Chapter Text
Today was only what could be described as a truly beautiful day. Amidst the withdrawing rays of the sun who gently caressed everything they touched, the wind was softly drawing some scarce leaves and all of the alike into a merry-go-round.
Birds, having recently recovered from their seasonal slumber, voiced their joyful songs, bringing hope that warm days will soon return.
Though it was close to evening, one could still see the traffic of passers-by, hurrying to wherever it is they need to be, or rather, casually strolling along their way, taking the time to enjoy the scenery unraveling about them. Newly opened parks and playgrounds hosted school children, who were running about, playing tag or hide-and-seek, squealing and laughing as they went.
Snow had nearly entirely disappeared, revealing meek little snowdrops here and there, among young bright-green grass. The air smelled of freshness and new life, merging with the sweet aroma of seasonal flowers of the nearby florist shop owned by a young man who was known for his vast botanic knowledge, hence his popularity in the neighborhood.
"You have a great evening sir!" Yuuri smiled warmly, bidding his last customer of the day farewell. He sighed happily, today was quite a good day for him. He'd managed to sell several pre-made bouquets as well as two custom ones, which wasn't always the case.
Standing from behind his desk, he looked about the store, seeking unfinished work that he would have to complete before going home. Then again, who was he kidding? There would be no one but an empty lodging waiting for him, so what was the point of leaving early?
No, he would instead stay here long after dark, brainstorming ideas for various compositions that he would later put on display in the store. His works always seemed to have some sort of special message behind them, hidden either in their particular color palette or in the flowers themselves. That aspect of his creations is what made him such an exceptional florist, and he loved every bit of it.
Convinced that everything was in order, Yuuri grabbed his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He realized there was still half an hour left until closing time, so he chose to put his creativity to work.
He plugged in his headphones and let the music soothe him. A lively piano instrumental softly resonated about the store as the boy scribbled some brief notes in his notebook. This time, instead of just letting his intuition guide him, he was actually planning everything. The reason being, he had a very specific idea in mind.
Yes, it was going to be nothing less than perfect, as he was ready to pour his heart and soul into this. He was going to make a particularly special bouquet, and he was going to gift it to someone just as special.
Yuuri gently swayed from side to side, lightly humming to himself while he gathered everything he thought he would need on his worktable. A pair of secateurs in hand, he began his work with determination.
White carnations, red chrysanthemums, a bit of daisy here and there, as well as a touch of purple lilac - one of his personal favorites - were soon all laying on the table, among some other flowers. He cautiously wrapped them with a white plastic sheet, finalizing his masterpiece with a large ice blue bow.
So immersed in his work, the boy failed to realize that it was now way past closing time and that he had forgotten to actually close the store. Though it wasn't really the first time he'd done such a thing, he would eventually get to lock the doors as soon as possible without any 'accidents'.
Suddenly, the front door sprang open, making the bell ring frenetically. Yuuri couldn't help but let out a surprised squeal. He had most certainly not been expecting anyone at this hour, especially on a weeknight.
"Thank god, you're still open," the customer sighed in relief, though quickly catching himself, discerning the florist's disheveled state. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I scare you?" he inquired concernedly, his voice thick with a foreign accent.
"Ah, don't worry about that," Yuuri chuckled, putting down his headphones. "I was in dire need of a wake-up call anyway...I will help you in a moment, just let me clean this up..."
"Oh, then I suppose I'll take a look around in the meantime" the man simply replied and silence filled the room.
Ridden with curiosity, Yuuri tried to steal a few subtle glimpses at his customer, instead of actually cleaning up. The first thing that caught his attention is the man's bright silver hair - platinum blonde would be the correct term.
The man, the florist realized, was quite tall. Or perhaps was he the short one? Either way, there was a significant height difference between them and that's all that mattered.
Everything about this newcomer seemed so...how to say...remarkable. Everything from his classy elegant appearance, all the way to his mannerism, gave off that mysterious aura that Yuuri had yet to discern.
"Wow, these really are beautiful" the man whistled, snapping Yuuri out of his daydream.
The latter frantically scooped up the rest of his belongings and shot back a small 'thank you so much as he dropped everything off in the backroom and hurried to the front desk.
"Whew, sorry about that!" he apologized, gesturing for the tall man to come closer. "So, how may I help you today?"
"Um, I'm looking for something for someone... special" the silver-haired man replied, running a hand through his hair.
Special. There was that word again. Yuuri subconsciously glanced back at his newly finished bouquet. He realized that the bow that graced it matched the man's eyes nearly tone to tone.
