Tags: fluff, proposal, established relationship, friends to lovers au, slight smoochity smooch smooch at the end, slight shy male lead, florist reader x male lead.
Word count: 2263
It was just an excuse. He didn't even like flowers like that. Nor did he have any idea about certain flowers at that.
It was all just a big fat excuse.
An excuse to see you. An excuse to be able to spend as much time as he could with you. You never once thought it was out of the ordinary.
How were you even supposed to know that it wasn't ordinary if he learned all about flowers and leaves and seasons and everything that didn't make sense just to have a small conversation with you?
Thats how much it meant to him.
If you'd ask him what he was doing here instead of going home or resting or even a cute cafe instead of this place that smelled like soil, he'd come up with more excuses.
About how he didn't like going home to the monotonous boring stance. Or how he didn't like coffee. Which was a complete lie. He, in fact, was almost addicted to coffee.
It was excuse after excuse after excuse, just to be able to spend the tiniest bit of time with you.
Cause after all, that’s how much it meant to him.
He'd sometimes even buy your flowers. Which made you think, maybe it for his girlfriend or even someone so dear to him that he'd give them flowers.
Cause flowers were indeed your love language.
You took flowers to be the very epitome of love and affection and care. You took flowers to be the ultimate token of appreciation. Flowers held a very special place in your heart.
Hence how you ended up with the prettiest flower shop in town.
You had many a customer come in during the weekends, during holidays and even a lot during weekdays. For all your time working as a florist you realized the significance of flowers.
Not just token of love or appreciation, flowers held a lot more than just happiness. Sorrow, grief, sadness even. And so you did your best to express those emotions through your decorated flowers.
And maybe he noticed the love in them. The warmth or intimacy you expressed through those flowers, caught his eyes. Perhaps he saw through you and your appreciation for flowers.
And he was hooked. He just couldn't let go. And he never complained.
"Miss. Florist" is how he liked to refer to you as. He even called you so. So when he even missed a day to call you so, you'd miss his voice and the way the nickname rolled off of his lips.
It was rare, for him to miss hanging out with you every single day. You even questioned him if he didn't even have a girlfriend to spend all this precious time with.
He laughed it off, didn't agree or deny. Just left you at a pit stop not realizing the actual truth, boring a little hole to your heart.
But it didn't matter, not back then since you had yet to realize your feelings. But he didn't though.
He figured it all out. From the very first day he saw you open the door to the flower shop, he made a mental note to visit you after learning a thing or two about flowers, that never even piqued his interest.
And since day one, he was sure to have made you his, even it took him all the time in the world. It was a promise he was willing to wait till the ends of the world for. For he has never before once felt such way.
Days weeks months and a year went by you two falling into this unplanned routine, of him visiting you every single day without a miss. And you liked it. It felt empty without him.
Since the shop was always almost empty, it felt natural to have him talking your ears off about everything possible. And you liked it, so did he. But it was an untold secret of yours.
He made it seem like he liked flowers and all that comes with it. That included you too, but he never said so. And you made it seem like it was less empty and void to have a companion.
You never hung out outside the flower shop. But neither insisted. Cause it all felt at home in the shop, outside wouldn't suffice. Both thought so.
And so naturally you missed it even if one day went by without hearing his voice.
Today is one of those days, when you missed the sound of his voice. His childlike attitude and warm stance, you missed. You figured yourself looking out the glass windows of the flower shop every now and then looking for him.
Did he forget to come visit you today? Or perhaps he found himself in some sort of trouble? Many questions arouse but you pushed them to the back of your head as you prepared an order for your lovely customer.
Day turns to noon, noon to afternoon to evening. And now it's night time, almost time for you to close and leave.
But you hesitated. Would he come by if you stayed a little longer? Silly you! Couldn't get the thought of him out of your head.
Maybe it had turned into a habit, you assured yourself, as he came by every single day without a miss. Trying to avert your thoughts of falling for him.
Until your heard the tingling of the bell and you turned around so fast you swore you almost fell. But alas! It wasn't him.
You greeted the customer, took their order, prepared it and soon they left too. Now you had to close the shop. It was getting late. You needed to go home safely.
Your were sure you felt a disappointing feeling at the bottom of your already sinking heart. Cause you had yet to figure out, maybe you have indeed fallen for him.
You cleaned the tables, broomed the floors and mopped it clean, turned the lights off and had walked out the front door, closing it behind you. One last look you took to the shop, thinking back to how your day would've passed if he had come by.
And the sinking feeling took over again. Until your walked a couple ways towards your home and see him running like a runner in a marathon, towards you.
You stop dead in your tracks as you take your time to realize, it is indeed him. Running in probably the nicest outfit you every saw him in, towards you huffing and puffing.
The sinking feeling, you felt just a while ago, it went away. And the familiar feeling of warmth and familiarity took over. You walked towards him slowly, through the dimly lit light of the street pole.
