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Dongmin loved flowers. He always had, from a really young age, back when his family lived in the countryside outside the city and tended to fields of flowers that would be picked and sold to businessmen and women who bought them for the people that were close to them, or that they wanted to be close to them.
As a boy he’d play hide and seek with his friends in the sunflower fields during the summer, and he always won because he knew the fields like the back of his hand. He’d just lie there in the sun baked dirt as a few lazy bees buzzed around him, his hands folded on his stomach as he looked up at the sky, scattered with only a few clouds as he waited for his friends to find him.
In the winter when it was too cold and the fields were barren, they’d hide in the greenhouses, underneath tables and behind hydrangea bushes, whose flowers meant enduring grace. In the greenhouses, rounds always lasted less time because there was less space to hide, but it was often more fun and challenging to keep from laughing or rustling the leaves that concealed you.
When Dongmin grew up and got a degree in business management, nothing changed in terms of his love for flowers. He worked at a flower shop all through university, and by the time he graduated, knew exactly what he wanted to do.
His family, eager to support him, helped him buy the shop – it made sense, as they were the owners of the country’s biggest flower farms, and had more than enough to pay for it. In return, Dongmin’s shelves were filled with the flowers grown back home by his father, grandfather, and brother.
The flowers were special to Dongmin by their very nature, but the fact that they were his family’s flowers helped him grow even closer to them and the messages they stood for.
Business was good, and people fell in love with Dongmin’s small shop not just for the flowers, but for the man who sold them. Dongmin spoke quietly and eloquently, and his clients swore that there was nobody in all of Seoul, in all of Korea, in fact, that spoke the language of flowers more fluently than him.
Business was so good, in fact, that Dongmin decided that hiring someone to help him would not be a bad idea.
Enter Yoon Sanha, hair dyed cotton candy pink with a constant smile on his face. He was adorable, and Dongmin found him beyond endearing.
But if you get Yoon Sanha, then you also get Park Minhyuk.
Park Minhyuk, or Rocky, as Sanha affectionately called him sometimes, was Sanha’s boyfriend. The first time he walked into the store, Dongmin very nearly had a heart attack – the man wore ripped skinny jeans, flannel, and a leather jacket, all paired with a stoic face and a pair of sunglasses that, as he pushed them up onto his head, all gave off a very “I don’t give a fuck” kind of vibe.
So imagine Dongmin’s surprise when Sanha came out of the back room and beamed, his arms full of freshly cut roses as he said, “Rocky!” his voice so overjoyed and sweet Dongmin could feel his teeth rotting.
And just when Dongmin thought that there was nothing that could surprise him more, Rocky’s lips, pressed together, fell into a smile and his brow unfurled itself as he melted at the sight of Sanha.
“Hi babe,” he said softly. Sanha giggled and Dongmin stared, kind of in shock.
“Um. Hi, welcome to Astro Flowers, can I help you?” he asked, still kind of in shock. Sanha and Rocky both looked at him, and Sanha giggled.
“Oh, babe, this is Dongmin, my boss, master of flowers, prince of flora.” Dongmin rolled his eyes.
“Sanha, please stop introducing me like that. I just run a flower shop,” Dongmin pointed out. Sanha gasped and put a hand over his heart, offended.
“The best flower shop, Dongmin hyung. There’s a reason I interviewed for a job here rather than taking another offer from a more corporate florist.” Rocky nodded vigorously.
“It’s true,” he supplied. “Sanha literally waited so long to get a job and he said it was because he had to wait for a call back here. I was afraid that if you didn’t take him, nobody would after he waited so long to get back to them.”
Dongmin felt extremely gratified. “Well, it’s a nice thought,” he said, “That I’m the best one out there. Even if it certainly isn’t true.” And he turned back to organizing flowers.
A few months later, a new store opened up across the street. It was simply adorable, with rainbow fluorescent lights behind black letters reading D. STORE. Over the weeks after its opening it became a huge hit with the teenagers from the nearest high school. It seemed to be a café of some kind, and so after locking up early one day, he and Sanha went to check it out. Minhyuk showed up to go with them, so they made it kind of like an outing, all three walking together.
