Work Text:
Chuuya hums as he happily walks on his way back home after work. Today is one of those rare days where he gets to leave early—at five o’clock—rather than staying until two in the morning. He didn’t have much to do today: just an easy mission, a quick meeting with the other executives, and some paperwork that he can finish at home. So, he takes the opportunity to enjoy his early release. Oh, and to pick Atsushi—his boyfriend—from work as a surprise. The Agency has seen his face more than enough to recognize he isn’t a threat to them or to Atsushi.
Him and Atsushi haven’t been able to see each other lately due to their conflicting work schedules. But today, Chuuya will change that. He decides that he will take his boyfriend to dinner at a restaurant to spend more time with him. But going empty-handed isn’t nice, Chuuya figures; he needs to buy Atsushi a gift.
Chuuya stops in front of a flower shop. Chuuya gazes at the potted plants—from large to small—with their bright, varied colors neatly arranged on glass shelves in the window display. Vines drape along the top, like the roof of a tiny house. The soft, dim lights from inside make the plants shine, their vibrant colors hard to ignore, even from a distance. The place seems new; he’s never noticed the shop before, despite taking this same road every day on his way to work and back home.
Chuuya’s gloved hand grabs the door handle, gently pulling it. As he steps inside, the sharp ring of a bell echoes through the shop. Across the room, an elderly woman with silver-gray hair, her back to him, stands near the counter, whom he assumes is the florist. Slowly, she turns around to face him after placing her watering can on the desk. “Welcome, young man. How can I help you today?”
“I want to buy flowers for my partner.” He replies; his eyes wander around the shop, checking out the flowers. “I’m not sure which ones to buy.”
She smiles, “Any special occasion?”
Chuuya shakes his head. “Not really.”
The smile on the lady’s face never fades as she offers him suggestions, passionately guiding him through every corner of the shop, giving detailed explanations for each different flower's meaning along with their colors. Chuuya listens closely as he takes mental notes. This is going to be harder than he had expected. The florist is helpful but it makes him even more conflicted, still unsure of which ones to buy though he has hundreds of them ready to be picked up and taken with him.
She stands next to the last section of a flower row. “Last but not least, when it comes to romantic love, no flowers can compete against roses. Oh, how can I forget? The amount of rose can send a message to the receiver.”
He observes the freshly cut big bright roses, noticing the water droplets on their petals, before glancing at the other flowers. Chuuya knows that roses are mostly cliché—the traditional flower that everyone buys for their loved ones. They’re good for that. But a message based on the number? He didn't know that. How interesting , he thinks.“Really? Can you tell me more?” he asks.
And she does. She speaks fluently, as if reading from a script, delivering a long list. Chuuya considers it; he had never really been good with words of affection. Ever since they started dating, it’s usually Atsushi who expresses how much he likes him (with that adorable, flushed face). Atsushi confessed first, always sending him good morning and good night texts, along with messages of gratitude for his hard work. Atsushi is a very cute shy guy but not afraid to show his love when they’re alone.
Chuuya has a hard time saying it, he admits. Perhaps the flowers can do their magic, conveying the words he wants to say yet too embarrassed to do so.
After the woman finishes, she waits for his answer. “What do you think, young man?”
Chuuya puts his fingers under his chin, thinking about what to buy. The flowers are all beautiful in their own ways, pleasing to the eyes. He scans from the roses to the tulips, daisies, baby's breath, and other flowers in the woman’s collection, before his eyes settle back on the roses again, as if moving in a circle. “Ah, yes, thank you. I’ve made up my mind. I’d like to get fifty red roses please,” he says, pointing at the flowers.
The florist seems shocked yet pleased when he agrees to go with her suggestion. She places a large number of roses in the white decorative wrap after she has cut their thorns. As she arranges them, she ensures every flower looks perfect from all angles. She wraps the stems tightly together and adds a ribbon as the finishing touch. "Your partner is lucky to have you," she comments, handing him the bouquet.
Chuuya takes out his wallet, placing the money on her hand after he takes the bouquet. “I’m very lucky to have him,” Chuuya corrects, announcing it like it’s a fact before walking out of the flower shop.
—
Kenji comes in with his usual cheerful smile, announcing with a happy childlike tone as if he’s delivering good news. “You have a visitor, Atsushi.”
Atsushi pauses, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He looks up from the screen. “Who?”
“Mr. Fancy Hat guy!” Kenji answers, leaning his forearms on Atsushi’s desk as upping his face with his hands. An excited aura shines throughout his body.
Atsushi immediately gets up from his seat, closing the computer. He excuses himself and leaves the office to meet Chuuya. As he opens the door, nervousness creeps in. “Chuuya?!” Atsushi exclaims, surprised to see the older man.
Chuuya wears a playful smirk. “Missed me, dear?”
“I did,” Atsushi admits honestly, his eyes fixed on the redhead. “But what are you doing here?”
“I can’t come see my boyfriend?”
“I never said that.”
“Okay, okay. I came to see you, that's the truth. I got to leave early today.” Chuuya smiles, extending his arms toward Atsushi, revealing the bouquet he had been hiding behind his back all along. “And I bought this for you.”
Atsushi's heterochromatic eyes widen in shock, his jaw dropping when he sees the size of the bouquet. He starts to count: one to ten, ten to twenty, twenty to thirty, and then he loses track. “This for me?” A red hue colors his cheeks as he takes the bouquet, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers with a shy smile. “Thank you, Chuuya…But you didn’t have to. This is way too much! I-”
“I wanted to. So just take them; they're for you.” Chuuya can’t help but giggle at how cute his boyfriend is, noticing that Atsushi’s cheeks share the same shade as the roses. “Anyway, ready or not, Atsushi. We’re going out.”
Atsushi glances at the hallway to the office before turning back to the redhead. “Chuuya… I’m still at work. I don’t think it’s possible.”
Chuuya understands Atsushi doesn’t want to skip work. He’s a responsible employee—unlike his mentor. “You’ll be fine. I already contacted your boss to let them know you’d be leaving early today.”
“YOU WHAT?!'"
“What’s up with that reaction?” Chuuya crosses his arms, teasing the flustered Atsushi. “You don’t want to go on a date with your boyfriend?”
Atsushi shakes his head repeatedly, denying Chuuya’s assumption. “No, of course not. I would love to.”
“Then let’s go.” Chuuya extends his hand, waiting for Atsushi. Atsushi nods and takes it. The moment their hands meet, Chuuya grips him tightly, their fingers intertwining.
As they are walking together, Atsushi asks curiously, looking down at roses. “What did you buy me such a big bouquet? I don’t remember if today is a holiday or any special occasion.”
Because I think I love you. Chuuya thinks, yet the words can’t escape his lips. “Because my cute boyfriend deserves the pretty flowers. I bought them because I was thinking of you.”
That answer isn’t a lie; it’s only half of the truth. Maybe in the future Chuuya can share the other half, but for now, the roses can deliver that indirect message for Atsushi for him instead. What matters now is that Atsushi is happy, and they’re together. That’s enough for Chuuya.
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