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Gentle chime of the bell hanging over the door frame woke Chiffon up from his amazement. Going to a flower shop did come with the expectation of being met with countless flowers and plants, but this corner store was straight out from a fairytale.
Having walked through the door, he was instantly met with a lovely array of hyacinths, camellias, irises, and peonies in various colors placed neatly in groups on his right, displayed right in front of the huge window where passers-by could take a peek into the shop. Chiffon had been in such a hurry that all he did was check if the address was correct before storming in. On his left were glass cabinets, or more like fridges, storing tulips and individually sold flowers such as roses. But the thing that originally caught his attention were all the flower bouquets hung from the ceiling, in such large numbers there barely was any ceiling visible underneath. Here and there hanging among the vast flower sea were some glass ornaments in a few different shapes and sizes, keeping the decorations interesting yet consistent.
The scent was like a soft embrace, filled with fresh and gentle notes with some barely noticeable sharper accents.
Chiffon looked towards the counter at the back of the shop for any sign of staff but as he didn’t notice anyone, he took a few shy steps deeper into the store. In the middle of everything, like a kitchen island, was a large aquarium with many tiny tropical fish inside. The shop would have been quiet if not for the white noise-like bubbling coming from the water tank’s electronic filter. Around the island were more flowers placed in big vases. Chiffon wasn’t sure of any of their names, but judging by the vibrant colors and unusual shapes they were just as tropical as all the fish. He leaned in closer to look into the water tank and tiny neontetras started swimming closer, seemingly curious of the client as well.
A muffled creak of a chair and quiet steps could be heard from the back of the shop and Chiffon straightened his back looking expectantly towards the source. Behind the cash register counter was an arched door frame leading to the staff’s room. ”How might I help you today?” sounded a friendly, honey-like voice already slightly before it’s owner stepped to the main room.
Chiffon’s eyes were met by a man who was around his age, mid or late twenties. Dark, chocolate colored, layered short hair styled neatly yet still individual strands framing his gorgeous face. His features and whole presence were overflowing with a welcoming, open and kind aura fitting to his smile. As it was early Summer, he was wearing a neutral pastel colored t-shirt with it’s short sleeves rolled up to reveal his toned arms. His right arm was filled with large, mostly monochromous tattoos, but showed considerably more bare skin underneath compared to the full sleeve on his left arm. He even had tiny finger tattoos, at least two of them seeming to picture different lunar phases. But realizing he’d been able to decipher that much from several meters away got Chiffon to wake up from his staring. That, and the gentle reminder of his voice breaking the quiet ambience. ”Are you here to pick up an order?”
A quick headshake, followed by opening his mouth but no words left him. As he received a slightly confused look from the other he shook his head again and raised his hand slowly to rub the back of his neck, trying to ground himself. He took a deep breath that ended up being a bit too shaky for what he had intended but helped him to finally get somewhat of a grip.
”No I uhm… I saw that you sell roses separately here…?”
The clerk smiled at that and nodded, beginning to walk across the counter. ”Why yes we do, how many were you thinking of?” he asked with his smooth voice. Of course customer service came with it’s standards, but Chiffon was slightly taken aback by the overwhelmingly gentle and welcoming aura that was radiating from him. And despite him talking so formally, he didn’t make it awkward or load the room with an odd suspense that usually came from similar situations. The florist walked up to him and gave a subtle gesture at the cooler on the left side of the shop. Chiffon’s eyes lingered for a moment on the clerk’s neat plaid patterned jeans which were also eye catchingly tight around his thighs. He probably worked out if that and his slight arm muscles were enough of a hint.
Chiffon hoped the other man hadn’t noticed how he spent two or so seconds more than was absolutely necessary to look at him before his gaze shifted to the cooler.
”I was thinking of.. Only one,” he managed to answer and after a swift look over through the bucketfuls of different roses his mind felt clearer again. Seeing an exceptionally luscious yellow rose reminded him of the reason for this visit. ”Oh my friend is graduating today and I thought she’d like one of those long ones with glitter sprinkled on top. I saw some on the website,” Chiffon specified enthusiastically. That flower would be perfect with golden shimmer on top, just the right shade for his dear friend and her special day. Chiffon had always considered her as the embodiment of sun, being so radiating and giving light to his life more often than not, and wanted to express that for her. Luckily her favorite color was that lovely shade of buttercup yellow decorating the rose in his sight, easy on the eyes but very cheery nevertheless.
”Those are only made-to-order, you’d need to order one at least a day beforehand,” the florist answered with an apologetic tone.
