Work Text:
Lance stood out of his chair, popped his back, and then wiped his forehead. After giving himself a second to adjust, he looked down at his customer, “You’re all done, if you’re not happy with anything once it heals up, you can come back in and we can try to fix it.”
The woman sitting in the seat looked at her freshly finished tattoo in awe. “I love it,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling. “It’s everything I wanted. I love how the lily looks so lifelike. It really reminds me of home and my father, just like I wanted,” she continued, a little louder and all smiles.
Lance couldn’t help but mirror her smile, it was always so exciting to see a customer so excited about something Lance did. Of course, being a tattoo artist was hard work, but it was worth it for moments like this.
“Of course, it was my pleasure. Once you’re done checking it all out, if you go up to the front, Hunk, our receptionist will give you aftercare instructions and make sure you’re all cleaned up and properly covered before you go.”
She turned away from the mirror that she was admiring her tattoo in and shook Lance’s hand in excitement. “Thank you so much for all of this Lance.”
After a quick bathroom break, Lance began to clean up his empty work space. Disposing of what needed to be gone, and disinfecting his chair, he looked up out the shop window. His eyes moved down to look at the shelve of cacti and succulents that stood at the front of the shop.
“Guys, I think I’m gonna buy another cactus today, we haven’t gotten one in a while,” he said to his co-workers in the otherwise empty parlor. It was near closing and there were no more clients for the rest of the day planned.
“Try that new florist next door, they’re open pretty late. Do it fast though, in case somebody comes in for a walk-in,” Pidge said, looking up from their laptop at the other side of the room.
Lance raised his pierced eyebrow, “I forgot that even existed, yea, I’ll go check it out.” He quickly grabbed his wallet and walked to the door. “Call me if you need me,” he said as an afterthought as he walked out the door.
The florist was literally right next door. Lance was a little embarrassed he forgot the shop existed. Usually his plants for the shop were gifts from friends and family so it never really occurred to buy them at the new store. Better late than never Lance thought to himself as he pushed the door open. Lance was instantly hit by humid air and the strong scent of multiple flowers.
Lance cautiously walked around the store in search of his prize. After hunting for five minutes and not seeing anything, he decided to chance asking whoever worked here. Quickly, he moved towards the back of the store where the register would obviously be. That was when Lance saw who he assumed to be the owner.
He was muscular, a little angry looking, and as far as Lance was concerned, really really good looking, like he could punch you in the face and you’d be happy about it. As soon as the two business owners locked eyes, Lance saw the florist check him out.
Lance wanted to pretend like he wasn’t intimidated by the eye scan, but his voice betrayed him. “H-hi, cactus? Succulent?” Lance winced at just how stupid he sounded. Could you have sounded more stupid?
The florist made eye contact with Lance and let out a small laugh. Lance once again, felt emotionally compromised. “We don’t have cacti or succulents, we specialize in bouquet making and people usually don’t want to hold something so prickly.” He looked Lance up and down again. “You know,” he continued, “the flowers that people buy usually reflect who they are.”
Lance narrowed his eyes quickly picking up on the comment, “Listen,” he looked down to read the florist’s name tag. “Keith, that’s not how the language of flowers work. We both know that.”
Keith gave a sarcastic huff, “What makes you the expert?”
“I-I,” Lance began to stammer, letting his anger get best of him. “I happen to have a bunch of succulents and cacti, thank you very much,” he said, a little more angrily than intended. It was a great recovery in Lance’s opinion.
Keith placed his hand above his eyes, pretending to scan the store. “Where, I don’t see any.”
Lance was ready for this. He pulled up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the three small tattoos of a jade succulent, a haworthia, and a rosette succulent right above his crook of his elbow on his right arm. “Right here,” he shouted with a wicked grin.
