Stray Hyacinths.
Honestly, I’ve been on a roll the last few weeks. Here’s some cute Florist x Tattooist AU with TasuTsumu!
Word count: 3,717 words
"Just so you know, Tasuku, the flowers are all really happy and honoured to have been your model to all those sketches you've drawn," Tsumugi commented and chuckled as Tasuku was fixated on a few bluebells, the florist now unsure whether the tattooist was really sketching all those flowers for his customers or he had some kind of ulterior motive. Nonetheless, Tsumugi preferred Tasuku's presence than the typical emptiness of the shop before he even knew Tasuku existed. He very, very much preferred that because at the very least, his flower shop meant something to someone other than him and his grandmother, whom he gifted white lillies at her funeral. He was more than ready to say farewell and he felt like his grandmother was ready to leave the world of the living, knowing she had passed her wisdom to him.
Tasuku stayed silent but Tsumugi didn't mind, as he was a bit too fixated on those bluebells and plus, it gave him a chance to sneak up behind Tasuku to peak at his work of art. He stood on his tiptoes (not that he was that short; Tasuku was just taller and he's also quite the muscular fellow too) and he marveled at what was scrawled across his sketchbook. He had never seen such a masterpiece in person before, and knowing he made it possible made his heart flutter with absolute joy. The bluebells weren't mere bluebells on the murky yellow page of his sketchbook; they were bells which swayed and rang melodiously, enhancing both their beauty and their use among the fauna that they are ever so close with.
"That's amazing, Tasuku! I love how detailed the curls of the bulbs are! You're amazing, Tasuku," Tsumugi showered some praise onto the tattooist as his cheeks flushed pink, feeling more impressed and excited than usual. The florist could've sworn he saw a tinge of scarlet on the other man's cheeks but that was most likely wishful thinking. Tasuku kept on sketching his chosen specimens and Tsumugi was more than happy to leave him to his work. Still, he wanted to strike up a conversation somehow with him but his fixation on the bluebells made it almost impossible to do so. But Tsumugi decided to go for it. A little conversation won't do no harm.
"Did someone specifically requested bluebells for a tattoo?" Tsumugi started and Tasuku froze. Tsumugi's eyes widen in confusion and slight bewilderment, as Tasuku has never froze or even seem caught off guard in his presence. But he must say, he quite liked the fact that he managed to bring out a different side of Tasuku. He chuckled to himself and waited oh-so-patiently for his response as he wishfully thought again: Tasuku must've ran out of solid reasons to come and see him so he used the old 'I'm borrowing your flowers for me to practice drawing them for tattoos' excuse which was quite the clever one, as it'll last Tasuku a while.
"...No. Someone requested hyacinths. Thanks for reminding me, Tsumugi," Tasuku obliviously answered and Tsumugi could only crack a nervous smile out of embarrassment. 'Well, bluebells and hyacinths are pretty similar anyway because they're part of the same subfamily, but I guess being precise is part of a tattooist's job,' the florist thought. Plus, would Tasuku even know the difference between actual hyacinths and bluebells? Not that the florist was mocking him, he was genuinely curious, is all. Though Tsumugi would love to see him attempt to differentiate the two, however he'll do so.
"Oh, uhm, you're welcome. I'll help you find some hyacinths," Tsumugi responded and sighed, the serotonin from before dispersing almost instantly. He kept repeating the fact that hyacinths and bluebells are rather similar in his head and it probably should matter less to the tattooist than to him. But then he wondered; maybe not only the tattooing business was surprisingly demanding, maybe the reason Tasuku was so precise about what flowers his clients want was because Tsumugi does care about its differences. And so he planned to stay silent until the other man has fully finished sketching, even if he'll end up drawing the whole Scilloideae subfamily.
As Tsumugi searched for some hyacinths around the store, he wondered another question he constantly wondered: should he get a tattoo from Tasuku? He's mostly afraid of the pain but if it meant bringing them closer and gaining more understanding towards why many people do it, he's willing to try. He's been spending weeks mustering up the courage to...to what exactly? To waltz in Tasuku's tattoo parlor and courageously ask to be tattooed? To not have any urge to scream or even gasp at the sight of a needle painting an eternal picture into his skin? Or...to not be scared to approach Tasuku because he has what he thinks were uterior motives?
Ulterior motives. If it meant bringing them closer.