”O-oh…” Chiffon said, feeling disheartened. He’d carefully considered this and took his time on selecting what kind of flower he wanted to get but had still missed that piece of information. That’s what one gets for leaving things until the last moment, he thought. He’d planned to quickly pick one up before heading to the party but maybe he should’ve bought it yesterday already on his way home. It wasn’t the end of the world by any means, he could still get that yellow rose and he was sure it’d look pretty enough by itself. Trying to assure himself, he nodded. ”Then… Could I have that yellow one over there? Just like that?”
The clerk nodded and took it out of the water bucket, gently shaking the last drops off of it’s stem and closed the glass door. He peeked at Chiffon in a subtle manner before angled his head and looked towards a rustic clock with roman numbers above the staff room’s door frame for a few seconds. As he turned his head back to Chiffon he flashed a friendly smile once again.
”If you’re not in a hurry, I can make an exception and decorate it for you?”
”H-huh? Oh you don’t have to, it was my mistake,” Chiffon quickly declined. He really didn’t want to make any customer service worker’s job harder than it needed to be, even if this would be something small. He made a mental note to himself to remember read the product information next time.
But to his surprise the other man just shook his head and was already walking to the counter. ”It’d be anything but troublesome, you’re the only customer in our shop right now and it’s been a quiet day. Topping flowers with glitter doesn’t take much time at all, pre-ordering is just our store’s policy but not a law,” he explained and gave a small chuckle at the end. Then he was already grabbing a muted red colored switchblade out of one of the drawers underneath the counter. With a well practiced grip he swiftly and effortlessly cut the stem shorter in a diagonal angle, then clicked the blade closed in half and put it away again. Then he popped the end of the stem into a tiny water tube to keep it fresh longer.
Chiffon took a short moment to ponder and consider if he’d be fine with just a regular rose, it’d be cheaper as well, but… He’d settled on the glitter option already when he walked in so he decided to hesitantly double-check. ”Is… It really okay?”
The florist nodded assuringly, never having ceased his warm smile that seemed slightly more friendly than your usual customer service face. ”It is. It’s very quick to do.”
He noticed how the formality had started to subside from his manner of speech but wasn’t complaining at all. It was easier to relax when being talked to more casually. Despite still wanting to decline out of being polite, Chiffon gave in and nodded to himself. ”Alright then. Uhm… I was thinking gold would look nice with that one,” he said shyly and closed the distance by walking a few steps to the counter.
The other man hummed and turned around to face a wide apothecary shelf right behind the counter. It had different sized compartments, drawers and partitions with neatly organized tools. Near the roof of the cupboard-like furniture they’d installed three wooden rods filled with different colored ribbons, arranged into rainbow order on the uppermost rods, then all the miscellaneous and special ribbons like lace were on the bottom one, in their discs for a cleaner look and easy measuring. He pulled two small jars with glitter from one of the drawers and placed them onto the counter’s marble surface.
”This one’s more of a classic deep gold shade and this one’s more of a softer champagne color,” he explained and let Chiffon take a closer look. He’d have personally chosen the champagne one but it wouldn’t be much of a contrast for the yellow rose so he eventually pointed towards the first one. The clerk put the other jar already back to the drawer and grabbed a shallow glass bowl from one of the open shelves and poured a generous handful of the glitter Chiffon had chosen into it.
It was fun to look at the elegant movements of his hands even while doing something as mundane and everyday activity like this, but somehow the confident way his gestures moved in was very charming. Chiffon just stood there looking as he popped a can of glitter glue open and turned only slightly away as he sprayed a light layer of it on top of the petals. He turned to rose a few times between his fingers to get it evenly everywhere and then turned the whole flower upside down as he dipped it into the bowl. He tapped the top of the flower carefully against the glitter pile, then angled it differently to get it onto the blossom’s sides as well.
When he seemed to be satisfied he lifted the flower up a little and first shook it very gently, then patted the upper stem against his palm to shake of excess glitter before finally springing it back upright. Chiffon gasped without realizing and his eyes started glistening at the sight. Such a simple procedure had given the rose almost like a tiara, glitter decorating all of it’s petals’ edges elegantly while still revealing the original color under the lines.
”That’s so pretty!” he exclaimed and a smile drew onto his lips.
The florist laughed in good spirits and seemed happy with his reaction. ”I’m glad it’s to your liking. Would you like me to wrap a ribbon around it before wrapping her away?”
The way the florist addressed the flower like it’d be a living being felt so very sweet and wholesome. She’d truly transformed to even more of a beauty than before. Chiffon nodded immediately. ”Maybe a purple one would look nice?”
