Chapter Text
Two weeks had passed since the chance encounter in the tattoo parlor. Zed couldn’t get the image of Addy out of his mind. He often found himself thinking of her icy white hair or her dark rimmed blue eyes when he probably should’ve been working. He began to do all the things he normally did when he liked someone; stalking their instagram, making little bouquets inspired by their fashion sense, and in Zed’s case, seriously considering how he would look with a tattoo.
One morning while he was cleaning the front cases, he found a small piece of light yellow paper jammed underneath the door. He unwrinkled it as best he could and stared at the messy handwriting for a minute as he deciphered the message.
“Meet me at the tattoo parlor at 10:00 Zeddy Bear, and don’t be late” he whispered under his breath as he stared at the note. At first he felt off-put by the ominous message, but when he realized it was from Addy, he smiled and blushed. It made him immensely happy that she hadn’t forgotten about him like he had previously feared. He spent the rest of the day giddy and oddly energetic, excited for what was to come.
Zed entered the parlor at 10:07, a time he deemed fashionably late enough to make him seems slightly less eager than he was.
“Hello…?” he said with a questioning tone as he called into the empty establishment.
“Hey, sorry I was just getting everything ready” Addy said as she peeked through the half open window at the back of the room.
Zed hesitantly sauntered over, trying very hard to look cool. His efforts were put to waste when he had to fit his tall frame through the small window, definitely not appearing cool in the process. Eventually, he’s stepped his way out into the alley next to the parlor. Zed had never thought in his life that he’d regard an alley as romantic, but Addy kept continuing to surprise him. There were fairy lights dangled all around, illuminating the cozy blanket and soft pillows that were laid out on the concrete. On the blanket sat a small wicker basket containing a lovely mix of all of Addy’s favorite foods.
Addy plopped down on a pillow and gestured for Zed to follow suit. He squatted down, and adjusted himself a couple times in an attempt to get comfortable.
“This is beautiful” he breathed, letting the atmosphere of the chilly night calm him as he appreciated his surroundings.
“I know, right? This place is so calm, seems a bit separate from everything else” she agreed.
The two began to dive into the basket, pulling out sandwiches, cupcakes, sun chips, and many more snacks. As they ate they talked about life, Zed told Addy about his flower shop, using many flower metaphors, as usual. She loved the way his eyes lit up as he described his passion for his work. Addy showed him every tattoo she had, excluding ones in the hidden places that she deemed inappropriate to share, and explained the meanings behind them all. Zed thought she was beautiful in every form of the word, and the ink that danced along her skin as an expression of herself only made him appreciate her more.
After an hour or so of discussion, a realm of silence fell over the two as they stared at the night sky. Addy slowly inched her hand toward Zed’s, her heart had been racing and the second their hands touched, her stomach filled with butterflies.
Zed smiled, his face turned red, and he turned his head to look into her eyes.
“So why exactly did you invite me here, we had only ever met once” He whispered, with an alluring sense, as he leaned his head forward.
“I just couldn’t get you out of my mind”, replied Addy.
As she slowly bit her lower lip, she closed her eyes and in that moment their lips interlocked. For a few fleeting moments it felt as though they were the only two people in the world. They slowly opened their eyes and pulled their heads away form each other.
Zed brushed Addy’s hair from her face, and in that moment, as he stared into her eyes, underneath the light illuminating from the fairy lights, his favorite flower ultimately became a red Camellia, as the heat in his heart grew stronger and stronger, making their spark become a flame.
It wasn't long before they slowly began to lean into each other again, as they shared the same breaths, they began to kiss again.
The kiss lasted far longer than it should have. Zed found his hand gripping the pre-ripped holes of her shirt and her hands were entangled in his hair. As he pulled back he noticed a small heart tattoo on her inner lip.
He slowly pulled away and whispered into her ear, “What does that tattoo mean?”.
“Just one of those mistakes of the past, hopefully something you’ll never become.” she said with a voice as sweet as a lotus.
Zed smiled and said, “We’ll never be a mistake. You’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me”.
“Right back at you Zeddy Bear”, Addy said with a look of love and passion filling her eyes.
Before they knew it the night was over. The two parted ways, with hopeful smiles on their faces, dreaming of a future together.
Little did they know their relationship would last a lifetime. The adoration between the sweet flower boy and the mysterious girl with the white hair would grow together like the flowers in his shop, eventually blossoming to the love they’d hold for each other with all their hearts until the day they died.