Archive of Our Own

When Akaashi walks into The Owl’s Garden that afternoon, there were three things he wasn’t expecting. 

First, he hadn’t been expecting to meet the most beautiful, exotic and unique arrangements he had ever seen in his life. Second, he hadn’t been expecting to see an owl figure on a shelf close to the back door. And, finally, Akaashi most definitely hadn’t been expecting to meet him .

“Welcome to The Owl’s Garden! How can I help you?”

He’s polite and friendly, and even worse, he’s also really good-looking , Akaashi thinks while looking around and examining the room with his own eyes, hoping he isn’t being too obvious. “Hello,” he finally replies and looks over the man, who is smiling warmly at him. “I’m looking for an arrangement to give my mother. As a congratulatory gift.”

The man nods and starts walking around, going to the corner where his flowers stay and also his catalog. Akaashi trails after him, observing the broad back of the man. He seems strong, too. “Any specific type of congratulatory gift I should be looking for, say, a special reason, maybe?”

“Uh,” Akaashi replies awkwardly. “Actually, something directed more towards wish for happiness. She is getting married again.”

“Ah,” the smiles again and nods at him, pointing to some beautiful small flowers. The smile he gives the flowers just makes Akaashi’s heart skip a beat, and he’s drawn into the soft atmosphere that the man gives off, the coolness, the delicacy, brilliant and strong. It should be illegal to be this handsome and cute, Akaashi thinks ruefully, he’s just too beautiful. “Well, maybe ivies! They mean eternal love and marriage. It gives the message! Also, it’s a common ‘congratulations on your engagement’ gift, actually…”

“You sound like there’s a ‘but’ in this sentence right there, uh.... Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says hesitantly after reading the name tag on the man’s chest. Pretty name for a pretty face, I guess . 

Bokuto laughs, loud and cheerfully, and Akaashi immediately thinks it’s a beautiful sound. It’s one of those laughs that makes you want to smile and join in, so captivating.  “You’re right, uh… What’s your name, if you don’t mind?”

“It’s Akaashi Keiji,” he replies, heart beating fast. Akaashi feels slightly infatuated by him already, by his looks, his cute demeanor, his beautiful smile and laugh. It’s dangerous, to feel like this with a person he has just met, but Akaashi is so drawn into his gravity that he doesn’t mind, not even one bit. “Just Akaashi is fine.”

“Well, Akaashi, there is a ‘but’ there! As much as ivies are common, like I said, I personally prefer red carnations instead.”

“Red carnations…” Akaashi mutters to himself. “What do they mean?”

“They represent familial love, and they are offered as tokens of affection! I know it doesn’t even mention the engagement part, but it’s a common flower to give your family when you want to show support and love towards them. Isn’t that what you’re also trying to do anyway?”

Akaashi allows his lips to curl upward, Bokuto beaming at his reaction. “Indeed, it does. Sounds good to me. I will take a red carnation arrangement then.”

Bokuto beams. “I’ll gladly prepare it! Would you like to see me doing it?”

“I actually can?” Akaashi blurts out before he can stop himself. He has never been inside a flower shop in his entire life and now he feels dumb. There’s a partition of glass showing a workplace where Bokuto prepares his arrangements. Of course that he can see it, it’s right there.

“Yeah,” Bokuto huffs a laugh. “Come on, Akaashi, I’ll teach you some about flowers arrangements.”

Akaashi, for once, doesn’t even mind that he isn’t interested in flowers in the first place. Bokuto invited him to watch, to participate, and he wants to. So, he will, because maybe then he will get to know him a little better. Akaashi is curious, tempted into Bokuto’s aura and light. 

Silently at first, Akaashi watches Bokuto work. He watches Bokuto moves his hands gracefully, cutting the flowers with angle and precision, carefully yet quick, like a true professional. He notices the way he carefully picks each flower, how he chooses them with attention and care. Akaashi has never seen any florists working before, but he’s sure that Bokuto is a tiny different from many – the way he tends his flowers as if they’re precious, and how he does it with a hint of satisfied smile on his face, it makes Akaashi wonder so much about him.

