Archive of Our Own

Katie doesn’t even notice that the café across the street is owned by the Stolls until Connor stumbles through the door of her own flower shop.

Gardens & Flowers has been open—nestled comfortably between the dozens of other shops down the street—for nearly four years. Katie has built the store from the ground up, carefully planning flower combinations, creating community planting events, and privately consulting with a child of Athena on the business aspects. Katie knows the harvest better, knows crops and plants, but flowers aren’t all that different.

Leaving Camp Half-Blood for good meant her summers were full of eager customers, wondering if seeds were in season and asking for advice. Katie and Miranda have grown flower wreaths and revived wilted flowers— making the shop as beautiful as possible. In September, the abandoned toy shop across the street became a coffee shop, horribly named The Cofefe Café. Katie had laughed with Miranda about it when a customer told them what the banner read, joking about the type of person who would even think of naming a store that. Especially on a crowded street already littered with cafés and bakeries.

But here Katie is— watching Connor Stoll rush through her open door and trip over nothing. Katie watches blankly behind the counter, taking in his disheveled hair, wrinkled apron, and flushed face. Connor picks himself up, looks behind him like he’s being chased, and smiles.

“Katie,” he says, all forced amicability and composure, as if he and his brother weren’t the banes of Katie’s existence just 7 years ago.

Connor’s grown up, bones fitting into his body, and his apron tied in a flattering manner. (An apron, which just so happens to read Cofefe.) His face is fuller than when they were both teenagers. His grin is as sharp as ever.

“Connor,” she replies, mimicking his careful tone.

“Katie,” he repeats before laughing. “Sorry, how are you? The big twenties? Must be great. Just awesome,” Connor mouths awkwardly at his next words before aborting and smoothing out the lines of his apron.

“Stoll,” Katie cuts out, harsher than she means to. “How can I help you?”

Connor stares blankly at her, a familiar look she has seen thousands of times over when the brothers feigned cluelessness. Then, as if ignited, Connor jumps up again, running a hand through his hair for it to become even more disheveled.

“Right— So… If I wanted flowers for some— something. Flowers. Flowers?”

Katie has never seen Connor like this, so obviously flustered and stammering, so she takes pity on him and shares a warm, patented Gardner smile, even if Connor was half of all the ridiculous pranks that ended with Katie screaming herself hoarse.

“We do, in fact, have flowers,” she says. “What exactly are you looking for?”

As Katie speaks, she can feel her smile become genuine, apprehension melting away as an eager look grows on Connor’s face.

“Well, you know how Travis and I own Cofefe?”—Katie hadn’t, but the ridiculous name is starting to make more sense. It’s also the first time she’s heard it aloud, and she has to stifle a laugh—“Well, we want it to look nice. So, flowers?”

Katie nods, tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and steps out from behind the counter.

“Centerpieces? Hanging outside? What are you guys looking for?”

Connor looks a little shocked at her civility and professionalism, but adjusts quickly. He looks up at the ceiling, where a collection of crystals hangs from a light, reflecting rainbows throughout the room.

“Good question,” he laughs. “I’ll get back to you?”

Katie wants to pinch the bridge of her nose and sigh, but a customer is a customer, even if they’re a Stoll.

“I’ll be here.”

*

After that, Connor pops by occasionally. He orders replacements and tries out different bouquets. One day, she’s working with Miranda on a dying cactus that a regular brought in when she sees the door to Cofefe swing open and Connor step out. The wind hits him in the face, and his curls smash into his face, making him splutter.

“This guy isn’t too happy. I’d even give—” Miranda cuts herself off when she sees Connor crossing the street.

“Is that a Stoll?”

Katie nods and whispers, “He works at the café, comes here for arrangements.”

Miranda, Katie’s dearest sister Miranda, leans in closer to ask if he might be sabotaging her. Katie laughs and then laughs some more when Miranda gives her a pointed look.

“They flipped all of Daisy’s flowers upside down once! They framed you for—”

“Hi, Connor!”

Connor swings open their door, bell chiming and ringing as he looks behind him again. Katie wonders if he’s sneaking out during lulls or if Travis just is really strict about their work ethic. Their dad is the god of business, to be fair.

Connor waves at the two of them before walking over to their flower catalogue. A previous part-time high schooler had even added brief explanations of typical uses and connotations of flowers. But most of the glossy book is just large pictures of flowers and typical arrangements made with them.