He walks towards you, as you notice something in his hand. A flower bouquet? Thats what it seemed like until you got close and indeed it was a flower bouquet.
You couldn't help but let out a small giggle, as you see all the flowers were practically damaged and falling off of their stems. You giggled and looked at him.
You swore you've never once in the past year seen him so red to his ears. He was huffing but trying to stay cool, be cool in front of you.
"Hi..." was the first thing he said. "Hi.....um what happened to you?" You asked confused. He looked down to flower bouquet and back to you as he quickly hid the almost destroyed bouquet behind him.
You chuckled again, "you do realize hiding them behind you won't make me unsee it?" He scratched the back of his head lightly, "Yeah its just that- ugh this isn't how it was supposed to be."
He looked disappointed. "What was supposed to happen?" You ask coyly. He doesn't reply rather brings the flowers from behind him and shoves it towards you.
You hold them looking at them funny, "you didn't come today?" It came out almost like a question, you hadn't intended to. "Yeah I well I was supposed to but I got dragged by some friends to go to this stupid karaoke place."
He looks slightly disappointed as he says so. You figured he might have wanted to spend time with you but got dragged otherwise.
"But I tried making excuses to come see you, but I just- it just didn't work out and also the flowers I had to get them from somewhere els-"
"Hey! I didn't ask for an explanation you know. But since you are here, would you want to go inside the shop so we can take care of um this thing?" You say pointing towards the flower.
He just nods and follows behind you to the shop you had just closed. But the shop was all the better than any other place, you thought.
You turned the once turned off lights, arranged your workplace and sit down with him. He sighs. This is probably the tenth sigh he sighed since he got here.
"You look disappointed." "Yeah well- I mean I wish I could turn back time you know." "Why so?" You ask him even though you're pretty sure you know what's his answer going to be.
He looks at you then looks down and it almost felt like he was gathering the courage to say something. You figured.
So you quickly changed the topic not so ready yourself. "Anyway did you have fun? At the "stupid karaoke place" you went to?"
He looks much relaxed this time, "Yeah obviously not. It was so loud. And I had already told them about how I couldn't make it I had plans. No one listened of course."
"Its good to spend some time with your mates you do know that right? Cause I only ever see you hanging out at the shop."
"I mean yeah sure but who would want to when I can easily hangout with yo-" your eyes shoot to him as his to yours. Both of you look away just as quickly as you made eye contact.
None spoke for a bit till you took care of the flower bouquet he had bought. Cutting of broken stems to leaves to plucking off the broken flower petals. The silence was getting the best of the both of you as you fought the urge to say something.
It stayed quiet like that until you finished propping the flowers. "There. Its all better now. What did you do to get the poor flowers so best up?" You ask propping the bouquet.
"Well I got them from the shop down the end of 63rd avenue. That's where the karaoke place is. I bought those before going to the karaoke place since I wasn't planning to go in the first place."
"And it got destroyed there." "Yeah partly. And partly because of the subway ride to here. Since its rush hour it was so crowded in the subs."
"Hmm..." was a you replied with all the while cleaning up the mess that was on your working table. And once he saw you cleaning by yourself he got up so quick rushing towards you that the both of you made head on collision and fell dead pan to the ground.
You both laugh your lives out as he gets up and helps you up. And once your up he doesn't let go. He keeps holding your hand as he slightly pulls you towards him as you gasp lightly.
"It was all an excuse." He says pausing for a while. "What was?" You ask, not knowing what he's referring to.
"It was all an excuse to come and see you. Spend time with you, even when I have no idea about flowers or anything that comes with it. I just- it was that day and I just couldn't....it felt so magical."
He stops. The two of you staring right through each others souls. "I- thought today would be a good day to tell you already its been a year now. But all the bad things had to happen today." You couldn't even move from the shock and surprise you were in.
He pauses, grabs the flowers from beside him from the table, passes it towards you as he lets go of your hand and you hold the flower.
"Miss. Florist, it has been a year since we've known each other. And not a single day went by without me thinking about you, fantasizing about your and your sweet vanilla perfume and the stupid soil and leaves and flower smells of the shop," to his words you giggle, the first ever expression you give since a while.
"And how I looked forward everyday to hangout with you just so I can spend some time with you. It was all an excuse to come and see you. Because from the very first day I saw you in your pink dress jangling with the keys to open the door to the shop, I vowed to myself, to not leave or ever stop coming here until I made you mine."
You turned red, the familiar feeling of comfort snuggled you. You let out a giggle before replying, "Took you long enough flower boy." And you got up on your toes to crash your lips against his.
You feel him smirk through your short shared smooch. And once you pull back you hear him shout to the fullest of his capability with the expression of fulfillment across his face.
After all, it was just an excuse that led to this at the end.
