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Inasa was a sunflower. One of these big, bright, joyful sunflowers, that rises in the morning full of energy, greeting the day with strength, warmth and love. Near Inasa, Todoroki felt small, like one of those little weeds, with trivial and unpleasant flowers.
Well, such was the truth, or at least Todoroki thought so, considering himself an unattractive and often unpleasant person to deal with. He never quite understood the interest that the other boy showed towards himself: that need to exchange messages, and talk, and fix up excuses to hang out, walk around and visit unorthodox places, like this botanical garden in which they are at this very moment, both looking at that gigantic sunflower, taller than the very Inasa.
Though, in time, the quiet lad had learned to appreciate (almost too much) the restless and noisy presence of his huge friend – yes, they were friends. Inasa himself had used that term towards Shouto – having him around meant being compared to him, what was almost humiliating. That's what the half-redheaded thought until he was surprised by an eager call:
“Oh! Come see, Shouto! It’s in bloom! Come and see!”
The smaller boy soon approached his noisy companion, already accustomed to drawing attention when around the big guy, who was now pointing to a strange and twisted plant in a concrete vase. It had no more than half a metre of thick stem and outward roots, a few leaves and, right at the top, a single and small flower of tinted petals between white and red.
“It looks like you. Don't you think?” That line caught Todoroki off guard and made him look with even more attention to the flower. The resemblance to the colours of his hair was too obvious, and as flattering as it was to be associated with a flower, the compliment took tones of debauchery the more Todoroki examined that single flower, so small and simple when related to the immensity of the plant. “It's a desert rose! This specific variety, with these colours, is quite rare, native to southern Angola, at the Kalahari Desert.” He continued to speak, and his gaze was directed those petals with so much enchantment that Shouto was suddenly interested in the timid flower. “It is one of the few plants that can develop in such an inhospitable environment. It supports the extreme temperature variation that comes between the day that exceeds 50 º C and the freezing night of the desert, below 0 º C. It only blooms if exposed to much sun light, but also manages to withstand frosts. It's amazing, isn't it?”
All that talk genuinely surprised the half-redhead, who never imagined that Inasa had such an extensive knowledge about botany.
“How do you know all of this?”
“I read that sign.” The raven-haired replied a little embarrassed. Was it imagination, or were his cheeks a little flushed?
“Did you memorize all the contents of the board?”
“Well, that's my favorite flower.”
“Why?”
“Because it makes me think of you.” He responded with simplicity, the torso bending forward, his head low, almost able to hide the intense blush that now spread even through his ears. “And you're my favorite person. Please, be my boyfriend.”
Surprised by the sudden request, Todoroki observed the great sunflower that rose behind Inasa’s back. It seemed as the sunflower was looking towards the desert rose all along.
Would the desert rose be able to bloom in more flowers now that it would have so much sun at its disposal?