Chapter Text
“Have you met the people over at the new shop that opened across town?”
Zack was only halfway listening as he crouched down, holding a handful of azaleas in his gloved hand, inspecting the stems to make sure they didn’t get over watered and were still healthy. He vaguely knew what he was looking for, but no flower had died by his hand while working with Aerith at her flower stall. Yet. Well. There were some wilters in the beginning but thankfully Aerith is a very forgiving person, at least when it comes to him.
“Huh? Who? What shop?” He asked as he nodded to himself once he deemed the azaleas to be nice and alive, placing them back into their container, ready to be sold.
Aerith tutted as she continued to spritz some of the hanging plants they had displayed underneath the awning of the stand.
“The new flower shop, silly. They opened a few weeks ago and they seem to already be really popular.”
Zack stood up straight as he pursed his lips trying to think if he’s heard of them.
“A new shop, huh,” He scratched at his chin in thought. “Don’t they know we already run the best flower place in Midgar.”
Aerith giggled, “Basically the only one in Midgar.”
“Yeah, so it’s the best,” Zack grinned in response.
“Well I think this new shop might put an end to that. On the way here I saw that they were packed. It’s an actual brick and mortar store, too. Not like my little stall here,” She patted the worn wooden counter that stored dozens of pots and buckets of flowers of various kinds. The wood was stained from all the water and dirt that had been caked onto it from copious use.
Zack frowned at Aerith’s comment.
“That doesn’t make this little stand any less than them. I mean, today has been sort’ve slow but it’ll pick up again.”
He idly dragged a finger along the pink petals of some snapdragons, “If those losers think they’re gonna steal all our business they got another thing coming.”
“Zack,” Aerith’s voice stern as if reprimanding a child. “They’re not stealing anything. We still have our regulars and we’re doing fine in sales. I met one of the owners the other day and they seem really nice.”
“That’s what they want you to think,” Zack pointed a finger at her.
She just pushed Zack’s hand down and out of her face and looked up at him with her soft gaze.
“It’s not about the money, anyways. I make enough to get by working at the Leaf House. This is just a fun way to make some cash on the side.”
Zack was already ignoring her again as he crossed his arms, looking off to the side of the busy street that Aerith’s flower stand called home.
“I bet they’re doing some illegal stuff. Like money laundering. Or something. Some underground, black market type of deals. Why would they be so successful so fast? No one would suspect the innocent little flower shop to be owned by hardened criminals.”
Aerith just sighed as she let her employee ramble on, turning away from him to get back to watering the plants.
“Don’t worry, I’ll save your dying business,” Zack’s regular enthusiasm returned. “I’ll work twice as hard. I’m gonna double- no, triple our sales. Just you see.”
“Excuse me? Who said anything about a dying business?”
“Just you see, Aerith!” Zack pumped his hands up as he looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “I won’t let you down.”
She cracked a small smile at him as she shook her head.
“Alright then, hero. Now go get the bags of fertilizer I told you to get ages ago.”
With a hearty salute and a “Yes ma’am,” Zack was off, still thinking about the evil owners of the rival flower stand across town.
Embezzling. They could be doing that! I think I know what that is…
*****
Zack put on his best smile as he handed his delivery to the sweet old lady who ordered their newest arrangement. A simple bouquet of heather and juniper safely nestled in a glass vase with a matching satin ribbon tied around it.
“Oh these are beautiful as always,” the woman’s eyes closed as she held the vase in her dainty hands, inhaling the sweet scent. “Thank you so much, dearie.”
“The pleasure is all mine, ma’am,” the errand boy bowed his head courteously. “Aerith told me these symbolize good luck and protection.”
“That’s wonderful. These would look great in my window. Thank you again, Zack. And tell Aerith I’ll happily bake her more cookies. I’m so glad she enjoyed them.”
“Of course, I snagged a few and they were delicious,” Zack sent his customer one last beaming smile before bidding her a goodbye and turning to run back down the stairs of her apartment building.
Zack had taken the responsibility of being the delivery boy when they had people order flowers to their home. He loved the feeling of riding his bike through town with the wind rushing past his ears and honestly he was faster at it than Aerith was, but she didn’t complain. He became so familiar with the many side streets and alleyways of Midgar that he was able to cut his travel time by almost half. And he’d only ran into a trashcan a handful of times. The flowers made it out alright.
