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They could tell that Asgore and Toriel had been fighting from the moment he entered the flower shop. To start, the lights were much too low for it to be his working hours, only the dim sunlamps illuminating the space. The door downstairs had been slammed hard enough for the flowers to hear on the upper floor. When Asgore appeared, he was grumbling under his breath, something about being locked out. Perhaps he had been drinking, from how he wobbled his way to the spare mattress that had been laid on the floor long before this occasion. He paid little attention to the flowers on his passing, other than to spare a bitter scoff. The TV was flicked on to play a game show, Asgore lying in front of the screen with the volume low.
The flowers had been there at the start of Toriel and Asgore’s marriage. They had experienced the beautiful day, with the white decor, the vine-covered arches, and the happy smiles on the couple’s faces. They had been there to listen to Asgore when he whispered the news of Toriel’s pregnancy to them, and later on, when the once-happy couple adopted Kris. The days when the boys played near them, or when the couple had spent evenings, after Asgore’s work at the police station, or spare shifts at the shop, dancing together on the upper floor. Now, they were here to witness the rockier times of the marriage: the aftermath of fights and the moments when Asgore would share his plans to make up with his wife. It was an ever-flowing rise and fall, a few good weeks until things inevitably turned sour once again. Tonight was one of the worst they had seen, Asgore mumbling curses and throwing a spare dish or two before eventually shedding tears.
The bitterness and despair of the flowers’ caretaker were bleeding over into the Dark World. Flowery had decided to take care of the two youngest flowers. Orange had instantly broken down, asking profusely why Toriel and Asgore now seemed to constantly ‘bully one another’. Aqua, the ever-so-joyous seedling, had lost her typical bounce. She had been silent as large tears poured down from all three of her eyes. It was heartbreaking to witness. Flowery had taken both of the young flowers’ hands, providing quick reassurances as he led them away.
Seth, the next youngest, seemed to internalize any response that they may have had. They fiddled mindlessly with a plate of spaghetti that Green had made for them, eyes focused down on a book. Green was over at the sink, idly washing dishes, as they had already cooked almost three multi-portion meals for everyone. They spared glances over to Seth now and again, checking if they had eaten any more of their food.
Blue had originally followed the two other flowers, happy to share words of comfort. He was ever optimistic about the fate of Asgore and Toriel’s marriage. He always managed well with these types of situations; after all, the others depended on him to do so. What worried him now was that Yellow hadn’t yet shown up. It had already been twenty minutes, and the yellow flower was nowhere to be seen.
‘Well, at least Seth and Green have each other.’ Blue finally decided after debating with himself. He gracefully stood from his seat at the bar, brushing away any spare crumbs that might have fallen into his skirt, despite his lack of eating.
“I think I will be taking my leave.” He announced, giving a soft smile to the other two, once they glanced in his direction. “Yellow, the poor dear, has not joined us. I need to be sure he isn’t off, in his room alone. Will you two be alright while I am gone?”
Seth gave little response, other than a huff, before turning their attention back down to their book. Green was quick to hold up a sign, giving a tired and somewhat lopsided expression.
“We’ll be alright.” Green signed, before quickly popping up another. The second sign was angled away from Seth so that they could not see it. “I can watch them while you’re gone.”
Blue hummed, mouthing a small ‘Thank you’ to the other flower before he left.
Upon exiting the diner, the mask that Blue was wearing until now was instantly washed away. His brow furrowed downward, his lips pulling into a thin line as he gave a frustrated huff.
This was one of those very few occasions that he fell to walking flat, rather than standing en pointe. Nevertheless, his weight remained mostly forward, his heels barely touching the ground with each step.
Now that no one was around to watch, his emotions were settling more heavily, his mind free to mull over the situation as he came upon his partner’s yellow door.
This wasn’t the first time Toriel and Asgore had fought, nor the first time their caretaker had been forced to spend the night at the Flower Shop. This had been the first time, however, that the lightener had taken it out on the flowers. Sure, it was only a fleeting glance, a few rage-fueled words about how the bouquet ‘stood for nothing at the end of the day, ' but it still brought a sickness to the Blue’s stomach. He preferred comedies to tragedies, after all, and this was becoming one hell of a tragedy.