Then, they start to make a small talk while Bokuto works. 

“Why did you decide to open a flower shop, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asks, voice curious and polite.

Bokuto laughs softly and gives Akaashi a big smile. “I’ve always loved flowers! My mom had this garden when I was a child, and I was fascinated by the flowers there. It grew on me, I guess? When I started hinting my parents about my future as a florist, they were supportive, but many people questioned it, which sucks. Especially with my personality! I used to be so clumsy, even louder than I am right now, so everyone questioned my sanity to want to work with this. But there’s just something about the quietness of nature, the beauty of a petal and the meaning behind a flower that just makes me wonder, you know? I wanted and still want to do this for the rest of my life. Flowers are my passion.”

Akaashi cannot help stop his smile, neither can he stop the strong and fast beating of his own heart. Bokuto does sound passionate about it, and Akaashi thinks it’s beautiful . “Ah, it’s refreshing to see someone so passionate about their work.”

“Aren’t you about yours, Akaashi?” Bokuto asks and then his eyes widen. “I don’t mean to sound rude! I’m just curious, I promise!”

“It’s okay, Bokuto-san,” he huffs a laugh, trying to hide his smile. “I wouldn’t say I’m not passionate, it’s just not my dream job, I guess.”

Bokuto is quiet for a moment, fingers delicately trimming the flowers. “That’s not good,” he eventually starts saying, and then looks at Akaashi for a second, eyes sad and serious. “I’m not going to pry on why, but if you have a chance to do something you love, you should take it and never let it go. Like loving someone, I guess.”

“Loving someone?” Akaashi echoes and Bokuto nods, a small smile on his face.

“If you love someone, you shouldn’t let them go, you know,” he says just as he starts putting the flowers on a beautiful vase. “The things we love, we love for a reason. If our hearts asks for us to keep them close, we should do that.”

Akaashi blinks and blushes, not knowing what to say. “Yeah,” he mutters so it doesn’t leave an awkward silence between them. Bokuto hums, moving his fingers expertly on the flowers.

Then, he turns around with his arrangement done, and it takes Akaashi’s breath away to see the final piece. It’s just beautiful, the way the flowers are put together in a beautiful vase, in a delicate yet bright way. It reminds him of Bokuto himself, the delicacy, filled with radiant and cheerful beauty. 

“Bokuto-san, this is…beautiful. I’m sure my mother will love it.”

Bokuto smiles at him proudly, and Akaashi is pretty sure he’s going to have a heart attack from all the things Bokuto keeps doing to him. The way he is passionate about his work, the way he laughs, the way he smiles, the way he talks, everything about him just dazzles Akaashi to no end. He’s knows he’ll go insane if he doesn’t even try to make a move on him, finally acknowledging to his own mind that he has a crush on Bokuto. Even though it has been only twenty minutes since he walked into the shop.

Ah, but then, he doesn’t even know if Bokuto likes men. Or if he could like Akaashi for that matter.

“I’m glad you liked it! Uh… here!”

Akaashi blinks at the flower given to him. It’s a simple white camellia, one he didn’t ask for but was handed by Bokuto anyway. “What…”

“It’s my present for you. For just… Ugh, accept it, please!”

He watches in amusement how Bokuto blushes and hides behind his own hands for a second, before taking a deep breath and looking up again. Smiling softly, he continues.

“Is there anything else I can help you with, Akaashi?”

“That’s all for today, Bokuto-san, thank you. For the arrangement and the flower. They’re both beautiful.”

Bokuto nods, eyes glued on his own fidgeting hands and Akaashi cannot help but think how adorable the other man is. He realizes quite quickly that he is very much screwed, and the thought makes him blush as well. It’s a beat of awkward silence before Akaashi asks to pay.

He leaves feeling lighter than he ever has before. Bokuto had this effect on him, and he wonders how many people felt the same as he does now. The feeling of wanting to get more of him, of wanting to be closer, to get to know him throughout. 

