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If there was one thing Sugawara Koushi was not, it was wealthy. It usually didn’t bother him; he enjoyed his job, and it paid enough to pay his bills and keep him fed, so why would he ever need more? Money doesn’t bring happiness. That’s what Sugawara had been told his entire life, anyway. Though, he was positive he’d be a bit happier if his wallet didn’t feel lighter than a feather and the drive home from the vet wasn’t filled with the cries of a cat sounding like it was being eaten alive.
Seriously, who in the hell eats toxic plants for fun?
Apparently, Keroppi.
Groaning as his reserved space was already parked in by the nimrod that lived on the floor above him, Sugawara parked two blocks down from his apartment building. He huffed as he picked up Keroppi’s carrier and began walking to his building, feet dragging against the pavement as Keroppi screamed bloody murder the entire way. Ignoring the weird looks from the family that lived next door, he powered up the stairs. Sugawara was far past the point of giving a damn who looked at him. He was too hungry, too tired. After struggling with his keys, he unlocked the front door and set the cat carrier down in the entryway.
“MREOOW!” Sugawara gave the carrier a dull stare, then took his shoes off, hung his coat on the rack and tossed his car keys on the coffee table. “MREEEOW!”
“Kerri, we would not be in the situation if you hadn't eaten my fucking monstera.” He crouched down and undid the clasp on her carrier. She sniffed his fingers and bounded away, him muttering after her a sarcastic, “you’re welcome.”
Sitting down in his kitchen, he was eager to be home. Going to the vet in the early morning and not getting back home until late that evening was not exactly how he had originally planned to spend his only day off that week. It wasn’t even his plan b. Now, he’d have to find the time in his schedule to go through the list the vet had given him and make sure he got rid of every single toxic plant in his home. Or at least kept them out of her stupid little claws. Sugawara wasn’t sure if he’d ever be ready to say goodbye to his begonias.
Damn cat.
Damn monstera.
Damn plants.
Sugawara was a stubborn man, if anything. He didn’t give a damn what anyone else’s two cents were, and he did what he wanted. While he did not regret adopting Keroppi, his mother did tell him getting a cat the minute he moved out was a bad idea. He ignored her, of course, and got Keroppi anyway.
And now his apartment was suffering.
The sound of claws ripping leather snapped Sugawara out of his thoughts and he sprinted back into the living room. Keroppi looked back up at him, green eyes big and grey fur all ruffled in surprise. Before she could make a run for it, Sugawara lunged and grabbed her underneath her arms, pulling her white socks off the couch.
He cradled her in his arms and groaned for what felt like the millionth time that day. “You,” he muttered sternly, “are such an ass.” The kitten looked at him, her tiny head tilting. She tried to bat at Sugawara’s face. “No, quit,” he snorted, “You can’t just tear up my shit every time I leave the room. Look,” he pointed to a flat piece of cardboard and a cylinder wrapped in rope, “You have two scratching posts.” He paused, “outlets, toys, whatever. The terminology doesn’t matter. You’re dumb. And a cat. You don’t listen to me anyways.” She bopped him in the nose.
Knowing he wasn’t going to be able to reason with a six-month-old kitten who was too fixated on gnawing on his thumb, Sugawara set her down. The moment her paws made contact with the floor, she scampered away, her little tail sticking up in the air like an antenna.
That tiny train wreck was much more of a hassle than Sugawara had initially anticipated.
The couch wasn’t the first victim to suffer her wrath. She made a habit of ripping at the screen door to his balcony, the curtains she used like aerial silks, and Sugawara couldn’t go into his bathroom without stepping on the kitty litter she kicked everywhere. She ripped open the bag her kibble came in. Sugawara had to take everything off his counters and tables because she decided nothing could be safe on them.
Not to mention her eating his plants. Specifically the poisonous ones.
Damn cat.
Stupid plants.