They walked in the door and were greeted by a man with a smile so bright it nearly blinded them, and he introduced himself as MJ. He gasped upon seeing Dongmin.
“Oh my god, you’re the master florist from across the street, aren’t you? Jinjin and I have been dying to meet you. You kind of indirectly got us together, you know – Jinjin asked me out with some daffodils, and god, I was so gone for him once he explained what they meant.”
“New beginnings,” Dongmin said automatically. Then he smiled. “I’m so glad I helped you and your boyfriend,” he said, genuinely pleased. MJ giggled and held up his ring finger.
“Husband, actually,” he said, joyfully. “We flew to America to get married. The certificate’s right over there, on the wall.” The three of them looked over, and indeed, there it was, framed and everything.
“That’s bold,” Rocky said. “I like it.” Then he took Sanha’s hand.
“Well, it’s our brand,” MJ laughed. “The rainbows aren’t a coincidence. D. STORE means Dream Store. Jinjin and I opened it as a safe space for queer youth and allies.”
Dongmin smiled widely. “That’s beautiful,” he said, feeling his heart swell. “I would have loved a place like this as a kid. I’m honored to be across the street from you.” MJ blushed.
“Thank you,” he said simply.
They all soon became friends, coming into one another’s stores, often having Rocky jokingly deliver messages between the two when they were both on working hours, which Rocky did genially enough – his job was only at night, working as a dancer in the underground scene, and apparently it paid pretty well.
Pretty soon they met Park Jinwoo, or Jinjin if you were MJ, and him and his mousy smile became an instant addition to their little circle. The five of them would often chill together outside of work, and pretty soon even went to a few of Rocky’s dancing gigs with Sanha.
Dongmin loved the little routine they had going, especially because despite the fact he was single, Dongmin was never left out of anything, he was never a fifth wheel, and for that he’d be eternally grateful.
Then Rocky brought Moon Bin into the mix. It had been early afternoon in spring and the sun was still shining high in the sky, the sky remarkably clear. Light had been streaming in through the glass windows as the door swung open, tinkling with the bells.
“Yo, Dongmin,” Rocky had said, striding inside.
“Oh hey Minhyuk, what’s up,” Dongmin said absentmindedly, still focused on putting together a bouquet for a woman who had called in, Sanha in the back organizing some of the new shipments.
“I have a friend who needs flowers,” Minhyuk said, “So I brought him to you today, the master of flowers and prince of flora.”
Dongmin sighed, exasperated as he looked up. “You all really need to stop calling me that -” he said, stopping dead in his tracks as he saw the man with Minhyuk.
He was gorgeous. Angular eyes, thin lips, bright eyes and smooth skin. Dongmin was far too gay for this, thank you very much. He swallowed and blinked once or twice, trying to close his mouth. From behind the stranger, Minhyuk smirked at him behind his phone as he took a picture, presumably already texting the group chat, and Dongmin knew deep within his soul that he was never going to live this down.
Swallowing again, he found his voice, forcing himself to smile calmly. Rocky snickered and took another photo. “How can I help you today, sir?”
“Oh, it’s um, it’s Moon Bin,” he said, scratching his neck and smiling a little bit. Oh holy shit, Dongmin had thought he couldn’t get any prettier. Throw that idea out the window, Moon Bin became a literal god when he smiled. “I kinda need some flowers.”
“Ah, for a special girl?” he tried to joke, a fake smile still plastered on his face. He desperately wanted Bin to correct him or something but instead he beamed even more and seemed to go a bit outside of himself.
“The most special girl,” he affirmed, his eyes filled with stars. Dongmin nodded conspiratorially, though he was dying inside. He saw Rocky take another picture.
“Great. Okay, so I’d recommend lavender,” Dongmin said, getting his head back into flowers rather than Moon Bin’s face. “They symbolize devotion. Pair that with some irises for faith and wisdom, and then add in a few white roses, which mean eternal or pure love.” As he spoke Dongmin plucked the required flowers from their places behind him and formed the bouquet. He paused, holding the bouquet together. “Thoughts?” He asked Bin.