"It's fine, Tsumugi, I've found them," Tasuku called out from the other side of the room, instantly bursting his bubble of thought. Once again, Tsumugi sighed; he felt disappointed, unsure whether in himself or Tasuku or the both of them. Disappointed because of what, he will not disclose to anyone, not even himself. But still, for a second he thought to himself, how could someone so observant and stoic be so goddamn oblivious? But that thought immediately vanished once he completely processed what he just said. He found the hyacinths himself. And that meant—
"You know the difference between bluebells and hyacinths? Physically, I mean," Tsumugi questioned and made his way to Tasuku, who stood near the entrance/exit where two pots of hyacinths grew. Again, Tsumugi didn't mean to mock the other man but every other customer that ever walked in and saw the two flowers would say they're "basically the same thing", despite the differences being quite obvious. That's one of the many reasons why Tsumugi cherished Tasuku so much; he was always different and unique, in a positive way of course, and he was always careful with his words despite his oblivion to most of the florist's attempts to get closer.
"Of course I do. Hyacinths are like suzu bells at shrines. Bluebells are similar but they hang low, their heads facing the ground," Tasuku explained as Tsumugi slightly gaped at the amount of knowledge Tasuku had. But Tsumugi managed to quickly regain his composure and cleared his throat. He didn't want to admit it to himself but that was...somehow and somewhat attractive, if he's being completely honest with himself. Suzu bells. He never thought of them like that before but now that he mentioned them, hyacinths do look like them, somewhat. Nonetheless, he was determined to keep the conversation going.
"So who requested hyacinths?" Tsumugi asked again, feeling like a detective rather than a friend. But it wasn't as if Tasuku minded; any words that came out of Tsumugi's mouth would sound friendly or at least motherly to him. Tsumugi was always soft and tender — he was the type to be disappointed or angry when something is majorly, majorly bad. Tsumugi has the patience of a saint – hell, even more than that – and Tasuku has always been amazed by that. He may seem stoic from the outside but there's a lot of pent up anger inside that's begging to be left out once he's back at his tattoo parlor. But aside from anger, there was something else too.
"You," Tasuku responded, which caught Tsumugi way off guard. Tsumugi's ocean blue eyes widened and blood rushed to his cheeks, painting them a bright pink. He was caught off guard by his answer, of course, but his heart also throbbed at the way he said it; similar to how love confession in movies go, when the woman asks the man what he needs and the man goes "You". But instead of a man and a woman, there were two men. One's a florist who goes by the name Tsukioka Tsumugi and the other a tattoo artist named Takato Tasuku. But despite being both men and having such stark differences, there was some kind of tension in the air, at least that was what Tsumugi thought. As far as he's concerned, Tasuku was a bit unreadable.
"...Um, what do you mean?" Tsumugi bashfully asked and scratched the back of his non-itchy head but genuinely confused by Tasuku's answer. Even after 10 seconds of being uttered, the answer still lingered in the air and not to mention in Tsumugi's mind. It was a pretty good attempt, for such an oblivious man like him, but Tsumugi would be lying if he said he immediately got the message. He just had to hope it wasn't another oblivious answer to disappoint him yet again. But maybe he was so desperate and gullible, and that he was wishing for something that would be impossible in the first place. Still, he clung onto hope.
"You've told me countless times that they're your favourite flower. So since they're your favourite, I felt obligated to sketch 'em," Tasuku explained and Tsumugi was, in fact, not disappointed but he felt somewhat dissatisfied. But then he had an idea on how to keep the conversation going. Something contradictory. "You said I told you countless times but you still forgot and mistook them for bluebells," he retorted and offered a smile so wide, it seemed to reach his ears. Tasuku, as always, seemed unfazed by this statement and continued on sketching without a care in the world except for the florist standing beside him. Again, not disappointed but rather, I dissatisfied.
"That's because you said bluebells were your favourite too," Tasuku replied briefly and that seemed to shut Tsumugi up completely. Tsumugi had never thought he would be so forgetful of the words his own lips had uttered. Or...maybe he was falling into the tattooist's trap somehow. He'd believe in his words and think that he's oblivious while in fact, he reciprocated his feelings. But again, that was only wishful thinking and he had been doing a load of that ever since meeting Tasuku. Tsumugi kept quiet and only stared thoughtfully at Tasuku who kept sketching and sketching, his words dying before they even reach his trachea. Almost as if he felt defeated, which he wasn't but he thought he's done for the day.
"...What do they mean?" Tasuku asked out of nowhere, his intent gaze still pacing back on forth between the hyacinths and his sketchbook. The florist was confused at first but then he understood. The symbolism for the two flowers, of course. If he wasn't mistaken it should be— "Well...bluebells mean humility and gratitude. Hyacinths mean– well, blue ones at least, sincerity. But their Victorian meaning is engage in sport or play, which I think is fitting for you," Tsumugi answered and smiled gently at Tasuku, the smile unreturned. Tasuku shortly nodded.