Most of the time that Connor is in the store, he doesn’t buy anything. But he does ask about preserving flowers and if pressing them is worthwhile. But he’s respectable and civil when other customers are present, so he just becomes another regular Katie chats with. He roams around for a bit, and Katie’s glad that he’s not as crazed as when he first came in—apparently, he had ruined an Aphrodite kid’s date and got cursed—because his mischievous grin doesn’t seem as deviant when Katie is spared from its wrath. 

At least, that’s how Katie feels until she opens the shop late one morning and immediately sneezes uncontrollably. First, she glances at the air outside, as if the wind is at fault. But once she sneezes again, then again until she can’t stop, she can tell the plants and flowers are bothered too.

Katie groans and relocks her door, sneezing as she storms across the street and pulls the door to Cofefe open. There are a few drinks stacked by the Pickup section, surrounded by an otherwise empty room. Barring Travis behind the counter, that is.

“Travis!” she shouts— old habits die hard—nose already twitching.

“Hey, Katie!” he says, voice just a degree higher, reminiscent of his brother. “And it’s Connor—” he stresses, pointing at his name tag that does read Connor in chicken scratch, “—by the way. Kinda thought you’d know that by now.”

He laughs, the light one that Connor does when Katie asks too many questions too fast. For a second, she thinks it might actually be Connor, but then she catches a glint in his eye, familiar and unique to Travis. Katie already feels herself falling into the routine argument, mouth opening to protest before she sneezes again.

Travis immediately loses his resolve and breaks into laughter, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes while Katie’s eyes tear from another sneeze.

“You got me— I’m Travis—” he starts, as if Katie was under any impression that he was Connor.

“Yeah, no—” Katie sneezes.

Travis composes himself again, standing up straight, apron pulling taut, and smirk growing bigger. Katie sniffs and looks up.

Travis smiles again, places his hands on the counter, and laughs at Katie’s misfortune. 

“Welcome to Cofefe, Katie-kat. How can I help you today?”

Katie sneezes so hard that the flowers next to his hand—blue daisies that Katie picked for Connor a week ago—start to wilt, and petals float to the ground.

“Stoll— you’re not— fooling anyone,” Katie forces out between sneezes. 

“This is a very legitimate business, Katie,” Travis says, affronted.

He’s still smiling, though. Teeth too white and pointy to be innocent. Katie thinks back to camp, fields of strawberries that turned the wrong color, impossible pranks that required the help of multiple Hecate kids, and the time Chiron fell asleep in the middle of explaining how to play Capture the Flag. Travis Stoll doesn’t know innocent; he only knows how to rile up everyone in camp. He only knows how to decorate the top of Demeter’s Cabin with chocolate bunnies, how to tear people apart, how to push people into the lake, and vanish afterwards.

Katie wipes her nose with a napkin from the counter, “You’re a thief!”

Travis laughs, “And Connor isn’t?”

Katie sighs, knowing it’s useless to try to argue with a Stoll. Or any child of Hermes, really. They all know exactly what they want and exactly how to annoy the most people to get it.

“Okay— Just fix this, please.”

“I’m so sorry… Katie… but… the only cure…” Travis shakes his head, stupid brown curls bouncing against his forehead before falling messily again. “Is happiness… I know that it’ll be hard. But— you just have to smile.”

Travis smiles, as if to show her, stupid dimples and laughter lines that take up his entire face. Katie sneezes.

She doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of falling for something that is so obviously a lie. She instead looks up towards the dim lighting and listens to the faint hum of the ice machine and music playing from speakers.

“Connor is so much better than you,” Katie says, sniffling.

“You like him?” Travis asks, way too fast.

Travis looks suspicious, but that’s nothing new. He leans forward while speaking, propping his elbows against the counter and getting too close for comfort, even though Katie is sneezing hysterically.

Katie sneezes, “Obviously more than you.”

Travis wrings his hands, laughing. Something is off with the tone, but Katie is busy sneezing again.

“Right, sorry. You just need peppermint— I can make you a cup and then—”

“I think you’ve done enough, Stoll,” Katie spits out, running back outside and down the street to get a cup of tea.

She heads to the candle store around the corner to buy a peppermint candle, heading back to her shop. Katie unlocks the door, holds her breath as she lights the candle, and washes her hands again.

They keep another set of crystals in the bathroom, so she Iris Messages Miranda. Her cheeks are red from anger, nose from sneezing, and eyes from crying. Miranda is washing dishes, but immediately drops them when the message connects.