“It’s perfect,” Bin breathed. “That’s exactly the message I was going for.” Dongmin smiled.
“I’m glad,” he said. He tied the bouquet with a string and some tissue paper before handing it to Bin. He reached under the counter for a packet of food, and gave it to Bin. “Mix that in with the water, and that’ll get them to last longer,” He said with a smile. Bin smiled back, thanked, him paid him, and left.
Minhyuk lingered for a moment longer to smirk at Dongmin. “You’re screwed,” he said eloquently, and then he left with Bin.
The moment they were out of sight, Dongmin collapsed on the counter and kind of screamed. Minhyuk was so right. He was majorly screwed.
Sanha came out from the back. “That was kind of painful to listen to, hyung,” He admitted. “But I’m sure you can win him over!”
Dongmin just groaned.
-----
rocky: oml im cryign dongmin literally just fell in love w my friend from dance
rocky: [sent an image]
rocky: that’s from when he just saw bin
jinjin: omfg hes shook af lmaoooo how pretty is this guy
rocky: solid 8
sanha: fighting hyung!!!!!
rocky: sanhas a 10 tho no joke
sanha: ilysm <3
rocky: ily2
jinjin: thats gay lmao
sanha: like youre one to talk youre married to a guy that’s like +1000 gay pts
rocky: [sent an image]
jinjin: you can almost see the repression in his eyes
sanha: when u try ur best but u don’t suceeeeeed
rocky: this is painful for me dongmins having a crisis ahahahaaaaa
rocky: [sent an image]
rocky: omg I feel so bad for him dongmin was like “special girl?” and bin was all “the most special girl”
mj: poor dongminnie :((( he looks so saddddd
jinijn: he looks more dead inside to me but I guess everyone has individual perception
mj: hello darkness my old friend
sanha: if you’re both texting whos running the store???
jinjin: yiKES gotta blast mj update me
mj: I gotchu
rocky: dongmin out here workin his flower magic even tho he could totally fuck this boy up and give him flowers that secretly mean betrayal or smthg
sanha: ummm how do u know that’s not what hes doing
rocky: lavender, irises, white roses
sanha: u right we’re fine
mj: im just gonna be over here pretending I understood that interaction
sanha: u cant spend 5 business days a week w dongmin and not speak a lil flower language
sanha: how else would we communicate??,,??
mj: ... like normal people??? by talking?1?!??
rocky: lmao we’re leaving and I told dongmin hes screwed and he just looked resigned
minnie: pls help im so gay
sanha: lololololol
minnie: youre all the woRST
mj: omg jinjin and I just saw him leave the store w rocky ur right hes f I n e
minnie: ikr?? hes so out of my league help
mj: ok not to be dramatic but stfu ur in a league of ur own
rocky: nah ur out of his league
minnie: asdfgjhjkl hes not gay hes got a grilfrienddd he straight
sanha: no ones straight for long when ur in the room dongmin
-----
Dongmin had expected that to be the last he saw of Moon Bin, yet Bin walked in a few days later to buy more flowers. Dongmin sent him away with stock for contentment and sweet peas for bliss. Moon Bin came in every few days for flowers after that, always in the early morning, and Dongmin couldn’t help but wistfully wish that Bin was buying the flowers for him.
Still, it was nice to get to see him so often, even if they only had short conversations. Unfortunately, it was kind of interfering with Dongmin’s plan to get over him as soon as possible because the more he got to know Moon Bin the more perfect he seemed to be.
He learned Moon Bin was often called puppy-cat because of his smile, and that when he messed up doing something he would whine and hit himself in the neck. He learned that his favorite color was red and that he could identify his friends by smell. Moon Bin reminded Dongmin of the sunny summer days spent hiding in fields of flowers, and the more that he learned about him, the more Dongmin wanted to date him. It was a dilemma.
One day, weeks after he became a regular at Dongmin’s shop, Moon Bin broke protocol and came to the store in the afternoon, trailing Rocky, who was coming for lunch.
