Work Text:
Hunter knocked on the door of his girlfriend’s house, nervously adjusting his hair. He hadn’t been able to see Willow much in the past few weeks since she had been busy with Flyer Derby and him with palisman carving, but he had managed to find a time when they were both free to take her on a small date. Hunter paused and knocked again, his hands making a sharp tapping noise on the old wooden door. He heard a small commotion on the other side of the door before it swung open, revealing Willow looking just as perfect as always. “Hunter!” She exclaimed, rushing over to give him a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. “It’s been way too long since I’ve seen you.”
“It really has.” Hunter said smiling. “Oh! And I got something for you!” He said, pulling out a small bouquet of colorful flowers from behind him. “I was in the human realm earlier today and thought you would like these.” Willow smiled and laughed.
“Aww… You’re way to sweet.” She said, taking the bouquet. “Also, you know you never actually said where we’re going, right?”
“I didn’t?” Hunter asked, startled. Willow shook her head.
“Oh! Well I heard of this new garden that opened over on the shoulder and I figured you’d… like to see it.”
Willow smiled and gave him a quick kiss.
“I’d love to.”
~~~
Hunter and Willow arrived at the flower garden, the late afternoon sun shining through the sparse cloud cover, illuminating the plants underneath. They walked side by side, stopping occasionally to look at flowers or chat, but generally just walking along the gravel path in comfortable silence. Hunter quietly marveled at the plants all around them, the deep greens of the leaves, the bright reds and cobalt blues and royal purples of the flowers, and the rich mahogany of the tree bark. They encountered a few other people, but most of the crowds had already left, leaving the space mostly to themselves.
“Did you know,” Willow said, pausing and looking over at him with her flowers in hand, “That humans, in what they called the Victorian era, used flowers to communicate their feelings?”
“Really?” Hunter tilted his head. “How did that work?”
Willow looked down at her bouquet and smiled sweetly.
“Well, at the time it was kinda frowned upon to show your feelings, so people gave meanings to specific flowers and gifted them instead.”
“Oh. What do… those ones mean?” Hunter asked, vaguely gesturing at the flowers he had given her and cringing internally at his own awkwardness. Willow didn’t seem to mind, looking up at him and laughing quietly before saying,
“Well, you gave me honeysuckle flowers, which mean something like devotion or affection. It comes from a play, I think.”
Hunter startled, blushing a bit.
“Huh!” He laughed nervously. “Well, I suppose that does apply.”
Willow laughed, a genuine sounding laugh. Not mocking or forced, but as if she truly enjoyed something he said. Hunter smiled, offering her his hand. She took it and with that they continued down the path, simply enjoying each other’s company. Hunter was walking through a beautiful garden with his beautiful girlfriend, talking about plants and soil, and for the first time in several weeks, he was truly happy.