”A great choice,” the clerk praised, or at least it felt like it judging by the way Chiffon’s cheeks had suddenly started to feel hotter, and then reached to grab a deep, warm toned purple ribbon with an elegant satin shine. It quickly turned into a beautiful but still simple bow, to not take attention away from the rose who was the star, but only accentuate it. Then, once again, with swift movements the clerk wrapped it into brown paper and taped it closed, finishing the package by tying a piece of yarn into a handle to hang it down from for easier carrying.
”I’m sure your friend will love this, it’s a very gorgeous graduation rose,” the clerk smiled as he offered the gift to Chiffon and started typing in the price to the cash register. This whole encounter felt somehow… Dreamy, and Chiffon didn’t want it to end just yet. A brief consideration of buying a whole bouquet crossed his mind but he quickly pushed it away. He didn’t have money for that right now and it’d be foolish to just buy something to be able to spend time with someone whose entire job was to be nice to people.
That’s right, it wasn’t special treatment, only the same courtesy he’d get everywhere. And even if the florist tickled his visual tastes just in the right ways, he wasn’t that much of a lovesick fool to just let that drive his judgment. While all of this went through his head, he glanced at the clerk’s face quickly, but just at that moment his eyes locked into his own. Chiffon swallowed under the clear grey shimmer and turned his whole head down, feeling embarrassed by his reactions. His eyes squeezed shut as a reflex but when he opened them and saw the clerk just about to announce the price, his mind fell blank.
”I…! Could I get a small bouquet as well!” he exclaimed, surprised at how distressed his voice sounded to him.
The florist looked at him, surprise flashing on his features only for a second before he chuckled and nodded. ”Of course. Any bouquet you want,” he said and oh, his voice again. The light and cheery, but so very friendly laugh and then the low, soft voice to top it off felt like velvet enveloping his nerves into a soft blanket. Chiffon felt a chunk leave his throat and he smiled as a response.
Being this relieved for an obvious answer was ridiculous, but he’d let it slide. Maybe he was a fool, but at least he sincerely liked flowers. This wouldn’t do any harm to anyone.
”Do you have anything special in mind?” the man probed after a moment of silence and Chiffon could feel the chunky piece rise to his throat again.
”Not really…” he admitted bashfully. But the florist didn’t seem faced at all, instead continued naturally. ”Will it be for your friend as well?”
Chiffon took a moment to consider that. He already had a good gift a few days ago, wrapped into a pretty package and a rose for his friend, everything he’d planned to get. He decided that he could get this one for himself, to cheer up his living room for a few days. Giving a slow shake of his head, he answered, ”No, I thought I’d get it for myself.”
The florist nodded approvingly, then hummed for a moment while looking at Chiffon. Or more like staring. It didn’t feel intruding or uncomfortable, just unusual to be under that kind of attention. Then after he had run his gaze up and down his outfit, then his facial features, though that seemed a bit irrelevant when making flower arrangements, he nodded again. ”How about lilies, carnations and peach colored roses?”
Chiffon smiled with the same glimmer in his eyes as he did when he’d seen the finished rose. ”Yes, please.”
With that the other man went around the store for a while, grabbing mostly the flowers he’d mentioned but some foliage and a few bluish toned gladiolus as well while he was at it. When he returned, he laid all of them onto the desk and grabbed an apron from the side of the shelf. He slipped it past his neck and tied a tight knot on his waist.
As he grabbed the same blade out and started trimming unnecessary leaves off of the stems, Chiffon let himself look at the other’s hands more carefully. His fingers had different simple symbols, ranging from simple dots above each of his nails to more elegant vines. And the two different phases of the moon he’d seen before, all done in a minimalistic line art style. They were so small compared to everything else on his arms that it almost looked like the tiniest stickers among a huge mosaic. A sleeve started right after his left wrist bone, having lots of different elements and styles on his skin, yet all were still the same aesthetic as well as monochromous so it didn’t look like a mess. And beneath all the bigger pieces were different patterns to fill the skin and draw the sleeve together without taking attention away from the actual art on him.
Looking at his arms was very relaxing, Chiffon really liked the other person’s tastes. Before he drowned into the other’s body art too deeply, he was pulled back to the moment when the florist started placing the flowers into a formation in his hand. First he grabbed only one, soon another different one next to it, then a third one and arranged it to fit among the others better, repeating this over and over again until he was holding a beautiful bouquet. It’s main focus were the peach colored roses, accentuated by white carnations and the tall but slender gladioluses. A couple of gorgeous and majestic white lilies were placed near the middle, then sprinkled across to give it a more varied look. There were also some foliages here and there, mostly to give the eye space to relax.