With white spiked hair, owlish eyes – which amuses Akaashi to no end, considering the owl figure he had seen there – and a loud, excited type of personality, Akaashi would never imagine someone like Bokuto would own a flower shop and make such amazing arrangements. Then, again, Akaashi knows better than to judge someone based on their appearance, and Bokuto looks like the exact type of people to prove others wrong.

.

Akaashi takes a deep breath. Then, another. Just in case, he does it one more time. Finally, he looks up again and decides to cross the street and walk into the shop.

He had spent the entire week thinking about the flower and the meaning he had found behind it. White camellia and perfect beauty. He feels flattered, and he can’t help but feel a little hopeful. Is Bokuto flirting with him? Akaashi hadn’t been sure if he should do something about it or not, but he had felt enamored by Bokuto and his presence since the moment he saw the guy, and now he suddenly might have a chance so why not grab it? He wouldn’t give Akaashi a flower with such meaning for nothing, would he?

The store isn’t empty this time. There’s another employee there, Akaashi notices immediately, and there’s an old lady talking to Bokuto near the orchids. His heart drops, because he knows that Bokuto won’t be the one talking to him today, and Akaashi honestly hasn’t made an excuse yet on why he’s even there. He has to think and he has to think fast .

“Hello! Can I help you?”

A man approaches him, with grayish hair and gentle eyes. Akaashi startles a bit, and looks down, feeling ashamed for having no reason to stop by. He could use some tips about flowers and also…

“Uh,” he starts, unsure. “I want a small arrangement to put in my kitchen. The table looks...kind of dead.”

The employee laughs quietly. “Sure! Do you have a preference for color, maybe? Or a type of flower if you’re familiar with them?”

Akaashi coughs awkwardly. “I don’t understand a thing about flowers.” 

“It’s fine, honestly,” he smiles again and nods his head towards Bokuto. “My boss will be able to help you more, actually. But while he’s busy, why don’t I walk you through some of them? What’s your name?”

“Thank you,” Akaashi replies, honest. “I’m Akaashi.”

“I’m Sugawara, but if you want, you can call me Suga. Come on, I’ll show you some flowers.”

For some time, they walk through the shop while Sugawara shows him some flowers and their meanings. Sugawara tells Akaashi that he has been hired merely two months ago, and he’s still learning about the meaning of all flowers. He mostly accepted the job since his boyfriend – Akaashi almost smiles at that, since he doesn’t know many people who would easily say they’re gay like that to a stranger – is friends with Bokuto, and Sugawara needed the money desperately.

“Bokuto is very patient with me, Akaashi,” Suga tells him and hands him another flower. “He teaches me a lot about everything. This one, for example, is a salvia and it means family love. I gave it once to my mother, and she was very pleased to hear about it.”

“Very beautiful,” he hums and then glances back at Sugawara. “I recently gave my mother red carnations, a choice of Bokuto-san, and she was delighted with the present and the meaning.”

“I’m glad to hear! I had hoped it would go well,” a voice behind Akaashi replies and when he turns around to face the source of that voice, he misses Sugawara’s wink to Bokuto. “Did my boy Suga treat you well?”

Akaashi coughs awkwardly at the nickname of my boy and at the question itself. Thankfully, Sugawara comes to his rescue. “I treat everyone equally and very well, you know it. You’re the exception, Bo.”

Bokuto laughs. “Suga, I’ll fire you someday.”

“Daichi would kill you.”

“He can try!”

“Are you really going to challenge a police officer?”

Bokuto sighs dramatically and Akaashi watches everything, amused. “I guess it’s hopeless, I’ll have to go to jail because you keep sassing me.”

Akaashi huffs a laugh at the same time Sugawara barks his own laughter. Bokuto pays no mind to his employee, watching Akaashi instead with curious, amused eyes. 

“I’ll take my break now, then,” Sugawara declares and nods, passing by them. Akaashi opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out. He will thank Sugawara for the help later. For the help twice, in fact .

“Thank you for the flower, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says when they’re finally alone. “It’s beautiful. White camellia, right?”

