Work Text:
It had been a year since you'd moved from the bustling city of New York to the calm, quiet community. You were invited by your good friends, Prudence and Warren, after the city became something you disliked greatly.
When you arrived, a tall, dark-haired, stocky man greeted you. He was exceedingly polite, always addressing you as "miss", and insisting he carry your luggage to the small house you would be living in. You were smitten with him immediately.
Prudence had told you about him and what a sweet, gentle soul he was. She had said that Connor may seem cold at first, but as you get to know him, he would warm up to you.
Prudence was, of course, right. You got some fruits from Prudence's farm and decided to bake a pie for him. It was a meager thanks for such a generous act of letting you live on his land, but it was a start.
When you brought the baked good and knocked on the door, you didn't know what you'd expected. You should have known he didn't live alone in that mansion of a house. But you were surprised when the door was answered not by Connor, but a dark-skinned man, hunched over a cane.
You introduced yourself, presented the pie, and asked if Connor was around. The old man called for Connor, but he got no answer.
"He's just a bit shy, is all," the old man assured you. "Name's Achilles."
You liked Achilles right away. He had a no-nonsense attitude that you admired. After a short chat, he accepted your food and you left. You glanced back at the manor and saw Connor peaking from behind the curtains in a window.
---
"What's the matter now, boy?" Achilles asked. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were afraid of that nice girl."
"I don't know, Achilles. I just...panicked."
Achilles laughed.
"What's so funny?" Connor growled.
"I'd know this behavior anywhere. You like her."
Connor said nothing, but shook his head in frustration and stormed up to his room.
---
That had been a year ago. Since then, Connor had slowly come to accept his feelings for you, and he admitted them to Achilles.
He wanted to tell you how he felt, but he was afraid. He had never liked anyone the way he likes you. Connor asked Achilles the best course of action, and Achilles suggested flowers.
There were plenty of flowers scattered across the fields of the Homestead. He recalled one instance where he had gathered some flowers from atop a cliff at Prudence's suggestion, to help Norris woo Myriam. He would start there.
After gathering a full bouquet of flowers for you, he returned to the manor to gather his courage.
Connor wrung his hands. But he decided it was now or never, and he set out to find you at your house.
---
You had been folding your laundry when there was a soft, barely audible knock on the door.
"Who could that be?" you wondered aloud. Putting down your clothes, you opened the door to find Connor, looking rigid and uncomfortable.
"Ah, Connor!" you stuttered, rushing to straighten a kink in your hair. "How lovely to see you today."
Connor said nothing. You could see him swallow and his breathing was slightly labored. His arms were behind his back.
"Is there something the matter, Connor?"
"Uh..." Connor's face was hot and his neck was sweating out of nerve. Before you could say anything else, his hands whipped out from behind his back and he presented to you a large bouquet of a variety of flowers. A smile erupted on your face.
"Oh, these are lovely!" He gently pressed them into your hands. You went into your house and put the flowers into a vase of water. When you returned, Connor was already speeding back to the manor.
"Wait!" you cried, jogging to catch up. Connor heard you and nearly tripped over his own feet turning around.
When you caught up with him, you could suddenly feel the nervousness that he felt. Your throat was dry and tight, and you struggled to speak.
"I...um..." you trailed off, face hot. He eagerly waited for you to speak, but you couldn't force the words out of your mouth.
So you settled for the next best thing and stood on your toes to give him a shy kiss on the cheek.
Connor's eyes went wide and you could feel his face rise in temperature from under your lips. He began sputtering nonsense at you, and it was several seconds before he said anything coherent.
"Th-th-thank you!" he half-shouted with a tiny smile before darting back to the manor.
Your grin spread from ear to ear as you returned to your own house.