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The chilly air outside seemed to have little effect on the delicate blooms that dotted the greenhouse in lushness. As Ashe admired the red violas, almost hidden among the leaves, he found himself transfixed by the soft petals. The greenhouse made for a perfect refuge from the cold of the Garreg Mach winter, made even more satisfying from the fact that he and his class just spent the better half of an afternoon sparring in the training grounds. Despite their exercise, the wind still bit him just as harshly. As soon as they were dismissed, Ashe made a beeline for the greenhouse.
With his gloves crammed messily into his pockets, he reached out for one of the watering cans that sat in the greenhouse’s shed. While he was there, he might as well pitch in, right? Besides, some of the buds seemed to be wilting. Ever since the beginning of the year, Ashe found himself taking a liking to the greenhouse. It was warm, comfortable, never crowded, and made for an excellent place to read. Every now and again, he had a visitor, usually either Dedue, Bernadetta, or Sylvain.
Sylvain’s visits were the most intriguing to Ashe. Every now and again, he would come in, pick a couple of flowers, and then leave. Of course, Ashe figured it was for some girl he was courting at the time, and he had confirmed as much whenever he asked. It wasn’t until Sylvain came back from one of his supposed dates, bouquet still in hand, did Ashe suspect something was up. The memory of that night sent a wave of heat to his cheeks. Sylvain gave him the flowers. He had the excuse that the girl dumped him…but the look on his face said otherwise. It has become a regular occurrence for Sylvain to come back with flowers for him after a “failed date”. Ashe had actually begun looking forward to his visits.
Ashe wondered if Sylvain’s gestures could mean anything further than friendship. Giving flowers was a sign of romance, but they were also exchanged between friends. He would consider them good friends, of course but…admittedly, Ashe wanted more. Sylvain was…well, he felt like a breath of fresh air. He was bold and charismatic; he acted like he didn’t care but he truly, truly did. Ashe found himself intrigued.
The creak of the door opening broke Ashe from his thoughts. Turning around, Ashe wasn’t at all surprised to see the person he was just thinking of standing right behind him. “Ah, Sylvain. I figured you would stop by again today. Did the, ah, date not go so well?” He asked, eying the flowers in his arms.
Sylvain smiled and winked at him, sending a fit of butterflies in his stomach. “Actually, not this time. I got these flowers from the market and I want to make sure they all mean what I want them to.” He explained.
Ashe blinked. Sylvain never seemed to have much interest in flower language, at least not from what he could tell. “I didn’t know you knew flower language.”
“Oh, I don’t. That’s why I came to you, I was hoping you could interpret these for me.” Sylvain said, taking a few steps forward and offering him the bouquet.
Carefully, looking between Sylvain and the flowers, Ashe slowly took the flowers. “Well, I’m not fluent in it, but I can try. You know I don’t mind helping out.” He said quietly, turning to walk to the back of the greenhouse and sit on the edge of one of the flower beds. Sylvain followed close behind, sitting right beside him, perhaps a little closer than what might be considered normal.
Ashe fixed his gaze on the bouquet, trying to suppress his crush for Sylvain for just a moment. After some careful consideration he pointed to the bright yellow flower. “This is…a black-eyed susan, I think. It stands for justice.” He said, stealing a glance at Sylvain who nodded. “I’m guessing that’s what you were going for?”
“Right. The person who’s getting this bouquet is very dedicated to justice,” He said. “I may not entirely understand it but it’s admirable.”
Ashe looked away. “Well, it sounds like I would get along with them.” He responded as Sylvain chuckled nervously, something uncharacteristic for someone usually so composed. “Well, this one,” he continued, pointing to a flower with red and yellow petals. “Is a coreopsis. It means that the person is always cheerful.”
“And he is always cheerful, so that works perfectly.” Sylvain quipped. At that, Ashe perked up, trying not to seem too surprised. ‘He’? Noticing his confusion, Sylvain’s lips upturned in a slight grin in response.