Bokuto smiles shyly and coughs awkwardly, shifting on his own feet. He doesn’t question if Akaashi knows the meaning of it, but then his blush on his cheeks give away his thoughts. “Of course! Uh, I… What did you do with it?”

“Well,” Akaashi starts and looks at his own feet for a second. “I’m trying to take care of it. But I don’t understand much about flowers. Also, I was thinking...it looks so lonely. My house could use a few more flowers.”

Bokuto beams at that admission. “Come with me!”

They walk to the same working space Akaashi had seen there previously, but this time there are a few boxes in there and some flowers in small vases. There’s fertilizer, pots and flowers everywhere, but it’s still somewhat organized. Bokuto immediately reaches for a beautiful flower vase, one with vibrant yellow flowers.

“These are the gorgeous forsythias! They represent hope and expectation, though I think you’re not looking for anything meaningful, but, uh… Flowers are easy to take care of and, if you want to, I can already put them in a pot for you, all planted!”

“That would be amazing, Bokuto-san,” he replies, feeling thankful. Bokuto looks at him, beaming and moves around to grab a pot. “And these flowers are beautiful. I’ll take the forsythias.”

“Great,” he replies before picking some of them and a pot. “Let me walk you through the basics now then.”

.

“The container needs to have great drainage, like this little holes. If your pot doesn’t drain, the roots will waterlog and your flower will die! It can’t be submerged in water, okay?”

Akaashi nods, and tries watering it slowly. He almost drops the watering can, though, but Bokuto manages to help him by holding his elbow and his arm. 

“Be careful! Do it gently, like this.”

“Sorry,” Akaashi mutters, feeling self-conscious. He is not good at this.

“It’s okay,” Bokuto hums and smiles at Akaashi. It’s when he notices how close Bokuto is standing next to him. “It happens! Just be careful or you could have hurt your arm, okay?”

With a racing heart, Akaashi nods. Bokuto lets him go and continues speaking.

“But also, water it regularly. Make sure the soil is humid enough, you can check with a stick! Don’t let the soil dry out. Keep the plants from wilting! Consistent watering is important. So, don’t water tomorrow, then two days, just to then do it the next day… Keep a schedule!”

“Schedule, huh…”

“Just try watering always around the same time and if the flower isn’t going to be watered every day, don’t change the days you do it, okay? Plants like routines!”

“Of course,” Akaashi murmurs and Bokuto smiles.

“Fertilizing and trimming are super important. I can show you the best fertilizer later, but when you trim… Here, like this, you have to be careful not to damage the main stem.”

This time, Bokuto shows Akaashi how to do it, and he’s thankful for it. He doesn’t think he could embarrass himself in front of Bokuto again. After he finishes, he gives Akaashi a beaming smile.

“That’s it!”

“You make it sound so easy,” Akaashi comments and Bokuto laughs. 

“I hope I helped anyway, Akaashi,” Bokuto says with a smile and Akaashi cannot help but to smile back. Sugawara stands a few meters away, pretending to do something that Bokuto knows he’s not doing.

“You did a lot, Bokuto-san, thank you,” he replies and looks at his freshly pot of flowers. “How much do I owe you?”

“Nothing!” Bokuto replies with a smile. “These flowers weren’t meant for the shop, but for my personal greenhouse. The rest is a present, so!”

“Bokuto-san, no,” Akaashi begs, a blush on his face. First, that flower with a meaning and now this? , he thinks. “Please, allow me to pay you somehow.”

Through the corner of his eyes, Bokuto notices Sugawara making kissing faces. Bokuto is thankful that Akaashi has his back turned to him. “I mean… uh… Take me out for dinner!”

Akaashi blushes even more. “Yeah,” he agrees and looks at his hands for a second, another smile popping on his face. “I can do that.”

When he leaves, he does with a silly smile on his face and Bokuto’s number on his phone.

.

[10:32:01]
From: Akaashi Keiji
To: Bokuto Koutarou
Subject: Dinner

Good morning, Bokuto-san. It’s Akaashi Keiji.
I am sending you this message to invite you for dinner. Would tonight at seven be acceptable? There’s an excellent restaurant three blocks from your shop that I have been meaning to try.