“Katie? Are you okay?” she asks, taking off her rubber gloves and carefully leaning in closer to the message.

Katie wipes at her face again, smiling more genuinely now that she can see her sister.

Miranda, on the other hand, frowns, “What happened? Do I need to call Sherman?”

Sherman works most days of the week, driving into the city to do his secretive bodyguard work. He would definitely be able to stop Travis in his tracks just by looking at him.

“Don’t bother your fiancée with this; it was just Travis. Stupid ‘pranks.’”

It’s not even a good one, something even mildly entertaining. It’s just at the expense of Katie and her business.

“Oh, Katie,” Miranda sympathizes. “I'm so sorry. Do you need me to come in? I can take your shift.”

Katie shakes her head. “I’m just gonna need a minute,” she says. “Wanted to talk to you.”

Miranda nods. The wind chimes behind her start clanging, bumping into the large plant she keeps near the door.

“He must've gotten into the store or something. Set everything off.” 

Miranda sighs, “I should've known. Whenever you were away during the year, they always tried to break into the store. Menaces really. I know some people who can make better locks, but then again, Hermes kids—you know?

Katie nods, “Please.” Before adding, “This is so stupid.”

“Do you want me to come in anyway? We can go for lunch or something. Sherman won’t be home until late,” Miranda says as she puts her engagement ring back on and fixes her hair.

Katie shakes her head again, “I’ll be fine.”

“You can always talk to Connor about him, or I can. You wouldn’t believe what they got up to year-round.”

“When Travis left—for college—how was Connor? Lots of pranks?” Katie had gone to college after her last summer at camp— what must’ve been Travis’ last one, too.

Miranda is only slightly younger than Katie, but she spent the entire year at Camp Half-Blood. After Katie invited her to work at the flower shop, she heard plenty of horror stories from the months she missed. (Then came the disappearances and fire and war. But they’ve made it through relatively unscathed.)

Miranda hums, “It was different. Travis called a lot, but Connor— well, he didn’t have a lot of people. Well, their cabin is never empty, but you know what I mean. A whole bunch of people to talk to, but no one like his brother.”

Katie nods. During the summers Katie stayed at camp, there was no one like the brothers. Campers called them the Stolls twins, even though Travis was older; if one was alone, you knew something was wrong.

“Few pranks, nothing major. But one did cause a nasty breakup with an Aphrodite camper— and you know how that can go. So, not as many pranks or mischief after that. But you know him better outside of camp. How is he in the store? Or in…” Miranda cringes as she says: “Cofefe?”

Katie had been there for the infamous golden mango, for Connor being squeezed by his clothes and Travis in messy clown makeup. Aphrodite kids can be ruthless, even more so than the Ares campers who felt it was their right to dunk every kid’s head into the toilets. Katie’s glad she never dated at camp, too messy and dangerous in the close group. But Miranda found Sherman— she can’t be mad about that.

But for Connor, she can see why he might not be the epic prankster he was before. Even just growing up, maturing on his own, might’ve done that. In the store, Connor is more reserved, pensive even. Katie doesn’t know a lot about him, but it definitely seems that he’s becoming his own person.

“He’s nice; he hasn’t given me any trouble. Probably because he knows what would happen to him if he messed around in our store.”

Miranda laughs, then laughs some more, likely remembering the millions of times the brothers tried to break into the Camp Store throughout the year. Katie laughs with her before taking a deep breath for composure and wiping her face one more time.

“Okay, Miranda. I’ll let you go, don’t worry about me. Thank you.”

“Aww, Katie. I love you! Bye!”

“I love you too!” Katie laughs, blowing kisses towards Miranda before waving through the image to disconnect.

Katie heads back into the shop, loads in her favorite CD and presses play. It’s her favorite, the one that Billie had burned for her back in camp, that she loves to play in any situation.

The store isn’t big enough for there to be a lot of employees, and the work isn’t complicated enough that Katie needs a wide variety either. She, Miranda, and a few part-timers pretty much run the show. So Katie waters her plants. She talks to them and makes sure the petals are healthy and pretty.

This is her favorite part of her work, listening to her store, framing pictures of happy customers, listening to boys gush about their crush and ask for flower recommendations. She likes planning their dates, even if she is no child of Aphrodite. Likes telling them where to put the flowers and how to care for them. Likes showing people how to cut the stems and make sure the flowers will live a long time, recommending stores down the block that sell pretty vases, watching customers come back smiling, saying She said yes!