Keith looked pretty shocked, and Lance would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little smug. Before Keith could react, Lance pushed his sleeve back down, and began to walk backwards towards the exit, refusing to break eye contact. On his way to the exit, he stumbled over a planter of pre-cut hydrangeas. Quickly regaining his balance, Lance steadied himself for a second, flipped off Keith, and then promptly walked out of the store.
Keith was in shock and awe until closing.
Lance stormed into the tattoo parlor, Hunk and Pidge in the same spots where Lance left them.
“What’s got you all huffy,” Pidge asked.
Lance began to wave his arms for emphasis as he explained. “That jerky, jerk of a florist was like,” Lance began to imitate Keith, “we don’t have cacti because you’re a stupid, pointy nerd!”
“I doubt he actually said that, Lance,” Hunk said from his seat.
“Who’s side are you even on, Hunk?”
———
“Lance, your three o’clock is here.”
Luckily, this appointment was just a consultation, so it would go pretty quickly. After introductions were made, the man admitted his idea. “I really want the bouquet my wife had on the day of our wedding.”
Lance nodded, “Do you have any pictures?”
Quickly, the man pulled out pictures from his wedding. Everybody looked so happy and beautiful, however, the pictures of bouquet were not the best. Lance couldn’t help but frown. “Do you have any better pictures of the bouquet?”
“Sadly no, but we can go to the florist we had and recreate it.”
Lance looked at the clocked on the wall across from him, the meeting barely reached five minutes.
“Sure,” Lance said with a nod, “let’s go for a ride.”
Gathering their things, the artist and customer walked towards the door. Instead of walking toward the parking lot, the man began to walk to the store next door. Oh no. Please no.
“My florist was right here, you ever use them?” the man said, looking excited.
“No, never have,” Lance lied, with a fake smile.
Lance entered the all too familiar flower shop with his client.
“Keith, are you here?” the man called out.
Together, the two walked towards the back of the building.
“How may I help you,” Keith said and he turned towards his customers. As soon as he saw who it was, Keith’s grin almost grew into a smirk.
“Coran, congratulations on your marriage, and Lance, what are you doing here?” he said ever so kindly.
“How do you know my name?” Lance blurted out.
Keith dropped the act. “The big, tall guy with the knuckle tattoos came in and apologized for your behavior the day after you visited me.”
God damnit, Hunk.
“I thought you said you have never been here?” Coran asked Lance.
“Oh, I must have not heard you correctly,” Lance answered, not making eye contact.
“So, what can I help you with,” Keith asked once again.
Coran proceeded to launch into his whole tattoo idea. Clearly listening, Keith nodded along.
“That can definitely be done, do you mind paying for the flowers again, though?” Keith asked as a precaution.
The customer nodded.
Lance hated to admit it, but when Keith worked with customers, he was very friendly and professional, maybe they just got off on the wrong foot.
“Lance, what do you think?” Coran asked.
Lance looked at the bouquet presented to him. Quickly, he drew a basic sketch of what the bouquet looked like. The bouquet was mostly made up of hydrangeas and a few other smaller accent flowers.
“It really is a beautiful bouquet,” Lance said while he added some details to the sketch.
“Thank you,” the newlywed and florist said at the same time.
Lance looked up and smiled at both of them.
———
Lance was just finishing up the final stencil for the wedding bouquet piece when he heard the door of the shop open.
He continued to work while he heard Hunk ask “How may I help you,” to the customer.
“I’m here for Lance,” said a familiar voice.
Lance looked up and he was greeted by Keith holding a small echinocactus cactus.
“I figured you were still looking for one,” Keith said handing over the plant.
“I—“ he was stuttering again. “Thank you,” he decided to respond, a little shocked.
“Listen,” Keith began, scratching the back of his neck. “I think we started off on the wrong foot. How about we go out and actually get to know each other, outside of our professions, even though you seem like a great tattoo artist.”
Lance looked down at the cactus and then back up at Keith, cheeks pink. “Yea, maybe I’ll be a little less prickly,” he said with a small laugh.