“Angel forbid I have hope for their marriage,” Blue muttered to himself while searching the initial section of Yellow’s room. The lighting of the area was down, a fair indication that no one had entered for a while, so he made his way back out. From frustration, he continued to voice his thoughts.
“But no! Mr. Butterfly isn’t allowed to be angry! He has to wear a smile. Take what he’s been given. We aren’t allowed to scoff at this humiliating show of utterly unbelievable nonsense!” His volume spiked, venom soaking his sarcastic remarks. A numb ache was forming in his head. Blue needed to find Yellow. He knew he would feel better once he had.
In the middle of his rant, Blue caught sight of the door to his own room. He was always careful to shut it each time he left. Now, it sat slightly ajar, cracked open just enough for a small amount of light to shine out.
Blue hurried his way inside, forgetting about the conversation he had been having with himself. All the stage lights were down, and the auditorium seats were empty. Somewhere inside, though, he could hear the sound of someone crying. He instantly shot backstage, spinning around as he tried to locate the source.
Not long after, he finally stumbled upon his partner. Yellow sat near one of the back walls, partially hidden by the curtains hung in that area. His knees had been pressed tightly to his chest, hands over his face as he sobbed. Blue instantly dropped to his knees, not waiting a moment more. His pernicious emotions were set aside, immense worry taking their place.
“Yellow, dear? I’m right here. I’m right here.” His arms were held outward, a question for the other. Yellow practically threw himself at Blue, instantly burying his face as Blue’s arms closed in around him.
Now that they were close, Blue could tell that Yellow’s body was shaking. His lungs rose and fell quickly as he gasped for air, his hat thrown to the floor by his movements.
Blue slowly pulled Yellow in closer, tightening his grasp on his partner. One of his hands gently splayed on the back of Yellow’s head, the other gliding across his back as he brought Yellow into his lap.
“Will you please talk to me, dear?” Blue eventually asked, urging Yellow to speak. The other tilted his head to look up at Blue. That, at least, was a good sign.
“I — I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I shouldn’t be cryin’!” His words poured out, falling past his lips in a string of apologies.
Blue was quick to hush him down, placing a gentle kiss on the top of Yellow’s head.
“Now, now, dear. You have every right to be upset over what has happened tonight.”
Yellow quickly shook his head, hands grasping tightly onto Blue’s top. He pulled at it slightly, insistent on the matter.
“I shouldn’t be cryin’!” He repeated, frown deepening as he peered into Blue's eyes. “I — I feel like I should be able to do somethin’ about all’a this! It ain’t right that Asgore and Tori-ell have been fighin’!”
“You can not change the decisions of other people.” Blue soothed, turning his head slightly so he could look down at Yellow. “But it is alright to be affected by their decisions. You are allowed to feel your emotions, any way they come to you, dear. If it is in the form of tear droplets, like winter rain on your sunny cheeks? Then that is alright. More than alright, dear.”
Yellow took a shaky breath, contemplating for a moment before he spoke again. A few more tears leaked from his eyes before he could wipe them.
“It’s jus’ — seein’ the youngin’s cry made me so upset! And then I felt like cryin’! I don’t want nobody mad!” He took a moment before adding on. “I feel so useless, Blue! How can I be a good Justice if I can’t even help all of y’all!”
Blue moved the hand that wasn’t holding Yellow up, using it to sweep the bangs out of his partner’s eyes. He then slid it down, rubbing his thumb against Yellow’s cheek. He took a moment before finally speaking again.
“You know, Yellow, my sweet, dear love, I – I am also rather emotional over the events that have transpired tonight.”
Yellow’s expression shifted ever so slightly, a hint of surprise flashing across his tear-ridden face.
“You — you are?”
Blue stifled a tiny sigh, adding an even smaller nod.
“Yes. I am.” He was somewhat slow to respond, almost apprehensive. “I do not think I would tell anyone but you this. I am actually rather angry at both Toriel and Asgore.”
“Angry?” Astonishment overcame Yellow, his eyes wide. This reaction sank the pit that had been building in Blue’s stomach, but at least this was distracting Yellow from his tears.