[10:35:52]
From: Bokuto Koutarou
To: Akaashi Keiji
Subject: Re:Dinner

Akaashi! I can tonight at seven!! (´｡• ω •｡`)
Text me the address and I’ll see you there? °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

.

Akaashi has never been so nervous in his entire life.

It’s not a date. It isn’t , he’s merely repaying Bokuto for giving him a beautiful flower pot that he meant to buy. Scratch that, a beautiful flower pot that he decided to buy only to see Bokuto. But Bokuto isn’t meeting him at a restaurant because it’s date, it’s merely because Akaashi owes him. That’s all.

But then, Bokuto arrives, looking amazing and showing off some muscles that Akaashi didn’t know that he has under the shirt he wears at the store – this tight one doing him justice instead – and he carries a flower on his hand.

A new flower.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi says already blushing, and he feels like an idiot, because what if the flower isn’t even meant for me? “Good evening.”

“Akaashi, hey,” and then Bokuto is smiling, which makes Akaashi’s heart beat even faster. “Uh, this is for you.”

Bokuto handles Akaashi the flower.

He actually gives Akaashi the goddamn flower.

“Me?” Akaashi takes it, looking at it with wonder. “It’s so beautiful… Which flower is this?”

“Purple lilac,” Bokuto replies and rubs his own neck, a small blush tinting his cheeks. “Uh, I wasn’t sure if, uh… If this is okay, so…”

“It’s more than okay,” Akaashi breathes and suddenly, the atmosphere between them changes.

No one gives flowers to people randomly like this. Especially when you’re a florist, know the meaning of the flowers and give them to same person more than once. It’s not a coincidence, Akaashi finally realizes, because he is pining for Bokuto but Bokuto might be doing the same with him. The thought sends a thrilling feeling through him, the idea of maybe this crush not being as unrequited as he had thought. 

Judging by the way Bokuto looks at him right now, blushing, shy but smiling, Akaashi feels like he won the lottery, because he might be right for once. Please, let me be right this time .

“Thank you.”

They walk into the restaurant, standing closer than normal. Neither of them mind the little distance that stands them.

.

[23:10:50]
From: Akaashi Keiji
To: Bokuto Koutarou
Subject: Thank you

I had a great time, Bokuto-san. Thank you for the company and the flower.
See you on Friday, then?

[23:11:30]
From: Bokuto Koutarou
To: Akaashi Keiji
Subject: Re:Thank You

Me too, Akaashi! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
Can’t wait for Friday!! (っ˘ω˘ς )

It’s a date , they both think.

.

“You want me to meet your greenhouse?” Akaashi asks, voice surprised.

“Yes,” Bokuto replies while they’re eating. They have done this four times since the first dinner together and Akaashi has been stopping by Bokuto’s shop quite regularly now. Sugawara teases him to no end, but Akaashi doesn’t mind. He knows that he and Bokuto are doing something that is not just friendly. Akaashi is more than willing to go through some more embarrassment moments if it means that he gets somewhere with Bokuto in this relationship.

“Bokuto-san, isn’t that too...personal? I don’t even understand much about flowers.”

“That’s the thing,” he says and even though he looks embarrassed, he keeps looking right into Akaashi’s eyes. “I want you to meet my greenhouse because it’s my favorite place. You’re my favorite person right now. Besides... I want you to meet real me . The person who cares about flowers more than I care about myself sometimes.”

Akaashi swallows dry, feeling his heart starting to race again. It feels surreal, even with every flower, every gesture, every word, to hear Bokuto say it out loud that he wants Akaashi to get to know him this much. It feels refreshing, exciting, to go on this little dates, to hear more about Bokuto, to share moments and to feel himself taking steps forward each and every single time.

“Okay,” he says softly and Bokuto smiles, relieved.

Akaashi can only smile back.

.

The greenhouse is much more beautiful than Akaashi could have ever expected.

