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This whole thing started because Eddie’s mom died and Bev convinced him to show up to the funeral.
If it wasn’t for that fucking psychopath, he would have never met the excessively, and unnecessarily hot florist that worked in the botanic shop only a street down from his tattoo shop. If she didn’t have a fucking heart attack, he wouldn’t have met him and that’s the best thing she’s ever done for her ‘Eddiebear’.
That morning he got the call from Bill Denbrough saying that she died and he couldn’t really process it. He just said “Okay” and hung up.
It wasn’t like they had a relationship, let alone a good one. After she kicked him out when he was fifteen, he stopped giving a shit about the woman who gave birth to him. Then, he was given a sketch pad by one of the shelters and the rest is history.
Now, with the bitch finally dead and gone, he was left just sitting in the shop doodling and trying to give a fuck. It wasn’t working.
“I know you hated her, but you should at least get her a flower or something. Something nice so that you don’t regret skipping the funeral.”
Since Eddie got to work, Bev has been on his ass the whole time about going. Just like always, it only took a few hours to wear him down and finally get annoyed enough to either storm out or listen to what she was saying. In this case, it was both.
“Fine. You watch the store. I’ll be back.”
Leaving his jacket hanging on his desk chair, he practically ran out the doors into the midday sunshine. It was as if the whole world was celebrating the death of Sonia Kaspbrack with a cloudless sky and he couldn’t help but smile at the thought.
Eddie didn’t know where he was going, but apparently fate had some ideas as he started wandering down the street. He tried to check his phone for a flower shop, but the service was spotty so he just kept going.
He only walked down 42nd Street and around the corner onto 9th when he stumbled onto a Pinterest board’s wet dream.
It was the most adorable flower shop that Eddie had ever seen and he swore on his life that he’d never seen it before. The window trim was a baby blue with bright yellow and red letters plastered on the windows. He was still too far away to see what it said, but he noticed all of the plants sitting outside and figured he might as well see what was there.
As he neared the shop, his phone chimed with a text from Bev.
just fyi a new shop opened around the corner. think its a flower shop good luck.
He rolled his eyes at her horrible grammar and typed a quick Found it. Thanks. Not another second later, she responded.
also heard from reliable sources that the owner is really
He was only halfway through the message when he felt someone bump into him, knocking him off his balance and grabbing at his shirt. It happened so fast that he didn’t even have time to blink before he was being scooped into a stranger's arms to avoid falling on his ass.
“Well, looks like you’re falling for me, huh?”
Eddie finally looked up to realize that he was practically nose to nose with an extremely hot guy that was laughing at him. The guy still had a huge grin plastered on his face as he helped Eddie regain his balance and Eddie tried to forget the fact that he noticed the small constellations on the stranger’s cheeks and the dark green eyes mostly hidden behind his bottlecap glasses.
“Thanks,” Eddie laughed and the stranger scratched the back of his neck.
“Anytime. You okay?”
“Fine. Just a bruised ego.” The stranger nodded.
“A wounded ego can heal,” he said in a rediculous voice and Eddie couldn’t even imagine what accent he was trying to do. “The real worry is the wounded hearts you leave behind.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” The stranger shrugged.
“Dunno. Just bored at work when a cute guy showed up.”
Eddie scoffed and finally realized that the stranger was wearing an apron covered in stains and a baby blue nametag to match the outside of the shop. The little tag said Richie aka Trashmouth.
Eddie decided it would be better to ignore the flirting and instead ask “Trashmouth? What kind of name is Trashmouth?”
“A very fitting nickname for a really annoying person,” he said, “Now, tell me, what’s your name?”
“Eddie.”
“Well, Eds,” he smirked and Eddie tried to ignore the pounding of his heart as Richie handed him a flowerpot from one of the trays decorating the shop. “A present. On the house.”
A beautiful yellow daffodil seemed to be watching Eddie as his face started to grow warm.
“Thank you.” He smiled up at Richie who nodded. “Um- I actually wanted to get a bouquet if I can.”
“Why, of course. If you would follow me.”
Richie led him into the store and to say that Eddie fell in love with it would be an understatement.
Because the windows took up most of the front of the store, the sunlight filled the whole room with natural light bringing out the rainbow graffitied walls that seemed to burst out of the walls the longer you looked at them. It reminded him of his own shop, but instead of the drawings that lined the walls for customers to pick from flowers were everywhere.
They seemed to have been thrown in random corners and balanced on top of one another. Then he noticed that those pots on top of one another connected to a small fountain. Those pots were giving the plants water without spraying them. It’s genius.
“Richie. I- this- It’s amazing.”
