Chapter Text
“Thank you, Izu! Have a great day!” Ding, ding.
Izu waves goodbye to another customer and starts sweeping up. Business is slow but steady, as always. Flower shops aren’t really booming business, but who doesn’t enjoy a nice bouquet of flowers every now and then? The aroma of all the various roses and hyacinths gives her tiny shop a calming atmosphere. She’s had customers tell her they came in just to get a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and bought some flowers as an afterthought. Laughing at the memory, she almost doesn't notice when the chime on her door sounds again. As she goes to put her broom away to greet her newest customer, she hears the lock click. She walks out of the back to find a tall man closing her store blinds.
“Excuse me, what are you doing?” He jerks around at her words and rushes over to her.
“Shhhh! They might hear you.” He whispers. She knows she should be scared, or even just a little unsettled by all of this, but it’s hard when she’s looking at a grown man who is obviously above six feet tall hunching over and moving to hide behind all five feet three inches of herself.
“And who are these people you are trying ever so desperately to hide from?” She can’t help the slight giggle that escapes her lips.
“The vultures.” His stoic tone does nothing to dispel her amusement.
Looking out the window, she can see a crowd of about five or six photographers wandering past the shop. She turns to look at the man hiding behind her, though he doesn’t make it very easy, and finally really takes into account his appearance. He’s dressed in dark clothes and, is that armor? He’s got an incredibly long scarf wrapped around his neck, what looks like a gas mask sitting snugly within it, and his purple hair looks so very fluffy behind the goggles sitting on his head. But it’s the gucci eyebags that really give him away. Oh, she’s such an idiot.
“I never realized the great underground hero: Logical Ruse, was so easily frightened off by a few cameras. Better not let any villains hear about this great hero’s only weakness, publicity! The horror!” Now she really can’t hold back her laughter. Logical Ruse stands up to his full height finally and stares down at Izu with absolutely no amusement on his face.
“Okay, first of all, publicity is bad for any hero who is supposed to be underground, not just me. Second of all, how do you know who I am? No one knows who I am, and I am very proud of that fact.”
“A florist never reveals her secrets.”
“Isn’t that magicians?”
“They’re basically the same thing. I’ve had several people tell me I work magic with flowers.” She grins up at the confused hero. He squints down at her for a few moments before finally relaxing his face.
“Whatever.” He looks up and over to the mostly covered windows. “You think they’re gone yet?”
“Probably. But if you’re an oh so secret underground hero, how did those guys find out about you?”
Logical Ruse walks over to the windows and begins scanning the vicinity, answering her question without looking at her, “I have no idea. Probably the same way you did.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“Oh, and why is that?”
“I doubt they spend most of their nights unable to sleep and with nothing better to do than walk the dark streets of the city.” That gets his attention.
“You walk around alone? At night? Are you crazy?” He finally looks at her again, disbelief coloring his handsome features.
“No, just bored. I didn’t really get out much growing up, so I don’t really like being cooped up indoors when I can’t sleep.”
He stares at her blankly for a few moments, just looking her over. “You are very cryptic for a woman who handles flowers.”
She shrugs. “What can I say? I’ve got layers.”
His mouth quirks up into a smirk for a moment. “Like an onion?”
“No. Not like an onion.” Now it’s her turn to be unamused.
“Riiight.” He just continues to smirk at her with that lopsided smile of his. “Well, I believe the coast is clear. I’ll take my leave, Miss Flower Cryptid.”
“It’s Izu. I guess I’ll see you around, Mr. Underground.” His smile grows ever so slightly wider at that.
“Shinsou.”
“Feel free to hide in here anytime, Shinsou.”
—
Shinsou actually takes her up on the offer. She can count on him to show up at least once a week at sunset, chased by a small flock of cameras. He’d slide in the door, locking it and closing the blinds. She would just laugh at his desperation and continue cleaning up from the day. They’d talk about anything and everything until the coast was clear and then he’d be back out on the streets to begin his patrol.
Then once a week turned into two or three times a week.
That turned into everyday.
And that turned into, well, today.
Ding, ding.
“Hello, welcome in- Oh, hi Shinsou! It’s like 10 AM, shouldn’t you be sleeping or something?” Shinsou ignores her question, looking around her empty shop then locking the door. “Is there a reason you are closing my shop for me during my normal business hours?” She laughs. Shinsou acknowledges her for the first time, rushing at her with determination in his eyes.
“Go out with me.”
“... What?”
“Go out with me. On a date. Today.” She blinks up at him, completely lost to what is happening right now. He sighs, takes a breath, and tries again. “I’ve been coming by here everyday for the past two weeks wishing I could just ask you out or something. Well, I have the day off today, and I want to finally take you out on a proper date. No hiding in your store, having whispered conversations, but actually go out. So… Would you? Go out with me today? Please?”
She glances over him while she thinks. He’s definitely dressed differently than she’s ever seen him. He is the epitome of the grunge/punk aesthetic in his torn, black skinny jeans, distressed purple sweater with a black undershirt peeking through the tears, and checkered vans. “Can I change first?”
“That’s a yes? You’ll go out with me?” His puppy eyes widen.
“Why are you so surprised? Did you really expect me to say anything different?”
He rubs the back of his neck and chuckles under his breath. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I've been rehearsing this for the past hour and then I got here and impulse kinda just took over.”
Izu can’t help but giggle at his obvious nerves. “There was no need to be so nervous, I would love to go out with you. But you didn’t answer my question. Can I change first? My apartment is just upstairs.”
“You live on top of the flower shop? I mean-yeah, totally. I’ll just, uh, wait here.” She laughs again before removing her work apron and running upstairs to her one-bedroom apartment.
Shinsou didn’t really leave her a lot of time to prepare, so she just settles for a cute floral skirt with a white graphic band t-shirt tucked in, a denim crop jacket, and her baby pink high tops. She dabs on some lip gloss, a little mascara, and grabs her inhaler, just to be safe, and finally feels sufficiently dressed up.
She runs downstairs and feels herself start to glow as Shinsou slowly looks her up and down, his jaw going a little slack. “Welp, I’m ready. Where we going?”
He shakes his head a little before responding. “Uh, yeah, um. I thought we could go get an early lunch at that cafe down the street. Then see what we wanna do after?”
She grabs his arm and turns them both to head toward the door. “Lead the way, Hero-man!”