”Woah… It’s so enchanting…” Chiffon breathed as he took in the sight. This was something he’d love to look at for days. It was a shame that flowers withered so fast, but he’d just have to enjoy their presence even more because of that. The florist almost beamed at him as he trimmed the stems to be the same length again.
”I had a good inspiration,” he said. Chiffon looked at him and nodded with a sincere smile, assuming that the man was probably talking about the overall inspiration all creative people got once in a while. But the slight smirk hidden in the other’s gentle and friendly smile caught him off guard. Chiffon felt at a loss for words for a few seconds as the other chose a ribbon to wrap around the flowers, but soon shook all the flooding thoughts out of his mind. It must have been his imagination, stuff like this doesn’t happen anywhere else than in one’s imagination and sappy fiction. Sappy, but flustering in just the right ways, fiction.
After a few moments after receiving another flower package the florist pressed the price into the register again. ”Anything else for you today?” he asked, having returned to his customer service presence. This time Chiffon could let it be and shook his head.
”No, this is enough. Thank you.”
”That’ll be 55 euros,” the clerk said and a small sting hit Chiffon’s chest. It wasn’t what he’d had in mind for his budget, sure he could use this much since his money situation had been good for a while, but still. He could’ve spent the 40 something euros he’d just spent on a bouquet on something else but this was a decision he had to live with. He hoped his slight shock and disappointment in himself didn’t show on his face as he quickly searched for his wallet and paid.
He then decided to pack the bouquet onto his big canvas bag to save space on his hands, careful not to ruin it by accident. Chiffon quickly thanked the florist once more and already turned away when he heard his voice again.
”Your outfit is very pretty.” This sentence came a bit softer, steady and certain but still. Chiffon stopped and peeked over his shoulder with a baffled smile. He had felt confident about his choice for today, wearing a light pink blazer with shorts from the same fabric and a classic white button-up, topped with a lavender beret, but felt a bit naked at the sudden compliment. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks as he just nodded, not knowing what else to do.
”T-thank you…” was all he could say, wanting to compliment the other’s hair or tattoos or eyes or even his voice but a few seconds passed before he could pick one so he decided to let go before he’d accidentally turn this situation weirder than it had to be.
”Have fun at the party, and oh! Congratulations to your friend,” the clerk soon added when the silence felt a bit prolonged. It hadn’t turned awkward, thank god, at any point, but just dragged out. Chiffon nodded, with a more collected smile, ”I will, thanks again,” and then he walked outside feeling like his cheeks probably matched the color of his clothes.
─•~❉❀❉~•─
Chiffon had felt like an utter fool later that evening while placing his bouquet into a vase. To spend money just to get a stranger to smile for him a little longer. But eventually he did admit there was a certain joy the living flowers brought to him and his apartment. As he’d thought, they withered way too early for his liking, lasting only a little less than a week before they had to be thrown out. But, unlike the bouquet, the florist lingered on his mind for way longer.
He wasn’t really the type of person to crush on others easily, but he did get interested often in certain kinds of people. Being a daydreamer by nature, his mind did offer him ideas of going back to the shop and trying to talk more, ideas of what he’d be like outside work, ideas of how his voice would envelop around the syllables of his own name. And every time he got something along these lines into his head, he brushed it off the best he could. But his best attempts weren’t very good.
Eventually Chiffon had started to miss having flowers in his apartment, a pop of color to care for and enjoy of. He got himself a flaming katy from a supermarket, but overwatered it until mold started growing from its soil. He did try a succulent as well and managed to keep it alive but it started turning yellow quite soon.
When Chiffon’s Summer break from work started, he had extra money he’d decided he could splurge on anything silly or ’pointless’. It did take him a while to decide, but watching the empty spot on his coffee table didn't make the idea of going back to the flower boutique too bad. There might be someone else besides the tattooed charmer working this time anyway, so it wouldn’t be too weird. Though Chiffon would be lying if he said he wouldn't want to run into him again.
So on one beautiful afternoon he decided to drop by the shop and this time he had an idea of what he wanted. When he stepped inside a slightly older lady was greeting him with a smile. Right when she was about to start serving him the bell hanging atop the entrance chimed again and a distressed woman stormed in. She seemed to be in a hurry, about to miss her train that was leaving in just 30 minutes and needed to buy a bouquet for a funeral. Chiffon offered his turn for her, and told he could wait until she'd gotten her flowers. Both the clerk and the customer apologized but got to work quickly, leaving Chiffon to hang around with the fish.
After a few minutes when they'd gathered all the flowers the clerk excused herself to go to the staff room and ask someone else to help Chiffon, apparently feeling sorry for leaving him alone. She soon returned and a familiar dark haired man followed, instantly lighting up upon seeing Chiffon.