He’s not surprised to find dozens and dozens of flowers there, all of them planted and flourishing beautifully. What he doesn’t expect is to find other types of plants, including a lot of succulents – something Akaashi recognizes, and he’s ashamed to say he had one once and managed to get his killed, somehow. It’s green, it’s colorful and it’s absolutely peaceful, just like Bokuto had told him once. It feels like a sacred place and Akaashi blushes at the idea of not many people ever stepping there. I only allow people I trust in there, Akaashi , Bokuto had told him.

“I didn’t know you like succulents,” is the first thing Akaashi says. He winces immediately, thinking how he had meant to say the greenhouse is amazing, beautiful and absolutely breathtaking. However, his brain shortcuts. “Uh, wait. I meant to say this place is wonderful.”

“Thank you,” Bokuto says between his soft laughter. “It’s my favorite place. To answer you, yeah, I love succulents! But I prefer flowers.”

Akaashi averts his gaze. “I had a succulent once…”

“Akaashi, please, don’t tell me you managed to kill a succulent .”

“I mean…”

“Oh god…”

“Bokuto-san, I promise you I tried!”

Bokuto starts laughing again and Akaashi blushes, walking further into the greenhouse, leaving him behind. “Akaashi!”

“Yes?” he asks, while still walking around. He eyes some cacti next to the succulents – beautiful, differently shaped ones, most of the succulents seeming kind of rare – and then stops in front of some roses' collection. Bokuto trails after him, a wide smile on his face. 

“Oh, you found my roses. They’re so special, I love them.”

Akaashi nods and touches a beautiful red rose planted there. There are so many, from all types of different colors, and Akaashi wonders how much work has Bokuto put into this. It’s all beautifully done and taken care of, and most of those flowers aren’t easy to find anyway. He’s impressed and...kind of proud.

“They’re beautiful,” Akaashi whispers and Bokuto stands next to him, their sides touching. It’s comforting, the presence. The touch is something they have started getting used to recently, which makes Akaashi happy to know. It means he’s comfortable with me just as much as I am with him . “Must be hard to take care of them.”

“It takes a little of work, it’s true... But I think it’s worth it,” Bokuto replies with a low voice. He turns his head, looking at Akaashi, and when their eyes meet, it’s like their switch goes off – the mood suddenly changes between them.

“I think it’s worth it, too,” Akaashi agrees, not sure if they’re still talking about flowers anymore. It has been happening more often, how they bring a subject in and suddenly they’re having ambiguous conversations, full of hidden meanings and soft flirting. It makes Akaashi’s skin tingle and his heart jump; he can’t contain the excitement that goes through him anytime this happens. Because it means something, and it doesn’t matter how small it might mean, it’s still something. “What do they mean?”

“They have several meaning, but mostly it’s all about love.”

“I’m not that surprised actually.”

“I guess,” Bokuto smiles. “It depends on how many flowers you give a person. But that’s an American tradition.”

“If I gave you….let’s say six roses. If I gave them to you now, what would they mean?”

Bokuto blushes and looks down for a moment. When he looks at Akaashi again, there’s a hint of something more in his eyes that Akaashi has seen a few times the past few days. It makes something boil in his lower belly, the type of feeling that he doesn’t want to contain, not anymore. 

“It means ‘I am infatuated and want to be yours’.”

Akaashi loses his breath. For a moment, his brain stops working. It’s like the universe gave him the opportunity to take a step forward. It must be a sign, he thinks, and for some reason he’s not sure of, he suddenly decides to turn around and face Bokuto. With such calmness he usually doesn’t have, Akaashi lowly says:

“Then, it would have made sense for me to do so.”

He’s not sure if it was the environment, or if it was the words he has said. But then, Bokuto doesn’t waste one second, turning around and cupping Akaashi’s face. There’s a slight pause though, as if he’s asking Akaashi to stop him if he doesn’t want this, but Akaashi is impatient, tired of waiting, tired of imagining those soft lips against his, so he’s the one who leans in first. Bokuto only manages to close the gap, a bit desperate, maybe too eager. Neither of them care, though. 