Pretending not to notice his grin, he continued, “This one is an iris,” Ashe explained, carefully touching the purple flower, “I think it stands for a lot of things. Like valor, hope, and wisdom.”
Sylvain leaned in closer. “Describes him perfectly, then.” He said quietly. “What does the mint mean?”
“Virtue.” Ashe responded quickly, knowing that one by heart. “Mint is one of my favorites. Like my favorite tea.” He explained. Looking back at the flowers, he saw one that he hadn’t yet identified. But seeing the others, he had a feeling he knew what this was about. Just in case though, Ashe turned to Sylvain slowly. “Who did you say these flowers were for?”
For a moment, Sylvain didn’t respond, opting to look at Ashe instead. “Well,” he spoke carefully, like he was still finding the right words. “You know him very well. Better than I would say you know anyone else, even. But before we really get into that,” Pointing to the final flower, Sylvain looked at Ashe. “What does this one mean?”
“Ah…” The white gardenias sat front and center in the bouquet, their delicate petals spilling past the others in a beautiful display. Sylvain really did choose these flowers well. They may not have come from the greenhouse but they were still gorgeous. “It stands for secret love.” He finally spoke in a quiet voice. Despite his failing voice, his heart was hammering in his chest, like it was fighting to break out. Did…did Sylvain really mean for this to be his? “What is this about?” Ashe asked, looking up in surprise to see Sylvain looking around nervously. He was shocked to see him act like this. Even in front of his numerous girlfriends, Sylvain always had an air of confidence about him. This wasn’t something he had ever seen.
“Well,” He spoke quietly. “If I’m going to be honest, they’re for you.”
“Me?” Ashe repeated, his theory being proven. Still, this didn’t feel real.
“Of course, Ashe,” Sylvain said, finally looking at him, “You’re, well, you. You’re virtuous and honest to a fault, you always see the bright side of things and I never understand where you find the energy to be so…so…determined. Yet, you never give yourself the credit. I’ll never understand you but that makes me even more set on getting to know who you are.”
“I’ve started looking forward to running into you here. You always seem so happy here. And you always know what to say to help me find the best flowers.” Sylvain looked away again, his posture revealing his embarrassment. “I admit, after the first few times, I stopped coming here before dates. I actually haven’t gone on a date for a while. I’ve been trying to find a way to tell you how I’ve felt.”
“Sylvain…”Ashe began. So that’s why Sylvain began coming to the greenhouse more frequently. He wondered how he didn’t see it sooner. Truthfully though, he couldn’t think of a more romantic way to confess. After a moment of hesitation, he put down the flowers and took Sylvain’s hand in his, giving it a reaffirming squeeze. “This was really thoughtful of you. I’ve never received anything so carefully planned. The way you planned for these flowers to represent me is really touching.”
Sylvain smiled genuinely. “I spent hours in the library finding the right meanings. I’m actually surprised I didn’t confuse anything.”
Ashe laughed. “You understood them perfectly! Really, I can’t believe how much work you put into this. It’s so touching,” he said quietly. “I feel the same way about you, Sylvain. I think, despite this persona you try to present, you’re really thoughtful and smart.”
Sylvain visibly relaxed at that, returning slightly to the man Ashe recognized. “I don’t know about smart, but I’ll settle for ‘thoughtful’. Means a lot coming from you.” He said with a wink.
Ashe grinned slightly. “You’re smart. I’ll make you see that one day.” Sylvain gave his hands a squeeze at that. “So…what do we do now?”
“Hmm? Oh,” Sylvain smiled, chuckling at Ashe’s questions. “Well, now we go out. We could go to one of the restaurants in town, my treat, or we could walk through the market, also on me. Don’t tell me you’ve never been on a date before!”
Ashe’s complexion flushed as he looked up at Sylvain. “Well, no, I haven’t, admittedly.” He responded, earning a playful gasp from Sylvain. “Maybe for a date we could…stay here? I think this is a rather romantic place.”
Sylvain hummed and nodded. “I think that can be arranged. Anything for you, right?”
“Yes, and the same for you.”