrace. When it’s the latter, Ren would snap a photo of the sky outside his balcony and send it to Sakuma. The older man would send him food pictures or the manga he’s reading in return.
It’s a nice back and forth. To be honest, Ren really enjoys it. It’s been so long since he got to know a new person and got along with them this well.
That’s why he sent Sakuma-kun a picture of a japanese primrose he stumbled upon on his walk without much thought. They’re not fully in bloom, just a shy bud biding their time to blossom in spring. His message is also nothing special, just succinct sakurasou buds are already appearing--like he is reporting a sighting of a wild animal. Sakuma’s reply comes a few minutes later, a shocked face emoji of an anime girl Ren doesn’t know the name of, and a really!!!. Ren sends a nodding emoji back and Sakuma returns it with so many exclamation marks.
let’s go on walk tgt next time, Ren then texts, bet u’ll love the flora around here.
Sakuma’s excitement is noticeable from the strings of emoji he sends after, and Ren can’t help his smile. Especially after the older man tells him leggo this weekend!!. Ren, of course, agrees in a heartbeat.
Weekend seems so far now that Ren has something to do with Sakuma. He really cannot wait.
“Look.”
Meguro Ren is now on the promised walk with Sakuma Daisuke. He tries his best to look fashionable by exchanging his usual tee over shirt for a nicer outer and pants. Ren can tell that Sakuma is also dressing up, as he doesn’t wear his usual anime girl t-shirt and is donning a flannel shirt with plain tee and a well-worn pair of jeans. Their footwears somehow match, as they both wear similar sneakers. Ren is taking care of his strides, trying his best to match Sakuma’s steps as he points out the things he notices on their walk.
Sakuma turns his head, following Ren’s finger, which points at a bush near a gimlet full of blooming purple-pink flowers. “That’s the Japanese Primrose I told you. Seems like they’re blooming early this year.” The older man then peers at said bush, ogling the flowers with his big, bambi eyes with so much fervor. Ren has to watch Sakuma go back and forth like self-zoom to take a better look at the petals. He then circles around the bush like he’s trying to identify something.
Ren doesn’t mind, though. He likes seeing Sakuma so interested in so many little things, and he also enjoys this slow spent-times. This is not their first stop and stare spot, anyway. Before this, they had also stopped to pet several pedestrian’s dogs, smell some more flowers, stare at unique-shaped buildings and tall, tall trees with little squirrels and some birds, and window shopping at some stores with seemingly interesting goods (that can be seen through their window).
They already went around the route once and are coming back to their starting point. Sakuma parked his car near here and they have penciled lunch for their next schedule. As Ren came by public transport, it was decided that they would drive together to the restaurant. (Sakuma’s recommendation, who got it from someone called Miyata-kun–who, apparently, is someone akin to a… big brother? respected senior? of the sort. Ren is not too sure, Sakuma’s expressions when he explained it was much more distracting.) So Ren waits until Sakuma has his fill before reaching out to grasp his elbow like asking for permission, asking: “Let’s go back? Our appointed time for lunch is near.”
“Oh!” The older man stops admiring the flowers. Ren doesn’t really notice since when did the hand he placed on Sakuma’s elbow end up within his grasp, but they somehow manage to hold hands. A little tug and, “Okay, Ren-kun! Let’s go!” is all Ren needs to follow Sakuma Daisuke back to his car.
Their journey doesn’t take that long; only a few steps taken before they arrived in front of said vehicle. Ren was about to ask Sakuma to open the car door, but then the pink-haired man already let go of his hand while telling him to, “Wait, Ren! Wait!” and almost skips a step to open the backside door. Ren just stands there blankly with hands hanging limp by his side, flabbergasted by the sequence of motions that is outside of his prediction. He does as Sakuma says and waits patiently for whatever the older man has in mind.
Sakuma’s car window is darkly tinted so Ren cannot take a peek to see what Sakuma is doing there. He just hears some rustling and a sound of something banging against the car’s roof before Sakuma gets out with his hands hidden behind his back. Ren stares at Sakuma through the glass, trying to figure out what this petite man is trying to do, before a bouquet of flowers is thrusted to his hands. Ren gets a face full of sunflowers and red roses and he can’t help the gasp he lets out as Sakuma yells, “Happy late birthday, Ren-kun!” with a smile that rivals the sun shining above their heads.
Ren blinks. “Oh.”
It’s a coincidence that this walk slash date was scheduled a few days after his birthday. Sakuma had already greeted him via chat with a bombardment of emojis and an electronic voucher, so Ren didn’t think that Sakuma would give him something during this excursion. It’s a pleasant surprise, so Ren makes sure to smile (as bashful as he is) and tells the older man, “Thank you…”
Sakuma beams. “Flowers for the most handsome boy I know!” he says, and Ren does choke at that. Sakuma giggles as Ren hides his cough behind the petals, their sweet fragrance thankfully doesn't complicate things further with his respiratory organs. “You might be bored of them as you work as a florist, but I hope being at the receiving end of a bouquet is a novel and good experience for you, Ren-kun.” Sakuma’s voice sounds so soft that there is a spot in Meguro Ren’s heart that is tender and filled with warmth as he listens.
“It is new, indeed.” Ren agrees readily because it is his first time receiving a big bundle of flowers from someone. Their gazes lock as Sakuma tilts his head and Ren’s smile goes a little wider. “Thank you once again, Sakuma-kun.” Ren reaches out, using the hand not holding the bouquet to grasp Sakuma’s little hand and brings it close to his mouth. He plants a kiss at the back of his hand before saying, “Can I take that this bouquet has special meaning?”
At Sakuma’s glittering eyes and meaningful smile, Ren smiles back. He still doesn’t let go of the pink-haired man’s hand.
“Because I like you, Sakuma-kun. And I think this bouquet is a hint enough of your possible answer.”
Three stalks of sunflowers and three stems of red roses, all smell fresh. The white wrapper is crumpled, but the maroon ribbon that decorates it is silky to the touch. Different flowers have different meanings, so does its number. Three is usually for a confession. Red roses for romantic love while sunflowers are for adoration. Ren can guess the message Sakuma tries to convey, but he also needs the verbal confirmation from the man himself because he wants, needs, to hear it.
So when Sakuma nods and tells him, “That’s right, Ren-kun. I do like you.” Ren doesn’t miss a chance to pull Sakuma into his embrace. Sakuma’s head only reaches his clavicle. Ren can rest his chin on Sakuma’s head as they hug, so Ren does just that. The older man is chuckling with so much mirth while returning the hug, his arms clutching at the fabric at the back of his clothes so tightly.
“But Ren-kun,” Sakuma begins, voice almost muffled by the cotton of Ren’s shirt. “You need to take me on a date first.”
“Aren’t we already going to do that?” Ren asks lightly. “We’re going to have lunch together. Our walk also counted as a date, no?”
“Hmm.” Sakuma is pouting so audibly that Ren tightens his embrace a little to try to comfort him. “Let’s just count the lunch as a date, then. The walk is a pre-date, okay?”
Ren chuckles. “Right.” He nuzzles the top of Sakuma’s head with his chin (which earned him a headbutt in return) before taking a step back so they can lock eyes. Ren is smiling as he does so. “Anything for you, Daisuke.”
The way Sakuma yelps and blushes is enough to make Meguro Ren’s mood soar for the rest of the day. Especially their lunch date after that… because Sakuma Daisuke is now his boyfriend. Ren can’t ask for more.
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Date: 2024-09-19 10:10 pm (UTC)Dear author, this was incredibly sweet, adorable, and I hope memesaku gift each other flowers bouquets for eternity 💕