Chapter Text
Azure lazily clicked the register. He wasn't even an hour into his Moon's Crystals shift and already bored. Moon’s Crystals was a humble little psychic sort of shop with crystals and figures and what not. It wasn't busy in the slightest- the store was sure to go bankrupt sometime soon. Not a single customer browsed the aisles of weird meditation books and incense. Azure was working the register here part time during weekends and when he got the time on weekdays- which wasn't very often, considering he had school. And being an eleventh grader, he sure gets a lot of schoolwork.
He worked here to help make ends meet, despite being paid below minimum wage. When he was thirteen, his father had gotten into a scandal with some group. He owed them money or something and had taken everything and up and left. He was found dead regardless and all of his and moms accounts were drained. His mom wasn't an angel either. She made money too, but in less ethical ways than her son…
Azure got snapped out of his thoughts when the bell rung on the door. “Welcome! How can I help you?” He called out automatically. He looked up and at the young-... Boy? He couldn’t tell.
The kid looked up. “Hey… Oh. Aspen. Hey.”
Azure froze for a moment.
Aspen?
Did this person know who he was?
“... Do I know you?”
The kid looked shocked for a second. “I-Ive sat behind you in science all year.”
… What?
“... Thomas. I’m Thomas."
Oh. That badly bullied kid… Azure felt sorry. "Ah. Thomas. Sorry for not recognizing you. How can I help you?”
“I was wondering if you guys sell… flowers?”
Azure perked up at the mention of flowers. Then faltered. “We don't sell flowers unfortunately.”
“Hah… They're out of season everywhere else, I thought some edgy psychic store might have some."
“Your out of luck.”
“...”
Azure sighed. What was he waiting for? "Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“...i guess not… Um… Cya round…”
“Have a nice day.”
Thomas’s face flicked to something like surprise, and they turned to Azure. Then a smile way too gleeful for just a simple “Have a good day” broke out, and Thomas dashed out of the shop.
What a weirdo…
Azure was about to go back to doing absolutely nothing again when the bell rung. He looked up. Thomas again. “Did you… Forget something?"
“No."
“... Then um… Why did you come back?"
“..."
“Thomas?"
Suddenly Thomas was right at the register counter and they slammed their hands down on it and met eyes with Azure, their faces inches away. “Do you like flowers?"
“I-um-yes-”
“Then where can I find some?"
“Thomas, get off the register."
They blinked and seemed to snap out of whatever daze they were in. Thomas took a deep breath before asking again, “Where can I find some?"
“Why do you need flowers so bad?"
“Do you know where I can find some?" They asked again, ignoring Azure.
Azure sighed. “Thomas, you need to leave if you aren't going to purchase anything."
“Flowers! Where can I find flowers!"
“My garden! I don't know!"
“Garden?" Thomas’s eyes lit up.
“Please leave."
Thomas huffed and stomped out. “I'll wait for you!"
Azure wasn't really sure what they'd meant by that, but he'd continue his shift and forget about the odd interaction.
It was much later in the day when his shift ended. He was ready to wind down and tend to his nightshades on this fine Saturday. He was walking back to h-
“AAAAAH!"
Thomas jumped out at him. “I was starting to think your shift would never end!"
“... You waited for my shift to end outside..? In this weather?"
“Mhm.”
“That's…creepy.”
“Can you take me to your garden now?”
Azure was getting annoyed. "I hardly know you…”
“Pleaseeee?”
Azure finally gave the kid a good look. They sported some random washed out t-shirt with an unfamiliar symbol on it. Their black hair was tied back- but what really caught Azure’s attention was the unattended bruise on the side of their face.
Azure sighed. “... On one condition.”
Thomas tilted his head.
“You let me bandage that." He pointed to Thomas’s cheek- the kid responded by gingerly touching it, like they'd forgotten the bruise was there.
“... Okay."
Azure nodded. He didn't live too far, so he rode his bike to and from work, but it was in the shop for repairs right now, lucky for Thomas.
Azure began walking at a brisk pace. He was caring and kind, but not thrilled to show an almost complete stranger where he lives.
Thomas kept up like it was nothing. “How did you not recognize me?”
“I wasn't paying very good attention.”
“But I've been right behind you all year.”
“You've mentioned.” That came off ruder than he'd intended. "Sorry. I just… I don't remember people I'm not close with."
“Oh…Sorry Aspen, that was passive aggressive too…"
“Call me Azure."
Thomas blinked a few times. “Wow…"
“Pffft. I came up with it myself."
“Can you make me one too?"
Azure glanced over at Thomas. “Two Time."
“... Like the Jack Stauber song?"
“Are you a fan?"
Thomas grinned. “Uh-somewhat!.. But anyway, why?"
“You came into my store twice."