The music lulls her into relaxation, and the smell of lavender fills the tiny shop. At least it’s a sunny day, rainbows scattering across the room, and a warm glow making her store look perfect.

When she looks across the street, Travis is still standing at the counter. She can’t see him that well from a distance, but he pushes his hair out of his face and chats with a customer. They both look way too flirty, Travis leaning over the counter. He looks up and sees Katie watching. He waves and Katie turns around. It must be warmer than she thought outside; her face is burning.

*

Katie is in the middle of helping a customer pick out seeds for their garden when the bouquet on her counter starts singing.

The man in front of her squints and asks if her radio is broken, since the singing sounds horrible. She doesn’t mean to be rude to some of her favorite flowers, angelonia, but each individual flower sings one word at a time. So the song is broken up, out of tune, and barely in time. Luckily, it’s only the one vase, but the man is tilting his head, and Katie is just very grateful for the Mist.

“Sorry about that, sir. I’ll have to get it looked at.”

She ushers him out and then heads across the street, trying not to visibly fume. Travis, as always, is at the counter. He looks up innocently when Katie storms through the door and walks up to him.

“Katie! Do you need something?” he smiles and tilts his head, infuriatingly oblivious.

Katie stares at him, “Obviously.”

“Ah! Here’s our menu,” he says, pushing forward a printed and laminated sheet towards Katie with a smile.

She squints down at it, unable to make out any of the words, but knowing that there definitely are pictures of coffee on it.

“You know we can’t read English,” she whispers at him, careful that none of the mortal customers nearby hear them.

It’s Travis’ turn to look blankly at her as he explains, “This is in Greek… Are you sure you don’t need glasses?”

Katie looks back down at the blurry paper until she can tell that some of the characters are, in fact, in Greek. Maybe she does need glasses—

“My flowers are singing, horribly,” she pivots, careful to keep a scornful glance and not start thinking about maybe that’s why everything seems so blurry all the time.

“You’re hallucinating too?” Travis laughs.

Katie scoffs and crosses her arms, “Stoll.”

“Oh, sorry. Another customer! You’ll have to come back later.”

Katie turns around and sees a teenager stepping up behind her and decides to just go back to her shop. She keeps the singing flowers in the back until whatever Travis did wears off. 

Later in the day, she’s writing up a summary of the week for someone else to digitize, as one of her regulars, Marie, is browsing through the preassembled bouquets lining the shelves on the walls.

“Who did this, dear?” Marie asks, pushing up her reading glasses as she looks at the displays on the flowers.

“Marie? Did what?” Katie asks, stepping out and walking over to her.

She tries to read the words, but the letters keep shifting, and she can’t tell what’s wrong. It’s horrible having to run a business for mortals when she can’t even read English.

“They’re all upside down! And I don’t think this is a poppy,” she says, gesturing at the sunflower in front of her.

Katie laughs, “You’re right! Um… it might’ve been Travis— he owns the café across the street,” she says, pointing out the window.

Marie lights up in recognition, “Oh! The twins?”

“They’re just brothers, Travis is older.”

Marie hums, “Travis, huh?”

“Marie,” Katie warns. “Are you trying to imply something?”

Marie laughs and shrugs innocently, but starts turning around displays and rearranging them.

“Oh, you really don’t have to do that—”

“Don’t be silly, I don’t mind.”

Katie starts taking the placards off the displays, fully planning to get an employee who can read English to label them with the right picture of the flower to make it easier for her. It takes another minute before Marie speaks again, sounding far away but happy.

“You know, before my wife and I were dating…” she starts, bringing Katie to another abrupt flush. “She would bring a different record to our school every day and keep it under her seat. Then she’d talk to me about it and ask if I wanted to listen to it with her.”

Katie nods, but fails to understand how any of this applies to herself. Marie chuckles again, hand hovering over the ring hanging from her necklace.

“Maybe that’s a story for another day. Care to pick out a new flower for us?”

Katie smiles and walks around the store, assembling a bouquet of blue irises and white roses. She hands Marie the two cards, explaining the meaning of the flowers, and shows her the collection.

Marie hums, “Communication, huh?”

Katie laughs, “And new beginnings. I’ve heard every day is another one when you’re married.”

Marie smiles brighter, “Wise words.”

“Do you want me to cut the stems? You have an empty vase, right? The roses you got last week usually last longer than others.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m sure you have bigger things to worry about,” she says cryptically.

