Work Text:
Jiang Cheng entered the flower shop mentally cursing himself, between insults thinking that he should have called the florist in the morning asking him to reserve a bouquet of peonies, or even to have bought the day before.
It was his mother's birthday and these were her favorite flowers, and from what he had seen, this was the last flower shop still open.
If he didn't got them he wouldn't arrive empty handed, he had bought her a pair of earrings the week before. But the flowers were traditional, and often when she received the flowers his mother would give him one of her smiles and that was a rare enough event to make the purchase worthwhile.
He saw a large bouquet of red peonies down the hall and walked over to them, only to feel another hand brushing against his when he leaned over to pick it up. In the half second that had passed since the moment he felt the hand he had decided that he was not going to give up the bouquet at all. This decision, however, took less hold in the next second when he saw the face of the person to whom that hand belonged.
It was a woman, and Jiang Cheng noticed two things about her in that first moment. First that she was exceptionally beautiful, and second that she looked sad. However, the sadness disappeared the second their eyes met, replaced by a neutral expression.
He pulled his hand away from the bouquet and said:
"You can have it, I don't mind"
Jiang Cheng hoped that the woman would refuse and that he would have to insist on a politeness game and that if she refused it a second time he would say okay and keep the bouquet for himself. But instead she took the bouquet and said:
"Thank you. They are my brother's favorites ”
"Are you buying flowers for your brother?"
"Yes, why ?"
“Nothing, I just never saw a man receiving flowers from a woman. Or at least I never did”
"Would you like to receive flowers?"
“Yes, I think I would. But you have to admit that it is somewhat unusual ”
She narrowed her eyes.
"Are you trying to make me give up the bouquet?"
Jiang Cheng felt a little embarrassed, that was a little bit what he was doing.
"I'm just curious"
“My brother is at a hospital, he has to stay there from time to time but it seems that this time it will take a while for him to leave so I think it will brighten his room. Peonies are his favorites ”
“Oh, right. I'm sorry to have asked ”
"It's all right. And yours, who would it be for? ”
“My mom, it's her birthday. Peonies are also her favorites ”
"Oh" she said and looked at the bouquet in her arms.
She seemed to be about to say that he could have the flowers then, but for his own surprise, Jiang Cheng found himself saying:
“But the white camellias are looking pretty, too. I think I'll take them.” he said, already taking one of the bouquets and going to the cashier in front of her.
He had lied, he knew his mother would not like camellias that much, but he was not sorry for the decision. He was thinking about that second before she realized he was looking at her, when she looked sad, that maybe behind her neutral expression she was sad still. And that when she gave her brother the flowers he would smile and seeing that she would feel as happy as Jiang Cheng usually felt when he saw his mother smile.
He walked over to his car, and started searching his pockets for keys when he saw that the woman from the store was walking up to him.
She stopped a step away from him, and pulled some of the flower stems out of the bouquet and held out her hand to him.
Jiang Cheng felt himself blushing.
"It’s for your mother, I was thinking that you can mix with the camellias, so your mother will receive her favorite flowers on her birthday" she clarified.
"Oh yes. Of course. That makes sense ...is very kind of you. Thank you"
"You're welcome. Are you going to get the flowers or not? ”
"Yes, of course" he took the flowers and for a second, as the instant they met, his fingers brushed against hers.
"And now you can say that at least once a woman gave you flowers"
He laughed softly.
"Yes, I think I can"
"Bye then"
"Bye"
Before she walked away Jiang Cheng saw the beginning of a smile on the woman's face.
In the car he arranged the bouquet for his mother with the peonies he had received, but he kept one for himself as a reminder of the woman who gave him flowers.
Only when he started driving he thought he should have asked her name.