He pulled back the kickstand and swung his leg over his bicycle, making his way back the way he came from the flower stall. A few people recognized him and gave him a friendly wave to which he sent them one in return. He’d become quite well known among the people of the neighborhood. Aerith and he would sometimes bring them flowers free of charge just to brighten up the place. The people were grateful and it boosted the morale of the whole community. He never thought that he would be a flower boy of all things, but seeing the way that simple plants could bring such big smiles on to people’s faces, it made it all worth it.
He was riding down the street, turning the corner when he saw an unfamiliar building coming up on his left. He slowed to a stop, making sure he wasn't in anyone's way before eyeing the sign that graced the top.
In simple gold, cursive font read the name of the shop.
Cloud Nine Flowers.
What a dumb name…
The deep forest green paint and red exposed brick of the exterior made the shop stand out amongst the usual grey of the surrounding buildings. Tiers of plants and flowers of all different shapes and sizes sat under the large panel windows in the front. They were protected from harsh direct sunlight by the striped awning above them that had strings of lights along the edge.
From what he could see of the inside was just as beautiful as the outside. Antique hanging light fixtures casted the shop in a welcoming, warm glow, highlighting the yellows and oranges of the flowers that were underneath them. A tall shelf lined the back wall behind the counter, full of different house plants in lightly colored pots.
It was stunning.
He hated this place.
He could feel the frown on his face form as he took it all in. He noticed the many customers that were inside the store even on a weekday afternoon. Some people were walking down the street but turned their heads at the sight of the gorgeous display and just had to take a peek inside.
Zack huffed to himself. Okay, so, the place was beautiful. And it looked like they really knew what they were doing. But they didn’t have the special touch that Aerith had. He bet they didn’t even have as good of customer service as he provided. Yes, he didn’t have as much knowledge of flower care and botany as he should but he always tried his best and it kept people coming.
He was about to continue back to complain about the new shop to Aerith, when he saw a customer hold the door open for a woman holding a large potted plant in both of her hands. It looked like a rubber fig, one of the only plants that Zack remembered the name of. She craned her neck around the leaves of the plant as she helped place it in the back trunk of the customer's car that was waiting out front. The fig must've weighed at least thirty pounds but she looked like she didn't even break a sweat as she dusted off her hands, her exposed toned biceps flexing.
She pushed back some of the dark black hair that fell onto her face before waving off the customers with a bright smile, the hue of her almost maroon colored eyes could be seen even from across the street where Zack stood.
So she didn't look like a stone cold killer or criminal, but that's always the ones you gotta look out for.
The woman must have seen him staring because as she turned to walk back into the shop she made eye contact with him. She seemed to pause for a moment as if thinking she has seen him before somewhere. Zack just froze as he tried not to look as creepy as possible just sitting there on his bike watching her. But the woman just smiled and gave him a little wave of her gloved hand to which Zack hesitated a moment before returning the gesture, then immediately pushed off the pavement to ride back down the street hoping she wouldn't send her hired gang to break his kneecaps. Or whatever else hitmen do.
Once Zack arrived back at the stall he leaned his bike against the side of it. He had a noticeably more annoyed expression on his face than his usual cheery smile. Aerith was standing in the small interior of the flower stand, a simple square stall with just enough room for a register, work area and two chairs. The top half of the dutch style door that stood in the front was swung open. Upon seeing her disgruntled employee she leaned against the bottom half of it on her forearms as she looked at him.
"What is it now, Zack?" She asked with genuine concern.
He kicked at a pebble that was on the ground, sending it across the sidewalk.
"I passed by that new flower place and I can't stand it. It was too-," He sighed. "It was too… Nice."
"Too nice?" Aerith echoed.
"Yeah. With their giant windows and freshly painted walls. Who do they think they are? It's like it was mocking me."
Aerith just lifted a hand to her mouth as she giggled.
"I think you're taking this harder than you need to."
"Am not," Zack crossed his arms across his chest. "I just can't let these new guys think they're better."
"Your competitive streak was always going to be the death of you," She shook her head at him. "I told the woman who works there the other day about what you said about them. She thought it was really funny."
"What?" Zack let out an exasperated breath. "What thing did I say?"
"About how they're secretly running an underground black market scheme."