"Have you always liked them? Or do you like them because they remind you of me?" Tasuku bluntly asked without missing a beat, which made Tsumugi cough loudly. Once again, the florist was caught way off guard and he could feel the blush creeping onto his cheeks once again. Tasuku was onto him, unexpectedly enough, and Tsumugi didn't know what to do about it. Yes, he liked both flowers because they do remind him of the tattoo artist but admitting that would falsely imply that there was a time he didn't like them despite his deep love for flowers of all kinds. Number two, that would heavily imply that he had been thinking of Tasuku way too much for him to be reminded of bluebells and hyacinths.
"...How did you know?" Tsumugi asked. Sure, he was a walking encyclopaedia of flowers but an encyclopedia is not the most readable book. Especially, and this sounded as if the florist was mocking the tattooist in his head, for a man like Tasuku. Again, Tsumugi wasn't underestimating his abilities and knowledge but rather he was just going by his gut feeling, especially because Tasuku was so unreadable. Perhaps he could be an encyclopedia too? Or was he a manuscripts filled with hieroglyphs lost to time? With pictures becoming letters and letters becoming pictures? Tasuku was more than a simple jigsaw puzzle but that was what made Tsumugi interested in him in the first place.
"I'm thinking that's a yes to both. You may not know this, Tsumugi, but you're actually kinda readable. I know you like me and I know you want to try getting a tattoo, which is why I'm here sketching these in the first place," Tasuku answered, debunking the fact that Tsumugi was an unreadable encyclopedia. In fact, maybe he's only a guidebook for children who has the desire to pursue gardening as a childhood hobby. Still, Tsumugi sighed and covered his face with his hands, more embarrassed than ecstatic at the fact that Tasuku knew all this time.
"Then why did you act so oblivious in the first place?" he questioned, his voice muffled and his mind unsure of what to say or ask anymore. Tasuku knew of his crush on him and that made him as joyful as a dog with two tails, but he went scarlet at the confirmation of him being an open book, being so readable. But it wasn't fair because Tasuku was unreadable; Tasuku had the higher ground. Then again, it could be an opposites attract sort of relationship and balanced — Tsumugi's readability and Tasuku's unreadability. Balanced as all things should be.
"I thought it would be fun to mess around with you since you're so pure and gullible. Sorry about that, hehe," Tasuku chuckled to which Tsumugi's heart replied by skipping a beat. His chuckle was dry and short but it wasn't mirthless. On the contrary, those two seconds of him chuckling might be the most mirthful two-second chuckle (or even laughter) Tsumugi had ever heard in his whole life. Right there in his flower shop stood a miracle personified and Tsumugi wasn't going to lost his chances with him, especially now that he knew that Tasuku knew of his feelings all along. Tsumugi stepped forward, but not too close as to not distract Tasuku too much, his eyes full of determination.
"W-Would you like to go on a date with me some other time?" Tsumugi asked, his heart full of courage and his mind running with future date plans; maybe they could go try out the coffee at the new café, perhaps they could stroll (or jog, since Tasuku's such a fitness nut) around in the park nearby since the flowers there were in full bloom, or mayhaps do it the classic way and go to the movies? On the outside he only seemed hell bent on getting Tasuku to agree but on the inside he was freaking out big time, especially because he wants their first date to be as perfect as it can possibly be.
Tasuku didn't answer but instead he turned to look at Tsumugi for a second and he leaned in until their foreheads were touching, dependent on each other. Tsumugi closed his eyes shut out of shyness and out of disbelief that this was happening. Actually, he wasn't sure what was happening. Because right after that, Tasuku's lips were right on his. His lips tasted of honey, specifically honey lip balm, and Tsumugi was willing to bet that he wore it because he knew this was coming. Oh, how Tsumugi wished Tasuku was more readable. He could've at least mentally prepare himself for this moment. And because he wasn't prepared, he almost lost consciousness and his face was burning red as if it was lit on fire.
Tsumugi swore they kissed for hours on end but it turned out to only be a few seconds. He was prepared to be disappointed when their lips part but instead, he was blessed with a blushing Tasuku who was just as red as he was. The both of them were grinning, content, but Tsumugi was sure he was still more embarrassed than happy. He looked at Tasuku in awe of his facial features now that they're literally closer. He has somewhat thin green-black eyebrows, fierce purple irises that reminded him of the tips of hyacinths, a perfectly sculpted sharp nose and, of course, his full lips that made it so hard to resist. But he resisted either way; he wanted the kisses to only be for special occasions. But he wasn't sure if that was what Tasuku wanted too.