This exchange was as friendly and welcoming as the first one. The florist didn't seem to be in any kind of a hurry with him, asking a lot of his vision for the bouquet and chatted about everyday topics like weather and his plans for Summer as he worked.
Chiffon wasn't sure if the other clerk just wasn't able to talk to her customer in a similar way because of the hurry she was in or if his treatment was somehow… special. The florist was so unimaginably friendly with him and talked without any barriers like they'd known each other for a while.
The longer they talked the more relaxed he became. He wasn't sure why he'd been so nervous of meeting this guy again, but now all his worries were washed away by his warm smiles and mellow but calm voice. The bouquet he received today was just as beautiful as the first one. A grateful glimmer found its way to his eyes and he hoped he could get his appreciation through even if he stuttered a little when he wished the other a good day.
After that the thought of going back became uncomfortably repetitive and fighting it was harder after being reminded of being treated so nicely. Eventually on his next payday he visited again, them having a similar exchange inspiring tenderness and warmth inside Chiffon's chest.
It became a habit afterwards, taking a detour to the flower boutique on his way home, first once then twice a month, hoping to see his favorite florist there. More often than not he was lucky and gradually their conversations started drifting away from flowers more towards everyday topics, then slightly further towards both of them as individuals outside their flowery and rosy world.
Winter came and despite Chiffon thinking about advancing into any direction, whether it was platonic or romantic, he never quite got the words out. After buying a Christmas themed bouquet for his family, he lingered for several awkward moments in front of the counter and tried to muster any string of words hinting towards his wishes, but ended up just stuttering for a bit and eventually just wishing the clerk happy holidays before quickly slipping away. It was embarrassing, the other must've known something was up after such a show and he dreaded going back.
Chiffon thought he should try to stifle the ache in his chest, but the yearning always came back when he thought of the wonderfully radiating softness he got from the man. He decided to just continue normally and try to keep the visits shorter, having gotten so used to having flowers in his living room that just giving up on getting them would feel a bit… lonely. The yearning seemed to be at a point where it started to do more harm than good and he didn't want to get too lost in it before it hurt more, so he settled on taking a bit more distance the next time he went in.
─•~❉❀❉~•─
It had been an unusually quiet day, only one customer after lunch came in and all they wanted was some price evaluation for a wedding setting. Granted, it had taken a while to understand their vision and negotiate about the practical side, but it wasn't a lot considering Velvet's shift lasted for 8 whole hours. No orders for tomorrow either to be prepared, despite Valentine's day nearing day by day. Or to be more exact, it was still a week away and they'd gotten tons of orders ahead of time for it. But nothing that would be picked up tomorrow, so all he could do was kill time.
Usually on quiet days he spent time in the break room, but now that he'd spent the whole day on double and triple checking emails and the shop's orders and calendar and other things just to pass the time, he'd ran out of stuff to do. So he'd settled on sitting by the counter, watching passing people and the busy street coming to view from the window. Having scrolled all the social media he had and played a few games too he really had utterly ran out of work. Luckily there was only 30 minutes left until he could close the store.
He leaned his chin against his palm and tapped on the counter absentmindedly with his index finger. It was snowing quite badly, many people were hurrying indoors. The visibility was awful, though it being evening and Velvet being inside in a well-lit room only exaggerated the effect.
Suddenly the door opened, and a gust of wind came in with the sudden visitor. Velvet reflexively straightened his posture and was about to greet the person before his eyes took in the sight of his favorite customer.
The poor man quickly closed the door behind him and was covered in snow, light pink hair wet despite wearing his wool coat's hood. He was flushed, cheeks red and as he raised his gaze he turned a bit bashful. A wide smile found its way onto Velvet's lips.
"Evening, I haven't had the pleasure of seeing you in a while," he said and rose up from his high chair. It was true, he'd gotten used to the biweekly schedule this customer had blessed him with his appearance but now it had been almost two months without them meeting. The other didn't meet his eyes and instead fiddled on his loose scarf as he took a few steps closer.
"Uh.. Yeah…" he mustered quietly, seeming to be a bit lost. It caught Velvet's attention, but he wasn't sure how to address it just yet so he decided to observe a little longer and serve him like he always did.
"The usual? A bouquet matching your mood?" he asked, trying to sound as stabilizing and soft as he could as he walked up to the other. Velvet was already starting to think about what flowers to center the theme around but then the other shook his head.
"No I… maybe a couple of roses will do." The man seemed avoidant, not meeting his gaze at all. Something was very off, he was always timid and didn't take too much close contact but this wasn't like that. Velvet hummed as an answer and opened the rose cooler's glass doors.