“Indeed. I feel quite guilty for it. It is not my place to be frustrated, not at the man who has been so kind as to take care of us, and yet I cannot help but feel this way.” Blue flashed a smile, but it faded almost instantly. Now that he was pouring his heart out, he didn’t have it within himself to keep up his carefully practiced facade.
“I detest seeing all of you so disheartened. I love you so dearly; I love all of the flowers so dearly. And I do love Toriel and Asgore. It is only that they are taking their own love for granted. And it is hurting us.” He took a moment before he could continue. “And yes, we have not yet wilted from it, and I pray to the Angel we don’t, but it — it brings this awful sort of sadness to me. And I cannot help but express my sadness in a different way than you do.”
The faintest hint of tears had collected in Blue’s eyes, but he was quick to blink them away. This was the most honest he had been about his emotions in a long while, and the innocent way Yellow looked up at him to just listen? It made something in his chest hurt.
Despite Blue’s best attempts to conceal, Yellow still seemed to pick up on it. One of his hands raised, attempting to cup Blue’s face, but Yellow hesitated just slightly.
Blue gave a short, broken laugh at the attempt, tears finally escaping from his eyes. He quickly fluttered them, but that only seemed to smear the white mascara he had been wearing.
“It is quite silly of me, isn’t it?” Blue’s voice was low, nearly a whisper, as he said the words aloud. “I am spouting such frivolous nonsense. Forgive me for burdening you with these ideas.” His expression was forced back to softened, with closed eyes and the faintest upturns at the corners of his lips. Blue let himself sink into the moment. Yellow was quick to try to pull him back from it.
“You don’t got ta say none of that!” Yellow’s arms tightened into a suffocating hold around Blue, His face nuzzling deep into his partner’s chest. “Ya always tell me it’s ok ta feel how I do, and ya always know what’s best! So it is fer you, too!”
It was so terribly hard for Blue to suppress his tears. The bottle he had nestled so tightly to his chest was slowly being opened, the love of his life holding the cap. If Blue had allowed himself to act on his deepest urges, he probably would have screamed out in something akin to agony. His makeup would have run across his face, smeared as he violently wiped at it, and then his hands would clutch his chest just to hold his soul inside of his body. Pain would bubble to anger; he would find some way to reach the Light World. And then, would sit Toriel and Asgore down to berate them. He would scold them from the top of his lungs while pacing and throwing his arms about, until hours had passed and they realized how much their blind fits really hurt their family. They would go back to loving each other. And with the problem solved, Blue would curl up in his bed and not move for days, save to make room so that his beautiful, darling Yellow could curl up next to him.
But Blue was above that, and so he cleared his throat and tightened the cap again. With a heavy sigh, he settled on a distraction for them both.
“I think I would enjoy it if you lay in my lap -- dear.”
Yellow pulled back just slightly to look up at Blue. His eyes made little flicks as they scanned across Blue’s face. It was true that Yellow could be naïve, that he was quick to accept falsehoods, and that he was trusting to a fault, but he wasn’t stupid. If it were anyone else, he might have missed it, but this was Blue. He could tell that his partner was being avoidant again, diverting, as he so often did. It was times like this that made Yellow question if Blue really meant it, the times he says he’s ok helping Yellow through his struggles. It was a recurring thought in the back of his mind: ‘he says those things only 'cause he won’t admit how much you make his life worse.’ Yellow could have dwelled on that thought if he didn’t have his partner to worry about.
Blue could tell, just from the look in Yellow’s eyes, that he knew. Yellow could tell that he was ending the conversation short and that Blue was trying to backtrack on his words. It was the incredulity twisted into Yellow’s features; it made Blue almost frantic for a recovery, which only served to make him slip back to his habits.
There was a little hum that came from Blue to break the awkward silence that lingered between them. He placed a gentle peck on Yellow’s cheek, a smile gracing his lips.
“If not for me, then for Mr. Butterfly? He is quite upset, just like you have been, and he would love nothing more than to spend this quiet moment with you.”
Yellow’s frown deepened in that short moment, though he relented, shifting his weight so it was off of Blue. Yellow let himself sink to his side, his head coming to rest in Blue’s lap. He turned to look up at his partner, but his eyes had trouble maintaining contact.
“This better for ‘im?” Yellow asked, jaw set tight. It did slowly loosen, though, as Blue carted his fingers through Yellow’s hair.