Right when Katie goes to ask what she means, the door opens and Travis walks in. That explains that.

Marie leaves with a raised eyebrow and Travis comes up to the counter.

“Hi, Katie Gardner.”

He smiles dumbly, and as if he doesn’t know that her flowers are singing in the backroom, as if she hadn’t just scolded him for doing it.

“Travis Stoll,” she plays along.

“Who was that?” he asks curiously, spinning back around to watch Marie walk down the street.

Katie laughs when she follows his gaze. Marie has been a customer since Katie first opened the store, telling her that the flower place she used to frequent had closed months ago and that she was glad there were more young people like her interested in business.

“A customer? I do run a business, you know.”

“Uh-huh,” Travis nods, but it doesn’t look very understanding.

Katie rolls her eyes, “Come to apologize? To fix my flowers?”

“There’s nothing wrong with them,” Travis protests.

“They’re trying to serenade me, Travis. Is that normal flower behavior?”

Every time she goes to the back, they start singing a different love song, no doubt an attempt to embarrass her.

“Near you? Probably,” Travis winks.

Katie flusters, but brushes off the compliment. He’s just trying to catch her off guard.

“I don’t understand why you have to prank me. It’s not like you’re about to steal from my store or anything. Miranda is still upset about that, by the way.”

Travis is silent for a moment before his face arranges into some form of sincerity. It’s unfamiliar.

“College was weird,” he laughs. “Some pranks, but y’know. Adult jail is a possibility, and that isn’t just a lava wall or being cursed. I started the café with my business degree; got Connor to train and get certified once he graduated, all that stuff. But nothing could’ve prepared me for you, Katie McKate Kat, being across the street. Are you really that annoyed at my pranks?”

Katie has seen what Travis is really capable of. By comparison, sneezing and singing flowers don’t seem that bad.

She carefully responds, “They’re not the worst you’ve pulled.”

Travis smiles, laughing to himself and tucking his hair behind his ears. Katie forgot how pointy they really were.

“Camp was camp, we could break into the Camp Store and hide stuff and steal stuff, but apparently the real world requires ethics and legalities,” he says, heavy with air quotes.

“You just get so riled up. If you got to see your face every time at camp—” Travis laughs again.

Katie scrunches up her face, annoyed that Travis is implying her misfortune is funny.

Then, Travis laughs again. His canines are sharp, and his lips twist too far up.

“See! That face, golden.”

Katie flushes and bows her head. Of course she’s being pranked just for her reaction. It was never any different at camp. She just wishes that there was someone else to prove that she wasn’t losing her mind about everything.

“Okay. Just… chill it out. Please. Sherman is one day away from coming over. And Miranda has told me about the flamethrower prank, I don’t think the Ares cabin ever forgave you.”

Travis shivers, “Um. Yeah. I can do that.”

*

Eventually, the pranks diminish, dwindling into minor inconveniences for Katie. She comes to work and there’s always a cup of coffee or tea left on her counter, kept magically warm. There’s a croissant, or her watering cans only pour water with plant food in them, or all her clear crystals are suddenly blue. She stops trying to upgrade the locks, since they seem useless when compared to the children of the god of theft.

There is one “prank” that Katie actually finds funny. Katie keeps a shelf of postcards available for purchase, with labeled diagrams of flowers, landscapes of fields, and, at Miranda’s request, lots of strawberries. She takes her lunch break with Miranda and comes back to the postcards all upside down, and undeniably depicting some version of Tartarus that Travis must have thought up. Some still read Wish you were here! in script, the moving English letters only recognizable because of the sheer amount of time Katie spends staring at them every day.

Katie giggles at first, but it becomes a full-fledged laugh as she walks closer and spins around the display. Soon she’s bent over at the waist, laughing to herself at the dumb postcard display next to all the lavender and light pink flowers filling the room. Rainbows reflecting across the ceiling and shining through sun-catchers on the window next to a postcard of a pile of dirt.

“This is… funny to you?” Miranda asks, looking on skeptically.

Katie nods, unable to speak. But she doesn’t miss the pointed glare that Miranda gives her. The weird one every time anything related to a prank or Travis happens.

But it doesn’t matter. It’s the happiest that Katie’s been in a while, knowing that the prank really is just a prank. That she’ll have all of her postcards back by the end of the day. But right now, all the corners are bent and wrinkled, and it’s so nonsensically funny.