"Any colors you have in mind?"
The customer looked at the selection for a moment, pondering his options. He nodded and smiled a little though didn't want to get too close or lock their eyes. "The pink and white ones, please. Ten would be good."
Velvet nodded at that and took a moment to pick the prettiest and most full roses they had at the moment. Then he closed the doors, routinely walked behind the counter and trimmed them before wrapping them safely. As he did so, he continued observing the other man who'd always followed him to have a chat, but now was staying further away and looking at the aquarium. Velvet finished the wrapping by tying a satin ribbon as the handle instead of their usual yarn. Maybe the other would appreciate the light lavender color he chose.
"Anything else for you today?" he asked, hopes crushed when the other shook his head. Velvet furrowed his brows for a moment as he tapped the price in. The other unceremoniously paid it and thanked him for the service, grabbing the package. This won't do… Velvet thought to himself and to his luck the other locked his eyes with his as he was about to probably wish him a good night. Velvet was faster and smiled as softly as he could.
"If you're not busy, would you like to stay for a while?"
He definitely caught the other off guard judging by the way his mouth opened ever so slightly for a moment. He didn't seem uncomfortable by any means, which was a good thing as it meant everything between them was alright, but very surprised. He flicked his eyes down and to the side, then to the clock and looked outside over his shoulder.
"The weather's awful so… you could wait here for a while? You must be cold," Velvet offered. He'd love to ease the other's weight on his shoulders, no matter what it was. His smile and glimmer he carried within were far too enchanting to be this diminished.
"I… I uh…" the other said, barely audible. "I… Would it be alright?" he asked quietly. There seemed to be a wishful undertone behind his words, like he'd hoped for this to happen. Velvet chuckled and nodded at that. "Of course. I wouldn't have asked otherwise."
The customer smiled a bit and nodded as well. "I could.. Stay for a little longer…" he admitted. A moment of silence fell on them but it was the familiar kind they both had gotten somewhat used to experiencing with each other. Not loaded with pressure of trying to fill it with anything, but rather just expectant and peaceful. Velvet thought about what would be the best move now to make the other more at home.
"Do you like coffee?" Offering a warm drink would most likely help him settle down a bit and comfort him, but also offered a natural stopping point for this hangout if he'd want to leave immediately after finishing his cup. Velvet himself loved calming his nerves with warmth, whether it was a shower or a cup of tea, and his experience with his friends he was fairly confident in being able to bring the same serenity to others with his own relaxing methods.
"I… not really, sorry," he answered. The apology came a bit unexpectedly and Velvet quietly raised a brow at that but didn't poke at it. He was here to make the other feel at home instead of lecturing him.
"Don't worry, I don't either," he admitted and laughed a little, "How about hot chocolate? We have some in the back, not as good as homemade but beats the bitter poison anytime."
The pink haired man seemed to like the idea and with a failed attempt at hiding his amazement he exclaimed "Really?!"
It was endearing how sincere he seemed to be. Seeing someone wear their heart on their sleeve was very enchanting to Velvet. He didn't seem to be someone who told everything in a straightforward manner, but he did definitely show it whether he meant to or not. Velvet just flashed a fond smile at the reaction as he was already walking to the break room, gesturing him to come too.
"It might be just instant hot chocolate powder, but I think I can make it taste quite good." Velvet did find confidence in his mixing and brewing skills, he could do wonders with very basic ingredients since for him the secret lay in the temperature, brewing time and amounts rather than the powder.
The other followed him, seemingly hesitating a bit before stepping into the staff's area. The backroom was very basic, just a simple dining area and a kitchenette with a small computer table in the corner. There was a window which in Summer displayed a beautiful view to a park behind the building, but it being Winter the curtains were closed to keep as much of the gloom out as possible. It was cramped but the florists had agreed to try to make it cozy so they'd added a couple led candles here and there as well as pretty succulents and other green plants. They sometimes had seasonal decorations, but hadn't put the Valentine's day pennant banner up yet. Velvet walked to the cupboards and on his way he pulled one chair for his customer to sit on.
The other followed his lead and sat down while starting to loosen up his scarf more and wiped his wet hair a bit. He also laid the rose package down onto the small table. Velvet picked up the chocolate powder can and then put water into a kettle, waiting for it to boil.
"Uhm…" could be heard after a while and the careful tone caught Velvet's attention. As he turned his head back he was met with just as careful a look in his eyes. "Have you had a long day..?"