A loud grumble pulled Sugawara from his sulk. He hadn’t eaten yet, had he? He had only gotten through half a bagel before Keroppi decided to puke her guts out on his carpet that morning. Humming to himself, Sugawara decided on a meal and went to his kitchen to begin cooking. Keroppi circled him as he chopped vegetables, occasionally mewling at him for her own dinner. When she realized he wasn’t going to feed her at the moment, she stretched up his leg until he picked her up. She crawled across his shoulder and laid down, content to watch him cook.
Just as he put the meat in the oven, Sugawara’s phone rang loudly, causing Keroppi to jump and dig her claws into his upper arm. Calmly, Sugawara removed her claws and checked for blood. Seeing none, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed it to his ear, greeting the caller with a dead,
“Hello?”
“Suga! Hey! How are you? You sound… I mean this in a concerned way, but you sound awful.”
A smile crept onto Sugawara’s face. The familiar voice sounded like home. “Hey Yamaguchi,” he chuckled, putting his phone between his shoulder and ear, “rough day. I just got home. How’ve you been?”
“Bleh, I called, so I could check up on you, not the other way around.”
“My cat’s a dick and I need to get rid of my monstera, among others.”
“Cat? And you mean that big plant with the holes, right?”
“Yeah, that’s the one,” Sugawara hummed, “though I totally missed the opportunity for a dirty joke. Remember? That was like half the reason I moved.”
“You moved because our boss wanted you at the other location. Plus, I thought you said you couldn’t have pets at your apartment?”
“I may have snuck her in.”
“Suga!”
“Yamaguchi!”
“You could get in trouble!”
“Eh,” Sugawara shrugged, “I wouldn’t be Sugawara Koushi if I wasn’t doing some kind of crime.” Hearing Yamaguchi take a long breath, Sugawara giggled, “I’ll send you some pictures. She’s so cute, Yams.”
“What’s her name?”
“Keroppi.”
“Like the frog?”
“The one and only.”
“Okay, I’ll admit it, that’s cute.”
Sugawara paused to scratch her nose, and continued in a baby voice, “I know.”
“You should check out some local plant shops though. I’m sure you could find some new plants. I have a friend from school that works for his family’s shop up there. He’s like just barely younger than you. And such hard ass. But I think you two would get along!”
“You just said he was a hard ass.”
“He does it in, like, a cool dad kinda way.”
Sugawara snickered, “what’s the shop called?”
“I think it’s called Sawamura Seeds.”
A moment of silence.
“Don’t make the joke I know you’re thinking.”
“I’ll check it out tomorrow,” he grumbled.
“Good. Daichi mostly does arrangements, but the shop has more than that.” Sugawara looked the shop up on his phone, and saved the address for later. “Enough about plants, How’ve you been?”
Yamaguchi sounded like home and the corners of Sugawara’s mouth tilted upward. “I’ve been okay--”
“Just okay? C’mon Suga! Gimme something!”
Sugawara huffed out a laugh, “Jeez Yams. Yes, it’s nice here.”
“So, what about your new job? Are your new coworkers nice? Do you like the new location?”
“It’s definitely more,” his voice trailed off as he scraped at his brain for the right word, gaining volume again when he said, “busy.”
“Busy good or busy bad?”
“A mix of the two.”
“How different is it?”
“It’s the same stuff I did back at home, Yams,” Sugawara grinned as he plucked Keroppi off his shoulder; she let out a displeased mewl. “Just in a new place.” He tucked a lock of ash colored hair behind his ear and took a pan from one of his bottom cabinets. “How’s it back home? Who ended up taking my place?” He turned the front burner on his stove to a high heat and put in a generous slab of butter, melting immediately as it hit the pan. The smell was enough to make his mouth water.
“I did!”
“Oh wow, congratulations! I told you were more than qualified” A warm, proud feeling fluttered in Sugawara’s chest. “I’m sure you’re doing great.”
“Ah,” Yamaguchi nervously giggled, “I’m not too sure about that. They’re big shoes to fill.”
“Oh come on, Yamaguchi. You’re giving me too much credit.” Sugawara added his vegetables to the pan. They hissed as he sprinkled a few different spices on them. He opened a drawer looking for something to stir the veggies and pulled out a fork. “I was a manager at a café . The most I ever did was be polite to asshole customers when I really wanted to clock ‘em in the nose.”