“I’m going to go IM Billie… Have… fun?” Miranda says before stepping into the back.

Katie laughs some more.

*

Katie is eating a sandwich outside her shop when Connor plops down across from her, placing a mug in front of her and two muffins. He tells her about the new special Travis is trying to sell, which tastes horrible, is green, and has sold exactly twice in the same number of weeks it has been on the menu. Connor tells her he went to the ceramic store she recommended and immediately dropped the bowl once he left the store, and that he’s attached little cards to the flowers in Cofefe saying they’re from Katie’s store.

Katie laughs and smiles and shares her own customer horror-stories, enjoying the last remnants of fall while it’s still warm enough to be outside.

Eventually, Connor trails off and stares off somewhere behind her. It takes a few seconds of his hands flailing and deep breathing for him to come up with a sentence.

“Say that I needed flowers for someone.”

It’s the same as weeks ago, Connor red in the face, stuttering through his words, and pivoting fifty times before asking for decorating advice. But this time, Connor is sure of himself, is sitting up straight in the chair, and smiling lightly to himself.

“Like, I wanted flowers for someone who is really funny and sweet. And maybe I’ve even liked them for a while and want to show that they’re special. What kind of flowers would you recommend?”

Katie tilts her head and studies Connor. He looks genuine, ready to defend his honor, but Katie has the sneaking suspicion that something is amiss.

“It’s a little bit late for Valentine’s Day. Is it her birthday? Or something special between you two?” she asks cautiously.

Connor flusters a little, shifting in his seat. His cheeks are tinged with the slightest of red, and he seems to be losing a bit of his confidence.

“No— uh. Not her birthday,” Connor laughs a little. “Um. Nothing special. Say we’re not together, or anything. And I just wanted to—”

“Ok, Connor. This is all funny and all, but you’re not being very subtle right now.”

Katie rolls her eyes and tries to keep her composure while Connor obviously does someone else’s bidding at her expense. And at the guise that he needed advice! The audacity!

Connor seems to be committed to the bit, however. He tilts his head and scratches at the back of his neck.

“Um. What?” he laughs awkwardly.

“You don’t need to bring me and Travis into this— there’s nothing going on. It’s not like I like him or anything.”

Connor stares at her blankly, silence stretching for a few seconds before becoming forced. Then he laughs, a little relieved, which only confuses Katie further.

“No. Uh. But—” he raises his eyebrows and stretches, smiling wolfishly and laughing again. Katie feels left out.

“You and Travis… That’s strange. I don’t seem to remember saying anything about that… Strange that you would jump to that conclusion.”

Katie flusters and splutters at the implication, even if she was the one who brought it up first. Miranda has been on her back lately about Travis, and it’s not that far-fetched that she got to Connor, too.

“Is that not what you were doing? You’re just like Miranda— have you two been talking behind my back?”

But Connor looks serious as the smile drops from his face and he recomposes himself. “No! Okay, Katie. This is for me. I am getting flowers for someone. I want to give flowers to someone. I need advice.”

Katie nods, patting her face to try to fight away the blush that crept its way up at the mention of Travis. There’s no way that she just wrongly accused Connor of trying to set her up with his brother. She takes a few deep breaths, sips her tea, and finishes her sandwich.

“Okay,” she smiles. “Tell me about her, I’ll see what I can do.”

Connor swallows, thick and rushed. He bites his lip and sips at his own cup of coffee. It’s another few seconds before he speaks again.

“He’s a regular at the café. He likes to read newspapers, and he doesn’t know that I can’t read them, but he lets me look at them whenever I take his order. He’s really funny and— I really like him, Katie.”

Connor is blushing, and the glint in his eyes almost matches Travis’ as he talks about someone he cares about. Katie can feel herself flush in embarrassment as she realizes she assumed something about Connor and made it even more difficult for him to talk to her. She’s supposed to be a good friend, not a roadblock. She doesn’t apologize, her worldview doesn’t shift, she just smiles because Connor looks so happy to be talking freely.

She smiles brighter and feels near the same level of giddiness as she leans closer to hold her mug. “What else?”

“Sometimes, he doesn’t even order. He just sits in the corner and complains about the crappy music Trav plays and asks why there are so many ducks hidden around the shop. He’s smart, he’s always reading. But I’ve never seen anyone drink as much coffee as him.”

Katie laughs, “Declaration bouquet or peace bouquet?”

“Asking out bouquet?”

