Chapter Text
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Kenma, wearing his usual black shirt partnered with denim jeans, gets out of Belle Fleur with a watering can on his right hand.
He adores the tall and bright potted sunflowers in the rack outside their flower shop. His soft fingers traced the disk florets of the sunflower.
Kenma remembered how he fell in love with the flowers.
"Here Kenma! A sunflower a day drives the sadness away." Kuroo handed him a long stemmed and big sunflower.
The seven year old Kenma frowned as he accepted the flower.
"I'm not sad, Kuroo. Why are you giving me this big flower?" He asked before looking up at the sunflower.
The young Kuroo stroked his chin as if he's thinking, he sighed after a couple of seconds.
"I like sunflowers because they're bright and big."
Kenma maintained a poker face as he looked at his friend.
"And why are you giving this to me? I thought you liked them." Kenma handed him the sunflower but Kuroo shook his head.
"No, it's for you. You should treasure it because it came from me." The young Kuroo said cockily. The proud child walks ahead, leaving Kenma behind.
Kenma stared at the yellow flower that's above his head.
"A bright and big flower..." He whispered before following Kuroo.
Kenma receives different kinds of sunflowers every single day in his middle school. Either it is a common sunflower, a Maximillian sunflower or a perennial sunflower. He concluded Kuroo really loves the flower and shares it with him.
Everyday, he waits for Kuroo near the bus station and guesses what kind of sunflower will be given to him. It became one of his daily routines. Before long, Kenma liked the flower. But, he didn't just like the flower, he started to grow a liking for the one who's giving him the flower.
Kuroo. At first look, he seemed shy and quiet but after knowing him deeply. He really is loud, energetic and persistent. He's the one who made Kenma play volleyball at high school.
Day after day, the sprout of inexplicable feeling grew bigger.
"Here, a sunflower a day drives the sadness away." Kuroo gave a stem of a Maximillian sunflower to him.
"Thanks, you often give me this kind of sunflower, were you out of money or something?" Kenma frankly asked what made Kuroo sneer.
"Hey! It's not that. A common sunflower is big, I'm shy to carry it with me, it'll be a center of attraction." Kuroo looked away and pouted a little.
"Ah! Don't worry about it, I'll bring a big sunflower tomorrow." At that, Kuroo started walking to the bus and left Kenma behind.
Kenma laughed secretly and followed him.
Little did he know, the Maximillian sunflower will be the last flower he'll receive from Kuroo.
That day happened in Kuroo's last year in high school, before the training camp with different schools including with the Karasuno High School.
Kenma didn't mind it and since Kuroo stopped giving him sunflowers, he grew attached to taking care of flowers and plants. He even had a rack of potted plants in his home, he may not look like it, but he really adores the plants especially the sunflower because it reminds him of someone.
Kuroo...
When Kuroo became a freshman in college, Kenma was in his third year highschool. Ever since then, Kenma seldom sees him. Maybe once a month or twice every three months. But that doesn't make his feelings go away.
In his third year, a training camp was held at their school. He met the Fukurodani's captain, Akaashi Keiji who's in love with flowers like him.
"Woah, you like sunflowers?" Akaashi pointed to his little sunflower keychain hanging in his bag.
Kenma nodded and looked at Akaashi. Akaashi is holding his keychain. "Look, I like delphinium. I particularly like blue flowers."
"I like roses but I like sunflowers the most." Kenma looked at the wooden floor of the gym.
"Sunflowers are often associated with loyalty and longevity. Oh, you must have someone you love for a long time."
That made Kenma look at Akaashi who's smiling at him.
"I'm correct, right?" A soft chuckle came from Akaashi's lips.
"Don't bother, I won't ask who it is. But sunflowers are great flowers, it also symbolizes faithfulness and happiness. You have a good taste plus the fact that your hair looks like a sunflower." Akaashi pointed to his pudding head.
Kenma didn't answer but his grip tightened on the strap of his bag.
After that meeting, they became good friends because of Akaashi's persistency. They've gone into the same college while Kuroo got into his training.
From: Kuroo (Sent February 23rd at 5:27 pm)
[I knew the training was hard but I didn't expect it to be this hard! I'm sorry Kenma, I'm not able to meet up with you, I'll rest in my free time.]
Kenma turned off his phone and looked straight in front of him.
"Is there something wrong?" Akaashi, who's walking by his side asked.
"Nothing." He simply answered as they continued walking.
He misses him so much, he hasn't seen Kuroo for 2 months and they're supposed to meet up this Saturday to bond.
The 2 months became 3 and 3 months became half a year. Kenma sighed, it's his last year in college. They were in a cafe and talking about a business they'll start right after their graduation.
From: Kenma (Sent December 3rd at 10:45 am)
[Hey, Kuroo. Akaashi and I will be business partners.]
He received no reply.
After two days.
From: Kuroo (Sent December 5th at 11:11 pm)
[That's great! I'll visit you when I have time.]
Kenma didn't reply anymore. He thought that if he didn't talk to Kuroo, his flowering feelings for him would be gone for good but failed.
He's unable to take his feelings away from him even though he's not seeing him nor talking to him.
"Sunflower symbolizes faithfulness and constancy." Akaashi read out loud that made Kenma look at him.
Akaashi noticed it. "Oh, sorry. I read it out loud."
'Faithfulness and constancy, huh?' Kenma thought.
After their graduation, Kenma and Akaashi started a business as planned.
They started a flower shop named BELLE FLEUR and it's been running for 2 years. Kuroo is now a police officer and was assigned in the city precinct.
