Chapter Text
It was his fault he knew. Everything had been disasterous and he couldn't blame her for being mad.
What had started out as a romantic date had ended with his girlfriend angrily storming out with her anniversary gift clenched between infuriated fingers.
But seriously, Yesung reasoned with himself, how could he have known that he got her the wrong color of Iphone? A free phone was a free phone, rose gold color be damned. There was nothing wrong with a regular gold phone!
He stopped walking and took a deep breath, feeling the tendrils of anger and annoyance wrap around his throat.
She was right. He didn't listen to her constant commentary on when the rose gold iphone was going to be available. He truly was a bad boyfriend and the first step to remedying the situation was buying her a bouquet of expensive white roses (because 'red roses were so overdone and cliched' she lamented). Then he would have to buy her another phone. Of course.
He chanted those words in his head for the duration of the walk to the florist (She had taken his car after her dramatic walk-out from the restuarant that cost Yesung a whole paycheck just to reserve and left him pretty much stranded) and forced a trite smile as he entered 'The Little Prince' flower shop.
"Good afternoon!" A bright smile greeted him which took Yesung aback just from its brightness.
"Good afternoon." He nodded his head respectfully and walked towards the nearest display case of flowers. His stomach lurched just from the prices that were tagged to the blooming buds.
"Can I help you find anything, sir?" The employee had come from behind the counter and gently tapped Yesung on the shoulder.
In his foul mood, Yesung turned around and nearly snapped at the employee to back off, but quickly shut his mouth when he took a good look at the slight man before him.
He was short, his hair was cut stylishly close to his head and his pink floral apron was tied neatly around his middle in a perfect bow. What most stood out to Yesung though, was the nametag on his chest that stated 'OWNER KIM RYEOWOOK' in thin cursive.
"Um, yes I was looking for a bouquet of white roses." Ryeowook smiled up at him before thoughtfully putting his thumb up to his mouth, a gesture Yesung could only call cute.
"Hm, I don't think I have any in a premade arrangement, but I can check in the back right quick!" He said and beckoned Yesung to follow him to the front counter.
"Please wait a minute." Ryeowook said, an apologetic expression throwing Yesung for a loop.
"Alright." Yesung muttered lowly, watching Ryeowook sashay away. His black jeans were slung low on his hips but instead of looking unprofessional, it only added to his overall stylish and Seoulite look. His white oversized sweater made him look angelic and innocent, especially with the sleeves rolled up to show off his slim arms and thin wrists. Yesung could feel his heart beat faster and his mouth going dry.
In no time at all, Ryeowook came back with a small frown, almost a pout, on his plush lips.
"I'm really sorry, but right now I only have uncut and thorned white roses." He frown deepened and Yesung just shrugged. Anything was better than going to his girlfriend's apartment ('his apartment' Yesung corrected in his head) empty handed.
"It's alright, can I get them in a bouquet or do you recommend a vase?" Ryeowook cocked his head, as if this wasn't the response he was anticipating.
"Um, usually it's extra to prepare a custom arrangement but I can get you a special discount for the trouble! I'm really sorry, we always have premade white rose arrangements since they're so popular," Yesung's eye twitched at this but he remained silent, "I must've sold the last one without realizing I hadn't made more."
"It's nothing to worry about and are you sure you can do that?" Ryeowook flashed him a cheeky smile and patted his cheek.
"I'm the owner, what I say goes." He winked and walked to the backroom where he prepared the arrangements.
"You can come back here if you want." The owner called out, Yesung nodded to himself and walked to the backroom where Ryeowook was dethorning the roses and cutting them to a suitable length.
For a while, Yesung watched the smaller man work. He was comepetely enraptured in how assured and strong Ryeowook's movements were, the small pearing knife seemingly gliding against the stems effortlessly with Ryeowook's grip relaxed.
Soon the twelve roses were prepared and Ryeowook tied them together with a pink wired ribbon (after asking Yesung of course) and baby pink cellophane wrap.
"Wow, they're gorgeous." Yesung commented from behind a proud Ryeowook's shoulder.
"Thank you! I made them extra special." He grinned with heated cheeks which nearly made Yesung flush as well.
"Well, let's ring em up." Ryeowook chuckled halfheartedly and brought the bouquet back up the counter with Yesung trailing behind, a little surprised in himself for feeling disappointed.
"Alright, with the discount it comes out to 26,000 won." Yesung grinned crookedly and handed the bills over.
"I have a feeling that discount isn't something you usually give to nice customers...?" Ryeowook nodded, his demeanor now shy and a little flustered.