The kiss chaste and sweet at first, but Akaashi doesn’t want only that from him. He circles his arms around his neck, mouth moving, opening against his, hands gripping the hair on his neck. Bokuto pulls him closer, mouth responding to Akaashi’s immediately, tongues seeking each other. It fires a spark between them, setting on fire the building feelings they have been hiding for some time now, ever since they first met. It makes them both dizzy to feel too much at once, to finally confront everything and do something about it, so, soon, they break apart, both smiling widely. 

“I would give them to you, too.”

.

“He gave you a purple lilac on your first date?” Sugawara asks, shocked. His boyfriend, Sawamura Daichi, has his arms around him and is paying attention to the story with a lot of attention and amusement. “He’s so obvious, oh god.”

“I had to google it after I got home and, trust me, it wasn’t easy finding out which flower was that without him telling me, but I’m glad that I managed to figure it out…”

“Akaashi, that was...gay as hell.”

“Suga, your boyfriend is behind you.”

“Yeah,” he laughs and turns his head, receiving a soft kiss on his lips. “But you and Bo… Wow. Much more gay than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“Anyway…” he continues with a roll of eyes. Sugawara’s antics is something that amuses him endless. “When I asked him out again, after finding out the meaning of the flower, he gave me yellow acacias and this one took me a while to find out the meaning.”

“It’s not Japanese, right?”

“No, it’s an American thing. It means ‘value of a true friendship’. Naturally, I thought I was being thrown into friendzone until I saw that it can also mean a secret love.”

Sugawara barks a laugh. “That’s so cute and like Bokuto!”

“I was devastated at first, but then I read the other meaning and I almost dropped my phone,” Akaashi laughs softly. “It did impress me anyway.”

“Of course I impressed you, I’m amazing like that!” a voice says on Akaashi’s ear, and he smiles, turning his head around.

Bokuto kisses him on the lips. “Hey.”

“Hey. I’m back, sorry.”

“It’s okay, your new flowers arrived and you needed to put them in the greenhouse.”

“Yeah,” Bokuto sits next to Akaashi and draws him closer, putting an arm on his shoulder. “But this is more important now.”

He drops a kiss on Akaashi’s cheek and Akaashi smiles.

“So gay,” Sugawara comments and Sawamura laughs, poking his boyfriend on the side. “Daichi! I thought you were on my side?”

“Let them be,” Sawamura replies. “Honeymoon phase isn’t over for them yet.”

“Could be us, though…” Sugawara murmurs and Sawamura kisses the top of his head.

“Aren’t we all gay in here?” Bokuto asks, confused by Sugawara’s earlier comment and the other three start laughing.

“It’s nothing, Kou,” Akaashi whispers and drops a kiss on his cheek as well.

It’s more than he could have ever asked for.

.

“Koutarou?”

“Hmm?” 

“I’m really glad I walked into your shop that day.”

Bokuto huffs a laugh, his arms hugging Akaashi tighter, closer to his chest. “So am I.”

“Did you know that… I actually fell for you on the first sight?” 

“Really?” Bokuto kisses the top of his head. “You know it’s mutual, right?”

“I figured from the flower meanings,” he laughs softly and plants a soft kiss on Bokuto’s naked chest under his face. “It was rather cute.”

“I’m glad you thought so.”

“I’m glad that my boyfriend is a florist and can help me take care of them, otherwise all of them would be dead by now.”

“I’d never let that happen,” he whispers, sounding offended. 

“I know,” Akaashi hums and closes his eyes.

He’s happy. Satisfied. In love.

.

(“Twelve roses?” Akaashi asks with a shaky voice and Bokuto smiles at him.

“They mean ‘be mine’,” he replies and hesitantly, he grabs one of Akaashi’s hand. “I was wondering…”

“Kou,” Akaashi breathes but Bokuto continues.

“Be mine forever is what I mean,” he gets on one knee and smiles, fishing a little box from his pocket. “Why don’t we cultivate flowers for the rest of our lives?”

Akaashi laughs, eyes filled with tears. “Yes.”)