“Suga, I honestly do not know how you do it. It’s hard,” he let out a sigh.
Sugawara’s smile faltered, and he hummed, “I know. You’ll get used to it though. You can always call me to rant about a shitty customer.”
The two shared a laugh, but Yamaguchi was cut short and Sugawara heard a muffled voice come through the phone speaker. He couldn’t make out the words, but the voice was vaguely familiar. It took him a second, but when he connected the dots, he smiled a shit-eating grin and sang, “Yamaguchi, do you have a boy over?”
Flustered, Yamaguchi gasped, “Suga!”
“Is that the blondie customer you were always flirting with on the job?” Sugawara stirred his veggies with a smirk.
“N-no!”
“Oh, it totally is! I called it!”
“Shut up! You didn’t call anything,” Yamaguchi cried out, so obviously embarrassed and Sugawara could tell from his high pitched voice his face was redder than a Crayola crayon.
“Well, I’m going to let you go since your boyfriend is over. Tell glasses I said hi, okay?”
“WE AREN'T DATING YET!”
“Bye Yamaguchi! I’ll check out a plant shop tomorrow after work.”
He didn't wait for a response to end the call, stuffing the phone in his back pocket again with a small chuckle. Keroppi rubbed against his leg and Sugawara looked down at her, only for her to yowl at him. He set his fork down and covered the vegetables, then squatted down and sat on his heels to scratch the top of her head. She turned her head and pressed into his hand.
Clicking his tongue, Sugawara muttered, “add that to the list, huh?” Keroppi looked at him with her big green eyes and blinked slowly. “You hungry?” Another blink. “Thought so.”
Sugawara pushed himself up and grabbed her bowl, opening a can of cat food, and it plopped against the ceramic with a loud smack. as he set it down for Keroppi, it clattered against the checkered tiled floor. She immediately scarfed the food down. He finished cooking and plated his own food, eating it as he stood in the kitchen, “too hungry” to take the time to go sit down at the table.
Not to his or anyone else’s surprise, he didn’t get to check out the shop the next day. Or the day after. He should’ve told Yamaguchi he’d go on his next day off, because then he wouldn’t feel so bad about falling though on his word. Not that Yamaguchi would care, but it did make him feel guilty. It wasn’t until the day his mom came to take his precious begonias and other plants did Sugawara actually go check out the local shops.
“Kou,” his mother cooed, voice sweet, as if she hadn’t just taken Sugawara’s one love, “your apartment looks so… empty without all the greenery.”
“And who’s fault is that,” he snapped back playfully, though his disappointment was clear.
She walked over to him where he was slumped over his dining table and rubbed circles into his back to comfort him. She made a hmph noise and said, “well, that won’t do.”
“I resent the tone of your voice.”
“Why is that?”
He turned to look at her. “You sound like you’re planning something, ma.”
“And if I am?”
“Then don’t.”
Ignoring him, she clapped her hands together and smiled, “We should go check out some places down here! Get you some new plants, have mommy-son bonding time,” she paused and quickly said, “findyouaboyfriend.”
“Mom.”
“What?”
“You’re embarrassing.”
“Since when is helping your son score embarrassing?”
Sugawara shot up in his seat and gave her a bewildered stare. “Jesus Mom! Do you know what score means?”
“It means to get a date.”
“Who told you that?”
“Your brother. Why? Is that not what it means?”
Exasperated, Sugawara brushed his hands through his hair. “Don’t listen to Eiji anymore.”
“Why?”
Not answering her, Sugawara jumped up from his spot and headed to the door, his keys clinking together as he took them from the rack and spun them on his finger. He opened the front door and stuck his foot out to stop Keroppi from running out and called to his mom, “You coming?”
She was quick on his tail, following him to his car. When she sat down in the shotgun seat, he gave her his phone and asked her to look up the one Yamaguchi had recommended.