"Is that good enough of an answer for you?" Tasuku slyly quizzed the other man and flashed a devilish grin which nearly made Tsumugi faint. Tsumugi furiously nodded as if his life depended on it and stepped back to lean on the counter. He thanked God that nobody came in and walked in on them because who knows what would've happened. Tasuku resumed sketching the hyacinths as if nothing ever happened — but Tsumugi liked that. He didn't mind whatever Tasuku wants to do there, at his flower shop with him, because now he knows. Now they know. And the florist couldn't hoped for a better day than this.
But then he had an idea. He raced to the back of the flower shop, leaving a dumbfounded Tasuku to his own devices. Tsumugi searched among the clutter of pots of flowers that were all personal ones — ones that were not for sale and definitely not for the eyes of the customers. But he made an exception for Tasuku; because Tasuku wasn't just a customer. Hell, he was never a customer, he only regularly visited to sketch images of the flowers displayed and depart for his tattoo parlor, to fulfill whatever requests and to satisfy whatever clients were dumped there.
Once he found the perfect one, Tsumugi rushed back to the front and extended the pot to Tasuku. "Here. You probably don't want a whole bouquet of them and bluebells so...take it," Tsumugi held out a lone pot of hyacinth and expected Tasuku to signal him to put it on the ground. But Tasuku put his sketchbook aside and grabbed the pot with his hands, gazing at it intently. And then he finally smiled a smile so warm, the sun was probably shaking his head in embarrassment and shame. Tasuku glanced at Tsumugi, the warm smile still in tact.
"Thanks. I love you," Tasuku confessed and Tsumugi finally stumbled to the ground. He couldn't handle it — how was someone so oblivious be so...smooth at the same time? But then he recalled that he had acted oblivious for the sake of teasing him and that made him want to stay on the tiles of the shop for all of eternity. Today was such an embarrassing day but the florist wouldn't have it any other way. Tasuku kneeled down to help him stand up again but Tsumugi reflexively sat up himself and pushed his lips against the other's. Looked like the "kisses are only for special occasions" plan went right down the drain.
And then the bell at the entrance/exit rung, ending their kiss awfully quick. Both of the men stood up straight as to not seem suspicious. It turned out to be one of Tasuku's coworkers at the tattoo parlor and he was demanding Tasuku to be back at the job. Tasuku sighed but was glad enough that they didn't catch him and Tsumugi in the act. Tasuku only nodded as his coworker slammed the door shut, to which Tsumugi flinched out of discomfort and because of their poor manners.
"Let's meet up tomorrow at the café down the street. 12PM sharp. I'll treat you to some lunch, okay?" Tasuku whispered to Tsumugi and the he nodded obediently. Tasuku smiled (today might've been the day he's smiled the most) and walked away casually while making a grab for his gift of a pot of hyacinth, to commemorate the day their true and honest feelings were conveyed. The bell rung again as Tasuku exited and Tsumugi tried not to faint yet again. What a magical day it was. Not only was he able to "tell" Tasuku, his feelings were actually reciprocated. Tsumugi was positive he was into women...but maybe he likes both? He shouldn't assume, was his conclusion.
But then he felt anxiety burning in his chest — what if all of this was just a extremely vivid dream? He pinched himself in multiple spots; his cheek hurt the most. It wasn't a dream. He really got through to Tasuku, and his feelings were mutual. They're going on a date tomorrow at the café down the street, which was coincidentally one of his favourite cafés. But if only he got to say those three (four?) words again, but no, he had to be so embarrassed he fell to the ground. He guessed you could say that he fell for him?
...Tsumugi wasn't one with the best sense of humour.
He glanced at the hyacinths, ever so blue and violet, as if the colour of Tasuku's eyes were raised up its brightness and contrast. Tsumugi smiled to himself and approached them, holding them tenderly and dearly in his hands. He silently thanked them, for whatever reason, but he felt the need to thank them. He did the same for the bluebells. He thanked them endlessly, for a reason even unknown to himself. Before he could bore himself by waiting for more customers to come in, he spotted the petal of a hyacinth on the ground near the bluebells. He chuckled; it must've fallen off Tasuku's pot of it.
He picked it up and stored it in his pocket. But even then, he could see a trail of them (not literally, of course) lead outside the door and to him, and they continue to build a trail that'll lead back to him, wherever he goes, unbothered by the wind blowing furiously outside. It was about to rain but that trail of stray hyacinth petals aren't going away anytime soon. They were bonded, albeit he didn't know whether it was forevermore, but what's important was they were together. Flowers and tattoos cast aside. Readability and unreadability left astray. And whether it be hyacinths or bluebells,
their trails of blueish petals will always lead back to each other.