"You're right. It's more for the handsome customers." He giggled and gave Yesung the receipt.
"Oh wow. Thanks." It came off awkward, but both men could feel the sincerity that was behind those words.
"Good luck!" Ryeowook murmured and Yesung couldn't help but pick up on the hint of something melancholic in his tone. He didn't want to kid himself, but it almost sounded like longing.
"Thanks." The customer stood at the counter for a moment more, taking in every detail of Ryeowook before leaving the store with the bouquet of white roses.
He wasn't exactly sure, but the flowers now seemed a bit more lackluster now that Ryeowook wasn't holding them.
XxX
"You think this is good enough to fix your fuckup?!" Seon mi spat as she looked down on the grand bouquet of flowers Yesung had unceremoniously shoved into her hands.
"No, but I called the Apple store and rose gold iphones won't be available for another two weeks. This will have to do." He said dismissively, eyeing the flowers once again and concluded that they definitely looked fucking ugly in his girlfriend's hands.
In fact everything about her was becoming fucking ugly. The soft face she covered in expensive make up (which Yesung bought) was now grotesque in the way she twisted her expression into an angry scowl, the small body Yesung had enjoyed pressing up against was now bristling in rage, and now he was wondering why he even had tried at all.
Oh yeah, his parents and her parents were best friends. So it was only natural their parents would force them together like this.
They would coo and giggle everytime the mismatched couple had lunch with them, Seon mi hissing insults and Yesung grinning and bearing it to the best of his ability.
It was enough. He definitely had had enough of this.
"I'm over this." He announced loudly in the midst of Seon mi's rant about him never listening to her and how he would have to shape up before their impending marriage or else she would find someone else behind his back.
"What do you mean 'you're over this'?! I'm not done talking to you yet!" She screeched, following him to their bedroom and hitting him with the flowers none to lightly.
"I'm going out. If I see you're still here I'm calling the cops." He instructed and picked up the bouquet with a grimace, several stems were broken and at least one of the rose heads was barely hanging on by its receptacle.
She screamed at him once more but by then he had grabbed the tarnished flowers and headed out of the apartment, initially unsure of where to go but he soon decided to return the flowers since he had no use for them anymore.
The Little Prince was still open, barely as Yesung had waited until evening to drop by his own home in fear of angering the beast once again.
"What a load of good that did." Yesung muttered to himself as he entered the store.
"You're back!" Ryeowook called out from the display he was cleaning, he seemed overjoyed albeit a little confused.
"Sorry for coming in so late, but I came back to return these." Ryeowook's overjoyed look dropped to one of sympathy.
"Oh! Um, well I can't really return them, you know with exposing them to the outside world and all of that. It could really damage the stock I already have but..." Ryeowook bit his lip and sighed, "I can see what I can do for you."
"Oh no," Yesung shook his head. "I'm not looking to get my money back or anything. It's just, I thought maybe you can use the bouquet more than me." The bitterness in that statement shocked him and he could tell it shocked Ryeowook too.
"I'm sorry." The owner said sincerely, Yesung just shook his head.
"Don't be, I'm much happier without her." 'I just took me meeting you to make me realize that' he thought.
"Actually, I was wondering if you would accept them as a personal gift from me?" Ryeowook looked even more shocked but accepted the bouquet of broken white roses from Yesung.
Even in their brokenness, the white roses looked splendid as Ryeowook clutched them to his chest. His face was marred with uncertainty, but almost immediately a look of determination appeared.
"Thank you, I've never gotten flowers from a man before." He said and leaned up to kiss Yesung's lips. Yesung let his hands drift upwards from beside his thighs to Ryeowook's svelte back, letting his right rest on the smaller man's waist in order to draw him closer.
"You're welcome." Yesung whispered huskily before diving back down and enjoying the feeling of Ryeowook's trembling pianist like fingers caressing his cheeks.
Yesung felt as if he were experiencing something entirely different. He had kissed plenty of girls before and even one man, but none of those kisses could ever compare to the feeling of Ryeowook's soft lips pressed against his own chapped ones. They were slow, entirely unlike the impatient and annoyed kisses Yesung begrudingly shared with his girlfriend.
"So, um, I still need to close the shop but my apartment is upstairs if you, you know, want to keep doing this." Yesung nodded and kissed Ryeowook's nose gently. He wanted so badly to continue, he wanted to throw Ryeowook up against the wall and have his way with him, but kissing and soft touches would have to suffice for tonight.
Yet, by the way Ryeowook sauntered over to him after locking the store door, Yesung could tell the owner had other things in mind besides kissing and fleeting caresses.