“I can do that.”

*

It’s snowing in December when Travis comes over to her shop to talk to her. He crosses the narrow street and knocks on the glass door, despite the Open! sign hanging from it. Katie waves him in, and Travis awkwardly opens the door.

He’s wearing a puffy, thick winter jacket. He has gloves and a hat on, as if he were expecting the ten-second walk across the street to last hours. He walks inside the otherwise empty shop, and his face is flushed red from the cold. When he takes off his hat, his hair is tussled and plastered to his forehead. Impossibly, his freckles are more pronounced in the middle of winter than they were at camp.

“Katie! Nice to see you here.”

“Yeah, in my store,” she says, deadpan.

It’s not that much of a surprise. Travis has come to the store before, but he’s never knocked awkwardly and looked like a man on the run. Well, he usually looks like that. But not like this.

Travis stares at her for a few seconds before starting forward and laughing.

“You were actually blind?”

Katie is begrudgingly wearing clear-rimmed glasses as she waits to go pick up contacts. Turns out, there was a reason why she couldn’t read most words, even in Greek. She’s not a huge fan of the glasses, but when she showed Miranda, her sister pleaded mercy and made Katie pull off a dozen different expressions. So, she has to be doing something right.

“I’m not blind,” Katie scoffs. “What, you don’t like them?”

She tilts her head down and peeks over the rim of her glasses, looking up at Travis and watching him splutter through incoherent sentences. It must be colder outside than she thought.

They talk for a while. Katie laughs at his jokes. She always forgets that he actually can be funny. After a few minutes, he clears his throat awkwardly and rubs at the back of his neck, reminiscent of Connor only a week ago.

“Do you want to go out? See a movie or something?”

Katie laughs awkwardly, unsure of why he’s asking her.

“Well, I’m working right now, and I kinda think you should be too,” she says with a pointed glance across the street.

“Connor can cover for me, we can wait until you’re done, we can go right now.”

“I’m not skipping work with you, Stoll.”

Travis sighs. “Yup, wouldn’t want you to skip work. For any reason.”

Travis shifts his weight and crosses his arms exasperatedly. Katie even catches an eye roll.

“Yeah,” she agrees, slowly.

What is Travis getting at?

Travis rolls his shoulders out, standing up straighter and making Katie look upwards as he walks closer.

“Well, I have a muffin for you, so…”

Travis hands her a blueberry muffin, napkin underneath. He must’ve been keeping it in his pocket. She can see his necklace poking out from his jacket, left unzipped near his throat. That glint is back in his eyes. His smile is widening and as sharp as ever.

Katie kind of wants to lean up and reach over the counter, bring him in closer, kiss him.

Woah.

That came from nowhere.

Katie smiles, pushing out the untoward thoughts and taking the muffin.

“I guess I’ll go back?”

“Yeah.”

She walks Travis out, doesn’t mind standing in the light snow as he fixes the hat atop his head. He’s still just as tall as he was 7 years ago, so Katie has to look up to meet his eyes. 

She bites her lip and tilts her head to the right, considering what to say. But Travis’ face starts heating up until it’s bright red, and he looks away.

“Got to go!” he shouts as he turns away and lightly jogs into his store.

Still as weird as ever. Definitely cuter though.

*

Later that week, it snows so much that people have to walk down the sidewalks in single file, waddling like penguins as kids zigzag and bump into each other. It’s freezing cold and definitely the most snow LI has had in years. Once the plows come through and all visible area is salted, Katie is able to come back to the shop.

Katie doesn’t realize anything is wrong until she starts shivering. And suddenly, her heat is broken, and she can barely sit still. It’s with some reluctance that she heads across the street, desperate for some place even remotely warm. Connor complains about the heat enough for it to seem inciting.

It’s late enough that she would have closed the store anyway, but she’ll have to find someone to fix the heat so her flowers don’t freeze and lose all their petals. The café is warm, and Katie sighs as she unzips her jacket and takes off her gloves. Luckily, there’s not a Stoll working the register, so she’s able to curl up into the wall in a booth and pillow her head on her arms without complaint.

It’s been a long week, and the coffee shop is so warm, and there’s one of her arrangements in the middle of the table with a little label reading the name of her shop. She falls asleep.

When she wakes up, there’s a warm cup of hot chocolate in front of her.

*

The next day, her heating is fixed, and her flowers and succulents are still cold, but happy that they’re not going to freeze to death anymore. She loans Travis a book on flower meanings and spends another day making a flower wreath.