When they arrived Sugawara was first to step out and marvel at the front. It was a small place, but small in the way a cozy cabin felt small. The exterior was a pretty red brick that made the shop look like it should’ve been a part of a historic downtown. The entrance was set inwards and decorated with black accents and two displays, one of multiple blooming bouquets, the other of small leafy potted plants. The name, Sawamura Seeds, was painted beautifully on the big storefront window, and a flowering vine Sugawara couldn’t recognize grew up the window sill, giving the whole place a sort or rustic vibe.
Hesitantly, Sugawara pushed the front door and stepped in, the bell on top ringing a welcome. He held it open for his mom, and she quickly began looking around. The interior was as impressive as the outside, bursting with life, green on every shelf.
This place was just his type.
As he stepped next to the counter, a man about his height came out from the back of the store and Sugawara stopped dead in his tracks.
What are the chances he happened to be just his type too?
The guy brushed his strong hands on his beige apron, making his name tag clink against his metal pins and leaving a grass stain on his sides. His chocolate colored hair was short and brushed to the side. His white tee-shirt was tight on his body, and the color contrasted nicely with his tan skin. He had a more athletic build, and Sugawara swore his jawline was sharper than his favorite kitchen knife. The man’s eyes darted to Sugawara’s mother, but settled on him. Their eyes met only a second, before the man’s skin flushed, and Sugawara couldn’t help but think, cute.
“Hello,” the man greeted, voice low and smooth like honey. “How can I help you today?”
Sugawara blinked. How could one man be so damn hot? It wasn’t fair.
He looked around for his mother and spotted her smelling a bouquet. Deciding he was safe from being teased later, Sugawara said, “I was looking for some kind of plant that’d be nontoxic for cats. I don't want mine getting sick again.”
“Yeah, I think we have some that would be fine for cats. Are you looking for something with flowers or would any kind of plant do?”
“I, uh, don’t have a preference, but I’d like something that’s easy to care for.”
He nodded and led Sugawara to a large plant in a red pot. It had big dark droopy leaves and pale yellow flowers with white hoods protecting them. “Peace lilies would be fine. They’re low maintenance. They need low to medium light, and they don't have to be watered often.” Sugawara circled the plant, lightly touching the petals and leaves. “What's your name?”
“Suga,” he said looking up. The man had his head turned away and arms crossed over his chest like he was embarrassed. “Your name is Sawamura, right? I’m assuming because of the shop’s name.”
“Yeah, but I usually go by my given name.” He paused, then awkwardly rushed out, “which is Daichi.”
Sugawara choked on a giggle, “It’s nice to meet you, Daichi.” Catching sight of the pins on Daichi’s apron, Sugawara noted one was a volleyball. He was never really into it, it felt like glorified Don't Let the Balloon Hit the Floor to him, but he knew Yamaguchi used to play. The second was a round pink Nintendo character with its mouth wide open. Sugawara only recognised that one because his brother used to hog the wii. The third was a blue and green flag, and Sugawara was far too familiar with what that meant.
Oh.
Oh.
He’s like me.
Sugawara looked at Daichi, his face twisted like a child’s and thought, gay.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Daichi stuttered, scrunching his nose up. Cute. Ah, he was so cute. He tapped his foot against the linoleum tile flooring and scratched at his hands. “Do you live around here?”
“I live in the city.”
“Really? How’d you hear about us?”
“My friend, Yamaguchi. He says he knows you. He also said you were a hard ass and my age.”
“You know Yamaguchi? Wait-- he said I was a hard ass?”
“If it makes it any better, he said it was in, and I quote, cool dad way.”
“Of course he did,” Daichi groaned, picking up a small potted plant with delicate purple flowers. “This is an African violet. Fairly easy to take care of.” He handed it to Sugawara. “How’d you meet Yamaguchi?”
Sugawara admired the plant while he talked, “Work. I was his boss for a while.”
“At the coffee shop?”
“Mh-hm. You two met through school, right?”
“I was his upperclassmen and volleyball captain.”
“Yamaguchi was a front row player, right?”