“’Sup Dongmin,” Minhyuk said casually, as though he wasn’t perfectly aware that he’d just ruined Dongmin’s day. “Bin was bothering me so I just dragged him with me to have lunch with us.”
“Um, yeah, sure, no problem. I’ll just go get Sanha and we can head to lunch,” Dongmin said, trying not to sound too flustered. He spun and went to the back, grabbing Sanha by the shoulders.
“Help me kill your boyfriend,” he begged. Sanha just laughed.
“No thanks, not really into necrophilia,” he said, grinning. Dongmin grimaced at that image. “What did he do anyway?”
“Do you remember Moon Bin?” He looked directly into Sanha’s eyes so he could understand the gravity of the situation.
“Of course I remember walking gay crisis Moon Bin,” Sanha said, still holding back a laugh at Dongmin’s panic. “He’s been dancing with Rocky for years and he’s been coming in an awful lot recently, of course I know him.”
“Rocky dared to invite him to lunch with us, which is crossing a major boundary I wanted to keep intact, and I know I am going to die of embarrassment. There is no way MJ is going leave me alone about him, ever.” Dongmin said desperately. Sanha contemplated this and then his grin returned even brighter than before.
“You know Dongmin, that might be a good thing,” he said.
“How could MJ terrorizing Moon Bin ever be a good thing,” Dongmin hissed, beginning to freak out. Without Sanha, he would have no ally at all.
“Dongmin you’re perpetually single and we’ve been trying to set you up with tons of guys, but Bin is the only one that’s held your attention for longer than a glance.”
“He has a girlfriend!” Dongmin very nearly shrieked. “I’ve organized multiple bouquets for him to give to her!”
“Okay, sure,” Sanha said skeptically, an eyebrow raised. “I’ve known Bin far longer than you and he’s never mentioned a girlfriend.”
“It is the only explanation for these kinds of bouquets,” Dongmin said. “Devotion, faith, and eternal love? That screams desire for a long term relationship, Sanha.”
“He may have just said girl because of… well, you know. Homophobia,” Sanha reasoned. “He doesn’t know you.” Dongmin looked at him in disbelief.
“Sanha, you must not have gaydar,” he insisted. “I ooze gay. I am the embodiment of gay. Even straight guys, who have nothing even close to gaydar, can sense it.”
“Well, yeah, but Moon Bin’s kinda dumb,” Sanha said. “And pretty oblivious, in my experience.” Dongmin huffed, defeated. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad!” Sanha said brightly, patting Dongmin on the shoulder. Dongmin just buried his face in his hands.
“Seriously, kill me.”
-----
minnie: if yall kill him ill kill sanha and mj
sanha: why me I wasn’t gonna say anything :(
minnie: mjs not innocent
minnie: and rocky’s not afraid of his own death but he wont try anything if I threaten his sunshine boi
rocky: dongmin u wouldn’t
minnie: don’t test me
-----
Lunch was an interesting affair, but Bin fit in pretty well. Honestly, Dongmin was extremely relieved. In fact, he dared to think he might make it through this lunch alive. Just as that thought crossed his mind, MJ spoke up and ruined it.
“So, Bin,” he said, a sly look in his eye, dragging out the words. Dongmin resisted the urge to jump up and pull him away from the table at once before he could continue and ruin Dongmin’s life. Bin looked up at him nervously.
“Uh. Yes?”
“So, who the flowers for?” He grinned. “And why Dongmin’s shop?”
“Well, Rocky talked about the shop a lot, and he said Dongmin’s the best florist in Seoul, so…” He trailed off at the disdainful looks on the others faces and the redness in Dongmin’s. “Why are you all looking at me like that?” Bin asked, unnerved.
“Our Dongminnie isn’t just the best florist in Seoul,” MJ said. “Many would say, including us, that he’s the best florist in Korea. Maybe even the world.” Moon Bin’s eyebrows rose and his mouth fell open a little bit.
“Wow, really?” He said. Dongmin spluttered.
“Guys, stop. I’m definitely not the best florist in the world, don’t be dramatic,” he said, bowing his head and taking another bite of his sandwich as he blushed. Jinwoo scoffed through a bite of his food.