Up until now, his feelings for his childhood friend remained blooming.
-
Kenma stood up from the squat and carried the watering can inside the shop. After putting the watering can in the supply room, he wore the shop's yellow apron.
The bell rang. A man entered the shop.
"Good morning, how may I help you?" Kenma greeted the man who just entered their flower shop. The man chose a bouquet of red roses, he nodded and smiled a bit. "Who will you give it to, sir?"
The man smiled at him after getting his wallet. "I'll give it to my girlfriend, it's a 2nd anniversary gift."
Kenma congratulated the man before going to the arrangement table to arrange a bouquet of roses. He made it extra special since it's going to be an anniversary present. He added a few more roses and tied it with a bright red ribbon.
"Here you go, thanks for waiting." Kenma handed the bouquet of roses to the man. The man was stunned before looking at him. "This is different from the arrangement I wanted, it's more beautiful! I should give you a tip."
Kenma shook his head.
"No need, sir. It's your special day, everything needs to be beautiful."
"Thank you so much, I'll make sure to come back again." The man smiled and shook his hand before giving the payment to him.
After the customer leaves their shop, he's back on his bored and emotionless face, Kenma's daily routine when a customer enters and leaves. It's really tiring for him though he really adores the flowers so he doesn't mind.
"Good morning, Kenma." Akaashi greeted him while he's watering the daisies using a spray. "As expected, I can't really get ahead of you in terms of opening the shop."
Kenma just shrugged at him and continued watering the flowers while Akaashi went to the staff room to get his apron.
BELLE FLEUR means beautiful flower, that's the name of their flower shop where they sell different kinds of potted plants, flowers and servicing flower arrangements.
"You're done watering the daisies?" Akaashi asked. He's now wearing a blue apron, he sat on the sofa provided for the customers.
"Yeah." Kenma put the spray on the mini table and sat on the chair. He sat down and pulled his Nintendo Switch out of his bag.
"Today is a holiday, right? Typically, we have more customers on this day." Akaashi crossed his arms and sighed.
Kenma shrugged without taking his eyes off his game.
"You're surprisingly quiet today, Kenma." Akaashi commented while checking a potted daisy on the mini table.
"I am always quiet, you're just not used to it since you're surrounded with noisy men." Kenma said in a low voice and without blinking. He continued tapping and pressing the buttons in his Nintendo Switch, he heard Akaashi sighed.
"You're right, Bokuto-san is already troublesome then there's Kuroo-san in addition." Akaashi chuckled.
'GAME OVER'
Kenma froze as he heard the name of his childhood friend.
"That's Kenma for you, I rarely hear that 'game over' when you're playing." Akaashi quoted in the air with an emotionless face. Kenma just stared at him for seconds then back to his game.
Kenma lost count on how many months he last saw him, Kuroo is pretty busy these days. They're just texting and sometimes, Kuroo doesn't reply.
Time flies fast, it's already 5 in the afternoon. At his eighth game, Kenma stopped and stood up to do some stretching. Akaashi was probably fertilizing the soil.
The bell rang, a sign that someone entered their shop.
"Yo, Kenma. Long time no see." Kuroo smirked and waved his hand to Kenma.
Kenma froze while looking at the man who just entered. It's Kuroo.
His heart beat faster like he's been running all day.
"Y-yo." He stuttered.
Kuroo chuckled and roamed his eyes around the shop.
"There are so many kinds of flowers here. How are you now? Sorry I was very busy these days." Kuroo said.
He still can't do anything about his bed hair, His body looks more mature since Kenma last saw him, he can tell because he's just wearing a blue fitted jacket and black pants.
Kenma hesitated to answer but it would be rude if he didn't.
"I-I'm fine."
"That's great! I saw those beautiful sunflowers outside, you take care of them?" Kuroo pointed the sunflowers outside their shop through the glass window of the shop.
"Yes. What are you doing here?" Kenma looked at his eyes.
Kuroo smirked, "come on Kenma. Don't you miss your childhood friend?" He spread his arms wide as if he's waiting for Kenma to hug him.
"Stop playing around, Kuroo. What are you doing here?" Kenma crossed his arms.
"Hey, don't be like that Kenma. It's as if we're not friends. You're not going to ask if I'm fine?" Kuroo asked.
Friends...
"You seemed fine." Kenma answered with an emotionless face.
Kuroo noticed his hair. "You grew your hair. It suits you." Kuroo gave him a thumbs up.
"Should I thank you?"
"Yes." Kuroo answered.
"No." He answered back.
"Yes." Kuroo protested.
"No." He insisted.
Kuroo shut up for a couple of seconds. "Yes."
"No, seriously." Kenma shook his head.
Kuroo laughed, "Ah, I miss the good ol' times."
Kenma hid his smile, he knew it, talking to Kuroo is still the best and comfortable.
"I asked what are you doing here?" Kenma returned to his seat and maintained a straight face.
"Ah, I almost forgot. I'm here to get flowers." Kuroo pulled his wallet from his jacket.
"What kind of flowers? Sunflowers?" Kenma asked.
His childhood friend shook his head. "No, it's not for me. I want a bouquet of roses."
He frowned at Kuroo, "for who?"
Kuroo smirked and showed him his wallet.
Kenma saw a photo of Kuroo with a guy who has blonde hair and wears glasses.
"I'm in a relationship for almost a year so I visited your shop." Kuroo proudly said.
At that moment, Kenma couldn't say a word. His chest hurts and feels like a stem of rose filled with thorns pierced his heart.