"Why did you tell them that?" the blue eyed boy huffed. "Now they really are going to send people after me to break my legs."
“What fun,” Aerith grinned mischievously. “But I hope not. Who’s going to make all the deliveries then?”
“I’m so glad you care about me and my wellbeing,” Zack pouted as he rested his hands on the back of his neck.
“Of course.” She turned around to grab her new arrangement she just put together off of the counter. Some simple baby pink peonies wrapped in a cellophane sheet to match. “Now put these away and quit moping.”
Zack threw his arms down and took the flowers from her, trudging to the empty bucket on the other side of the stall to put them in.
“If I don’t come in tomorrow you’ll know why. I’m gonna barricade my front door, really make them work for it if they’re gonna come and get me.”
He was just met with more giggling from his boss.
********
Cloud stood in the back room of the flower shop, where he spent most of his time when he was there. He liked being left alone. He was lucky he had Tifa to run the shop with him. If it wasn’t for her running the business and customer service side of things then he would be hopelessly lost. So he was grateful that everything turned out well for them. While Tifa was happily chatting with the customers Cloud could focus on putting together bouquets. He found out he had a special eye for arranging flowers in a way that complimented each other. He always experimented with different combinations of not just flowers but accent leaves, vase fillers, wrapping paper and ribbons. He had such a good flair for putting together arrangements that now most customers who wanted a custom order would let him have free reign. They would just tell him their budget and the occasion and Cloud would get to work. He hadn’t had an unsatisfied customer yet.
There was a lull in people coming into the store since it was getting closer to closing time and the quiet of it always set Cloud at ease.
He pursed his lip as he looked down at the flowers he had sitting on top of the counter. For this customer, they wanted something simple that they could give to their crush, something within a high schooler’s budget. He reached down to pick up the stems of a bunch of yellow tulips. You can never go wrong with tulips. They’re in season and cheap as hell to have in store since they’re so common. He picked up some orange tulips and white daisies to fill up the bouquet along with it. As he tied them together, fluffing up the petals so it would appear fuller, his partner kicked open the door to the back room as she carried stacks of empty pails in her arms.
“If I knew that selling flowers would be so lucrative we should’ve opened this place up ages ago,” She said as she set the buckets down on the ground next to the cart of small buds that were still in their nursery pots.
Cloud just hummed in response as he wrapped his bouquet up in kraft paper.
“That’s a cute one you’re working on,” Tifa replied as she leaned over his shoulder to look.
“It’s for some kid. He’s gonna ask his crush out with it,” He looped some string that matched the paper around the stems, making a perfect bow in front. “Just some tulips and daisies.”
Tifa tsked, “You saying you just threw that one together with no thought?”
“Some thought,” Cloud shrugged. “He wanted something cheap. Tulips are cheap and yellow ones symbolize being hopelessly in love. The daisies represent purity. I thought it fit for a young kid.”
“You know you can be a real romantic when you try,” Tifa flicked at his shoulder to which Cloud just brushed her off.
She hopped up to sit on the counter next to Cloud’s workspace, kicking her legs out as she watched him work.
“I ran into that Aerith girl again the other day when I went to the grocery store,” She said.
“And?” Cloud replied without looking at her, already uninterested in the conversation.
“And,” Tifa drew out. “She told me about the guy that works with her. I saw him today out front. I think he was making deliveries on his bike. Maybe he was scoping out the competition.”
“Should I care about this guy or can I get back to what I was doing?” Cloud asked to which Tifa responded with a huff.
“I’m just saying this guy sounds funny. Aerith said he thinks we’re some criminals running this shop illegally. She says he’s just competitive and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body.”
“If this guy wants to talk big he should just come say it to our faces,” Cloud remarked as he took out a card of whitestock to write the message that’ll be attached to the bouquet.
“He looked like he couldn’t hurt a fly,” Tifa laughed.
She snapped her fingers as she came up with an idea.
“We should send them something, you know, like a reverse welcome to the neighborhood gift?”
“Hm,” Cloud finished off the last sentence of the card, his careful handwriting delicately expressing the teenager’s words of affection.
“I’ll send him something,” The corner of Cloud’s lip lifting ever so slightly like that of a cat.
“Are you gonna mess with him?”
“Maybe,” The blond man replied casually as he finished up his bouquet. “Just a nice reverse house warming present.”