Daichi made an affirmative noise.
“What was your position then?”
“We ran a five-one, so setter’s opposite.”
“I have no idea what that means.”
“Oh, sorry, in volleyball you have to rotate around the court to serve, so in the rotation, I played the opposite of the setter.”
“You’re gonna have to dumb it down for me. I did cello in school, not sports.”
“Right side hitter and right back, depending on our setter.”
“I kind of get that. Emphasis on the kind of.” Daichi chuckled. “So, do you still workout?”
“Every other day after work.”
“No wonder you're so thick,” Sugawara muttered.
Quiet.
Quiet.
“What?”
He blinked, realizing he had said that out loud, and his skin burned . He might as well have laid his pride out in the street and ran over four and a half times. His eyes darted to his mother who let out a barking laugh. Daichi’s eyes were wide in… shock? Embarrassment? Sugawara wasn’t sure. “Sorry! I didn’t-- That came out wrong! I meant you’re, God how do I put this, athletic-- Muscle-y-- good-looking-- MOM STOP LAUGHING,” he sputtered, clamping his mouth shut.
Daichi’s cheeks turned red once more. “Thank you? I--”
“No,” Sugawara shushed him, “That didn’t happen. We have never met. My name is Sugawara Koushi and I have never called you hot in my life because we are only just now meeting.”
“Can we talk about what happened?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. You should show me another plant, Daichi.”
Daichi breathed in and straightened his back, but the color never left his face. “O-okay. This is a Chinese money plant.”
“The leaves are round.”
“Astute observation, Koushi,” his mom chimed in, still giggling from his little outburst, “I wonder why it’s called a Chinese money plant.”
He rolled his eyes and ignored her. Daichi went on to show him a few more, Sugawara picking a few, setting his favorites on the counter in the front. Conversation was easy with Daichi. While sometimes, it was awkward, it was still fun. It made him dread his lonely apartment more and more with each plant he rang up.
“Will that be all for you two today?”
Their eyes met for a second, and Sugawara frowned, “yeah, I think so.” He turned to his mother and handed her his keys. “Can you unlock the car and pop the trunk?”
“Yep. I’ll meet you out there.” She stepped out of the store.
Sugawara paid for his plants and was ready to begin packing his stuff when Daichi reached over the counter and grabbed his wrist. Shocked, Sugawara froze, waiting for Daichi to say something.
“Let me help you take them out.”
And he did.
It was a little sad having to say goodbye knowing he would probably never see Daichi again. It was more than a little tiring having to carry the plants up the stairs to his apartment with only his mother’s help. It was even more frustrating when Keroppi tried to dart out of the front door every time they opened it. When they were done, his mother made herself at home, washing her hands in the kitchen sink as Sugawara sank into his clawed up couch, Keroppi chirping at him and curling up on his chest.
As tired as he was, he was happy. It was quiet. It was a broken terracotta pot and dirt on his kitchen floor. It was his ankles getting bit by his little terror kitten. It was home, it was perfect, and he was too stubborn to even think about any change.
“I didn’t realize you bought one of the bouquets,” his mom said, breaking the long stretch of silence.
He would’ve sat up, if it weren’t for Keroppi asleep on him. “I didn’t. What’re you talking about?”
She didn’t answer him verbally, but she did grab a vase from in between his new additions and bring it to the living room for him. It was a beautiful arrangement, really. White carnations balancing the pale yellow roses, baby’s breath and lamb's ear falling in the background to let the main flowers shine. There was a ribbon tied around the lip of the vase and his mother pulled out a piece of paper from the flowers. She read it silently, smiled, and folded and handed the note to him before leaving the living room, Sugawara hearing her set the vase down on his dining room table.
There wasn’t much in the note, only one word scribbled in all caps followed by a phone number.
Dinner?
Maybe just this once though. Sugawara supposed this change would be okay.
A smile crept onto Sugawara’s lips as quickly picked up his phone and texted, “It’s not a good business practice to give away free flowers. Pick me up from work tomorrow around six.”