“Uh huh,” he said. “What do lilies symbolize?”
Dongmin immediately swallowed his food, answering automatically. “Magnificent or refined beauty.”
“Snapdragons?”
“Concealment or graciousness.”
“Peony?”
“Wealth and honor.”
“Poinsettia?”
“Good cheer and celebration.”
“Queen Anne’s Lace?”
“Sanctuary.”
“Roses?”
Dongmin scoffed. “Easy. Love and Passion.”
“Tulips?”
“Elegance and grace, but it varies with color.”
“Sunflowers?”
“Warmth, happiness, and longevity.”
“Hyacinth?”
“Constancy.”
“Amaryllis?”
“Pride and determination.”
“Freesia?”
“Innocence and friendship.”
The rest of the group watched the back and forth, amused, but Bin seemed amazed, mouth wide open. Jinwoo sat back in his seat.
“Best florist in the world. Proven,” he said, a smirk growing across his face. Dongmin only blushed harder and hid his hands behind his face.
“Definitely the best florist,” Bin confirmed, blinking. He seemed to still be taken aback. Dongmin blushed even more, somehow. He was sure he looked like a tomato.
But MJ, it seemed, wasn’t giving up on the first question, which Bin had blatantly avoided. “Well, now that we have established Dongmin as master of flowers and prince of flora once again,”
“Please stop calling me that,” Dongmin muttered, taking a sip of his drink.
“Who were all those flowers for, Bin?” MJ fluttered his eyelashes innocently up at him. Bin went red and scratched at his neck, an action Dongmin recognized as a nervous tic of his.
“Oh, they’re for my mother,” Bin said, nervously glancing at Dongmin. “Well, they were anyway. The first week. But then her apartment kinda got full of flowers, so I’ve been using them for myself and taking a few to her.” Bin chuckled. “She said I was being stupid, but I feel like I’ve been neglecting her recently with dance and school keeping me so busy, so I got her lots of flowers to remind her how much I love her.”
“That’s adorable,” Jinwoo said, nearly squealing. Then he paused. “Wait, school?” Moon Bin was certainly old for school, Dongmin realized. Why was he still attending?
“Oh, I teach elementary school,” Bin clarified. “Dance is a side thing, now. But I have today off since it’s a school holiday, so here I am.”
“Oh, nice,” Jinwoo said. Silence fell for a moment as everyone was eating. Suddenly MJ sat up and frowned towards Bin.
“Wait… If you have way too many flowers for your mom’s apartment, why did you keep buying more?” Bin turned red and Rocky interjected calmly,
“Because Bin is half in love with Dongmin and is too weak to just ask him on a date.” Dongmin blinked, shocked. Bin was bright red and he slouched over, hand covering his face.
“Minhyuk! We had a pact. How could you betray the bro code so hard?” He whined. “We’re no longer friends, Minhyuk, never talk to me again.” He paused. “Also I was going to ask eventually,” he said, unconvincingly. MJ and Jinwoo raised their eyebrows, in unison.
“Uh huh,” MJ said, sarcasm dripping from his tone.
“It’s just as well anyways,” Sanha said, smile still bright as ever, his voice sweet. “If Dongmin moaned to me one more time about how attractive and adorable Moon Bin was, and Sanha did you see his smile? Oh, Sanha, he’ll never ask me on a date, what should I do? I was going to move to America and take Rocky with me.”
Now it was Moon Bin’s turn to blink in shock. He met Dongmin’s eyes across the table. Dongmin stood up swiftly, pushing his chair away from the table with a screech.
“Okay, this has been fun, bye now,” He said, mortified, and walked as fast as possible without running out the door, across the street, and into his store, locking the door behind him.
He retreated to the back room, which had plants hanging from the ceiling, shelves lining the room that contained hundreds of potted plants, and a worktable with gardening equipment spread across the counter. Dongmin sat on one of the stools and put his head in his hands.
God, that could not have gone worse. Why couldn’t his friends have just let things be? He sighed and looked out the back window at the sky. It was still lovely and clear, and Dongmin got a little lost in the clear blue expanse, happy to be anywhere but where he was at that moment.