Tifa looked at him for a moment before shaking her head as she jumped off the counter.
“Whatever you say. I just want them to know this is all you,” She said as she made her way back through the door leading to the front.
Cloud thought to himself of what to send to this delivery boy. If he loved conspiracy theories so much then he’d surely read into whatever it was he would send. He had to make it a good one.
******
Zack yawned as he lumbered down the street. Waking up so early in the morning to open up the stall was never fun. At least Aerith let him end his shift early when he did.
He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with one hand while the other unlocked the door to the stall. He threw his messenger bag down on the floor before getting ready to set up the flowers for the day. But just as he was about to, he saw something out of the corner of his eye laying against the side wall of the stand.
He raised an eyebrow as he saw a small bouquet of purple colored flowers wrapped in a rustic looking linen cloth. He squatted down to pick them up, wondering if Aerith forgot to put these away yesterday. As he stood up straight he noticed a card attached. Was it a forgotten order?
He plucked off the cardstock only to see on the front it was labeled “Delivery boy.”
Zack stared down at it confused before flipping the card open to read the inside.
For our new arch nemesis. I hope you like the gift.
From your friend at Cloud Nine.
Zack’s mouth opened in surprise as he read the card over and over, a look of shock overtaking his face as his eyes flicked across the words written in neat cursive.
What was that supposed to mean? He’d never gotten passive aggressive flowers before. Oh, these people were good.
He threw the card and bouquet down onto the counter haphazardly as he frowned down at them. They were nice flowers though. He didn’t recognize what type they were but he could ask Aerith when she got there.
That morning Zack’s head was filled with thoughts of what his little gift could mean. It was all in good fun, right? But he was never the one to not have the last laugh. He had to send them something back, but what?
He was sweeping the leaves away on the sidewalk in front of the stall when Aerith arrived, looking as chipper as always.
She went to look over the paperwork that sat next to the register but spotted the bouquet and card that Zack threw on the counter.
She raised her eyebrows as she read the front of the card, “Is this from some secret admirer?”
“I wish,” Zack tutted as he leaned his hands on top of the broomstick. “It’s from Cloud Nine. They have had a vendetta against me ever since you told them about me.”
Aerith just had a quiet smile on her face as she read over the card. She ended up cracking up in laughter, covering her mouth with her hand to try to stifle her giggles.
“What’s so funny?” Zack sulked as his boss just continued to laugh.
“I don’t think Tifa did this,” She replied as she regained her composure. “It must’ve been the other owner. I haven’t met him yet but it seems he thinks very highly of you.”
She emphasized her point as she raised the bouquet of purple flowers to her nose to inhale the scent.
“I-...I’m not following here,” Zack gave her a puzzled look.
“These are geraniums,” She lightly traced her fingers over the white veins that crawled across the petals. “He must really know his stuff. These symbolize foolishness. Well, stupidity actually.”
Zack just froze in place as Aerith continued to giggle at him.
“What- He. What the-,” He stumbled over his words.
“That bastard!” Zack threw down his broomstick, which hit the cement of the sidewalk with a light thud.
“Hey, pick that up. No need to throw a fit,” Aerith scolded him, her tone playful but Zack still bent over to pick it back up.
“I have to get this guy back,” Zack said, already bouncing back as the gears in his head turned trying to think of what to send to his ‘friend’ over at Cloud Nine.
“Okay.” He set the broomstick down as he clapped his hands together. “What kind of flowers mean something like ‘I hate you and I hope you go out of business soon?’”
Aerith rolled her eyes as she set Zack’s gift into an empty vase and set it in the corner next to the register. Zack just glared down at it like this was all the flowers’ fault.
“I don’t think there are any hate flowers,” she paused as she tapped a finger to her chin. “But I’m sure there is something you can send them out of spite.”
“I’m glad you’re on my side.” Zack’s usual wide smile returned to his face.
“I just think this is fun,” Her green eyes glistened. “And if you go over to send your revenge plant you can also bring over this bunch of hyacinths we just got in for Tifa, she will love them. I was telling her all about them the other day.”
Zack just sighed as Aerith eagerly went to go fetch her present for Tifa.
He was going to get this guy real good. Nobody is gonna threaten him with a delicately arranged floral bouquet and get away with it.
This means war.