“He’s – quite pleased.” Blue expressed, looking down at his partner again. He quickly noticed the pinch in Yellow’s brow and how his nose was slightly crinkled. It took Blue by slight surprise. It was so rare for his partner to give him such an expression. It dampened his growing bliss, just slightly.
“Are you upset with me, dear?” He finally asked, pausing any affectionate motion he had been giving. Blue was purely focused on Yellow’s response.
The other flower twisted slightly to look up at Blue, glancing toward him and away again in a repetitive cycle.
“I ain’t mad at ya. I can’t never be mad at Blue.” Yellow readjusted to sit up on his elbows. His lips pressed together tightly before he chose to speak again. This time, the words were slower.
“I jus’ feel like you ain’t always — I ain’t sayin’ yer a lyer! I could never call Blue a lyer, that’d be a crime! It’s jus’ – jus’ ya – ya tell me I’m allowed ta be upset, but then you go an’ don’t allow it yerself! And I reckin’ it’s my fault. I reckin’ you don’t think I can handle ya bein’ all angry-like. But I — I love ya. I love ya Blue. And I don’t blame ya if ya are mad. Not at all!”
There was a heavy silence that lingered after Yellow had finished speaking. It was almost suffocating, making it harder for Blue to breathe. He sat frozen, staring down at his partner. In turn, Yellow’s expression morphed into slight alarm.
“I ain’t meant ta say nothin’ wrong!” He quickly shot, his body going stiff. “I can go! I can go, an’ I’ll —“
Blue’s hands gently returned to Yellow’s body, bringing the flower to another pause. Blue gently guided his partner back down to his lap. One hand settled on Yellow’s chest, while the other supported his head; Blue used his thumb to rub circles at the very center.
“I think I needed to hear that.” Blue’s voice was nearly a whisper, a faint melody gracing the air before dissipating again. “I — I am angry. But I am also happy to be here with you now. And I do not wish to sour our time with my woes.”
Yellow reached up, finally sliding his hand across Blue’s cheek. The latter instantly leaned into it, eyes closing in acceptance.
“You ain’t never a burden ta me.” Yellow reassured, moving so that his body was closer to Blue’s. “I can handle whatever emotions you got goin’ on it that purdy head’a yers.”
Blue’s eyes slowly opened again so he could peer down at his partner. There was an intensity and honesty present in Yellow’s dark amber eyes. It reassured him.
“Well, thank you, dear. I will try to be more open with you.” Blue couldn’t help but flash a smile, eyes locking with his partner’s. “And if I am not, you may go ahead and call me a 'criminel'.”
Yellow jolted at the addition of that comment, eyes blown wide. He would have sat up, had Blue’s arms not been holding him.
“I cou’d never do that! I don’t care if you is hidin’ things fr’m me!”
Blue gave a light chuckle, squeezing Yellow closer.
“Well, it is enough of a punishment to see you anxious over me, dear.” He hummed, curving his body so that he could lean down just slightly.
Yellow quickly caught on, cheeks growing red. He leaned himself upwards, sitting so that he could connect his lips to Blue’s. The kiss lingered for a long while as they melted into it, soft and sweet as it passed.
Blue was the first to pull away. He slid a finger across the bridge of Yellow’s nose before tapping it gently to his lips. There was a small giggle that passed from Blue’s lips before he settled to placing the hand back on Yellow’s shoulder.
Yellow moved himself just slightly, pulling himself so his torso was closer to Blue’s. He sat solidly in the other’s lap, now, legs folded off to the side.
“I think we shou’d go check on everybody soon.” Yellow finally said, giving a small sigh and an accompanying frown. To this, he was met with a peck on the lips, Blue pulling him so that their bodies were flush with one another.
“Just a little longer, dear, please? We were only just cheering each other up. I promise, we can go in a moment.”
Yellow couldn’t help but give in. The relief he was now feeling, after crying so long, was quite pleasant. Yellow let his head fall to Blue’s shoulder, which prompted his partner to deliver a few soft stray pecks to the side of his neck. They leaned back together, just slightly, savoring the moment while it was still within grasp. They weren’t soon to leave from one another, making the most of that quiet moment.