“Thanks, Eds. It took long enough to set up.” He was already leaning on the counter and staring at Eddie. “Anyway, what’s the bouquet for. A partner, a parent-”
“A funeral.”
“Ah, shit. Sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was my mom. She was a bitch.” Richie snorted and Eddie couldn’t hold back his own smile.
“I know exactly what you need,” he said and got to work.
He wandered the store mumbling to himself and grabbing flowers at random, carefully cutting each one and making sure not to damage the others. Eddie couldn’t help but watch how he inspected every flower on a little blue plant to check that it was blooming.
After deeming that he had enough, he went back behind the counter and started putting the bouquet together.
“While I work, tell me about yourself,” he said, shaking Eddie out of his daydream.
“Huh?”
“What do you do?”
“Oh, I’m a tattoo artist.” Richie’s head shot up.
“Really?” Eddie nodded and tried not to blush as Richie’s eyes trailed down his arms to look at some of the tattoos that dotted his skin. “Did you do any of those?”
“No. My friend Bev did them.”
“Can you give me a tattoo?” Eddie giggled.
“Sure. Get me a needle and ink. No problem.”
“Not now you ass.” Richie rolled his eyes and moved another flower. “Later. I’ve always wanted a tattoo.”
“Like what?”
“Don’t know. I guess something meaningful, right? I can’t think of anything though,” he said.
“Not everyone has deep meanings to their tattoos. Sometimes people get them just for fun or because they look cool.”
“Hmm. I guess so.” He didn’t say anything more, so Eddie started to wander around the shop, looking at the gorgeous flowers that bloomed everywhere. He really wanted to draw them, but that might have to wait for another day.
Would Richie let him come back just to draw the flowers? Why would he say no?
His hands went to his phone again and he had completely forgotten about Bev’s text, so he finished reading it and felt his cheeks warm again.
also heard from reliable sources that the owner is really hot. just your type too. dare you to ask him out
“All done, Eds,” Richie called from the counter and Eddie really had to give him credit for the timing. If he had to think about his ‘type’ he might actually end up agreeing with Bev.
“Don’t call me Eds. It’s Eddie.” He shrugged.
“I like Eds.”
Eddie rolled his eyes and said, “Fine, Trashmouth.”
“See? It’s fitting!” he laughed, then he spun the small bouquet around and Eddie’s breath caught.
It was a beautiful blue funeral bouquet that had only a handful of white flowers with the only rose being bright red in the center. A rebellion against grief. Eddie’s last ‘fuck you’ to his bitch of a mother.
“It’s perfect,” he breathed and shared a smile with the florist. “How much?”
“Don’t even think about it. On the house.” Eddie rolled his eyes.
“You just opened. You need all the business you can get, trust me. How much?” Richie stuck his nose up and turned away from him.
“Nope. I refuse. Begone with your peasant money. It is no good here.” He did another horrible impression and Eddie sighed.
“Is that supposed to be British?”
“Yeah.”
“Terrible.”
“Oh, everyone’s a critic.” He threw his arms up dramatically and Eddie had to laugh. It was impossible not to. “Seriously though, don’t worry about it.”
“Seriously though, I know how hard it is in this block. You need the sales.” He smirked. “Plus, the customer’s always right.”
Richie brushed it off. “Not here they aren’t. In this part of town, Richie is king. Look upon my kingdom and tremble.”
Eddie glanced around the store and snickered.
“Looks gay to me.”
It took him a second, but Richie finally heard what he said and doubled over laughing. Eddie quickly joined him and they both were near tears at the absurdity of this stranger they just met.
Finally, Richie caved and rung him up at a discount. Eddie decided that it was better than nothing and simply asked if he could come back to the little shop again to learn about the flowers. The florist enthusiastically agreed and their weekly lunch dates were born.
It didn’t take long for Eddie to realize that Richie loved to spoil all of his friends with his generosity.
The moment he met Bev he handed her a bouquet for her desk and she immediately turned to Eddie and said, “If you don’t marry him I will.”
Months passed with him going to the little flower shop at least once a week. At some point, they also got each other’s phone numbers and Richie would constantly send him either dad jokes or flower puns.
Because of Richie’s generosity, Eddie normally ended up with more flowers than he knew what to deal with, but his favorite was still the yellow flower that sat in the shop window to greet the customers that come in. He was heartbroken when it finally died, but Richie promised him another after the flowers bloomed.
The next spring finally rolled around and Richie walked into the little tattoo shop with a bright newly-bloomed flower for his friend and left after changing the title to boyfriend and with his first tattoo: a yellow daffodil on his ankle.