"Is for a mother or a friend perhaps?" the florist inquired.
"Uh...no, it's actually for my fiancée. We're getting married in a few months..." the other replied somewhat uneasily.
All trace of emotion suddenly faded from Yuuri's face. He couldn't fathom any words but a brief, mildly disappointed 'oh'.
He mentally slapped himself. What an idiotic assumption. This man was obviously attractive enough to have a significant other, so why did it even upset him? He shouldn't even care about his customers' social lives outside of work. This was embarrassing. Very embarrassing...
The florist regained his composure in a matter of seconds and his lips sprawled into a slightly forced smile.
"Might I suggest roses then?" he asked, pointing to a wall next to him. Several multi-colored bouquets and posies were carefully arranged on a stand that stretched nearly across the entire wall.
The taller man only glimpsed in that general direction and shook his head. "This might seem silly," he began, running a hand through his silver hair. "but I'd like it to convey some sort of message..." He awkwardly looked up and was immediately met with Yuuri's understanding gaze. It made him feel a little bit better.
"It's not silly at all!" Yuuri exclaimed. "In fact, I have just the thing for you!" he proudly stated as he made his way towards his work table, where lay his new masterpiece.
Wait a minute.
This wasn't meant to happen like that.
This bouquet was supposed to be for someone special to him and he was ready to sell it to some random man so that he, in turn, could gift it to some random woman?
And yet, he couldn't shake this nagging feeling that it was the right to do.
All of his instincts screamed, yelled, and cried as he brought the bouquet to the man, who seemed struck with awe.
"Holy..." the latter whispered. Yuuri only smiled shyly in return.
"Let me reveal you the secret hidden within this one" he announced, just like a magician who's about to blow his audience away. "These flowers tell a love story. The purple lilac conveys the feeling of first love, then the white carnations and daisies represent innocence and pure love. The chrysanthemums, in turn, speak of fidelity, joy, and long life." he explained, carefully pointing each flower as he went.
To say that the silver-haired man was appropriately gobsmacked would be a bit of an understatement. His eyes lit up, matching the bow all the more.
"This is perfect!" he exclaimed, radiant with joy. "She's gonna love it!"
"I sure hope she will," Yuuri replied with a bitter-sweet smile.
"Oh, but how much is it though?" the blue-eyed man asked with slight concern in his voice.
Suddenly filled with a wave of unprecedented confidence, the florist gave a sly smile. "Tell you what," he placed his hands on his hips. "I'll cut you a deal, but you'll have to come back and tell me all about her reaction. Okay?"
The tall man chuckled in response. "Yeah, I think I could do that." he stretched out his hand, which Yuuri gladly took.
What was happening to him? He was acting really out of character ever since that man walked through that door. Where did that confident Yuuri crawl out from and how to keep him from crawling away?
The man's hands were quite warm, which was very welcome since his own hands were stone cold. Their touch lingered for a few seconds too many until he reluctantly let go. When he did, he could feel his hand craving for the other's warmth.
This wasn't good. It couldn't be good.
"Um, so let me wrap this up nicely for ya," the florist said, making sure not to damage the fragile composition in his hands.
"Oh, god I didn't realize it was this late!" the silver-haired man exclaimed, looking at his watch. "I might be late for my dinner tonight!"
Yuuri's head shot up towards the clock. It was in fact half-past seven.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry to have kept you in here for so long!" he apologized, ridden with regret.
"No, no, don't you worry about it," the other assured, smiling lightly. "It was really nice to spend some time here with you."
The shorter boy felt a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. "If you say so..." he quietly muttered, not quite daring to look his customer in the eye.
They soon quickly exchanged their goods and the taller man started to make his way towards the door but stopped dead in his tracks right before opening it. He turned to the florist and stated in confusion "I don't believe we've introduced ourselves."
"No, indeed we haven't" the latter admitted with a bit of guilt. "I'm Yuuri Katsuki."
"Yuuri, huh?" the man replied thoughtfully. "I'm Victor Nikiforov."
He had already opened the door when Yuuri called him out.
one last thing before you leave," the shorter boy began. "You're not from here, are you?"
"Oh, was it the accent that gave me away?" Viktor chuckled. "No, I'm from Russia."
"Woah, Russia!" the other exclaimed in amazement.
"I take it you're not from here either, huh?" the blue-eyed man inquired, eyebrow raised.
"I'm Japanese actually!" Yuuri replied proudly.
"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Yuuri." the Russian man said, slightly waving farewell.
"Likewise, Victor." The Japanese boy smiled sincerely.
The door shut and once again, the room fell into complete silence.