His shy attempt at small talk seemed distant. But it was really no wonder they'd taken a few steps backwards with each other for not having met in two months. Velvet wanted to clear the air quickly and not let this night end up in the exact same way all their encounters had until now; as a shop clerk and a customer. Having decided on that, he wanted to quickly get over the formal phase before getting to a casual and friendly atmosphere became impossible in this short window of time they had.
"Somewhat, a full shift. I came around noon and I'll also be the one closing the store," he explained while glancing at the clock. The other did the same and seemed to be a bit surprised by the time and his mouth was already opening before Velvet just shook his head with a warm smile. "Don't worry about the clock, okay? I'm the one responsible for the store and I'll take care of it. Few minutes here or there is more than fine for me."
Lips closing, the man clearly wanted to say something but gave up after thinking about it. "I suppose…" he mumbled and let the issue go. A telltale click! sounded from the kettle signaling the water was ready so Velvet picked his own mug, a cold dark brown one decorated with intricate art nouveau or almost even gothic like patterns in gold, then one of the plain white mugs that were stocked for everyone to use just in case. Following the instructions he poured the powder first, then water but he filled the last third with soy milk they had in the staff's fridge. With both hands at the same time he carefully mixed both of them before carrying them to the table, sitting across from the other.
"It might be quite hot still so let it cool for a moment," Velvet instructed gently as he spun the spoon around in his cup. The other nodded and placed his hands around his to warm them up. Velvet took a few short glances at him and noticed how his whole posture seemed tense. Inhaling a soft hum he relaxed his back against the wall, sitting slightly sideways on his seat. "How's your succulent been?"
The pink haired man lit up ever so slightly at that and smiled as he answered. "She's doing great now! I've never had a plant live up this long and the yellowing was fixed with new soil and reducing the watering amount to the one you suggested."
The succulent he'd bought in late Autumn had been a frequent topic for their small talks and it had been in a very bad state for a long while, but started to freshen up near Christmas. "Oh that's good to hear."
"Do you want to see a picture?" he asked with bashful joy in his voice, awfully endearingly. Velvet nodded right away, sincere interest present in his voice, "Of course."
Curtain hiding the pink-haired man's excitement dropped altogether immediately at that and he reached for his phone, shuffling through the gallery quickly before laying the phone onto the table. On the screen was a familiar looking echeveria succulent, looking healthier than ever before, doing justice to its flower-like appearance. Velvet let out a genuine gasp at the pretty sight, it'd come a long way from being borderline rotten.
"I really didn't want to change the soil for it since it seemed so difficult and like too much effort," he admitted with a laugh, "But it was worth it. I hope she'll live for a year."
"With this treatment I'm sure it's more than likely, maybe even five or ten if all goes well," Velvet smiled as he studied the picture. The flowerpot was light pink, almost matching his hair and it was placed on a nightstand next to a glass of water, lamp, and a small sheep shaped plushie. "That lamb's cute."
A shadow of confusion passed the other's expression before he realized what Velvet was referring to. "Oh yeah, he guards my sleep. Or at least I like to think that," he admitted with a small blush on his cheeks.
"How sweet," Velvet thought out loud and lifted his mug to his lips, taking a sip. The other mimicked him, thinking it must be the right temperature now, and as soon as he did a sparkling glimmer lit up in his irises.
"It's so good! It tastes like a hug," he blurted out and Velvet's smile turned softer. "I've never thought of it that way… But it truly does."
His favorite customer took his phone back and drank more, savoring the taste on his tongue before swallowing. The way he pressed his rosy lips against the cup's edge, letting a spoonful of the liquid enter his mouth and then fluttering his eyes closed, before carefully swallowing looked… distracting at the very least. Velvet felt a bit embarrassed for his schoolboy-like reaction when he felt heat rising to his cheeks so he subtly moved his gaze towards the clock. It was past closing time already. Though he himself wasn't in a rush, he didn't want to let this opportunity slip through his fingers by stalling for too long.
Velvet took a good sip followed by a deep breath, then put the mug down. "This might be weird for me to ask, but would you like to exchange contact information..?" he asked, keeping his tone steady and patient, neutral but friendly.
Judging the other's reaction was easy and difficult at the same time, surprise present in his features yet it being impossible to tell if he was delighted or offended. Quickly he rushed to add, "If for any reason you don't want to, it's more than okay."
"Oh no, I'd love to!" he exclaimed and his grip tightened around his cup. Then a small disbelief took a hold of him. "But… Why? Please don't get me wrong, I would love to do that but I can't help but wonder about it…"
It seemed a bit of a silly question, there weren't too many reasons for two people to add each other's numbers or messaging ID's after all. But clarifying and making things clear was always wisest, so Velvet let his true desires just flood out like he so often did. "Forgive me for being so bold, but I'd love to get to know you. Maybe spend time together as well, since I'm… You seem very pleasant and sweet, it'd be fun to talk with you, is what I've been thinking."