The day after that, she gets an order for a wedding, so she plans a selection for the couple to look at. Then it’s Billie’s birthday, then she’s visiting camp to help with the plants after the snow, then she’s being taught by the couple down the street how to crotchet.

Then, on one day when she actually doesn’t have any plans, she opens the door to the store, and there’s a bouquet of flowers on the counter.

In a clear, glass vase is a collection of white gardenias, simple yet charming. Next to the vase is a little chocolate flower in the shape of a rose. At first, Katie wonders if Miranda or one of the part-time kids left it out for a future delivery, until she walks in closer and sees the small tag attached to one of the flowers. She unties the ribbon carefully, moving closer to the register, and opens the small placard.

It’s a tiny drawing of a flower and a smiley face, followed by a dash and a T.

Katie wouldn’t call herself an expert on flower meanings, but being the owner of a flower store means Valentine’s Day specials and meaningful bouquets. Gardenias mean love, and there’s no way that Travis gave her a bouquet of gardenias—with a note—without knowing what they mean. Katie always works Thursdays alone. Sherman and Miranda volunteer at a donation center while the other employees are at school. And she knows that Travis knows this, because he comes in every Thursday, where Miranda won’t glare at him and skeptically glance around the store.

She touches the petals softly, fluffing them out and rearranging them to look better. When she turns around to look through the windows, she can tell that Travis is looking over. He turns away just as quickly.

It’s still early in the morning, so Katie decides to wait until she closes shop to head over. Travis usually doesn’t work the whole day, though. But Katie has a feeling it’ll all work out.

She spends the day somewhat distracted, reorganizing her notebook and rewriting birthday cards for friends. She sorts the card selection by color and recommends flowers based on the way they smell. At some points, Sherman even IMs her to ask if Miranda left her hair clips in the store. She gets midway through a rhyme when Sherman asks if there are any monsters he needs to take care of.

By the time she needs to close up shop, it’s simultaneously been the longest and shortest day of her life. Travis didn’t come over for his lunch break, or when he must have switched shifts with someone. Katie’s been trying not to stare out the window and across the street, but she can tell he recently got back to close up the café.

Katie takes the little card and puts it in her pocket. She looks at the flowers and sees them straighten themselves under her gaze, humming softly to her. She locks up the store and feels a smile growing on her face.

The café is still open, but there are only a few people in it. Someone in the corner with a book, someone else near the window with a laptop. The lighting is dim, and the music's been turned off. Some kid Katie doesn’t know is wiping down the windows while Travis cleans the counter.

He sees her walk in, and Katie can tell he’s biting down on a smile as he puts down the towel and straightens up.

“Katie, hi.”

Katie giggles—she giggles—and steps up to Travis.

“A little birdie left me some flowers. Would you happen to know anything about that?” she asks, brandishing the card that Travis signed.

Travis, as always, plays along, sighing, “Wow. No clue. Wish I could help you, though.”

“Maybe you can,” Katie laughs, taking a step closer to the counter.

Travis stops biting down on his smile and lets his teeth show, laughing so loudly that the few occupants of the café look up.

“Alright—” Travis starts, flushed under the yellow lights. “Pack it up. I can close from here.”

The teen employee nods gratefully and rushes out with his bag, and the other two customers slowly follow, each saying goodbye to Travis by name. 

At Katie’s look, he says, “I can have customers too.”

They sit at a table, Travis’ stupidly large hands waiting on the table, before starting to fiddle with his sleeve.

“Wanna go see a movie?” Travis asks.

Katie looks at him for another long moment before gasping. “Oh, that makes a lot more sense now.”

Travis laughs too, “Yeah. I uh— asked Connor. He told me I might need a little bit bigger of a hint for you.”

“Should’ve known,” Katie laughs.

“You drive me crazy, Katie Gardner,” he says solemnly. “Movie?”

“I dunno, it’s kinda late. Aren’t we both working tomorrow?”

Travis watches her for a moment, smiling again, eyes somehow glittering as he lights up to speak again.

Katie doesn’t let him.

She leans in and cups the side of his face, moving in close and kissing him on the lips.

“That works too,” Travis says, dumbly, just looking at Katie. It makes her stomach flip upside down and brings a deep flush up towards her cheeks.

Katie laughs and lightly slaps his hand, which had been reaching up for her.

“Let’s go see a movie, Stoll.”