“.. Seriously?!" Thomas practically yelled. Thomas looked down and mumbled, "Two Time.” A gentle smile spread across their usually deranged face. "I like it.”
Azure smiled at their soft expression. They'd gotten to his apartment so he unlocked the door and let Two Time in first.
Two Time leaped in like they were expecting a mansion like all friends have in animes- but they slouched over a bit when they found a messy and cramped hallway. “I got my hopes up for nothingggg…" They complained.
“Should've warned you."
Two Time seemed to remember they were here for flowers. “Flowers!"
Azure was kicking off his boots. When finished, he motioned for Two Time to follow and led them down the cramped hallway.
They got to a room and Azure opened the door. The laundry room. Azure did the laundry whenever he could, but it was supposed to be his mom’s job, but she was too busy. He led Two Time out a door on the opposite side of the laundry room and they made it to a small yard. Azure lived on the bottom floor so they got a two/three foot patch of grass instead of a balcony, which Azure had repurposed to be his garden.
Two Time’s eyes sparkled in awe. “WOW! You attend to this all by yourself!!?"
“It's my pride and joy."
The flowers were organized into orderly sections- white roses, morning glories, violets, daisies, and his favorite- Nightshades, in the far corner so they didn't poison anyone and stayed hidden from safety inspectors.
Two Time looked up worriedly. “And I just… Take them?"
“No no no, I'll show you."
Azure grabbed his clippers from the bin and led Two Time to the rose bush. He crouched down behind Two Time and put the clippers in their hand, placing his own over the shorters to lead them and show them how to clip the stems diagonally so the buds grew back.
Azure leaned over Two Time’s shoulder to get a better look at what they were doing.
After they picked five roses, Azure suggested moving on to the next plant.
Two Time murmured, "Thank you.”
Azure whispered, "Um, of course-...?”
"Haaah...”
Azure looked down at Two Time before standing up. "Do you want your flowers..?”
Two Time stared at them longingly, then looked away. "No.”
“But you wanted them so badly earlier-and I don't want to just waste these, they took forever to grow and I'm not one to take life for no reason…”
The shorter kid shook their head.
Azure sighed, gathered the flowers and had Two Time follow him inside.
He told Two Time to go sit on the singular chair in the living room. It was cushioned but still uncomfy. Azure gave the remote to Two Time to turn anything on. Meanwhile, he himself went to the kitchen and filled a vase for the roses. Then, he got his little first aid supplies and wet a towel. Afterward, he walked over to Two Time. They hadn't turned on anything.
“What do you want to watch?"
Two Time looked up. “I don't know… I came for flowers and ruined them…”
“You hadn't ruined them.”
Two Time looked up, confused.
Azure motioned towards the vase. "They've been repurposed into something new. That's what I love about flowers. They can always adjust and thrive- and look beautiful doing so. It’s fulfilling to be in charge of such precious creatures.”
Two Time wasn't looking at the flowers. They were staring up at Azure, a starstruck glint in their eyes. But when Azure looked back, Two Time looked away.
Azure grabbed their chin and gently had them look back at him. He raised the towel to Two Time’s bruised cheek, and gently dabbed at it. Two Time winced. “Sorry, I have to clean it…"
“..."
“How did this happen?"
“Bullies."
“Hm… Who?"
“1x and Noli."
“Ah, those jerks…" Azure murmured.
“Aren't they your friends?"
Azure scoffed. “Friends is an overstatement… More like… Acquaintances. Those two basically kidnapped John and wont let em go back to his girlfriend. And I don't know about that random fourth grader they stole from the elementary division. I'm just with them… I actually don't know. So that I'm not lonely? Hah… It's a fucked up group.”
“... Then why don't you hang out with other people?”
“Heh. Who'd want to hang out with me?”
“Me.”
Azure looked up from Two Time’s cheek and met their eyes.
“W-wait I mea-” They tried to correct, but Azure shook his head.
“Sure.”
They both held eye contact and, after an awkward minute of silence, started laughing. “Okay okay!" Azure giggled.
After Azure had cleaned and bandaged Two Time’s bruise, Two Time finally decided on what to put on TV- the news. How fun.
After a while, Azure asked if Two Time was gonna leave.
“If?”
“Mhm.”
“I-uh…could I stay the night?”
“Sure. But on the off chance my mom comes back, jump out the window and run.”
“... Noted.”
Eventually they settled down, Azure on the cluttered floor, and Two Time the luxury of the rock hard chair.
As excited as Two Time was to potentially have a friend on Monday, they were nervous. Aspen was notoriously part of the bullies, less like John who was dragged along- he was with them willingly and sometimes helped Noli and 1x beat kids up. Never Two Time personally, but there were rumours…
Well that's a problem for Monday, isn't it?