He let his eyes lock with the other's, seeing a gentle layer of red forming on his cheeks. It might be remnants of the cold air, but Velvet chose to believe the first idea he got. The man shrunk a bit under his gaze, not because of insecurity but because of bashfulness. His lips formed into a small but wonky smile and he lifted one of his hands to rub his neck a little, grounding himself.
"I… I've thought so as well… Oh gosh, hearing you say that makes me so happy…" he said, slightly mumbling but his grin told the same message. Velvet waited for a few short beats before he pulled his own cell phone out of his pocket and with swift movements opened up his messaging app, then showed the screen to the other. "Do you have this app? Would using it be fine?"
"Oh definitely! I use it with my friends," he answered and directed his scattered attention back to his phone as well, opening the same app and tapped Velvet's ID into the search bar. Truthfully Velvet didn't use that app almost at all in his daily life, but it had proven to be a good choice for new people. As the application's only function was messaging, it was slightly more intimate and separated from social media while still not too intrusive as it didn't need any personal information like phone numbers, but a profile within the app to use it.
"I'll send a test message to see that I got it right," he disclosed and seemed to scroll for a moment before pressing something. A gentle vibration signaled Velvet had gotten the message and he opened the new chat right away. The chat log was started by an animated sticker of a polar bear peeking from behind a wall. Velvet smiled at that and had to dig his memory for a moment to remember what options he had saved before sending a waving dog sticker back. He quickly looked up at the sender on top of the log before closing the screen. "Chiffon? Cute nickname."
"Actually it's my real name," he clarified. And at that moment the realization struck, they'd never even introduced themselves. Blinking his slight shock away, the florist settled on fixing that.
"Really? I can't believe I never asked that," he confessed, honestly confused how he'd never come across that information in their conversations. Sure, Chiffon always just came to the store and bought something on the same visit instead of pre-ordering, but still it seemed hard to believe. Then Velvet cleared his throat subtly before finishing, "I'm Velvet."
"It's nice to meet you Velvet," Chiffon answered and his smile had fixed itself into a more normal one (even if Velvet liked it either way). "Or I guess 'be introduced' would be more accurate."
Velvet nodded, "Likewise."
Chiffon took a big sip of his drink, emptying the cup and glanced at the clock at the same time. "It's already quarter past 8…" he thought out loud.
"Perhaps the blizzard's held out a bit by now?" Velvet commented and drank his drink empty as he stood up. He took a few steps to peek at the front door from the staff room and even if it was still pretty much the same as earlier, at least the storm had ended, leaving only a tender snowing curtain behind. "Yeah, it's not as bad anymore," he said with a small smile.
Chiffon gathered his things and joined him, nodding approvingly. He started to wrap his scarf back properly again while Velvet cleaned up after them. A small clearing of throat caught his attention again. "Could I help somehow..?"
"That's very sweet of you but no need, I'm quick with closing," Velvet said. The thoughtful gesture was more than enough of any help he'd need with this routine. As he began washing their dishes he could see the other shift the weight of his legs a few times from the corner of his eye.
"I should get going if that's fine… I might miss my bus if I stay longer," he finally managed with an apologetic tone.
Velvet just nodded and dried his hands. "Of course, sorry for keeping you for so long."
"O-oh not at all!" Chiffon rushed to exclaim and the grip on his rose package tightened a bit. "This was so lovely… I'd love to do it a-again." Now Velvet was sure that the pink on his cheeks wasn't because of the cold Winter air. A tender twist in his chest at those words probably meant his cheeks would be wearing a matching shade soon enough.
"As would I," he confessed. The other looked at him for a moment, as if he was surprised by the words. "I'll text you soon, okay Chiffon?" Velvet added, feeling his smile melting from the platonic to a more fond, romantic one. He tried to fix it quickly, but the other's presence didn't allow him to. All he could do was hope he wouldn't notice. At least yet.
Chiffon nodded a few times. "I'll wait for you," he mumbled, though an attempt at clear articulation could be heard between the syllables. They shared a short eye contact, the room's atmosphere starting to bloom into something more sensitive.
Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and Chiffon had to leave in a rush to make it to the bus stop in time. Velvet saw him to the door, turning the 'Open' sign around to signal the store's closed, and cleaned up the rest of the space.
This reunion had gone better than well. If he had been honest with himself, he would have said that he would message him right away, but he tried to last until he was at home. Then he'd be able to dedicate his time and attention to, not only his favorite customer anymore, but to his infatuation.