It didn’t last for long. A loud banging snapped Dongmin out of his thoughts. He jumped up from his stool and rushed to the front, but stopped short. Moon Bin was banging on the door, a bit of a desperate look in his eyes, but stopped as soon as he saw Dongmin. He took a step back, inviting Dongmin to let him in.
Dongmin, mouth a little bit open in surprise, approached the door, maintaining eye contact with Bin. Finally, he unlocked the door and opened it, letting Bin inside.
Bin smiled at him, and seemed a little out of breath. Dongmin examined him carefully. Did he run here?
“Dongmin,” Bin said, straightening up a bit. “My mom is going to kill me unless I say this, so please listen.” Dongmin just nodded, eyes still fixed on Bin’s. Bin walked forward. He took a deep breath and sighed it out, eyes closed. He opened his eyes and refocused on Dongmin, opening his mouth and saying, “Lee Dongmin, will you go on a date with me?”
Without saying a word, Dongmin turned around and pulled Bin to the back room with him, their hands entwined. As Bin looked around at all the flowers, Dongmin searched.
He cut off the stem of a flower and turned back to Bin, handing it to him.
“Pink Lilac,” He said with a shy smile. Bin looked bewildered but hopeful.
“Dongmin, what does pink lilac mean?” Dongmin beamed at him, cheeks a rosy pink.
“It means acceptance.”
Bin smiled, and it was like sunbeams bursting through the clouds on a rainy day.
-----
minnie: fuck all of you guys
minnie: [sent an image]
mj: !!!!!!!! aswjkhdoewuyg????
rocky: nice
-----
A few months later, Bin was a permanent fixture in Dongmin’s life. On the weekends, he spent a lot of time sitting on the counter next to Dongmin, kind of like how Rocky hung around for Sanha. They had date nights Wednesdays, and Dongmin suddenly found himself going to every dance gig with Sanha.
Lunches with the whole group became even more hilarious – MJ, Jinwoo, Minhyuk, and Sanha often teasing that they regretted getting Dongmin and Bin together.
“You’re sickening,” Minhyuk said. “You too couldn’t get any sweeter, it’s awful.”
“Please,” Dongmin scoffed, arm wrapped around Bin’s waist. “I see the way you melt when you look at Sanha. It’s way grosser than anything Binnie and I could come up with.” Rocky just sputtered angrily in response, turning red and taking a bite of sandwich as Sanha laughed and gave him a peck on the cheek.
A few months later, they celebrated their one-year anniversary with a get together in Dongmin’s apartment. A few months after that, Rocky and Sanha decided to change their relationship from boyfriends to partners.
“I don’t think I want to marry him,” Rocky told Dongmin one night. The stars were out and they were drinking on Dongmin’s couch. “God, that sounds so bad. I mean, it’s more like I don’t need to marry him, and he doesn’t need to marry me. We know we’ll always love each other.”
Sanha said something similar a few weeks later at the shop, and Dongmin knew that they were just fine.
One day in spring, Moon Bin came into the shop smiling, the sun streaming in behind him. He planted a quick kiss on Dongmin’s cheek, and Dongmin just grinned at him, continuing to sort through the orders for the day.
As Bin sat on the counter, feet swinging back and forth, MJ and Jinwoo walked in the door, the café closed. Soon Minhyuk and Sanha came out from the back and joined MJ and Jinwoo by the window seat, Sanha dragging a few stools out form the back.
Their chatter filled the air as Dongmin worked. He remembered the laughter of children running through the flower fields at summertime, and the muffled giggles of those same children hiding in the greenhouses during winter, year after year, the constant of his childhood. As he looked around, he saw the sunlight framing Moon Bin’s face as he laughed at one of MJ’s terrible jokes. Sanha leaned his head against Minhyuk’s shoulder and Jinwoo quietly held MJ’s hand as he smiled to himself. Dongmin knew, as easily as he knew that the sun would rise again tomorrow, that he had regained the happiness he’d had as a child.
He smiled.